07/10 -- US, Iranian regimes exchange intensifying fire across Mideast; Freedom Fuel?
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Thomas L. Knapp
6:24 AM (5 hours ago) 6:24 AM
to Freedom News Daily
Freedom News Daily, 07/10/26
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Today's Freedom News:
1) US, Iranian regimes exchange intensifying fire across Mideast
2) Bitcoin at ~$64k as chip rally and yen strength drive gains
3) Ukraine strikes Russian ships near Crimea, escalating attacks on fuel supplies
4) US weekly jobless claims fall as labor market conditions remain stable
5) China: Regime lands rocket during an orbital launch for first time
6) Mali: Tuareg Separatists Attack Convoy Carrying Russian Mercenaries, Regime Soldiers
7) US Olympian David Hearn pleads not guilty to frivolous charges in Reflecting Pool case
8) Search continues in rough seas off Pakistan for missing cargo plane crew
9) EU considers tariffs on buyers of imports from illegal Israeli squats
10) US Home Prices Hit an All-Time High as Sales Slow and Mortgage Rates Rise
11) NY: Regime sues 3M, DuPont and other companies over so-called forever chemicals
12) Australian regime agrees to sell uranium to Indian regime
13) Prosecutors plan to play redacted statements from roommate of defendant in Charlie Kirk’s killing
14) US officials compiling “menu” of Spanish goods, as Trump fantasizes about embargo
15) Girl allegedly sexually harassed by trans athlete in SCOTUS case speaks out after ruling
16) South Korea: Supreme Court Upholds Prison Sentence for Yoon in First Martial Law Case
17) Mexico: Regime accuses former US ambassador of lying over cartel case
18) Meta plans billions for first AI data center in Canada, largest outside the US
19) ME: Who will replace Platner on ballot? These Dem Gov. also-rans raising hands
20) Trump initiates removal of Syria from US regime’s list of state sponsors of terrorism
Today's Freedom Commentary:
21) Freedom Fuel?
22) Trump Says the Ceasefire is Over. The Law Says — Twice — the Iran War is Over.
23) What’s special about poor conservative students?
24) Trump decries “communism” while his government takes ownership of companies
25) The Cost of the American Revolution
26) Cut the Pentagon, Save the Planet: The $1.5 Trillion Climate Solution We Can’t Ignore
27) Trump’s Last Chance for Ukraine Peace
28) The Missing Piece in the Graham Platner Controversy
29) Jasmine Crockett blasts her Texas Dem primary loss as “racist race”
30) School choice for me, but not for thee
31) Slimy Dems (the party of Me Too) show their true colors in Graham Platner scandal
32) The Death of Reading
33) Political candidates, character, and conscience
34) Steaming Mad
35) A New Map of the Constitution
36) Free Market Solutions for the US Virgin Islands Financial Crisis
37) What’s the Real “Defining Image of Race in America”?
38) The New Conquistadors: Surveillance Capitalism and the Digital Frontier Between Your Ears
39) Five outrageous ways defense contractors have buttered up Trump
40) The Senate Isn’t His Oyster, After All. Graham Platner’s Socialist Vessel Turned Out to Be Leaky
41) Dems Rally Around “Affordability” When “Precarity” Is a Better Slogan
42) The Unintended Consequences of Vacancy Taxes
43) The Men Who Own the War Now Run It
44) A guide to racism in the criminal justice system
45) Credentialed, Dependent, and Unemployable: The Washington Post’s Cautionary Tale Backfires
46) Conservative Values, Trust, and the Prospects for Democratic Renewal
47) The Founders Fought for Jury Trials. We Bargain Them Away.
48) Dissent Is Not Disloyalty: The Right and Duty to Criticize the Government
49) Maine Democrats Poised to Run a Convention for Senate
50) Homeownership Or Stocks: What’s The Better Path To Building Wealth?
Today's Freedom Podcast and Video:
51) Cato Podcast, 07/09/26
52) Year Zero with Tommy Salmons, 07/09/26
53) The Libertarian Angle, 07/09/26
54) Underthrow Podcast, 07/09/26
55) The Blessings of Liberty with Jeffrey Rosen, 07/09/26
56) Ron Paul Liberty Report, 07/09/26
57) Advisory Opinions, 07/09/26
58) The Mark Edge Show, 07/08/26
59) Kibbe on Liberty, episode 394
60) Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 07/08/26
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_____ Today's Freedom News _____
1) US, Iranian regimes exchange intensifying fire across Mideast
Source: Associated Press
“The United States launched new airstrikes against Iran early Thursday, and Tehran responded by targeting U.S.-allied Mideast countries in an exchange of fire that threatened an interim deal intended to help end the war in the Middle East. Back-and-forth attacks, including a day earlier, have repeatedly threatened the ceasefire. But Thursday’s appeared bigger all around, with sirens sounding at least three times in Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet headquarters, and missiles targeting Kuwait and Qatar. … An Iranian official accused the U.S. of launching an airstrike later Thursday targeting the area around Iran’s sole nuclear power plant, and other explosions were reported elsewhere in the country during the afternoon.” (07/10/26)
https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-israel-war-oil-july-9-2026-0472764b119d7aa204de4f7f5e44a9bf
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2) Bitcoin at ~$64k as chip rally and yen strength drive gains
Source: CoinDesk
“Bitcoin’s best session of the week came out of Seoul and Tokyo. The largest cryptocurrency rose 3.5% to nearly $64,000 on Friday, recovering the ground it lost when President Trump warned that strikes on Iran could intensify. It traded as low as about $61,850 before buyers returned, and roughly $28 billion changed hands over 24 hours. Bitcoin is up 4.2% on the week, CoinDesk data shows. Ether rose 2.6% to $1,760 and is up 4% on the week. Solana added 2.6% to $78 while still carrying a 2.1% weekly loss, the only major that has not clawed back to green. XRP gained 2.2%, TRON climbed 1.2% and leads the majors at 4.7% over seven days, hyperliquid’s HYPE added 1.8% to $68, and dogecoin rose 2.6% while remaining 0.8% underwater on the week.” [editor’s note: As of 5 am Friday when I found this story, BTC was trading at $64,200 – TLK] (07/10/26)
https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2026/07/10/bitcoin-zips-to-nearly-usd64-000-as-chip-rally-and-yen-strength-drive-gains
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3) Ukraine strikes Russian ships near Crimea, escalating attacks on fuel supplies
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
“Ukraine’s military has intensified its attacks near Russian-annexed Crimea, following up strikes on Russia’s land corridor to the peninsula by targeting maritime supply routes as well. Ukraine’s drone force commander Robert Brovdi, also known as Magyar, says at least 25 ships have been hit and set on fire over the past four days in the Sea of Azov, the inland sea linked to the Black Sea by the Kerch Strait.” (07/09/26)
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c70yd1g67z5o
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4) US weekly jobless claims fall as labor market conditions remain stable
Source: Yahoo! Finance
“The number of Americans filing claims for unemployment benefits fell last week, supporting economists’ views that the labor market remained in a ‘slow-hire, slow-fire’ mode, despite a sharp slowdown in job growth in June. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits slipped 2,000 to a seasonally adjusted 215,000 for the week ended July 4, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast 218,000 claims for the latest week.” (07/09/26)
https://finance.yahoo.com/economy/articles/us-weekly-jobless-claims-fall-124028738.html
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5) China: Regime lands rocket during an orbital launch for first time
Source: Space.com
“China just notched a huge spaceflight milestone. The nation has recovered a rocket during an orbital launch for the first time ever, pulling off the feat during the Long March 10B’s maiden liftoff on Friday (July 10). And that recovery was unique: The rocket’s first stage nestled softly into a net-like structure carried by a ship at sea. … Until now, vertical landings of orbital-class rockets had been performed only by SpaceX, which does them on a regular basis. Indeed, Elon Musk’s company has landed orbital rockets more than 600 times to date. Such extensive reuse has allowed SpaceX to fly more cheaply and efficiently than its competitors and dominate the launch market — something that China is working hard to emulate.” (07/10/26)
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/making-history-china-lands-rocket-during-an-orbital-launch-for-1st-time-ever
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6) Mali: Tuareg Separatists Attack Convoy Carrying Russian Mercenaries, Regime Soldiers
Source: NDTV [India]
“Tuareg separatists and their allies attacked a convoy of Russian mercenaries and Malian soldiers Thursday morning, as they travelled to assist cohorts holed up at a northern military camp in the town of Anefis. Al-Qaeda-linked JNIM and FLA Tuareg groups launched coordinated attacks in Mali on Saturday, just over two months after another major offensive in which they captured the strategic northern town of Kidal and killed the troubled West African country’s defence minister.” (07/09/26)
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/russian-mercenaries-mali-soldiers-convoy-attacked-by-tuareg-separatists-11749197
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7) US Olympian David Hearn pleads not guilty to frivolous charges in Reflecting Pool case
Source: NBC News
“U.S. Olympic canoeist David ‘Davey’ Hearn pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Thursday in connection with alleged damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. … He is among at least four people facing charges in connection with the alleged tampering of the pool, which President Donald Trump began renovating this spring. The U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Pirro, alleges Hearn was seen ‘forcefully and violently pulling up and removing the bottom liner’ of the pool with both hands on June 19. Hearn’s legal team says he is innocent and calls the charges ‘outrageous.'” (07/09/26)
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/us-olympian-david-hearn-arraigned-charges-reflecting-pool-vandalism-ca-rcna353638
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8) Search continues in rough seas off Pakistan for missing cargo plane crew
Source: SFGate
“Pakistan naval search and rescue teams battled rough seas on Thursday as the search for five crew members who went missing after their cargo plane crashed into the Arabian Sea entered its second day, officials said. Wreckage from the aircraft was recovered on Wednesday, with no sign of the missing crew members. The aircraft, operated by private carrier K2 Airways, reported a malfunction in its navigation system before losing radio and radar contact late Tuesday, according to the Pakistan Airports Authority. Ships and aircraft have continued to comb waters nearly 300 kilometers (180 miles) southwest of Karachi, where the plane disappeared from radar while approaching Pakistan’s largest city from Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.” (07/09/26)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/pakistani-rescuers-battle-rough-seas-on-2nd-day-22338544.php
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9) EU considers tariffs on buyers of imports from illegal Israeli squats
Source: Politico
“The European Commission is proposing tough measures to reduce imports from illegal Israeli [squats] in the West Bank, as part of options presented to national capitals this week. A paper from the EU’s executive branch, marked confidential and seen by POLITICO, states that ‘strengthened enforcement may reduce imports from [squats] channelled into the EU in violation of existing rules, without requiring new EU legal instruments.’ Among the ideas being considered are an import licensing system, whereby goods from illegal [squats] would need special permission to be exported to the bloc; tariffs targeting goods originating in the [squats]; or an outright ban on imports from illegal s[squats].” (07/09/26)
https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-considering-import-licenses-tariffs-trade-israeli-settlements/
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10) US Home Prices Hit an All-Time High as Sales Slow and Mortgage Rates Rise
Source: US News & World Report
“Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes slowed in June, but a key measure of home prices climbed to an all-time high, adding to prospective homebuyers’ affordability challenges. Existing home sales fell 2.4% last month from May to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.09 million units, the National Association of Realtors said Thursday. Sales rose 2.8% compared with June last year. The latest sales tally fell short of the roughly 4.21 million pace economists were expecting, according to FactSet. Home sales have been mostly hovering close to a 4-million annual pace going back to 2023, far short of the historic norm that is closer to 5.2-million. Sales have remained sluggish as mortgage rates have mostly trended higher in the months since the war between the U.S. and Iran started, fueling expectations of higher inflation amid surging crude oil prices. Still, mortgage rates remain below where they were a year ago.” (07/09/26)
https://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2026-07-09/us-home-prices-hit-an-all-time-high-as-sales-slow-and-mortgage-rates-rise
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11) NY: Regime sues 3M, DuPont and other companies over so-called forever chemicals
Source: Seattle Times
“New York’s attorney general is suing several large chemical and agricultural companies, alleging they knowingly sold harmful so-called forever chemicals used in cosmetics, non-stick cookware and other products. The lawsuit against 3M, DuPont de Nemours, The Chemours Company and Corteva and other manufacturers is the latest legal action over PFAS, which have been linked to an increased risk of certain cancers and developmental delays in children.” (07/09/26)
https://archive.is/qbX7A
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12) Australian regime agrees to sell uranium to Indian regime
Source: Houston Chronicle
“Australia will begin to sell uranium to India for peaceful purposes after the two countries’ leaders signed an administrative deal Thursday, enacting an agreement on exports of the material that was held up for years over concerns about weapons use. Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi made the joint announcement after a meeting in Melbourne. The leaders didn’t immediately supply details of how much uranium would be sold, or when. Exports of Australian uranium to India stalled after an agreement to do so in 2014, because of concern that the material could be used to make weapons.” (07/09/26)
https://www.chron.com/news/world/article/australia-agrees-to-sell-uranium-to-india-ending-22338506.php
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13) Prosecutors plan to play redacted statements from roommate of defendant in Charlie Kirk’s killing
Source: SFGate
“Utah prosecutors plan to play audio clips in open court Thursday of law enforcement officials interviewing the roommate of the man accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Defense attorneys fought against the public release of the statements from Tyler Robinson’s roommate and romantic partner, Lance Twiggs. They said prosecutors would characterize the statements as a confession, undermining Robinson’s right to a fair trial if the statements are broadcast by the media. Robinson is charged with aggravated murder and has not entered a plea. … Prosecutors allege Robinson confessed in a note left for Twiggs that read: ‘I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it’. Robinson also allegedly sent a text to Twiggs saying he targeted Kirk because he ‘had enough of his hatred’.” (07/09/26)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/politics/article/prosecutors-plan-to-play-redacted-statements-from-22338398.php
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14) US officials compiling “menu” of Spanish goods, as Trump fantasizes about embargo
Source: Politico
“The Trump administration is preparing a list of Spanish goods to potentially embargo, after President Donald Trump ordered officials to cut off trade with the European nation Thursday morning. The Treasury Department will be working with the U.S. trade representative and Commerce Department to provide Trump ‘a menu of Spanish products that may be embargoed in the coming days,’ a U.S.official said via email. Such a move would potentially blow up the trade deal the U.S. struck with the European Union last year. Spain is a member of the 27-country bloc. The European Parliament recently passed legislation implementing the terms of the deal that includes a clause allowing the bloc to pull out if any breach of what is known as the Turnberry Agreement.” (07/08/26)
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/07/08/trump-spanish-exports-trade-embargo-00990123
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15) Girl allegedly sexually harassed by trans athlete in SCOTUS case speaks out after ruling
Source: New York Post
“For Adaleia Cross, the Supreme Court’s ruling in the West Virginia women’s sports case was not just a legal victory. It was personal. Cross, a Bridgeport High School student in West Virginia, said the ruling gave her ‘a sense of peace’ after years of speaking out about the transgender athlete at the center of the case. Cross has alleged the athlete made comments to her in the girls’ locker room that amounted to sexual harassment when both were students at Bridgeport Middle School. Fox News Digital is not naming the trans athlete because the athlete is a minor. ‘I definitely have a sense of peace about all of it,’ Cross told Fox News Digital after the ruling.” (07/09/26)
https://nypost.com/2026/07/09/us-news/girl-who-was-allegedly-sexually-harassed-by-trans-athlete-in-scotus-case-speaks-out-after-ruling/
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16) South Korea: Supreme Court Upholds Prison Sentence for Yoon in First Martial Law Case
Source: US News & World Report
“South Korea’s Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a seven-year prison sentence for former President Yoon Suk Yeol in the first case to reach the country’s highest court from his several criminal trials related to his brief imposition of martial law in 2024. The court upheld an April ruling by the Seoul High Court that found Yoon guilty of infringing on Cabinet members’ right to deliberate before he declared martial law, falsifying the official proclamation to cover up the lapse before later destroying the document, and deploying presidential security forces to illegally resist law enforcement efforts to arrest him weeks after his impeachment.” (07/09/26)
https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2026-07-09/south-koreas-supreme-court-upholds-prison-sentence-for-yoon-in-first-martial-law-case
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17) Mexico: Regime accuses former US ambassador of lying over cartel case
Source: United Press International
“Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office formally accused former U.S. Ambassador Ken Salazar of violating his diplomatic duties by allegedly misleading Mexican authorities about the 2024 capture of alleged Sinaloa cartel co-founder Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada. The accusation alleges that Salazar knowingly made false statements when he said U.S. agencies had not participated in the operation that led to Zambada’s capture and transfer in July 2024. The complaint followed reports by Mexican media outlets Milenio and Azteca Noticias that the FBI recently displayed the aircraft used in the operation at the War Eagles Air Museum in Santa Teresa, N.M., describing it as an FBI success.” (07/09/26)
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2026/07/09/latam-mexico-us-ambassodor-accued-misleading-statements/6991783614164/
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18) Meta plans billions for first AI data center in Canada, largest outside the US
Source: ABC News
“Facebook and Instagram parent Meta said Wednesday it will invest more than US$9.1 billion to build its first artificial intelligence data center in Canada and its largest outside the United States. The facility will be built in Sturgeon County, Alberta, and powered by a natural gas-fired plant being developed by a consortium that includes Calgary-based Pembina Pipeline Ltd. … Alberta has been courting hyperscale data centers as demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure surges. But the rapid growth of AI has fueled concerns about the vast amounts of electricity and water such facilities require, as well as their strain on power grids and nearby communities. Because Alberta’s electricity grid cannot support multiple large AI data centers, the province is prioritizing projects that build or secure their own power generation, as Meta plans to do.” (07/08/26)
https://abcnews.com/International/wireStory/meta-plans-billions-ai-data-center-canada-largest-134599603
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19) ME: Who will replace Platner on ballot? These Dem Gov. also-rans raising hands
Source: SFGate
“Democrats in Maine began jockeying Thursday to become the new candidate for a pivotal U.S. Senate seat after progressive nominee Graham Platner announced he will withdraw from the race after a sexual assault allegation. Democrats need to pick a candidate to replace Platner on the ballot by July 27, according to state law. Whoever is selected will have less than four months before facing longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins in the general election. Potential candidates had already been teasing their interest before Platner, who denies the allegation, announced he intends to drop out. But a growing number began formally launching their campaigns Thursday. These are some of the people who have shown interest in the Maine Senate race: Troy Jackson … Nirav Shah … Dan Kleban … Shenna Bellows.” (07/09/26)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/politics/article/who-will-replace-graham-platner-on-the-maine-22338941.php
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20) Trump initiates removal of Syria from US regime’s list of state sponsors of terrorism
Source: France 24 [French state media]
“US President Donald Trump formally began the process of removing Syria from his country’s list of state sponsors of terrorism on Wednesday, notifying Congress after telling Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa the move would help rebuild the war-ravaged country. The decision marks a major shift in Washington’s policy towards Damascus and is a boost for Sharaa after Tuesday’s explosions in Damascus during French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit. … The designation as a state sponsor of terrorism carries restrictions on US foreign assistance, defence exports and certain financial transactions.” (07/08/26)
https://www.france24.com/en/americas/20260708-trump-moves-to-remove-syria-from-us-list-of-state-sponsors-of-terrorism
_____ Today's Freedom Commentary _____
21) Freedom Fuel?
Source: Reason
by Peter Suderman
“This week on social media, the Trump administration touted the launch of Freedom Fuel, a network of gas stations ‘lowering the price at the pump to $3.47 for our 47th president.’ … Inevitably, this initiative produced cries of socialism and comparisons to New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s sure-to-be-a-boondoggle government-run grocery store initiative. But these comparisons were misplaced, at least if the Trump administration is to be believed. According to CBS News, the Freedom Fuel network ‘is private and owns 25 filling stations across New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The spokesperson said the Trump administration is not involved with the company and is not subsidizing the gas stations.’ So this probably isn’t a case of government-run gas stations. Instead, it’s another familiar feature of Trump-era politics and media: something happening that has little to do with the White House—and Trump taking credit.” (07/09/26)
https://reason.com/2026/07/09/freedom-fuel/
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22) Trump Says the Ceasefire is Over. The Law Says — Twice — the Iran War is Over.
Source: Garrison Center
by Thomas L Knapp
“Every American continues to pay at the gas pump and the grocery store for this idiotic, illegal war. Some Americans have paid, and more may pay, with their lives before it’s over. And when it’s over, the US will be worse off than before. End this nonsense now.” (07/09/26)
https://thegarrisoncenter.org/archives/20754
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23) What’s special about poor conservative students?
Source: Expression
by Chapin Lenthall-Cleary
“Among liberals and moderates, there’s very little relationship between economic class and tolerance. But among conservative students, the poorer you are, the more tolerant you’re likely to be. The effect holds for both men and women, and it’s no small effect: at roughly 10 percentage points in both dimensions, the gap between rich and poor conservatives almost rivals the gender gap. Indeed, among men, poor conservatives are nearly as tolerant of left-wing speakers as liberals of all classes.” (07/09/26)
https://expression.fire.org/p/whats-special-about-poor-conservative
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24) Trump decries “communism” while his government takes ownership of companies
Source: Los Angeles Times
by Jackie Calmes
“In recent speeches, including on the Fourth of July, Trump’s utterances of ‘communist’ or ‘communism’ reached double digits each time. … ‘Our warriors did not fight communism on battlefields across the world only to have that menace rear its ugly head right back here in America,’ Trump said late on the Fourth on the National Mall Trump couples his commie-baiting with a dash of his trademark xenophobia. ‘There is now a resurgence of the communist menace in our land, including by newcomers to our country who embrace ideas totally opposed to our way of life and our great success,’ he said at Mount Rushmore a day earlier. (He’s got it backward, of course: Immigrants come here for the American way of life and promise of success.) Here’s the irony: Trump’s actions in his second term make him look more like the commie. He’s projecting again.” (07/09/26)
https://archive.is/35E7H
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25) The Cost of the American Revolution
Source: EconLog
by Vincent Geloso & Antoine Noël
“The core of this argument is that the American Founding set the United States on a unique path that made it one of the richest and freest places in the world. Yet, this causal connection requires a leap of faith. Few have attempted to conjure a counterfactual in which America remained a British colony or became independent in ways similar to later British Dominions (e.g., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa). Serious causal inference generally requires the use of large datasets to infer the effects of important policy changes or some large exogenous shocks. For nations, especially in the more distant past, this is even more challenging because of data paucity, limited numbers of observations, and other confounding factors. It may even be impossible. A possible alternative course is to rely on analytical narratives to construct a theory, laying out assumptions and predictions.” (07/09/26)
https://www.econlib.org/econlog/the-cost-of-the-american-revolution
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26) Cut the Pentagon, Save the Planet: The $1.5 Trillion Climate Solution We Can’t Ignore
Source: Common Dreams
by Aaron Kirshenbaum
“Last week, millions of people around the world were subjected to record-breaking heatwaves. At least 25 deaths in the U.S. from this heat dome were reported. The French government also counted over 2,000 excess deaths during the June heatwaves. At the same time, this past weekend, a devastating super typhoon hit the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam, leaving islands like Rota, where 2,000 people live, without running water and most buildings impacted. In both cases, the people least responsible for the climate crisis are the most vulnerable to its effects. And in both cases, people’s ability to withstand crises has been made dramatically worse by militarization. Those most threatened by heatwaves are too often in neighborhoods subjected to militarized policing, economic abandonment, and the exploitation of their communities. Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands are occupied by the U.S. military and subjected to environmentally destructive bases and training exercises.” (07/09/26)
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/1-5-trillion-pentagon-budget-2677197074
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27) Trump’s Last Chance for Ukraine Peace
Source: The American Conservative
by Andrew Day
“Way back in November 2022, disagreement broke out inside the Biden administration about the implications of recent military gains made by Ukraine. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, advised pushing hard for a diplomatic settlement to lock in those gains. He warned that Ukraine’s battlefield position—and thus also its bargaining position—was likely to worsen in the coming months. Biden listened instead to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. They counseled against peace talks while Ukraine had the momentum and a chance to roll back the Russian invaders. … Now, nearly four years later, Western media again are saying that ‘the tide has turned’ against Russia. And the White House has again concluded that it’s therefore a bad time to push for peace. But sooner or later, the tide will turn again, and the next big wave could drown Ukraine.” (07/09/26)
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/trumps-last-chance-for-ukraine-peace/
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28) The Missing Piece in the Graham Platner Controversy
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
by Jacob G Hornberger
“The recriminations and second-guessing are flying from all directions with respect to the flame-out of Democrat candidate Graham Platner’s U.S. Senate campaign in Maine. Most everyone’s commentaries are revolving out of the ramifications of the sex-abuse allegations, including rape, from old girlfriends of Platner. Some of the critics are pointing to other disturbing aspects of Platner’s life, such as a Nazi-like tattoo on his chest and crude and offensive remarks in Reddit posts. What the critics and commentators don’t do, however, is point to the core reason why this man got so screwed-up emotionally and psychologically: his four military deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. It is those four deployments that are at the core of Platner’s dysfunctional behavior and abusive relationships with women.” (07/09/26)
https://www.fff.org/2026/07/09/the-missing-piece-in-the-graham-platner-controversy/
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29) Jasmine Crockett blasts her Texas Dem primary loss as “racist race”
Source: Fox News Forum
by Hanna Panreck
“Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, said her Democratic Senate primary race was ‘a racist race’ in an interview published Wednesday and argued she didn’t need to campaign with her former opponent and the party’s nominee, James Talarico. Crockett said at the Essence Festival alongside the hosts of the ‘Native Land’ podcast that the best thing she could do for former primary foe Talarico was to endorse Black candidates down ballot so more Black voters turn out in November. ‘The best thing that I can do is take down-ballot candidates who no one’s ever heard of and do my best to uplift them and increase the voter participation in a way that we did in Texas,’ she said.” [editor’s note: Okay, so this loser in a “racist race” is going to support other candidates based SOLELY on the color of their skin, not the content of their character. – SAT] (07/09/26)
https://www.foxnews.com/media/jasmine-crockett-blasts-texas-democratic-primary-loss-racist-race
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30) School choice for me, but not for thee
Source: Washington Post
by Corey DeAngelis
“[Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Arizona)] sent his daughter to a private school. The senator’s own background includes public schooling, but the choice he made for his child stands in contrast to the opposition he now leads to making similar options available for more families. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York) graduated from the private Emma Willard School and sent both of her sons to a private school in Washington. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) sent one of her two children to private schools — and then said she did not in 2019 at an event during her presidential campaign. … The pattern is consistent. Lawmakers who benefited from private schooling or chose it for their children now work to keep these doors closed for other families.” (07/09/26)
https://archive.is/lWY5C
-----
31) Slimy Dems (the party of Me Too) show their true colors in Graham Platner scandal
Source: New York Post
by Miranda Devine
“The party of Me Too has shown its true face in the rolling Graham Platner scandal. Now that a liberal woman has credibly accused him of rape, the rats have deserted the sinking ship and the Democrat-endorsed US Senate candidate for Maine has dropped out. But it’s ‘Me Too’ late to save face. Conservatives always knew the left’s effort to assert moral superiority on matters of sex, race and ideology were play-acting but now it’s undeniable for even their most blinkered supporters. The Democratic Party’s defense of Platner to the bitter end against an avalanche of rape and sexual abuse allegations, not to mention his Nazi tattoo, has left them exposed as hypocrites.” [editor’s note: Gotta agree — Democrats ARE just like Republicans – TLK] (07/08/26)
https://nypost.com/2026/07/08/opinion/miranda-devine-slimy-dems-the-party-of-me-too-show-their-true-colors-in-graham-platner-scandal/
-----
32) The Death of Reading
Source: Brownstone Institute
by Ann Bauer
“People didn’t HAVE to read, they GOT to read. They did it ostentatiously and with zeal. And this habit lasted, in one form or another, until recently when reading for enjoyment started to tank. Blame the Internet and social media and our fractured attention span. Blame Oprah, who in her quest to ‘get people reading’ promoted one title and focused every English-speaking woman’s attention on it, to the exclusion of every other book on the planet. But the real culprit, if you ask me, is politics.” [editor’s note: Are people really “reading less?” Or are they just reading on screens instead of from books, just like people started reading from books instead of scrolls and scrolls instead of clay tablets? – TLK] (07/09/26)
https://brownstone.org/articles/the-death-of-reading/
-----
33) Political candidates, character, and conscience
Source: Christian Science Monitor
by staff
“The right to support and elect candidates for political office is a distinguishing feature of democracy. It can also be a profoundly challenging privilege, as political parties and the voting public weigh information and perceptions around candidates’ policies and personal appeal, their competence and character. Around the world, voters want ability and integrity from their politicians. Increasingly, they also want authenticity, a sense that those running for office understand ‘regular’ people and their daily lives and struggles. Three candidacies in the news this week underscore the civic tension among these needs and demands: the nomination for a United States Senate seat, a local council election in the United Kingdom, and a presidential run in France. Graham Platner in the U.S., Nigel Farage in the U.K., and Marine Le Pen in France all seem to have tapped into voters’ everyday concerns – and their yearning for recognition.” (07/08/26)
https://www.csmonitor.com/Editorials/the-monitors-view/2026/0708/Political-candidates-character-and-conscience
-----
34) Steaming Mad
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Jake Scott
“The average Dutch gamer has lost €130 ($148). At least, that is a claim being made in the Hague by a foundation. On June 11, the Stichting Consumenten Competition Claims (SCCC), acting under the banner GameClaim on behalf of every Dutch personal computer (PC) gamer, filed a €220 million ($250 million) claim against the Valve Corporation, the business that operates the Steam gaming platform. The SCCC claims that roughly 2 million accounts have lost collectively those €220 million on the basis that the Valve Corporation commands some 85% of the market, and defends that position through Most-Favored-Nation clauses—terms that forbid developers from undercutting their Steam price on rival storefronts such as Epic Games Store (EGS).” (07/a09/26)
https://fee.org/articles/steaming-mad/
-----
35) A New Map of the Constitution
Source: Law & LIberty
by John O McGinnis
“Ilan Wurman offers a lucid case for recovering the Constitution’s original structure—and the responsibility rests with us.” (07/09/26)
https://lawliberty.org/book-review/a-new-map-of-the-constitution/
-----
36) Free Market Solutions for the US Virgin Islands Financial Crisis
Source: Karl Dickey’s Freedom Vanguard
by Karl Dickey
“Refinancing bad debt with new bonds fails and the territory must deregulate utilities to avoid a bailout.” (07/09/26)
https://palmbeachexaminer.substack.com/p/free-market-solutions-for-the-us
-----
37) What’s the Real “Defining Image of Race in America”?
Source: Town Hall
by Larry Elder
“Reuters published a photograph taken during the weekend of America’s 250th birthday celebration. It depicted a young black woman seated by herself on a packed D.C. Metro train. Standing and sitting around her were white men wearing white masks. They belong to a white nationalist organization called Patriot Front, a group involved in the violent 2017 Charlottesville, Virginia, rally that resulted in the death of a woman. The intimidating-looking men reportedly said nothing to the woman and never threatened her, and she remained composed. The photo quickly went viral and was hailed by many journalists and commentators as a microcosm of America in this era of President Donald Trump. ” (07/09/26)
https://townhall.com/columnists/larryelder/2026/07/09/whats-the-real-defining-image-of-race-in-america-n2679071
-----
38) The New Conquistadors: Surveillance Capitalism and the Digital Frontier Between Your Ears
Source: CounterPunch
by John Kendall Hawkins
“The atmosphere Snowden describes in vault V22 at NSA headquarters — decorated, let the detail stand, with a seven-foot poster of Chewbacca — is not the atmosphere of men who believe they are doing something wrong. It is the atmosphere of men who believe they are entitled. The technology did not corrupt them. It handed them a key. This is the surveillance state at its most human, which is to say, its most revealing. The apparatus built to protect a democracy from its enemies was being used by young men to look at photographs of women who had no idea they were being watched. The technology did not create the entitlement. It removed the friction that previously constrained it.” (07/09/26)
https://www.counterpunch.org/2026/07/09/the-new-conquistadors-surveillance-capitalism-and-the-digital-frontier-between-your-ears/
-----
39) Five outrageous ways defense contractors have buttered up Trump
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Stavroula Pabst
“From a new helipad to a UFC fight on White House grounds, President Trump’s personal projects have been front-and-center in American politics this summer. Defense contractors that do business with the administration have often supported them. But the weapons industry has long leveraged flashy gifts and sponsorships to engender influence among politicians, key institutions, and the public. Here are 5 notable cases when it comes to the Trump White House …” (07/09/26)
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/weapons-industry-trump/
-----
40) The Senate Isn’t His Oyster, After All. Graham Platner’s Socialist Vessel Turned Out to Be Leaky
Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by William L Anderson
“The Platner campaign is a microcosm of a much larger political crisis in this country, as both Democrats and Republicans are heading for disaster and taking everyone else with them, which is why Platner’s rise and spectacular fall are relevant. Democrats are in the midst of a hostile takeover attempt by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), while the Republicans are being emasculated by Donald Trump and his MAGA true believers. Both parties are on paths that will not end well for them or Americans in general, and while we can feel a small amount of relief that a violence-spewing socialist like Platner won’t be in the US Senate, his saga changes nothing.” (07/09/26)
https://mises.org/mises-wire/senate-isnt-his-oyster-after-all-graham-platners-socialist-vessel-turned-out-be-leaky
-----
41) Dems Rally Around “Affordability” When “Precarity” Is a Better Slogan
Source: Common Dreams
by Sergio Infante
“Janeese George’s recent victory in the Washington, DC, mayoral primary and wins by progressive Democrats in New York and Colorado last week are signs that Zohran Mamdani’s election was not a one-off, and that populist, ‘eat the rich’ messaging is effective across a broad swath of voters. But as the US heads toward midterm elections, Democrats are having a hard time finding a partywide motto with similar resonance. Since last fall, they have been focusing on ‘affordability’ because the slogan resonates with working-class voters; their main message is that things are too expensive and that the cause is unchecked corporate greed. But here’s the problem with focusing on affordability: It addresses poor and working-class Americans as consumers rather than as workers.” (07/09/26)
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/affordability-agenda-democrats
-----
42) The Unintended Consequences of Vacancy Taxes
Source: The Daily Economy
by Jason Sorens
“Taxing vacant properties may be politically appealing, but they have little effect on rents while creating new economic distortions.” (07/09/26)
https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/the-unintended-consequences-of-vacancy-taxes/
-----
43) The Men Who Own the War Now Run It
Source: Antiwar.com
by Thomas S Karat
“There was a time when the arms dealer waited in the corridor. He financed the campaign, endowed the think tank, took the general to dinner, and hoped the man inside the office would remember him when the contract came up. The wall between the money and the decision was thin, often corrupt, but it was there. Someone held the public trust, and someone else tried to buy it, and you could at least tell the two apart. That wall is gone. The financier no longer waits in the corridor. He holds the office. He signs the checks. He is the buyer and the seller, the regulator and the regulated, the public interest and the private portfolio, fused into a single man in a single suit, and the arrangement is entirely legal, which is the whole problem.” (07/09/26)
https://original.antiwar.com/thomas_karat/2026/07/08/the-men-who-own-the-war-now-run-it
-----
44) A guide to racism in the criminal justice system
Source: The Watch
by Radley Balko
“Back in 2018, when I was with the Washington Post, I put together a collection of academic studies, media reports and investigations, and other resources on racism in the criminal justice system. The idea, which the paper supported at the time, was to post all of this data in one place and keep it updated as a one-stop resource and repository. In the years since, I’ve heard from academics, journalists, policymakers, and teachers who have relied on the collection in their research, reporting, and class assignments. I’ve also received requests to take it out from behind the paywall. I was never able to convince the Post to do that. … So I’m going to reproduce it here at The Watch.” (07/08/26)
https://radleybalko.substack.com/p/a-guide-to-racism-in-the-criminal
-----
45) Credentialed, Dependent, and Unemployable: The Washington Post’s Cautionary Tale Backfires
Source: American Greatness
by Lipton Matthews
“The American economy grew by 2 percent during the first three months of 2026, hardly the picture of collapse that critics of the Trump administration keep promising is just around the corner. The country has not tanked under Donald Trump, not even with tariffs in place. Trump has been accused of putting black women out of work by cutting positions in the federal government, and it is true that federal cuts have hit black women disproportionately since they have historically been overrepresented in the federal workforce. But the federal government is not, and was never meant to be, a jobs program for any single demographic, and many of the positions eliminated were not economically viable in the first place. Despite this favorable record, The Washington Post published a feature on Black America to tarnish Trump’s image.” (07/09/26)
https://amgreatness.com/2026/07/09/credentialed-dependent-and-unemployable-the-washington-posts-cautionary-tale-backfires/
-----
46) Conservative Values, Trust, and the Prospects for Democratic Renewal
Source: Liberalism.org
by Emily Chamlee-Wright
“There is a crisis of trust in America’s governing institutions. We see it in the numbers. In 1964, for example, 77 percent of Americans said they trusted the federal government to do the right thing most of the time. Today, that number is 17 percent. The trust deficit represents more than dissatisfaction with policies or leaders. Democratic governance is increasingly experienced as something done to people by faraway elites, rather than something done for and by the people. Public remedies too often fail to address citizens’ concerns, or worse, inhibit their ability to act, adapt, and solve problems on their own. As trust erodes, respect for democratic norms wanes, and strongman politics gains ground. And all this creates the conditions in which a polarized media stokes the flames that have Americans actively fearing and hating one another.” (07/08/26)
https://www.liberalism.org/p/conservative-values-trust-and-the-prospects-for-democratic-renewal
-----
47) The Founders Fought for Jury Trials. We Bargain Them Away.
Source: Checks & Balances
by Matthew Cavedon
“Today, about 95% of convictions come from plea bargains rather than jury trials.” (07/08/26)
https://chkbal.substack.com/p/the-founders-fought-for-jury-trials
-----
48) Dissent Is Not Disloyalty: The Right and Duty to Criticize the Government
Source: Rutherford Institute
by John & Nisha Whitehead
“President Trump has no problem criticizing, condemning, insulting, demonizing and threatening those who refuse to fall in line. He has branded political opponents ‘communists,’ denounced critics as anti-American, lashed out at NATO allies, threatened to cut off trade with Spain, and referred to Iran’s leaders as ‘scum’ amid the ongoing war. In Trump’s America, the president is free to call other nations bad actors, label his opponents dangerous, and treat disagreement as betrayal. But dare to criticize Trump, his administration, ICE, the police state, the war machine, the surveillance state, or the government’s steady assault on the Constitution, and you may find yourself treated as the threat. This is the hypocrisy of the moment: those in power claim an unlimited right to criticize everyone else, while increasingly denying the people the right to criticize them.” (07/08/26)
https://www.rutherford.org/publications_resources/john_whiteheads_commentary/dissent_is_not_disloyalty_the_right_and_duty_to_criticize_the_government
-----
49) Maine Democrats Poised to Run a Convention for Senate
Source: The American Prospect
by David Dayen
“The Maine Democratic State Committee has voted for a 600-person nominating convention, not a statewide caucus, as the method to select a replacement nominee for Graham Platner. Five hundred of the delegates will come proportionally from Maine’s counties, and then include the 100 state committee members. While a statewide caucus was previously seen by my sources as a likely outcome, the state committee went in a different direction on Wednesday night. I apologize for what was ultimately incorrect information. This could easily torch whatever remaining goodwill exists between the party and supporters brought into Platner’s campaign, and brings back all of the unsavoriness associated with perceived backroom dealing.” [editor’s note: So the three runners-up for the Governor nomination now run for the Senate seat; nothing changes unless they unseat Collins – SAT] (07/08/26)
https://prospect.org/2026/07/08/maine-democrats-poised-to-run-lighthouse-primary-senate-platner-collins/
-----
50) Homeownership Or Stocks: What’s The Better Path To Building Wealth?
Source: Independent Institute
by Scott Beyer
“While homeownership is touted as the main wealth-building tool, renting plus stock investing may be the best path for young workers.” (07/08/26)
https://www.independent.org/article/2026/07/08/homeownership-or-stocks-whats-the-better-path-to-building-wealth/
_____ Today's Freedom Podcast and Video _____
51) Cato Podcast, 07/09/26
Source: Cato Institute
“Injuries and Usurpations, 250 Years Later.” (07/09/26)
https://www.cato.org/multimedia/cato-podcast/injuries-usurpations-250-years-later
-----
52) Year Zero with Tommy Salmons, 07/09/26
Source: Libertarian Institute
“Rules for Radicals: The Way Ahead w/John Weeks.” (07/09/26)
https://libertarianinstitute.org/blog/rules-for-radicals-the-way-ahead-w-john-weeks
-----
53) The Libertarian Angle, 07/09/26
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
“What Do We Like About America?” (07/09/26)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVI5fKwyeJ8
-----
54) Underthrow Podcast, 07/09/26
Source: Underthrow
“The West is Going to Sh*t Thanks to Broken Feedback Loops.” (07/09/26)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYN_OAUKDQA
-----
55) The Blessings of Liberty with Jeffrey Rosen, 07/09/26
Source: The Blessings of Liberty with Jeffrey Rosen
“Free Speech and Religious Liberty with David French.” (07/09/26)
https://rosenjeffrey.substack.com/p/free-speech-and-religious-liberty
-----
56) Ron Paul Liberty Report, 07/09/26
Source: Ron Paul Liberty Report
“Trump To Ukraine: Hit Russia Deep.” (07/09/26)
https://x.com/i/broadcasts/1nxnRRQqEkwxO
-----
57) Advisory Opinions, 07/09/26
Source: The Dispatch
“SCOTUS Vibe Check.” (07/09/26)
https://thedispatch.com/podcast/advisoryopinions/scotus-vibe-check/
-----
58) The Mark Edge Show, 07/08/26
Source: Free Talk Live
“Mark is joined by his wife Laura for a special conversation sparked by his recent interview with Lauren Noone (go check that one out) on what freedom really means, and how choice sits at the center of it. Here’s the question that started it: if you have to pay property tax, do you really own your property, or are you just a serf paying quit rents to a modern lord?” (07/08/26)
https://soundcloud.com/freetalklive/meslaura
-----
59) Kibbe on Liberty, episode 394
Source: Free the People
“We’re Taking the Culture Back | Guest: Rob Schneider.” (07/08/26)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dml6eJ0I8tg
-----
60) Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 07/08/26
Source: Antiwar.com
“Trump Says MoU ‘Over,’ Bombs Iran for Second Night, Backs Long-Range Strikes in Russia, and More.” (07/08/26)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2D6Iq2w-7E
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Today's Freedom News:
1) US, Iranian regimes exchange intensifying fire across Mideast
2) Bitcoin at ~$64k as chip rally and yen strength drive gains
3) Ukraine strikes Russian ships near Crimea, escalating attacks on fuel supplies
4) US weekly jobless claims fall as labor market conditions remain stable
5) China: Regime lands rocket during an orbital launch for first time
6) Mali: Tuareg Separatists Attack Convoy Carrying Russian Mercenaries, Regime Soldiers
7) US Olympian David Hearn pleads not guilty to frivolous charges in Reflecting Pool case
8) Search continues in rough seas off Pakistan for missing cargo plane crew
9) EU considers tariffs on buyers of imports from illegal Israeli squats
10) US Home Prices Hit an All-Time High as Sales Slow and Mortgage Rates Rise
11) NY: Regime sues 3M, DuPont and other companies over so-called forever chemicals
12) Australian regime agrees to sell uranium to Indian regime
13) Prosecutors plan to play redacted statements from roommate of defendant in Charlie Kirk’s killing
14) US officials compiling “menu” of Spanish goods, as Trump fantasizes about embargo
15) Girl allegedly sexually harassed by trans athlete in SCOTUS case speaks out after ruling
16) South Korea: Supreme Court Upholds Prison Sentence for Yoon in First Martial Law Case
17) Mexico: Regime accuses former US ambassador of lying over cartel case
18) Meta plans billions for first AI data center in Canada, largest outside the US
19) ME: Who will replace Platner on ballot? These Dem Gov. also-rans raising hands
20) Trump initiates removal of Syria from US regime’s list of state sponsors of terrorism
Today's Freedom Commentary:
21) Freedom Fuel?
22) Trump Says the Ceasefire is Over. The Law Says — Twice — the Iran War is Over.
23) What’s special about poor conservative students?
24) Trump decries “communism” while his government takes ownership of companies
25) The Cost of the American Revolution
26) Cut the Pentagon, Save the Planet: The $1.5 Trillion Climate Solution We Can’t Ignore
27) Trump’s Last Chance for Ukraine Peace
28) The Missing Piece in the Graham Platner Controversy
29) Jasmine Crockett blasts her Texas Dem primary loss as “racist race”
30) School choice for me, but not for thee
31) Slimy Dems (the party of Me Too) show their true colors in Graham Platner scandal
32) The Death of Reading
33) Political candidates, character, and conscience
34) Steaming Mad
35) A New Map of the Constitution
36) Free Market Solutions for the US Virgin Islands Financial Crisis
37) What’s the Real “Defining Image of Race in America”?
38) The New Conquistadors: Surveillance Capitalism and the Digital Frontier Between Your Ears
39) Five outrageous ways defense contractors have buttered up Trump
40) The Senate Isn’t His Oyster, After All. Graham Platner’s Socialist Vessel Turned Out to Be Leaky
41) Dems Rally Around “Affordability” When “Precarity” Is a Better Slogan
42) The Unintended Consequences of Vacancy Taxes
43) The Men Who Own the War Now Run It
44) A guide to racism in the criminal justice system
45) Credentialed, Dependent, and Unemployable: The Washington Post’s Cautionary Tale Backfires
46) Conservative Values, Trust, and the Prospects for Democratic Renewal
47) The Founders Fought for Jury Trials. We Bargain Them Away.
48) Dissent Is Not Disloyalty: The Right and Duty to Criticize the Government
49) Maine Democrats Poised to Run a Convention for Senate
50) Homeownership Or Stocks: What’s The Better Path To Building Wealth?
Today's Freedom Podcast and Video:
51) Cato Podcast, 07/09/26
52) Year Zero with Tommy Salmons, 07/09/26
53) The Libertarian Angle, 07/09/26
54) Underthrow Podcast, 07/09/26
55) The Blessings of Liberty with Jeffrey Rosen, 07/09/26
56) Ron Paul Liberty Report, 07/09/26
57) Advisory Opinions, 07/09/26
58) The Mark Edge Show, 07/08/26
59) Kibbe on Liberty, episode 394
60) Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 07/08/26
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_____ Today's Freedom News _____
1) US, Iranian regimes exchange intensifying fire across Mideast
Source: Associated Press
“The United States launched new airstrikes against Iran early Thursday, and Tehran responded by targeting U.S.-allied Mideast countries in an exchange of fire that threatened an interim deal intended to help end the war in the Middle East. Back-and-forth attacks, including a day earlier, have repeatedly threatened the ceasefire. But Thursday’s appeared bigger all around, with sirens sounding at least three times in Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet headquarters, and missiles targeting Kuwait and Qatar. … An Iranian official accused the U.S. of launching an airstrike later Thursday targeting the area around Iran’s sole nuclear power plant, and other explosions were reported elsewhere in the country during the afternoon.” (07/10/26)
https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-israel-war-oil-july-9-2026-0472764b119d7aa204de4f7f5e44a9bf
-----
2) Bitcoin at ~$64k as chip rally and yen strength drive gains
Source: CoinDesk
“Bitcoin’s best session of the week came out of Seoul and Tokyo. The largest cryptocurrency rose 3.5% to nearly $64,000 on Friday, recovering the ground it lost when President Trump warned that strikes on Iran could intensify. It traded as low as about $61,850 before buyers returned, and roughly $28 billion changed hands over 24 hours. Bitcoin is up 4.2% on the week, CoinDesk data shows. Ether rose 2.6% to $1,760 and is up 4% on the week. Solana added 2.6% to $78 while still carrying a 2.1% weekly loss, the only major that has not clawed back to green. XRP gained 2.2%, TRON climbed 1.2% and leads the majors at 4.7% over seven days, hyperliquid’s HYPE added 1.8% to $68, and dogecoin rose 2.6% while remaining 0.8% underwater on the week.” [editor’s note: As of 5 am Friday when I found this story, BTC was trading at $64,200 – TLK] (07/10/26)
https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2026/07/10/bitcoin-zips-to-nearly-usd64-000-as-chip-rally-and-yen-strength-drive-gains
-----
3) Ukraine strikes Russian ships near Crimea, escalating attacks on fuel supplies
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
“Ukraine’s military has intensified its attacks near Russian-annexed Crimea, following up strikes on Russia’s land corridor to the peninsula by targeting maritime supply routes as well. Ukraine’s drone force commander Robert Brovdi, also known as Magyar, says at least 25 ships have been hit and set on fire over the past four days in the Sea of Azov, the inland sea linked to the Black Sea by the Kerch Strait.” (07/09/26)
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c70yd1g67z5o
-----
4) US weekly jobless claims fall as labor market conditions remain stable
Source: Yahoo! Finance
“The number of Americans filing claims for unemployment benefits fell last week, supporting economists’ views that the labor market remained in a ‘slow-hire, slow-fire’ mode, despite a sharp slowdown in job growth in June. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits slipped 2,000 to a seasonally adjusted 215,000 for the week ended July 4, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast 218,000 claims for the latest week.” (07/09/26)
https://finance.yahoo.com/economy/articles/us-weekly-jobless-claims-fall-124028738.html
-----
5) China: Regime lands rocket during an orbital launch for first time
Source: Space.com
“China just notched a huge spaceflight milestone. The nation has recovered a rocket during an orbital launch for the first time ever, pulling off the feat during the Long March 10B’s maiden liftoff on Friday (July 10). And that recovery was unique: The rocket’s first stage nestled softly into a net-like structure carried by a ship at sea. … Until now, vertical landings of orbital-class rockets had been performed only by SpaceX, which does them on a regular basis. Indeed, Elon Musk’s company has landed orbital rockets more than 600 times to date. Such extensive reuse has allowed SpaceX to fly more cheaply and efficiently than its competitors and dominate the launch market — something that China is working hard to emulate.” (07/10/26)
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/making-history-china-lands-rocket-during-an-orbital-launch-for-1st-time-ever
-----
6) Mali: Tuareg Separatists Attack Convoy Carrying Russian Mercenaries, Regime Soldiers
Source: NDTV [India]
“Tuareg separatists and their allies attacked a convoy of Russian mercenaries and Malian soldiers Thursday morning, as they travelled to assist cohorts holed up at a northern military camp in the town of Anefis. Al-Qaeda-linked JNIM and FLA Tuareg groups launched coordinated attacks in Mali on Saturday, just over two months after another major offensive in which they captured the strategic northern town of Kidal and killed the troubled West African country’s defence minister.” (07/09/26)
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/russian-mercenaries-mali-soldiers-convoy-attacked-by-tuareg-separatists-11749197
-----
7) US Olympian David Hearn pleads not guilty to frivolous charges in Reflecting Pool case
Source: NBC News
“U.S. Olympic canoeist David ‘Davey’ Hearn pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Thursday in connection with alleged damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. … He is among at least four people facing charges in connection with the alleged tampering of the pool, which President Donald Trump began renovating this spring. The U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Pirro, alleges Hearn was seen ‘forcefully and violently pulling up and removing the bottom liner’ of the pool with both hands on June 19. Hearn’s legal team says he is innocent and calls the charges ‘outrageous.'” (07/09/26)
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/us-olympian-david-hearn-arraigned-charges-reflecting-pool-vandalism-ca-rcna353638
-----
8) Search continues in rough seas off Pakistan for missing cargo plane crew
Source: SFGate
“Pakistan naval search and rescue teams battled rough seas on Thursday as the search for five crew members who went missing after their cargo plane crashed into the Arabian Sea entered its second day, officials said. Wreckage from the aircraft was recovered on Wednesday, with no sign of the missing crew members. The aircraft, operated by private carrier K2 Airways, reported a malfunction in its navigation system before losing radio and radar contact late Tuesday, according to the Pakistan Airports Authority. Ships and aircraft have continued to comb waters nearly 300 kilometers (180 miles) southwest of Karachi, where the plane disappeared from radar while approaching Pakistan’s largest city from Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.” (07/09/26)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/pakistani-rescuers-battle-rough-seas-on-2nd-day-22338544.php
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9) EU considers tariffs on buyers of imports from illegal Israeli squats
Source: Politico
“The European Commission is proposing tough measures to reduce imports from illegal Israeli [squats] in the West Bank, as part of options presented to national capitals this week. A paper from the EU’s executive branch, marked confidential and seen by POLITICO, states that ‘strengthened enforcement may reduce imports from [squats] channelled into the EU in violation of existing rules, without requiring new EU legal instruments.’ Among the ideas being considered are an import licensing system, whereby goods from illegal [squats] would need special permission to be exported to the bloc; tariffs targeting goods originating in the [squats]; or an outright ban on imports from illegal s[squats].” (07/09/26)
https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-considering-import-licenses-tariffs-trade-israeli-settlements/
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10) US Home Prices Hit an All-Time High as Sales Slow and Mortgage Rates Rise
Source: US News & World Report
“Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes slowed in June, but a key measure of home prices climbed to an all-time high, adding to prospective homebuyers’ affordability challenges. Existing home sales fell 2.4% last month from May to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.09 million units, the National Association of Realtors said Thursday. Sales rose 2.8% compared with June last year. The latest sales tally fell short of the roughly 4.21 million pace economists were expecting, according to FactSet. Home sales have been mostly hovering close to a 4-million annual pace going back to 2023, far short of the historic norm that is closer to 5.2-million. Sales have remained sluggish as mortgage rates have mostly trended higher in the months since the war between the U.S. and Iran started, fueling expectations of higher inflation amid surging crude oil prices. Still, mortgage rates remain below where they were a year ago.” (07/09/26)
https://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2026-07-09/us-home-prices-hit-an-all-time-high-as-sales-slow-and-mortgage-rates-rise
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11) NY: Regime sues 3M, DuPont and other companies over so-called forever chemicals
Source: Seattle Times
“New York’s attorney general is suing several large chemical and agricultural companies, alleging they knowingly sold harmful so-called forever chemicals used in cosmetics, non-stick cookware and other products. The lawsuit against 3M, DuPont de Nemours, The Chemours Company and Corteva and other manufacturers is the latest legal action over PFAS, which have been linked to an increased risk of certain cancers and developmental delays in children.” (07/09/26)
https://archive.is/qbX7A
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12) Australian regime agrees to sell uranium to Indian regime
Source: Houston Chronicle
“Australia will begin to sell uranium to India for peaceful purposes after the two countries’ leaders signed an administrative deal Thursday, enacting an agreement on exports of the material that was held up for years over concerns about weapons use. Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi made the joint announcement after a meeting in Melbourne. The leaders didn’t immediately supply details of how much uranium would be sold, or when. Exports of Australian uranium to India stalled after an agreement to do so in 2014, because of concern that the material could be used to make weapons.” (07/09/26)
https://www.chron.com/news/world/article/australia-agrees-to-sell-uranium-to-india-ending-22338506.php
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13) Prosecutors plan to play redacted statements from roommate of defendant in Charlie Kirk’s killing
Source: SFGate
“Utah prosecutors plan to play audio clips in open court Thursday of law enforcement officials interviewing the roommate of the man accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Defense attorneys fought against the public release of the statements from Tyler Robinson’s roommate and romantic partner, Lance Twiggs. They said prosecutors would characterize the statements as a confession, undermining Robinson’s right to a fair trial if the statements are broadcast by the media. Robinson is charged with aggravated murder and has not entered a plea. … Prosecutors allege Robinson confessed in a note left for Twiggs that read: ‘I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it’. Robinson also allegedly sent a text to Twiggs saying he targeted Kirk because he ‘had enough of his hatred’.” (07/09/26)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/politics/article/prosecutors-plan-to-play-redacted-statements-from-22338398.php
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14) US officials compiling “menu” of Spanish goods, as Trump fantasizes about embargo
Source: Politico
“The Trump administration is preparing a list of Spanish goods to potentially embargo, after President Donald Trump ordered officials to cut off trade with the European nation Thursday morning. The Treasury Department will be working with the U.S. trade representative and Commerce Department to provide Trump ‘a menu of Spanish products that may be embargoed in the coming days,’ a U.S.official said via email. Such a move would potentially blow up the trade deal the U.S. struck with the European Union last year. Spain is a member of the 27-country bloc. The European Parliament recently passed legislation implementing the terms of the deal that includes a clause allowing the bloc to pull out if any breach of what is known as the Turnberry Agreement.” (07/08/26)
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/07/08/trump-spanish-exports-trade-embargo-00990123
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15) Girl allegedly sexually harassed by trans athlete in SCOTUS case speaks out after ruling
Source: New York Post
“For Adaleia Cross, the Supreme Court’s ruling in the West Virginia women’s sports case was not just a legal victory. It was personal. Cross, a Bridgeport High School student in West Virginia, said the ruling gave her ‘a sense of peace’ after years of speaking out about the transgender athlete at the center of the case. Cross has alleged the athlete made comments to her in the girls’ locker room that amounted to sexual harassment when both were students at Bridgeport Middle School. Fox News Digital is not naming the trans athlete because the athlete is a minor. ‘I definitely have a sense of peace about all of it,’ Cross told Fox News Digital after the ruling.” (07/09/26)
https://nypost.com/2026/07/09/us-news/girl-who-was-allegedly-sexually-harassed-by-trans-athlete-in-scotus-case-speaks-out-after-ruling/
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16) South Korea: Supreme Court Upholds Prison Sentence for Yoon in First Martial Law Case
Source: US News & World Report
“South Korea’s Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a seven-year prison sentence for former President Yoon Suk Yeol in the first case to reach the country’s highest court from his several criminal trials related to his brief imposition of martial law in 2024. The court upheld an April ruling by the Seoul High Court that found Yoon guilty of infringing on Cabinet members’ right to deliberate before he declared martial law, falsifying the official proclamation to cover up the lapse before later destroying the document, and deploying presidential security forces to illegally resist law enforcement efforts to arrest him weeks after his impeachment.” (07/09/26)
https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2026-07-09/south-koreas-supreme-court-upholds-prison-sentence-for-yoon-in-first-martial-law-case
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17) Mexico: Regime accuses former US ambassador of lying over cartel case
Source: United Press International
“Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office formally accused former U.S. Ambassador Ken Salazar of violating his diplomatic duties by allegedly misleading Mexican authorities about the 2024 capture of alleged Sinaloa cartel co-founder Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada. The accusation alleges that Salazar knowingly made false statements when he said U.S. agencies had not participated in the operation that led to Zambada’s capture and transfer in July 2024. The complaint followed reports by Mexican media outlets Milenio and Azteca Noticias that the FBI recently displayed the aircraft used in the operation at the War Eagles Air Museum in Santa Teresa, N.M., describing it as an FBI success.” (07/09/26)
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2026/07/09/latam-mexico-us-ambassodor-accued-misleading-statements/6991783614164/
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18) Meta plans billions for first AI data center in Canada, largest outside the US
Source: ABC News
“Facebook and Instagram parent Meta said Wednesday it will invest more than US$9.1 billion to build its first artificial intelligence data center in Canada and its largest outside the United States. The facility will be built in Sturgeon County, Alberta, and powered by a natural gas-fired plant being developed by a consortium that includes Calgary-based Pembina Pipeline Ltd. … Alberta has been courting hyperscale data centers as demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure surges. But the rapid growth of AI has fueled concerns about the vast amounts of electricity and water such facilities require, as well as their strain on power grids and nearby communities. Because Alberta’s electricity grid cannot support multiple large AI data centers, the province is prioritizing projects that build or secure their own power generation, as Meta plans to do.” (07/08/26)
https://abcnews.com/International/wireStory/meta-plans-billions-ai-data-center-canada-largest-134599603
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19) ME: Who will replace Platner on ballot? These Dem Gov. also-rans raising hands
Source: SFGate
“Democrats in Maine began jockeying Thursday to become the new candidate for a pivotal U.S. Senate seat after progressive nominee Graham Platner announced he will withdraw from the race after a sexual assault allegation. Democrats need to pick a candidate to replace Platner on the ballot by July 27, according to state law. Whoever is selected will have less than four months before facing longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins in the general election. Potential candidates had already been teasing their interest before Platner, who denies the allegation, announced he intends to drop out. But a growing number began formally launching their campaigns Thursday. These are some of the people who have shown interest in the Maine Senate race: Troy Jackson … Nirav Shah … Dan Kleban … Shenna Bellows.” (07/09/26)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/politics/article/who-will-replace-graham-platner-on-the-maine-22338941.php
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20) Trump initiates removal of Syria from US regime’s list of state sponsors of terrorism
Source: France 24 [French state media]
“US President Donald Trump formally began the process of removing Syria from his country’s list of state sponsors of terrorism on Wednesday, notifying Congress after telling Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa the move would help rebuild the war-ravaged country. The decision marks a major shift in Washington’s policy towards Damascus and is a boost for Sharaa after Tuesday’s explosions in Damascus during French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit. … The designation as a state sponsor of terrorism carries restrictions on US foreign assistance, defence exports and certain financial transactions.” (07/08/26)
https://www.france24.com/en/americas/20260708-trump-moves-to-remove-syria-from-us-list-of-state-sponsors-of-terrorism
_____ Today's Freedom Commentary _____
21) Freedom Fuel?
Source: Reason
by Peter Suderman
“This week on social media, the Trump administration touted the launch of Freedom Fuel, a network of gas stations ‘lowering the price at the pump to $3.47 for our 47th president.’ … Inevitably, this initiative produced cries of socialism and comparisons to New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s sure-to-be-a-boondoggle government-run grocery store initiative. But these comparisons were misplaced, at least if the Trump administration is to be believed. According to CBS News, the Freedom Fuel network ‘is private and owns 25 filling stations across New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The spokesperson said the Trump administration is not involved with the company and is not subsidizing the gas stations.’ So this probably isn’t a case of government-run gas stations. Instead, it’s another familiar feature of Trump-era politics and media: something happening that has little to do with the White House—and Trump taking credit.” (07/09/26)
https://reason.com/2026/07/09/freedom-fuel/
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22) Trump Says the Ceasefire is Over. The Law Says — Twice — the Iran War is Over.
Source: Garrison Center
by Thomas L Knapp
“Every American continues to pay at the gas pump and the grocery store for this idiotic, illegal war. Some Americans have paid, and more may pay, with their lives before it’s over. And when it’s over, the US will be worse off than before. End this nonsense now.” (07/09/26)
https://thegarrisoncenter.org/archives/20754
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23) What’s special about poor conservative students?
Source: Expression
by Chapin Lenthall-Cleary
“Among liberals and moderates, there’s very little relationship between economic class and tolerance. But among conservative students, the poorer you are, the more tolerant you’re likely to be. The effect holds for both men and women, and it’s no small effect: at roughly 10 percentage points in both dimensions, the gap between rich and poor conservatives almost rivals the gender gap. Indeed, among men, poor conservatives are nearly as tolerant of left-wing speakers as liberals of all classes.” (07/09/26)
https://expression.fire.org/p/whats-special-about-poor-conservative
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24) Trump decries “communism” while his government takes ownership of companies
Source: Los Angeles Times
by Jackie Calmes
“In recent speeches, including on the Fourth of July, Trump’s utterances of ‘communist’ or ‘communism’ reached double digits each time. … ‘Our warriors did not fight communism on battlefields across the world only to have that menace rear its ugly head right back here in America,’ Trump said late on the Fourth on the National Mall Trump couples his commie-baiting with a dash of his trademark xenophobia. ‘There is now a resurgence of the communist menace in our land, including by newcomers to our country who embrace ideas totally opposed to our way of life and our great success,’ he said at Mount Rushmore a day earlier. (He’s got it backward, of course: Immigrants come here for the American way of life and promise of success.) Here’s the irony: Trump’s actions in his second term make him look more like the commie. He’s projecting again.” (07/09/26)
https://archive.is/35E7H
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25) The Cost of the American Revolution
Source: EconLog
by Vincent Geloso & Antoine Noël
“The core of this argument is that the American Founding set the United States on a unique path that made it one of the richest and freest places in the world. Yet, this causal connection requires a leap of faith. Few have attempted to conjure a counterfactual in which America remained a British colony or became independent in ways similar to later British Dominions (e.g., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa). Serious causal inference generally requires the use of large datasets to infer the effects of important policy changes or some large exogenous shocks. For nations, especially in the more distant past, this is even more challenging because of data paucity, limited numbers of observations, and other confounding factors. It may even be impossible. A possible alternative course is to rely on analytical narratives to construct a theory, laying out assumptions and predictions.” (07/09/26)
https://www.econlib.org/econlog/the-cost-of-the-american-revolution
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26) Cut the Pentagon, Save the Planet: The $1.5 Trillion Climate Solution We Can’t Ignore
Source: Common Dreams
by Aaron Kirshenbaum
“Last week, millions of people around the world were subjected to record-breaking heatwaves. At least 25 deaths in the U.S. from this heat dome were reported. The French government also counted over 2,000 excess deaths during the June heatwaves. At the same time, this past weekend, a devastating super typhoon hit the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam, leaving islands like Rota, where 2,000 people live, without running water and most buildings impacted. In both cases, the people least responsible for the climate crisis are the most vulnerable to its effects. And in both cases, people’s ability to withstand crises has been made dramatically worse by militarization. Those most threatened by heatwaves are too often in neighborhoods subjected to militarized policing, economic abandonment, and the exploitation of their communities. Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands are occupied by the U.S. military and subjected to environmentally destructive bases and training exercises.” (07/09/26)
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/1-5-trillion-pentagon-budget-2677197074
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27) Trump’s Last Chance for Ukraine Peace
Source: The American Conservative
by Andrew Day
“Way back in November 2022, disagreement broke out inside the Biden administration about the implications of recent military gains made by Ukraine. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, advised pushing hard for a diplomatic settlement to lock in those gains. He warned that Ukraine’s battlefield position—and thus also its bargaining position—was likely to worsen in the coming months. Biden listened instead to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. They counseled against peace talks while Ukraine had the momentum and a chance to roll back the Russian invaders. … Now, nearly four years later, Western media again are saying that ‘the tide has turned’ against Russia. And the White House has again concluded that it’s therefore a bad time to push for peace. But sooner or later, the tide will turn again, and the next big wave could drown Ukraine.” (07/09/26)
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/trumps-last-chance-for-ukraine-peace/
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28) The Missing Piece in the Graham Platner Controversy
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
by Jacob G Hornberger
“The recriminations and second-guessing are flying from all directions with respect to the flame-out of Democrat candidate Graham Platner’s U.S. Senate campaign in Maine. Most everyone’s commentaries are revolving out of the ramifications of the sex-abuse allegations, including rape, from old girlfriends of Platner. Some of the critics are pointing to other disturbing aspects of Platner’s life, such as a Nazi-like tattoo on his chest and crude and offensive remarks in Reddit posts. What the critics and commentators don’t do, however, is point to the core reason why this man got so screwed-up emotionally and psychologically: his four military deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. It is those four deployments that are at the core of Platner’s dysfunctional behavior and abusive relationships with women.” (07/09/26)
https://www.fff.org/2026/07/09/the-missing-piece-in-the-graham-platner-controversy/
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29) Jasmine Crockett blasts her Texas Dem primary loss as “racist race”
Source: Fox News Forum
by Hanna Panreck
“Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, said her Democratic Senate primary race was ‘a racist race’ in an interview published Wednesday and argued she didn’t need to campaign with her former opponent and the party’s nominee, James Talarico. Crockett said at the Essence Festival alongside the hosts of the ‘Native Land’ podcast that the best thing she could do for former primary foe Talarico was to endorse Black candidates down ballot so more Black voters turn out in November. ‘The best thing that I can do is take down-ballot candidates who no one’s ever heard of and do my best to uplift them and increase the voter participation in a way that we did in Texas,’ she said.” [editor’s note: Okay, so this loser in a “racist race” is going to support other candidates based SOLELY on the color of their skin, not the content of their character. – SAT] (07/09/26)
https://www.foxnews.com/media/jasmine-crockett-blasts-texas-democratic-primary-loss-racist-race
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30) School choice for me, but not for thee
Source: Washington Post
by Corey DeAngelis
“[Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Arizona)] sent his daughter to a private school. The senator’s own background includes public schooling, but the choice he made for his child stands in contrast to the opposition he now leads to making similar options available for more families. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York) graduated from the private Emma Willard School and sent both of her sons to a private school in Washington. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) sent one of her two children to private schools — and then said she did not in 2019 at an event during her presidential campaign. … The pattern is consistent. Lawmakers who benefited from private schooling or chose it for their children now work to keep these doors closed for other families.” (07/09/26)
https://archive.is/lWY5C
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31) Slimy Dems (the party of Me Too) show their true colors in Graham Platner scandal
Source: New York Post
by Miranda Devine
“The party of Me Too has shown its true face in the rolling Graham Platner scandal. Now that a liberal woman has credibly accused him of rape, the rats have deserted the sinking ship and the Democrat-endorsed US Senate candidate for Maine has dropped out. But it’s ‘Me Too’ late to save face. Conservatives always knew the left’s effort to assert moral superiority on matters of sex, race and ideology were play-acting but now it’s undeniable for even their most blinkered supporters. The Democratic Party’s defense of Platner to the bitter end against an avalanche of rape and sexual abuse allegations, not to mention his Nazi tattoo, has left them exposed as hypocrites.” [editor’s note: Gotta agree — Democrats ARE just like Republicans – TLK] (07/08/26)
https://nypost.com/2026/07/08/opinion/miranda-devine-slimy-dems-the-party-of-me-too-show-their-true-colors-in-graham-platner-scandal/
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32) The Death of Reading
Source: Brownstone Institute
by Ann Bauer
“People didn’t HAVE to read, they GOT to read. They did it ostentatiously and with zeal. And this habit lasted, in one form or another, until recently when reading for enjoyment started to tank. Blame the Internet and social media and our fractured attention span. Blame Oprah, who in her quest to ‘get people reading’ promoted one title and focused every English-speaking woman’s attention on it, to the exclusion of every other book on the planet. But the real culprit, if you ask me, is politics.” [editor’s note: Are people really “reading less?” Or are they just reading on screens instead of from books, just like people started reading from books instead of scrolls and scrolls instead of clay tablets? – TLK] (07/09/26)
https://brownstone.org/articles/the-death-of-reading/
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33) Political candidates, character, and conscience
Source: Christian Science Monitor
by staff
“The right to support and elect candidates for political office is a distinguishing feature of democracy. It can also be a profoundly challenging privilege, as political parties and the voting public weigh information and perceptions around candidates’ policies and personal appeal, their competence and character. Around the world, voters want ability and integrity from their politicians. Increasingly, they also want authenticity, a sense that those running for office understand ‘regular’ people and their daily lives and struggles. Three candidacies in the news this week underscore the civic tension among these needs and demands: the nomination for a United States Senate seat, a local council election in the United Kingdom, and a presidential run in France. Graham Platner in the U.S., Nigel Farage in the U.K., and Marine Le Pen in France all seem to have tapped into voters’ everyday concerns – and their yearning for recognition.” (07/08/26)
https://www.csmonitor.com/Editorials/the-monitors-view/2026/0708/Political-candidates-character-and-conscience
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34) Steaming Mad
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Jake Scott
“The average Dutch gamer has lost €130 ($148). At least, that is a claim being made in the Hague by a foundation. On June 11, the Stichting Consumenten Competition Claims (SCCC), acting under the banner GameClaim on behalf of every Dutch personal computer (PC) gamer, filed a €220 million ($250 million) claim against the Valve Corporation, the business that operates the Steam gaming platform. The SCCC claims that roughly 2 million accounts have lost collectively those €220 million on the basis that the Valve Corporation commands some 85% of the market, and defends that position through Most-Favored-Nation clauses—terms that forbid developers from undercutting their Steam price on rival storefronts such as Epic Games Store (EGS).” (07/a09/26)
https://fee.org/articles/steaming-mad/
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35) A New Map of the Constitution
Source: Law & LIberty
by John O McGinnis
“Ilan Wurman offers a lucid case for recovering the Constitution’s original structure—and the responsibility rests with us.” (07/09/26)
https://lawliberty.org/book-review/a-new-map-of-the-constitution/
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36) Free Market Solutions for the US Virgin Islands Financial Crisis
Source: Karl Dickey’s Freedom Vanguard
by Karl Dickey
“Refinancing bad debt with new bonds fails and the territory must deregulate utilities to avoid a bailout.” (07/09/26)
https://palmbeachexaminer.substack.com/p/free-market-solutions-for-the-us
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37) What’s the Real “Defining Image of Race in America”?
Source: Town Hall
by Larry Elder
“Reuters published a photograph taken during the weekend of America’s 250th birthday celebration. It depicted a young black woman seated by herself on a packed D.C. Metro train. Standing and sitting around her were white men wearing white masks. They belong to a white nationalist organization called Patriot Front, a group involved in the violent 2017 Charlottesville, Virginia, rally that resulted in the death of a woman. The intimidating-looking men reportedly said nothing to the woman and never threatened her, and she remained composed. The photo quickly went viral and was hailed by many journalists and commentators as a microcosm of America in this era of President Donald Trump. ” (07/09/26)
https://townhall.com/columnists/larryelder/2026/07/09/whats-the-real-defining-image-of-race-in-america-n2679071
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38) The New Conquistadors: Surveillance Capitalism and the Digital Frontier Between Your Ears
Source: CounterPunch
by John Kendall Hawkins
“The atmosphere Snowden describes in vault V22 at NSA headquarters — decorated, let the detail stand, with a seven-foot poster of Chewbacca — is not the atmosphere of men who believe they are doing something wrong. It is the atmosphere of men who believe they are entitled. The technology did not corrupt them. It handed them a key. This is the surveillance state at its most human, which is to say, its most revealing. The apparatus built to protect a democracy from its enemies was being used by young men to look at photographs of women who had no idea they were being watched. The technology did not create the entitlement. It removed the friction that previously constrained it.” (07/09/26)
https://www.counterpunch.org/2026/07/09/the-new-conquistadors-surveillance-capitalism-and-the-digital-frontier-between-your-ears/
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39) Five outrageous ways defense contractors have buttered up Trump
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Stavroula Pabst
“From a new helipad to a UFC fight on White House grounds, President Trump’s personal projects have been front-and-center in American politics this summer. Defense contractors that do business with the administration have often supported them. But the weapons industry has long leveraged flashy gifts and sponsorships to engender influence among politicians, key institutions, and the public. Here are 5 notable cases when it comes to the Trump White House …” (07/09/26)
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/weapons-industry-trump/
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40) The Senate Isn’t His Oyster, After All. Graham Platner’s Socialist Vessel Turned Out to Be Leaky
Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by William L Anderson
“The Platner campaign is a microcosm of a much larger political crisis in this country, as both Democrats and Republicans are heading for disaster and taking everyone else with them, which is why Platner’s rise and spectacular fall are relevant. Democrats are in the midst of a hostile takeover attempt by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), while the Republicans are being emasculated by Donald Trump and his MAGA true believers. Both parties are on paths that will not end well for them or Americans in general, and while we can feel a small amount of relief that a violence-spewing socialist like Platner won’t be in the US Senate, his saga changes nothing.” (07/09/26)
https://mises.org/mises-wire/senate-isnt-his-oyster-after-all-graham-platners-socialist-vessel-turned-out-be-leaky
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41) Dems Rally Around “Affordability” When “Precarity” Is a Better Slogan
Source: Common Dreams
by Sergio Infante
“Janeese George’s recent victory in the Washington, DC, mayoral primary and wins by progressive Democrats in New York and Colorado last week are signs that Zohran Mamdani’s election was not a one-off, and that populist, ‘eat the rich’ messaging is effective across a broad swath of voters. But as the US heads toward midterm elections, Democrats are having a hard time finding a partywide motto with similar resonance. Since last fall, they have been focusing on ‘affordability’ because the slogan resonates with working-class voters; their main message is that things are too expensive and that the cause is unchecked corporate greed. But here’s the problem with focusing on affordability: It addresses poor and working-class Americans as consumers rather than as workers.” (07/09/26)
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/affordability-agenda-democrats
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42) The Unintended Consequences of Vacancy Taxes
Source: The Daily Economy
by Jason Sorens
“Taxing vacant properties may be politically appealing, but they have little effect on rents while creating new economic distortions.” (07/09/26)
https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/the-unintended-consequences-of-vacancy-taxes/
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43) The Men Who Own the War Now Run It
Source: Antiwar.com
by Thomas S Karat
“There was a time when the arms dealer waited in the corridor. He financed the campaign, endowed the think tank, took the general to dinner, and hoped the man inside the office would remember him when the contract came up. The wall between the money and the decision was thin, often corrupt, but it was there. Someone held the public trust, and someone else tried to buy it, and you could at least tell the two apart. That wall is gone. The financier no longer waits in the corridor. He holds the office. He signs the checks. He is the buyer and the seller, the regulator and the regulated, the public interest and the private portfolio, fused into a single man in a single suit, and the arrangement is entirely legal, which is the whole problem.” (07/09/26)
https://original.antiwar.com/thomas_karat/2026/07/08/the-men-who-own-the-war-now-run-it
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44) A guide to racism in the criminal justice system
Source: The Watch
by Radley Balko
“Back in 2018, when I was with the Washington Post, I put together a collection of academic studies, media reports and investigations, and other resources on racism in the criminal justice system. The idea, which the paper supported at the time, was to post all of this data in one place and keep it updated as a one-stop resource and repository. In the years since, I’ve heard from academics, journalists, policymakers, and teachers who have relied on the collection in their research, reporting, and class assignments. I’ve also received requests to take it out from behind the paywall. I was never able to convince the Post to do that. … So I’m going to reproduce it here at The Watch.” (07/08/26)
https://radleybalko.substack.com/p/a-guide-to-racism-in-the-criminal
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45) Credentialed, Dependent, and Unemployable: The Washington Post’s Cautionary Tale Backfires
Source: American Greatness
by Lipton Matthews
“The American economy grew by 2 percent during the first three months of 2026, hardly the picture of collapse that critics of the Trump administration keep promising is just around the corner. The country has not tanked under Donald Trump, not even with tariffs in place. Trump has been accused of putting black women out of work by cutting positions in the federal government, and it is true that federal cuts have hit black women disproportionately since they have historically been overrepresented in the federal workforce. But the federal government is not, and was never meant to be, a jobs program for any single demographic, and many of the positions eliminated were not economically viable in the first place. Despite this favorable record, The Washington Post published a feature on Black America to tarnish Trump’s image.” (07/09/26)
https://amgreatness.com/2026/07/09/credentialed-dependent-and-unemployable-the-washington-posts-cautionary-tale-backfires/
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46) Conservative Values, Trust, and the Prospects for Democratic Renewal
Source: Liberalism.org
by Emily Chamlee-Wright
“There is a crisis of trust in America’s governing institutions. We see it in the numbers. In 1964, for example, 77 percent of Americans said they trusted the federal government to do the right thing most of the time. Today, that number is 17 percent. The trust deficit represents more than dissatisfaction with policies or leaders. Democratic governance is increasingly experienced as something done to people by faraway elites, rather than something done for and by the people. Public remedies too often fail to address citizens’ concerns, or worse, inhibit their ability to act, adapt, and solve problems on their own. As trust erodes, respect for democratic norms wanes, and strongman politics gains ground. And all this creates the conditions in which a polarized media stokes the flames that have Americans actively fearing and hating one another.” (07/08/26)
https://www.liberalism.org/p/conservative-values-trust-and-the-prospects-for-democratic-renewal
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47) The Founders Fought for Jury Trials. We Bargain Them Away.
Source: Checks & Balances
by Matthew Cavedon
“Today, about 95% of convictions come from plea bargains rather than jury trials.” (07/08/26)
https://chkbal.substack.com/p/the-founders-fought-for-jury-trials
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48) Dissent Is Not Disloyalty: The Right and Duty to Criticize the Government
Source: Rutherford Institute
by John & Nisha Whitehead
“President Trump has no problem criticizing, condemning, insulting, demonizing and threatening those who refuse to fall in line. He has branded political opponents ‘communists,’ denounced critics as anti-American, lashed out at NATO allies, threatened to cut off trade with Spain, and referred to Iran’s leaders as ‘scum’ amid the ongoing war. In Trump’s America, the president is free to call other nations bad actors, label his opponents dangerous, and treat disagreement as betrayal. But dare to criticize Trump, his administration, ICE, the police state, the war machine, the surveillance state, or the government’s steady assault on the Constitution, and you may find yourself treated as the threat. This is the hypocrisy of the moment: those in power claim an unlimited right to criticize everyone else, while increasingly denying the people the right to criticize them.” (07/08/26)
https://www.rutherford.org/publications_resources/john_whiteheads_commentary/dissent_is_not_disloyalty_the_right_and_duty_to_criticize_the_government
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49) Maine Democrats Poised to Run a Convention for Senate
Source: The American Prospect
by David Dayen
“The Maine Democratic State Committee has voted for a 600-person nominating convention, not a statewide caucus, as the method to select a replacement nominee for Graham Platner. Five hundred of the delegates will come proportionally from Maine’s counties, and then include the 100 state committee members. While a statewide caucus was previously seen by my sources as a likely outcome, the state committee went in a different direction on Wednesday night. I apologize for what was ultimately incorrect information. This could easily torch whatever remaining goodwill exists between the party and supporters brought into Platner’s campaign, and brings back all of the unsavoriness associated with perceived backroom dealing.” [editor’s note: So the three runners-up for the Governor nomination now run for the Senate seat; nothing changes unless they unseat Collins – SAT] (07/08/26)
https://prospect.org/2026/07/08/maine-democrats-poised-to-run-lighthouse-primary-senate-platner-collins/
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50) Homeownership Or Stocks: What’s The Better Path To Building Wealth?
Source: Independent Institute
by Scott Beyer
“While homeownership is touted as the main wealth-building tool, renting plus stock investing may be the best path for young workers.” (07/08/26)
https://www.independent.org/article/2026/07/08/homeownership-or-stocks-whats-the-better-path-to-building-wealth/
_____ Today's Freedom Podcast and Video _____
51) Cato Podcast, 07/09/26
Source: Cato Institute
“Injuries and Usurpations, 250 Years Later.” (07/09/26)
https://www.cato.org/multimedia/cato-podcast/injuries-usurpations-250-years-later
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52) Year Zero with Tommy Salmons, 07/09/26
Source: Libertarian Institute
“Rules for Radicals: The Way Ahead w/John Weeks.” (07/09/26)
https://libertarianinstitute.org/blog/rules-for-radicals-the-way-ahead-w-john-weeks
-----
53) The Libertarian Angle, 07/09/26
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
“What Do We Like About America?” (07/09/26)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVI5fKwyeJ8
-----
54) Underthrow Podcast, 07/09/26
Source: Underthrow
“The West is Going to Sh*t Thanks to Broken Feedback Loops.” (07/09/26)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYN_OAUKDQA
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55) The Blessings of Liberty with Jeffrey Rosen, 07/09/26
Source: The Blessings of Liberty with Jeffrey Rosen
“Free Speech and Religious Liberty with David French.” (07/09/26)
https://rosenjeffrey.substack.com/p/free-speech-and-religious-liberty
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56) Ron Paul Liberty Report, 07/09/26
Source: Ron Paul Liberty Report
“Trump To Ukraine: Hit Russia Deep.” (07/09/26)
https://x.com/i/broadcasts/1nxnRRQqEkwxO
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57) Advisory Opinions, 07/09/26
Source: The Dispatch
“SCOTUS Vibe Check.” (07/09/26)
https://thedispatch.com/podcast/advisoryopinions/scotus-vibe-check/
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58) The Mark Edge Show, 07/08/26
Source: Free Talk Live
“Mark is joined by his wife Laura for a special conversation sparked by his recent interview with Lauren Noone (go check that one out) on what freedom really means, and how choice sits at the center of it. Here’s the question that started it: if you have to pay property tax, do you really own your property, or are you just a serf paying quit rents to a modern lord?” (07/08/26)
https://soundcloud.com/freetalklive/meslaura
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59) Kibbe on Liberty, episode 394
Source: Free the People
“We’re Taking the Culture Back | Guest: Rob Schneider.” (07/08/26)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dml6eJ0I8tg
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60) Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 07/08/26
Source: Antiwar.com
“Trump Says MoU ‘Over,’ Bombs Iran for Second Night, Backs Long-Range Strikes in Russia, and More.” (07/08/26)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2D6Iq2w-7E
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