08/26 -- Palestine: Israeli forces murder at least 20, including five journalists, in attack on hospital; The Illiberal Logic of Mission-Directed Governance
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Thomas L. Knapp
Aug 26, 2025, 6:17:24 AMAug 26
to Freedom News Daily
Freedom News Daily, 08/26/25
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Today's Freedom News:
1) Palestine: Israeli forces murder at least 20, including five journalists, in attack on hospital
2) Dog bites man: Trump claims he’s repealed the First Amendment (again)
3) US House Oversight subpoenas Jeffrey Epstein estate
4) MD: Kilmar Abrego Garcia abducted by ICE gang again
5) DC: Third grand jury refuses to indict woman accused of assaulting gang member during abductee swap
6) FL: Regime turns truck weigh stations into ICE gang lairs
7) Intel says Trump’s partial nationalization has risks for shareholders, international sales
8) Japan: Police apologize at grave of businessman who was wrongfully arrested and died after long detention
9) Netanyahu: Israel could withdraw from Lebanon if Hezbollah disarmed
10) NY: Mexican drug lord Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada to plead guilty to US charges
11) DC: Abductions surpass 1,000 as occupation enters 12th homicide-free day
12) Venezuela: opposition says regime freed 13 political prisoners jailed in post-election crackdown
13) Keurig Dr Pepper to buy Dutch coffee company JDE Peet’s in $18 billion deal
14) VA: AG’s findings from investigation into Roanoke College trans swimmer “incident” released
15) Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre’s memoir to be published posthumously
16) Democrats demand Trump resume major offshore wind project near Rhode Island
17) Study: Risk of colon cancer slashed by eating broccoli
18) Russia: Official Detained Over Embezzlement of Border Fortification Money
19) South Korea: Ahead of meeting with new president, Trump claims “Purge or Revolution”
20) DC: Occupation troops begin carrying firearms
Today's Freedom Commentary:
21) The Illiberal Logic of Mission-Directed Governance
22) Nord Stream explosions linked to Ukraine military but no one cares
23) Will AI Make Universal Basic Income a Reality? Here’s How It Could Be Implemented
24) Why Americans Should Fear Washington in Intel’s Boardroom
25) The War on Drugs as Imperial War
26) If You’re So Smart, Why Aren’t You Happy?
27) Israel’s Man-Made Atrocity Famine in Gaza
28) Most Americans Oppose Trump’s Plan To Ban Mail-In Voting
29) “Is Hamas Causing The Famine?,” And Other Reader Questions
30) Which way now for Japan?
31) Hypocritical Dems flouting laws & blaming Trump, missing important point in process
32) Smart people should talk about designer babies
33) Does the Democratic Party Have a Death Wish?
34) Drip. Drip. Drip.
35) The Cracker Barrel Hype(rreality)
36) A Crypto Micronation Is Making Friends at the White House
37) Newsom used taxpayer funds to indoctrinate children; Trump ending that insanity
38) Bolton Raid: Legitimate Investigation or Political Retribution?
39) Sow The Wind, Reap the Whirlwind
40) Quantum Vibe, 08/25/25
41) How One Teamsters Local Is Striking to Protect Immigrant Workers
42) The Mediocrity of Curtis Yarvin
43) The War on Truth: Why Are Palestinian Journalists Being Systematically Erased?
44) Medieval Wisdom for Modern Politics
45) Woke Left Goes Lock, Stock & Cracker Barrel
46) The government’s Intel stake is antithetical to American greatness
47) There Is No Trolley Problem
48) A Tale of Two Peace Summits (and No Goddamn Peace)
49) An Authoritarian Dress Rehearsal
50) Tariffs are bad for America and erode liberty
Today's Freedom Podcast and Video:
51) Reason Roundtable, 08/25/25
52) Conflicts of Interest, episode 831
53) Fountainhead Forum, 08/25/25
54) The Mona Charen Show, 08/25/25
55) The Dispatch, 08/25/25
56) EconTalk, 08/25/25
57) The Daily Blast With Greg Sargent, 08/25/25
58) Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 08/25/25
59) Half the Answer, episode 29
60) LPALive!, 08/24/25
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_____ Today's Freedom News _____
1) Palestine: Israeli forces murder at least 20, including five journalists, in attack on hospital
Source: Financial Times [UK]
“Israel has killed at least 20 people, including several journalists, in a double strike on Nasser Medical Complex, the largest health facility in southern Gaza, according to the health ministry in the Palestinian enclave. The strikes are the latest in a series of attacks by Israeli forces that have killed Palestinian journalists during the war in Gaza, which has become one of the deadliest conflicts for reporters worldwide. The Gaza health ministry said the fourth floor of the hospital was targeted in the first strike. This was followed by a second hit as ambulance crews arrived to retrieve the dead and wounded. One doctor, Mahmoud al-Habibi, was killed, according to the ministry. … According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, as of August 18, 184 Palestinian journalists had been killed since the start of the war — most by Israeli air strikes or drone attacks.” (08/25/25)
https://archive.is/NShmI
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2) Dog bites man: Trump claims he’s repealed the First Amendment (again)
Source: The Guardian [UK]
“Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday instructing federal prosecutors to pursue criminal charges against individuals who burn American flags during protests. The order tells the US attorney general, Pam Bondi, to look at cases where people burned flags and see if they can be charged with other crimes like disturbing the peace or breaking environmental laws. It’s an attempt by Trump to go around a supreme court decision from 1989, when the court ruled 5-4 in Texas v Johnson that destroying the flag is protected political expression under the first amendment. … Trump also claimed ‘you burn a flag, you get one year in jail’ as he signed the executive order, but the order itself doesn’t include details about a potential jail sentence.” (08/25/25)
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/25/trump-flag-burning-executive-order
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3) US House Oversight subpoenas Jeffrey Epstein estate
Source: ABC News
“House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer on Monday issued a new subpoena to the estate of Jeffrey Epstein for ‘documents and communications in its possession, custody, or control in unredacted form,’ which includes a copy of the alleged ‘birthday book’ compiled for disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein’s 50th birthday. … House Democrats previously requested a copy of the alleged ‘birthday book’ compiled for Epstein’s 50th birthday in 2003 that the Wall Street Journal reported contains a ‘bawdy’ letter from President Donald Trump. Trump has denied the existence of the letter and filed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal. ABC News has not been able to confirm the existence of the letter. … Also in the subpoena are requests for documents tied to Epstein’s bank accounts, financial transactions, flight logs and calendars from Jan. 1, 1990 through Aug. 10, 2019.” (08/25/25)
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/house-oversight-subpoenas-jeffrey-epstein-estate/story?id=124963143
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4) MD: Kilmar Abrego Garcia abducted by ICE gang again
Source: SFGate
“Kilmar Abrego Garcia, whose case has become a flashpoint in President Donald Trump’s aggressive effort to remove noncitizens from the U.S., was [abducted] by immigration authorities in Baltimore on Monday to face renewed efforts to deport him after a brief period of freedom. Abrego Garcia’s attorneys quickly filed a lawsuit to fight those removal efforts until a court has heard his claim for protection, stating that the U.S. could place him in a country where ‘his safety cannot be assured.’ The new lawsuit triggered a blanket court order that automatically pauses deportation efforts for two days. The order applies to immigrants in Maryland who are challenging their detention. Abrego Garcia, a 30-year-old Maryland construction worker and Salvadoran national, spoke at a rally before he turned himself in.” (08/25/25)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/politics/article/kilmar-abrego-garcia-surrenders-to-ice-in-21014100.php
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5) DC: Third grand jury refuses to indict woman accused of assaulting gang member during abductee swap
Source: WUSA 9 News
“A grand jury declined for a third time to indict a D.C. woman accused of assaulting an FBI agent during an [abductee] swap with ICE – a rare loss for federal prosecutors that could foreshadow further trouble if the case goes to trial. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s office said in a filing Monday it would move ahead with charging Sidney Lori Reid with a misdemeanor for the alleged assault outside the D.C. Jail in July. A magistrate judge had given prosecutors until Monday afternoon to secure an indictment against Reid or see the felony version of the assault charge dismissed. … Reid was [abducted] in July for allegedly resisting attempts to restrain her after she refused to back away from ICE officers who were conducting [abductions] outside the D.C. Jail. In the process, they said, an FBI agent received scrapes to the back of her hand.” (08/25/25)
https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/crime/for-third-time-grand-jury-refuses-to-indict-dc-woman-accused-of-assaulting-agent-during-ice-arrest-jeanine-pirro-sidney-reid-sandwich-guy/65-785e2e30-46cf-4e90-b81a-9e9c219c6750
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6) FL: Regime turns truck weigh stations into ICE gang lairs
Source: New York Post
“All truck weigh stations in Florida are being turned into ICE checkpoints after last week’s deadly big-rig crash involving an illegal [sic] migrant, officials said Monday. State Attorney General James Uthmeier, referring to ‘the serious tragedy that happened down in southeast Florida,’ announced the new partnership between federal agencies and the state agricultural inspection stations at a press conference in Live Oak. ‘Someone that should never have been given a driver’s license, much less a CDL license to drive larger commercial vehicles, engaged in reckless behavior that took three lives,’ Uthmeier said, surrounded by law-enforcement officials. Harjinder Singh, 28, of India had been living under the radar in the US for six years when he allegedly pulled an illegal U-turn in an 18-wheeler on the Florida Turnpike on Aug. 12, killing three people. He fled to California but was nabbed by US marshals and flown back to Florida to stand trial.” (08/25/25)
https://nypost.com/2025/08/25/us-news/florida-turns-its-truck-weigh-stations-into-ice-checkpoints/
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7) Intel says Trump’s partial nationalization has risks for shareholders, international sales
Source: CNBC
“Intel on Monday warned of ‘adverse reactions’ from investors, employees and others to the Trump administration taking a 10% stake in the company, in a filing citing risks involved with the deal. A key concern area is international sales, with 76% of Intel’s revenue in its last fiscal year coming from outside the U.S., according to the filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company had $53.1 billion in revenue for fiscal year 2024, down 2% from the year prior. For Intel’s international customers, the company is now directly tied to President Donald Trump’s ever-shifting tariff and trade policies.” (08/25/25)
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/08/25/intel-trump-deal-risks-stock.html
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8) Japan: Police apologize at grave of businessman who was wrongfully arrested and died after long detention
Source: CBS News
“Japan’s top law enforcement officials apologized to the family of a businessman who was wrongfully arrested and died after a months-long detention. Shizuo Aishima, a former adviser to machinery firm Ohkawara Kakohki, was one of three company executives illegally held in pretrial detention for months on charges that were later dropped. Human rights campaigners have long demanded an end to Japan’s ‘hostage justice’ practice, where investigators use lengthy pretrial detentions to coerce confessions. Senior officials from the Tokyo police, the top public prosecutor’s department and the Tokyo prosecutor’s office visited Aishima’s family and grave on Monday. The officials knelt and prayed in front of the grave, the Japan Times reported.” (08/25/25)
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/japan-police-apologize-grave-innocent-businessman-long-detention/
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9) Netanyahu: Israel could withdraw from Lebanon if Hezbollah disarmed
Source: SFGate
“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that Israeli forces could begin withdrawing from territory they hold in southern Lebanon after the Lebanese Cabinet’s ‘momentous decision’ earlier this month to work toward the disarmament of the militant group Hezbollah by the end of 2025. Netanyahu said if Lebanon takes the necessary steps to disarm Hezbollah, then Israel will respond with reciprocal measures, including a phased reduction of the Israeli military presence in southern Lebanon. Since the Israel-Hezbollah war ended in November 2024 with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire, Hezbollah officials have said the group will not discuss its disarmament until Israel withdraws from five hills it controls inside Lebanon and stops almost daily airstrikes. Those strikes have killed or wounded hundreds of people, most of them [supposedly] Hezbollah members.” (08/25/25)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/netanyahu-says-israel-could-withdraw-from-lebanon-21013962.php
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10) NY: Mexican drug lord Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada to plead guilty to US charges
Source: San Diego Union-Tribune
“Former Mexican cartel kingpin Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada is expected to plead guilty Monday to federal charges related to his role in the violent drug trade that for years flooded the U.S. with cocaine, heroin and other illicit substances. The longtime leader of the Sinaloa cartel is scheduled to appear before a federal judge in Brooklyn for a change of plea hearing. The appearance comes after federal prosecutors said two weeks ago that they wouldn’t seek the death penalty against Zambada, who was arrested in Texas last year.” (08/25/25)
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2025/08/25/sinoloa-drug-lord-federal-charges/
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11) DC: Abductions surpass 1,000 as occupation enters 12th homicide-free day
Source: Fox News
“A[bductions] under President Donald Trump’s federal crime crackdown in Washington, D.C., have blown past 1,000 as the nation’s capital marked its 12th consecutive day without a homicide, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced Monday. Pirro said that on Sunday alone there were 86 [abductions] and 10 illegal [sic] guns seized, bringing the totals to 1,007 [abductions] and 111 guns [stolen]. ‘What does that mean? They can’t be used to shoot people, to kill people,’ Pirro said Monday on ‘Fox & Friends’, referring to the weapons [thefts]. ‘And on top of all of that, we’ve got a government now where the people in D.C. are feeling safer. They know that there is a president who’s looking to protect them.'” (08/25/25)
https://www.foxnews.com/us/dc-arrests-surpass-1000-trump-backed-crackdown-enters-12th-homicide-free-day
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12) Venezuela: opposition says regime freed 13 political prisoners jailed in post-election crackdown
Source: ABC News
“Venezuelan opposition leaders and civil society groups said on Sunday that the government released 13 people jailed in a crackdown by the government of President Nicolás Maduro following last year’s disputed elections. Venezuelan authorities did not immediately confirm the releases, but opposition leaders like Henrique Capriles celebrated on social media, calling it a ‘step forward for those behind bars.’ He said eight people were freed, while five more were released under house arrest. … Venezuelan authorities deny the detention of opponents for political reasons, instead claiming they are part of plots to destabilize the government.” (08/25/25)
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/venezuelan-opposition-government-freed-13-jailed-post-election-124941329
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13) Keurig Dr Pepper to buy Dutch coffee company JDE Peet’s in $18 billion deal
Source: CNBC
“Keurig Dr Pepper will acquire Dutch coffee and tea company JDE Peet’s in a roughly $18 billion deal that could give a boost to the U.S. giant’s struggling coffee business, the two companies said Monday. The deal was first reported by the Wall Street Journal. Keurig Dr Pepper will pay JDE Peet’s shareholders 31.85 euros ($37.3) per share in cash, representing a 33% premium on the Dutch’s firm’s 90-day volume-weighted average stock price, which represents a total equity purchase of 15.7 billion euros ($18.4 billion). JDE Peet’s will, meanwhile, pay out a previously declared dividend of 0.36 euros per share prior to the deal closing.” (08/25/25)
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/08/25/keurig-dr-pepper-to-acquire-dutch-coffee-company-jde-peets-for-18-billion.html
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14) VA: AG’s findings from investigation into Roanoke College trans swimmer “incident” released
Source: Fox News
“Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares'[s] findings of an investigation into Roanoke College were released by complainants, Fox News Digital learned on Monday. Miyares’ investigation was in response to a … transgender swimmer that competed on Roanoke’s women’s team in 2023. Miyares concluded that the college denied the [cisgender] swimmers accommodations, advantages, and privileges on the basis of sex, caused the [cisgender swimmers] emotional, physical, and dignitary harms and violated the Virginia Human Rights Act (VHRA). Miyares also suggested the [cosgender] swimmers who were discriminated against are eligible to seek financial damages because the school’s policy violated the VHRA, as per state code. ‘A private complainant who has received a notice of right to file a civil action may file a civil action under the Act for compensatory and punitive damages, as well as injunctive relief,’ the report said.” (08/25/25)
https://www.foxnews.com/sports/virginia-ags-findings-from-investigation-roanoke-college-trans-swimmer-incident-released-complainants
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15) Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre’s memoir to be published posthumously
Source: The Guardian [UK]
“The posthumous memoir of Virginia Giuffre, one of Jeffrey Epstein’s most prominent accusers, will be published in the autumn, a publisher has announced. Giuffre had been working on Nobody’s Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice, with the award-winning author and journalist Amy Wallace before her death earlier this year. The 400-page book will be released on 21 October, according to the Associated Press. Giuffre, who alleged she had been trafficked for sex to Prince Andrew, had completed the manuscript before she took her own life in April, the publisher Alfred A Knopf said.” (08/25/25)
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/25/epstein-accuser-virginia-giuffres-memoir-to-be-published-posthumously
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16) Democrats demand Trump resume major offshore wind project near Rhode Island
Source: SFGate
“A nearly complete wind farm off the coast of Rhode Island and Connecticut faces an uncertain future as the states’ Democratic governors, members of Congress and union workers are calling Monday for the Trump administration to let construction resume. The administration halted construction on the Revolution Wind project last week, saying the federal government needs to review the project and address national security concerns. It did not specify what those concerns are. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management said Monday it’s not commenting further at this time. The Democratic politicians are getting involved because stopping work on Revolution Wind threatens local jobs and their states’ climate goals, and could drive up electricity prices throughout the region. Officials say the project is 80% complete, with all the underwater foundations and 45 out of 65 turbines already installed.” (08/25/25)
https://www.sfgate.com/business/article/democrats-ask-trump-to-resume-a-major-offshore-21014409.php
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17) Study: Risk of colon cancer slashed by eating broccoli
Source: Fox News
“Including more broccoli in your diet could reduce the risk of colon cancer, new research suggests. Diet is known to be a key modifiable risk factor for colon cancer — particularly a lack of vegetables and dietary fiber, as well as excessive alcohol and caffeine consumption, according to researchers. Cruciferous vegetables — including broccoli as well as cauliflower, kale, cabbage and Brussels sprouts — have previously been identified as risk-reducers, but it was unclear what volume of consumption had this benefit. These types of vegetables contain special natural compounds called glucosinolates, which break down into powerful substances called isothiocyanates, the researchers revealed. Isothiocyanates can help to keep cancer at bay by detoxifying the body, killing damaged cells and slowing or stopping the growth of unhealthy cells.” (08/25/25)
https://www.foxnews.com/health/risk-colon-cancer-slashed-eating-specific-types-vegetables-study-finds
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18) Russia: Official Detained Over Embezzlement of Border Fortification Money
Source: US News & World Report
“The deputy governor of a Russian region bordering Ukraine has been detained as part of a criminal case involving the embezzlement of 1 billion roubles ($12.4 million) earmarked for defensive fortifications, the TASS state news agency reported. The office of Deputy Kursk Governor Vladimir Bazarov, who previously worked as deputy governor in the neighbouring Belgorod region, was being searched, TASS reported. The detention of Bazarov was confirmed by Kursk Governor Alexander Khinshtein, who said the case related to his work in the Belgorod region. … Since Ukrainian troops smashed their way across the border and entered Kursk region last year in the biggest military incursion into Russia since World War Two, a series of Russian officials have been investigated for corruption.” (08/25/25)
https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2025-08-25/russian-official-detained-over-embezzlement-of-border-fortification-money-tass-says
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19) South Korea: Ahead of meeting with new president, Trump claims “Purge or Revolution”
Source: SFGate
“President Donald Trump greeted Lee Jae Myung, the new president of South Korea, by asserting that a ‘Purge or Revolution’ was taking place there and threatening to not do business with Seoul as he prepared to host the new leader at the White House later Monday. Trump elaborated later Monday that he was referring to raids on churches and on a U.S. military base by the new South Korean government, which ‘they probably shouldn’t have done,’ the president argued. ‘I heard bad things,’ Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Monday morning. ‘I don’t know if it’s true or not. I’ll be finding out.’ The warning shot previewed a potentially hostile confrontation later Monday as Lee, the liberal leader and longtime critic of Seoul’s conservative establishment, sits down with Trump to discuss Seoul and Washington’s recent trade agreement and continued defense cooperation.” (08/25/25)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/trade-and-defense-on-the-agenda-as-president-21014219.php
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20) DC: Occupation troops begin carrying firearms
Source: France 24 [French state media]
“Some National Guard units patrolling the nation’s capital at the direction of President Donald Trump have started carrying firearms, an escalation of his military deployment that makes good on a directive issued late last week by his defence secretary. A Defence Department official who was not authorised to speak publicly said some units on certain missions would be armed – some with handguns and others with rifles. The spokesperson said that all units with firearms have been trained and are operating under strict rules for use of force.” (08/25/25)
https://www.france24.com/en/americas/20250825-national-guard-patrols-begin-carrying-firearms-in-washington-dc
_____ Today's Freedom Commentary _____
21) The Illiberal Logic of Mission-Directed Governance
Source: Students For Liberty
by Bryan Cheung
“Mission-directed governance has emerged as a popular framework for tackling society’s most pressing challenges, from decarbonising the economy to achieving public health breakthroughs. Advocates like Mariana Mazzucato propose a proactive state that unifies society around ambitious missions, offering direction and stability in a world of uncertainty. Yet, while the vision appears transformative, its underlying logic conflicts with the pluralism and diversity that characterise democratic governance. Mission-directionality seeks singularity of purpose: a state-chosen mission that aligns social actors toward a shared goal. However, this focus inevitably curtails democratic processes, which thrive on debate and disagreement.” (08/25/25)
https://studentsforliberty.org/blog/the-illiberal-logic-of-mission-directed-governance/
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22) Nord Stream explosions linked to Ukraine military but no one cares
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Kelley Beaucar Vlahos
“After three years, the mystery of who sabotaged the Nord Stream pipelines in September 2022 has, for all intents and purposes, been solved. But unlike the dramatic unmasking during a Scooby-Doo episode or the riveting declaration of ‘who done it’ in front of a dinner party of sweating suspects in a Poirot mystery, the arrest of a former Ukrainian military officer accused of leading a team to sabotage the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines on Sept. 26, 2022, has landed like a cell phone going off in church — everyone hears something, but no one looks or pretends to notice. That is probably because while Ukrainians have been suspected for some time of being behind the explosions … it didn’t truly fit the preferred narrative.” (08/25/25)
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/nordstream-sabotage-ukraine/
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23) Will AI Make Universal Basic Income a Reality? Here’s How It Could Be Implemented
Source: Bitcoin.com
by Sergio Goschenko
“As AI continues to advance and increase its capabilities, analysts warn that intelligent robots could replace much manual human labor. This could trigger a wave of unemployment that would reshape society and prompt the enactment of some form of UBI. Here’s how that might happen.” (08/25/25)
https://news.bitcoin.com/will-ai-make-universal-basic-income-a-reality-heres-how-it-could-be-implemented/
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24) Why Americans Should Fear Washington in Intel’s Boardroom
Source: The Daily Economy
by Vance Ginn
“The Trump administration is reportedly negotiating to turn Intel’s $10.9 billion CHIPS Act subsidies into a 10 percent equity stake in the company. If finalized, Washington would be among Intel’s largest shareholders. That should set off alarm bells for anyone who still believes in free markets. A conservative administration that came to power promising deregulation and opportunity is now taking steps that blur the line between capitalism and state management of industry. This move is part of a larger pattern.” (08/25/25)
https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/why-americans-should-fear-washington-in-intels-boardroom/
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25) The War on Drugs as Imperial War
Source: CounterPunch
by Ron Jacobs
“Earlier this summer, the Trump regime upped Washington’s reward for the arrest of Maduro to fifty million dollars. It’s as if Washington thinks the world is the OK Corral and Wyatt Earp is packing heat-guided missiles. More recently, the Pentagon announced it will be deploying 4500 sailors, Marines, and other forces in the Caribbean, not far from Venezuela’s coast. In response, the Venezuelan government has mobilized its 4.5 million-member citizen militia. The rationale provided by the Trump administration is that these forces will be stationed there as part of its war on drugs and conduct illegal and essentially pointless attacks on the operations of certain drug cartels in Mexico and certain Central American countries. However, anyone familiar with the region’s map (a likely small number of US residents) can’t help but share Venezuela’s concern that the US has other intentions in the area, as well.” (08/25/25)
https://www.counterpunch.org/2025/08/25/the-war-on-drugs-as-imperial-war/
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26) If You’re So Smart, Why Aren’t You Happy?
Source: Bet On It
by Bryan Caplan
“How would you even begin to answer this challenge? It’s tempting to stonewall with: ‘I have horrible problems.’ But the obvious reply is: ‘If you’re so smart, why haven’t you solved these problems? Why didn’t you foresee these problems and avoid them in the first place?’ After all, smart people are good at solving, foreseeing, and avoiding problems. Almost by definition. To salvage the spirit of the ‘I have horrible problems’ response, you’ve got to switch to: ‘I’m extremely unlucky.’ Even though you’re really smart, the problems that afflict you aren’t just horrible. They’re also horribly unsolvable, horribly unforeseeable, and/or horribly unavoidable. While this isn’t impossible, it’s rarely plausible.” (08/25/25)
https://www.betonit.ai/p/if-youre-so-smart-why-arent-you-happy
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27) Israel’s Man-Made Atrocity Famine in Gaza
Source: Eunomia
by Daniel Larison
“It is important to understand that there were famine-like conditions in Gaza well before a formal declaration could be made. Once a famine has been declared, it is already too late for many of the starving to be saved. To wait for a formal declaration before taking action to stop people from starving to death is to wait far too long. The right time to act was over a year and a half ago. There is still time to halt and reverse the famine, but it will require an immediate end to the war and a massive relief effort to follow. … To continue lying that there is no famine and no starvation, as the Israeli government has been doing, is particularly loathsome.” (08/25/25)
https://daniellarison.substack.com/p/israels-man-made-atrocity-famine
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28) Most Americans Oppose Trump’s Plan To Ban Mail-In Voting
Source: Reason
by JD Tuccille
“President Donald Trump has long complained about the way Americans vote. He thinks it’s too easy to cast a ballot without proving your identity, and it bothers him that people can vote by mail without visiting a polling place. On the first point, he has a winning issue. Americans overwhelmingly agree that no ballots should be cast until voters show ID. But when it comes to mail-in ballots, he’s up against public opinion since most people really like the opportunity to vote remotely.” (08/25/25)
https://reason.com/2025/08/25/most-americans-oppose-trumps-plan-to-ban-mail-in-voting/
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29) “Is Hamas Causing The Famine?,” And Other Reader Questions
Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone
“Silvia asks on Facebook, ‘Many people in Europe are convinced that the famine in Gaza is caused by Hamas stealing humanitarian supplies. Where is the truth?’ The truth is that this is a propaganda narrative which has been debunked by some of the most pro-Israel, pro-establishment sources you can imagine. The New York Times reported last month that senior Israeli military officials had said this is false. … These are mainstream media sources citing Israeli military officials and the US government, respectively. This claim could not be more thoroughly debunked than it is, and it’s insane that I still see people trying to push it. Every major human rights group is in agreement that people in Gaza are starving because Israel is starving them, from Doctors Without Borders to Amnesty International to Human Rights Watch to UN special rapporteurs to hundreds of NGOs. This is a settled matter.” (08/25/25)
https://caitlinjohnstone.com.au/2025/08/25/is-hamas-causing-the-famine-and-other-reader-questions/
-----
30) Which way now for Japan?
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Jake Scott
“Many have welcomed Japan’s recent economic recovery after several years of contraction, but the current circumstances are fragile at best. As of August 2025, Japan’s economy, the fifth-largest globally by nominal GDP and purchasing power parity, embodies a weak recovery undermined by overreliance on government intervention: GDP growth is limp — flat in Q1 and only marginal in Q2 — barely avoiding recession. The lessons from the past must be heeded if Japan’s economic situation is to be navigated intelligently: state intervention may work in the short term, but will ultimately stifle dynamism and growth in the long term.” (08/25/25)
https://fee.org/articles/which-way-now-for-japan/
-----
31) Hypocritical Dems flouting laws & blaming Trump, missing important point in process
Source: New York Post
by Miranda Devine
“For all his Trump-deranged bravado, Democrat Senator Adam Schiff, the notorious Russia-hoaxer, looked like a frightened rabbit caught in the spotlight Sunday morning when he appeared on NBC’s ‘Meet the Press’ to deny the mortgage fraud scandal that has embroiled him. He should be nervous. A grand jury in Maryland is weighing criminal indictments for Schiff over alleged mortgage fraud, mail fraud, bank fraud and false statements to financial institutions that were uncovered by the Federal Housing Finance Agency, claiming he certified both a Maryland property and a California condominium as his primary residence for tax and mortgage purposes. New York Attorney General Letitia James, Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, and at least two other unnamed people are facing similar allegations, which carry potential jail terms up to 30 years.” (08/24/25)
https://nypost.com/2025/08/24/opinion/hypocritical-dems-are-flouting-laws-and-blaming-trump-they-are-missing-an-important-point-in-the-process/
-----
32) Smart people should talk about designer babies
Source: Sex and the State
by Cathy Reisenwitz
“Designer babies are so hot right now. The future of human genetic selection and modification is very quickly becoming the present. And yet, I’ve seen very few smart, thoughtful people talking about this with any nuance. On the one hand you’ve got the race scientists and ‘human biodiversity’ stans (but I repeat myself) cheering on this new wave of eugenical technology. On the other hand you’ve got tradcaths and SJWs calling every parent who wants to avoid watching their child die early from an extremely painful genetic condition a modern-day Josef Mengele.” (08/25/25)
https://cathyreisenwitz.substack.com/p/smart-people-should-talk-about-designer
-----
33) Does the Democratic Party Have a Death Wish?
Source: Common Dreams
by Les Leopold
“The New York Times recently released a report showing what we already know: the Democrats are in decline as more voters now register as Republicans or Independents. This is especially the case for young voters. Together, we can defend the truth when it’s under siege. It’s not hard to figure out why. Just ask yourself this simple question: What is the Democratic Party vision for our country? What message of economic justice do they have for working people who have suffered mass layoffs and job insecurity in recent years and are finding themselves left behind? What is their plan to help hard-working undocumented immigrants secure citizenship? How will they keep the wealth of the nation from gushing to the top one-tenth of the one percent? Epstein! That seems to be the current plan.” (08/25/25)
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/does-the-democratic-party-have-a-death-wish
-----
34) Drip. Drip. Drip.
Source: The Erick Erickson Show
by Eric-Woods Erickson
“AMD is an American microchip company. … Unlike its rival, Intel, AMD saw the need for battery efficient chips. It bet better than Intel. It will now be competitively disadvantaged by the United States government becoming Intel’s largest single shareholder. Apple, too, is a major player in microchip architecture. Using ARM chip architecture, which is very power efficient, Apple engineers and manufactures all its chips for its devices. … Many of Apple’s processing features run faster with less power than Intel’s chips. But, again, the United States now is the largest shareholder of Intel, which puts every other microchip company at a disadvantage. Why? Because Intel now has subsidy by taxpayers. Instead of having to let the creative destruction of the market place pick apart Intel, which has chronically made bad decisions, the leadership that made those bad decisions has been rewarded.” (08/25/25)
https://ewerickson.substack.com/p/drip-drip-drip
-----
35) The Cracker Barrel Hype(rreality)
Source: Unpopular Front
by John Ganz
“For a brand whose whole thing is nostalgia, I think it’s a pretty stupid idea to touch anything. But touch it they did: now, the stock has fallen, and a whole culture war fracas has started up. People suspect that the ‘liberal elites’ are responsible for the destruction of their beloved brand. (Or, even, as it’s implied or sometimes said openly, the Jews.) … Now, most well-adjusted adults would probably look at this and say, ‘This is all totally ridiculous,’ but the United States is not made up of well-adjusted adults; it’s made up of Americans.” (08/25/25)
https://www.unpopularfront.news/p/the-cracker-barrel-hyperreality
-----
36) A Crypto Micronation Is Making Friends at the White House
Source: Wired
by Joel Khalili
“When I visited the Free Republic of Liberland in April 2023, on its eighth anniversary, there was little to indicate that the tiny proto-nation — which had no permanent residents, barely any buildings, and a tendency to flood — was on track to fulfill its goal of becoming ‘the freest country on the planet.’ But these days, Liberland has friends in high places. … With Chinese cryptocurrency billionaire Justin Sun as its new prime minister, Liberland is aiming to make strides in international diplomacy — particularly in the US — and finally settle the land it claims to own. … Since US president Donald Trump won reelection in November, Sun has forged a close relationship with the Trump family. He has struck up a business partnership and assumed an adviser role at World Liberty Financial, a crypto business cofounded by the Trumps, and invested tens of millions of dollars in crypto coins tied to the Trump family.” (08/25/25)
https://archive.is/3ihC5
-----
37) Newsom used taxpayer funds to indoctrinate children; Trump ending that insanity
Source: Fox News
by Andrew Gradison
“California Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom exposed children to inappropriate sexual content and indoctrinated them with twisted ideas about childhood sexuality using federal tax dollars. The Trump administration has brought this to an end. California’s federally funded Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP) is riddled with radical gender ideology that denies biological reality, rejects gold-standard, evidence-based science and exceeds the scope of PREP’s authorizing statute. As a result, California will not receive further federal funding to indoctrinate children.” [editor’s note: Oh, it will still receive all kinds of money to indoctrinate children — just more in the way Gradison prefers – TLK] (08/25/25)
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/newsoms-california-used-taxpayer-funds-indoctrinate-children-trump-ending-insanity
-----
38) Bolton Raid: Legitimate Investigation or Political Retribution?
Source: The Dispatch
by Michael Warren
“Let’s assume for a moment that last week’s search and seizure at the home and office of John Bolton, the former national security adviser, was a sound and justifiable use of federal law enforcement resources. Yes, there are many obvious reasons to suggest Bolton’s targeting is unfair political retribution. … he has become among the president’s most unrelenting critics. It’s certainly suspicious that Friday’s raid came just days after Bolton criticized, on national television, Trump’s approach to the Russia war with Ukraine. It’s a fact that Bolton was identified as a member of the ‘enemies list’ compiled by future FBI director Kash Patel in his 2023 book, Government Gangsters. And Trump himself is constantly indicating his prejudiced view toward Bolton. … But if this apparent investigation into Bolton over whether he has illegally shared or possessed classified information is based on actual evidence, how would things have unfurled?” ()8/25/25)
https://thedispatch.com/article/bolton-raid-fbi-trump-classified-documents-retribution/
-----
39) Sow The Wind, Reap the Whirlwind
Source: Racket News
by Eric Salzman
“In 1940, Royal Air Force Air Marshall Arthur ‘Bomber’ Harris gave a memorable speech announcing the beginning of a bombing campaign over Germany. ‘The Nazis entered this war under the rather childish delusion that they were going to bomb everybody else and nobody was going to bomb them. At Rotterdam, London, Warsaw, and half a hundred other places, they put that rather naive theory into operation. They sowed the wind and now they are going to reap the whirlwind.’ The same can be said for using the justice system to go after your political enemies when you are in power. Some day, like this week, your enemies will be in power and do unto you as you did to them. In 2022, New York Attorney General Letitia James brought a civil case against then-former President Trump, after she made going after him the central issue in her 2018 campaign.” (08/25/25)
https://www.racket.news/p/they-sowed-the-wind-and-now-they
-----
40) Quantum Vibe, 08/25/25
Source: Big Head Press
by Scott Bieser
Cartoon. (08/25/25)
https://www.quantumvibe.com/strip?page=2549
-----
41) How One Teamsters Local Is Striking to Protect Immigrant Workers
Source: The American Prospect
by Sarah Lazare
“If it were up to Mauser Packaging Solutions management, there would be nothing in its contract with the union to stop federal immigration authorities from walking into the company’s Chicago plant whenever they want, maintenance mechanic Arturo Landa tells me as we sit under a navy blue tent with ‘Teamsters Local 705’ printed on the canopy. That’s alarming to the roughly 140 people who work there, about 90 percent of whom are Latino, many of them most comfortable speaking Spanish. The workers are acutely aware that in the present political climate, ‘even with proper documents, just based on the color of their skin, they could still get targeted,’ says Landa, who is 45 years old and has worked for Mauser for 12 years.” (08/25/25)
https://prospect.org/labor/2025-08-25-how-one-teamsters-local-is-striking-to-protect-immigrant-workers/
-----
42) The Mediocrity of Curtis Yarvin
Source: Law & Liberty
by John Horvat II
“With the right’s victory in the November elections, Yarvin gained a sizable following. He counts among his readers and admirers Vice President J. D. Vance as well as venture capitalists Peter Thiel and Marc Andreessen. Interviews with establishment media such as The New York Times have given him some notoriety outside the fringe from which he emerged. His thought fits into the rising populist wave found everywhere. The shaggy commentator has everything to make him popular among the illiberal right. He is brash, sarcastic, skeptical, and cynical. His style is irreverent and vulgar. He cares little for rules and formality. His anti-establishment invectives leave nothing standing. Every certainty must be doubted, every institution distrusted. … Thinkers usually lay out their thoughts in books. Thus, to understand this curious writer, Gray Mirror would be a logical place to start. However, Yarvin’s work fails to deliver.” (08/25/25)
https://lawliberty.org/the-mediocrity-of-curtis-yarvin/
-----
43) The War on Truth: Why Are Palestinian Journalists Being Systematically Erased?
Source: Antiwar.com
by Ramzy Baroud
“The killing of seven Palestinian journalists and media workers in Gaza on August 10 has prompted verbal condemnations, yet has inspired little to no substantive action. This has become the predictable and horrifying trajectory of the international community’s response to the ongoing Israeli genocide. By eliminating Palestinian journalists like Anas al-Sharif and Mohammed Qraiqeh, Israel has made a sinister statement that the genocide will spare no one. According to the monitoring website Shireen.ps, Israel has killed nearly 270 journalists since October 2023.” (08/25/25)
https://original.antiwar.com/ramzy-baroud/2025/08/24/the-war-on-truth-why-are-palestinian-journalists-being-systematically-erased/
-----
44) Medieval Wisdom for Modern Politics
Source: Medievalists.net
by unattributed
“Few voices from the Middle Ages speak to us as directly as Francesco Guicciardini’s. Born in Florence in 1483, he rose to prominence as a statesman and diplomat in a world of feuding city-states, papal power plays, and constant betrayals. Unlike many political thinkers of his time, Guicciardini did not deal in ideals — he dealt in survival. His Ricordi politici e civili (‘Political and Civil Maxims’) is a collection of sharp reflections drawn from decades in government. These are not lofty meditations on virtue, but hard-nosed lessons in how people really act: selfishly, calculatingly, and often deceptively. At times sly, at times cold, Guicciardini’s advice has the ring of lived experience.” [hat tip – JR] (08/25)
https://www.medievalists.net/2025/08/medieval-wisdom-for-modern-politics/
-----
45) Woke Left Goes Lock, Stock & Cracker Barrel
Source: Town Hall
by Jeff Crouere
“It happened again. Another legendary American institution has been targeted by woke leftists. This time it is the popular family restaurant chain, Cracker Barrel, founded in 1969. This is the restaurant people love visiting for its old-fashioned flavor, wholesome Americana in the gift store and great comfort food. It is a welcome respite for travelers who need a break after hours on the highway. Unfortunately, this successful restaurant chain has been targeted by leftists unhappy with anything that reflects Southern hospitality. The woke CEO of Cracker Barrel, Julie Masino, has announced a new logo. Gone is the image of the elderly gentleman, along with the barrel, and the phrase ‘Old Country Store.’ The replacement is the antiseptic wording ‘Cracker Barrel’ with no images. Unfortunately, it is not just the logo that Masino and the Board of Directors are changing.” [editor’s note: Someone’s gone cuckoo for Coco Puffs here, and it’s not Masino – TLK] (08/25/25)
https://townhall.com/columnists/jeffcrouere/2025/08/25/the-woke-left-goes-lock-stock-and-cracker-barrel-n2662283
-----
46) The government’s Intel stake is antithetical to American greatness
Source: Washington Post
by Scott Lincicome
“President Donald Trump’s announcement on Friday that the U.S. government will take a 10 percent stake in long-struggling Intel marks a dangerous turn in American industrial policy. Decades of market-oriented principles have been abandoned in favor of unprecedented government ownership of private enterprise. Sold as a pragmatic and fiscally responsible way to shore up national security, the $8.9 billion equity investment marks a troubling departure from the economic policies that made America prosperous and the world’s undisputed technological leader.” (08/24/25)
https://archive.is/OUjrk
-----
47) There Is No Trolley Problem
Source: The Reframe
by AR Moxon
“We actually aren’t constrained into atrocious premises by thought exercises. Obstacles are a reason to fight, not an excuse to quit.” (08/24/25)
https://www.the-reframe.com/there-is-no-trolley-problem
-----
48) A Tale of Two Peace Summits (and No Goddamn Peace)
Source: exile in happy valley
by Nicky Reid
“Lights! Cameras! Action! The scene is a heavily hyped but quickly slapped together peace summit in the late summer of this year of our lord Satan 2025. The setting is Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, some relic of the last cold war’s apocalypse culture on the desolate outskirts of Anchorage, Alaska. Our leading men are one Donald J. Trump, a dayglow corporate-welfare rapist who somehow failed his way to the top of an empire too big to fail without a goddamn apocalypse, and Vladimir Putin, a cold-blooded KGB thug who spent the post-Soviet years breaking legs for neoliberal oligarchs before reinventing himself as some kind of quasi-fascist heartthrob for self-loathing, alt-right, closet queens to toss off to between podcasts.” (08/24/25)
https://exileinhappyvalley.blogspot.com/2025/08/a-tale-of-two-peace-summits-and-no.html
-----
49) An Authoritarian Dress Rehearsal
Source: In These Times
by Alberto Toscano
“On August 11, President Donald Trump signed an executive order declaring a ‘crime emergency’ in Washington, D.C., and mandating a 30-day federal takeover of its Metropolitan Police Department. He ordered Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to mobilize the District of Columbia National Guard to patrol the city’s streets, alongside other federal law enforcement agencies, and promised the capital’s ‘Liberation Day’ was coming, as the combined federal force would free D.C. from ’the cesspool of crime and homelessness that it has become after decades of unilateral Democrat leadership.’ Or, as Trump declared on Truth Social, ’Washington, D.C. will be LIBERATED today! Crime, Savagery, Filth, and Scum will DISAPPEAR. I will, MAKE OUR CAPITAL GREAT AGAIN!’ Americans may be forgiven for feeling freedom fatigue; they’ve endured at least two ‘Liberation Days’ already.” (08/25/25)
https://inthesetimes.com/article/trump-washington-takeover-military-national-guard
-----
50) Tariffs are bad for America and erode liberty
Source: Orange County Register
by Brian P Simpson
“President Donald Trump has referred to the trade deficit as a loss, as if we lose money by buying imports. But we don’t lose money when we trade to obtain goods produced by foreigners. This is like saying we lose when we have a trade deficit with the local grocery store. Every week I buy goods from the grocer, and he doesn’t buy any goods from me. But I gain because I get food to eat. Free international trade raises our standard of living because it enables us to obtain less expensive goods and goods that cannot be produced in the U.S. Tariffs are taxes that raise the cost of bringing goods into the U.S. and thus make goods more expensive. They also protect inefficient domestic producers by restricting competition from foreigners.” (08/24/25)
https://archive.is/uXN88
_____ Today's Freedom Podcast and Video _____
51) Reason Roundtable, 08/25/25
Source: Reason
"Is It Too Late To End the Fed?" (08/25/25)
https://reason.com/podcast/2025/08/25/is-it-too-late-to-end-the-fed/
-----
52) Conflicts of Interest, episode 831
Source: Libertarian Institute
“Trump and Netanyahu Created a Famine in Gaza.” (08/25/25)
https://rumble.com/v6y21dq-trump-and-netanyahu-created-a-famine-in-gaza-coi-831.html
-----
53) Fountainhead Forum, 08/25/25
Source: Fountainhead Forum
“Skot Sheller responds to Saifedean Ammous about Javier Milei’s policies.” (08/25/25)
https://rumble.com/v6y26jg-ff-347-skot-sheller-responds-to-saifedean-ammous-about-javier-mileis-polici.html
-----
54) The Mona Charen Show, 08/25/25
Source: The Bulwark
“Why Affordable Housing Can’t Get Built in America (w/ Michael Tanner) | Mona Charen Show.” (08/25/25)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYthv8axhTs
-----
55) The Dispatch, 08/25/25
Source: The Dispatch
“The New Three Legs of Conservatism | Interview: Matt Lewis.” (08/25/25)
https://thedispatch.com/podcast/dispatch-podcast/the-new-three-legs-of-conservatism-interview-matt-lewis/
-----
56) EconTalk, 08/25/25
Source: EconTalk
“Hemingway, Love, and War (with David Wyatt).” (08/25/25)
https://www.econtalk.org/hemingway-love-and-war-with-david-wyatt/
-----
57) The Daily Blast With Greg Sargent, 08/25/25
Source: The New Republic
“Gavin Newsom’s Harsh New Trump Takedown Should Alarm Dems: ‘Wake Up!'” (08/25/25)
https://newrepublic.com/article/199497/gavin-newsom-harsh-new-trump-takedown-alarm-dems-wake-up
-----
58) Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 08/25/25
Source: Antiwar.com
“Smotrich: Palestinians Who Stay in Gaza City Can ‘Die of Hunger,’ Israel Bombs Yemen, and More.” (08/25/25)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Hwc7-NenZI
-----
59) Half the Answer, episode 29
Source: Liberal Currents
“The American Anti-Vaxx Movement: Past, Present, and Future.” (08/24/25)
https://www.liberalcurrents.com/half-the-answer-29-the-american-anti-vaxx-movement-past-present-and-future/
-----
60) LPALive!, 08/24/25
Source: LP Alliance
“LNC Special Meeting Aug 24, 2025.” (08/24/25)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LOy1jNS_sU
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Today's Freedom News:
1) Palestine: Israeli forces murder at least 20, including five journalists, in attack on hospital
2) Dog bites man: Trump claims he’s repealed the First Amendment (again)
3) US House Oversight subpoenas Jeffrey Epstein estate
4) MD: Kilmar Abrego Garcia abducted by ICE gang again
5) DC: Third grand jury refuses to indict woman accused of assaulting gang member during abductee swap
6) FL: Regime turns truck weigh stations into ICE gang lairs
7) Intel says Trump’s partial nationalization has risks for shareholders, international sales
8) Japan: Police apologize at grave of businessman who was wrongfully arrested and died after long detention
9) Netanyahu: Israel could withdraw from Lebanon if Hezbollah disarmed
10) NY: Mexican drug lord Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada to plead guilty to US charges
11) DC: Abductions surpass 1,000 as occupation enters 12th homicide-free day
12) Venezuela: opposition says regime freed 13 political prisoners jailed in post-election crackdown
13) Keurig Dr Pepper to buy Dutch coffee company JDE Peet’s in $18 billion deal
14) VA: AG’s findings from investigation into Roanoke College trans swimmer “incident” released
15) Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre’s memoir to be published posthumously
16) Democrats demand Trump resume major offshore wind project near Rhode Island
17) Study: Risk of colon cancer slashed by eating broccoli
18) Russia: Official Detained Over Embezzlement of Border Fortification Money
19) South Korea: Ahead of meeting with new president, Trump claims “Purge or Revolution”
20) DC: Occupation troops begin carrying firearms
Today's Freedom Commentary:
21) The Illiberal Logic of Mission-Directed Governance
22) Nord Stream explosions linked to Ukraine military but no one cares
23) Will AI Make Universal Basic Income a Reality? Here’s How It Could Be Implemented
24) Why Americans Should Fear Washington in Intel’s Boardroom
25) The War on Drugs as Imperial War
26) If You’re So Smart, Why Aren’t You Happy?
27) Israel’s Man-Made Atrocity Famine in Gaza
28) Most Americans Oppose Trump’s Plan To Ban Mail-In Voting
29) “Is Hamas Causing The Famine?,” And Other Reader Questions
30) Which way now for Japan?
31) Hypocritical Dems flouting laws & blaming Trump, missing important point in process
32) Smart people should talk about designer babies
33) Does the Democratic Party Have a Death Wish?
34) Drip. Drip. Drip.
35) The Cracker Barrel Hype(rreality)
36) A Crypto Micronation Is Making Friends at the White House
37) Newsom used taxpayer funds to indoctrinate children; Trump ending that insanity
38) Bolton Raid: Legitimate Investigation or Political Retribution?
39) Sow The Wind, Reap the Whirlwind
40) Quantum Vibe, 08/25/25
41) How One Teamsters Local Is Striking to Protect Immigrant Workers
42) The Mediocrity of Curtis Yarvin
43) The War on Truth: Why Are Palestinian Journalists Being Systematically Erased?
44) Medieval Wisdom for Modern Politics
45) Woke Left Goes Lock, Stock & Cracker Barrel
46) The government’s Intel stake is antithetical to American greatness
47) There Is No Trolley Problem
48) A Tale of Two Peace Summits (and No Goddamn Peace)
49) An Authoritarian Dress Rehearsal
50) Tariffs are bad for America and erode liberty
Today's Freedom Podcast and Video:
51) Reason Roundtable, 08/25/25
52) Conflicts of Interest, episode 831
53) Fountainhead Forum, 08/25/25
54) The Mona Charen Show, 08/25/25
55) The Dispatch, 08/25/25
56) EconTalk, 08/25/25
57) The Daily Blast With Greg Sargent, 08/25/25
58) Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 08/25/25
59) Half the Answer, episode 29
60) LPALive!, 08/24/25
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_____ Today's Freedom News _____
1) Palestine: Israeli forces murder at least 20, including five journalists, in attack on hospital
Source: Financial Times [UK]
“Israel has killed at least 20 people, including several journalists, in a double strike on Nasser Medical Complex, the largest health facility in southern Gaza, according to the health ministry in the Palestinian enclave. The strikes are the latest in a series of attacks by Israeli forces that have killed Palestinian journalists during the war in Gaza, which has become one of the deadliest conflicts for reporters worldwide. The Gaza health ministry said the fourth floor of the hospital was targeted in the first strike. This was followed by a second hit as ambulance crews arrived to retrieve the dead and wounded. One doctor, Mahmoud al-Habibi, was killed, according to the ministry. … According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, as of August 18, 184 Palestinian journalists had been killed since the start of the war — most by Israeli air strikes or drone attacks.” (08/25/25)
https://archive.is/NShmI
-----
2) Dog bites man: Trump claims he’s repealed the First Amendment (again)
Source: The Guardian [UK]
“Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday instructing federal prosecutors to pursue criminal charges against individuals who burn American flags during protests. The order tells the US attorney general, Pam Bondi, to look at cases where people burned flags and see if they can be charged with other crimes like disturbing the peace or breaking environmental laws. It’s an attempt by Trump to go around a supreme court decision from 1989, when the court ruled 5-4 in Texas v Johnson that destroying the flag is protected political expression under the first amendment. … Trump also claimed ‘you burn a flag, you get one year in jail’ as he signed the executive order, but the order itself doesn’t include details about a potential jail sentence.” (08/25/25)
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/25/trump-flag-burning-executive-order
-----
3) US House Oversight subpoenas Jeffrey Epstein estate
Source: ABC News
“House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer on Monday issued a new subpoena to the estate of Jeffrey Epstein for ‘documents and communications in its possession, custody, or control in unredacted form,’ which includes a copy of the alleged ‘birthday book’ compiled for disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein’s 50th birthday. … House Democrats previously requested a copy of the alleged ‘birthday book’ compiled for Epstein’s 50th birthday in 2003 that the Wall Street Journal reported contains a ‘bawdy’ letter from President Donald Trump. Trump has denied the existence of the letter and filed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal. ABC News has not been able to confirm the existence of the letter. … Also in the subpoena are requests for documents tied to Epstein’s bank accounts, financial transactions, flight logs and calendars from Jan. 1, 1990 through Aug. 10, 2019.” (08/25/25)
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/house-oversight-subpoenas-jeffrey-epstein-estate/story?id=124963143
-----
4) MD: Kilmar Abrego Garcia abducted by ICE gang again
Source: SFGate
“Kilmar Abrego Garcia, whose case has become a flashpoint in President Donald Trump’s aggressive effort to remove noncitizens from the U.S., was [abducted] by immigration authorities in Baltimore on Monday to face renewed efforts to deport him after a brief period of freedom. Abrego Garcia’s attorneys quickly filed a lawsuit to fight those removal efforts until a court has heard his claim for protection, stating that the U.S. could place him in a country where ‘his safety cannot be assured.’ The new lawsuit triggered a blanket court order that automatically pauses deportation efforts for two days. The order applies to immigrants in Maryland who are challenging their detention. Abrego Garcia, a 30-year-old Maryland construction worker and Salvadoran national, spoke at a rally before he turned himself in.” (08/25/25)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/politics/article/kilmar-abrego-garcia-surrenders-to-ice-in-21014100.php
-----
5) DC: Third grand jury refuses to indict woman accused of assaulting gang member during abductee swap
Source: WUSA 9 News
“A grand jury declined for a third time to indict a D.C. woman accused of assaulting an FBI agent during an [abductee] swap with ICE – a rare loss for federal prosecutors that could foreshadow further trouble if the case goes to trial. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s office said in a filing Monday it would move ahead with charging Sidney Lori Reid with a misdemeanor for the alleged assault outside the D.C. Jail in July. A magistrate judge had given prosecutors until Monday afternoon to secure an indictment against Reid or see the felony version of the assault charge dismissed. … Reid was [abducted] in July for allegedly resisting attempts to restrain her after she refused to back away from ICE officers who were conducting [abductions] outside the D.C. Jail. In the process, they said, an FBI agent received scrapes to the back of her hand.” (08/25/25)
https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/crime/for-third-time-grand-jury-refuses-to-indict-dc-woman-accused-of-assaulting-agent-during-ice-arrest-jeanine-pirro-sidney-reid-sandwich-guy/65-785e2e30-46cf-4e90-b81a-9e9c219c6750
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6) FL: Regime turns truck weigh stations into ICE gang lairs
Source: New York Post
“All truck weigh stations in Florida are being turned into ICE checkpoints after last week’s deadly big-rig crash involving an illegal [sic] migrant, officials said Monday. State Attorney General James Uthmeier, referring to ‘the serious tragedy that happened down in southeast Florida,’ announced the new partnership between federal agencies and the state agricultural inspection stations at a press conference in Live Oak. ‘Someone that should never have been given a driver’s license, much less a CDL license to drive larger commercial vehicles, engaged in reckless behavior that took three lives,’ Uthmeier said, surrounded by law-enforcement officials. Harjinder Singh, 28, of India had been living under the radar in the US for six years when he allegedly pulled an illegal U-turn in an 18-wheeler on the Florida Turnpike on Aug. 12, killing three people. He fled to California but was nabbed by US marshals and flown back to Florida to stand trial.” (08/25/25)
https://nypost.com/2025/08/25/us-news/florida-turns-its-truck-weigh-stations-into-ice-checkpoints/
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7) Intel says Trump’s partial nationalization has risks for shareholders, international sales
Source: CNBC
“Intel on Monday warned of ‘adverse reactions’ from investors, employees and others to the Trump administration taking a 10% stake in the company, in a filing citing risks involved with the deal. A key concern area is international sales, with 76% of Intel’s revenue in its last fiscal year coming from outside the U.S., according to the filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company had $53.1 billion in revenue for fiscal year 2024, down 2% from the year prior. For Intel’s international customers, the company is now directly tied to President Donald Trump’s ever-shifting tariff and trade policies.” (08/25/25)
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/08/25/intel-trump-deal-risks-stock.html
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8) Japan: Police apologize at grave of businessman who was wrongfully arrested and died after long detention
Source: CBS News
“Japan’s top law enforcement officials apologized to the family of a businessman who was wrongfully arrested and died after a months-long detention. Shizuo Aishima, a former adviser to machinery firm Ohkawara Kakohki, was one of three company executives illegally held in pretrial detention for months on charges that were later dropped. Human rights campaigners have long demanded an end to Japan’s ‘hostage justice’ practice, where investigators use lengthy pretrial detentions to coerce confessions. Senior officials from the Tokyo police, the top public prosecutor’s department and the Tokyo prosecutor’s office visited Aishima’s family and grave on Monday. The officials knelt and prayed in front of the grave, the Japan Times reported.” (08/25/25)
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/japan-police-apologize-grave-innocent-businessman-long-detention/
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9) Netanyahu: Israel could withdraw from Lebanon if Hezbollah disarmed
Source: SFGate
“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that Israeli forces could begin withdrawing from territory they hold in southern Lebanon after the Lebanese Cabinet’s ‘momentous decision’ earlier this month to work toward the disarmament of the militant group Hezbollah by the end of 2025. Netanyahu said if Lebanon takes the necessary steps to disarm Hezbollah, then Israel will respond with reciprocal measures, including a phased reduction of the Israeli military presence in southern Lebanon. Since the Israel-Hezbollah war ended in November 2024 with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire, Hezbollah officials have said the group will not discuss its disarmament until Israel withdraws from five hills it controls inside Lebanon and stops almost daily airstrikes. Those strikes have killed or wounded hundreds of people, most of them [supposedly] Hezbollah members.” (08/25/25)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/netanyahu-says-israel-could-withdraw-from-lebanon-21013962.php
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10) NY: Mexican drug lord Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada to plead guilty to US charges
Source: San Diego Union-Tribune
“Former Mexican cartel kingpin Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada is expected to plead guilty Monday to federal charges related to his role in the violent drug trade that for years flooded the U.S. with cocaine, heroin and other illicit substances. The longtime leader of the Sinaloa cartel is scheduled to appear before a federal judge in Brooklyn for a change of plea hearing. The appearance comes after federal prosecutors said two weeks ago that they wouldn’t seek the death penalty against Zambada, who was arrested in Texas last year.” (08/25/25)
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2025/08/25/sinoloa-drug-lord-federal-charges/
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11) DC: Abductions surpass 1,000 as occupation enters 12th homicide-free day
Source: Fox News
“A[bductions] under President Donald Trump’s federal crime crackdown in Washington, D.C., have blown past 1,000 as the nation’s capital marked its 12th consecutive day without a homicide, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced Monday. Pirro said that on Sunday alone there were 86 [abductions] and 10 illegal [sic] guns seized, bringing the totals to 1,007 [abductions] and 111 guns [stolen]. ‘What does that mean? They can’t be used to shoot people, to kill people,’ Pirro said Monday on ‘Fox & Friends’, referring to the weapons [thefts]. ‘And on top of all of that, we’ve got a government now where the people in D.C. are feeling safer. They know that there is a president who’s looking to protect them.'” (08/25/25)
https://www.foxnews.com/us/dc-arrests-surpass-1000-trump-backed-crackdown-enters-12th-homicide-free-day
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12) Venezuela: opposition says regime freed 13 political prisoners jailed in post-election crackdown
Source: ABC News
“Venezuelan opposition leaders and civil society groups said on Sunday that the government released 13 people jailed in a crackdown by the government of President Nicolás Maduro following last year’s disputed elections. Venezuelan authorities did not immediately confirm the releases, but opposition leaders like Henrique Capriles celebrated on social media, calling it a ‘step forward for those behind bars.’ He said eight people were freed, while five more were released under house arrest. … Venezuelan authorities deny the detention of opponents for political reasons, instead claiming they are part of plots to destabilize the government.” (08/25/25)
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/venezuelan-opposition-government-freed-13-jailed-post-election-124941329
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13) Keurig Dr Pepper to buy Dutch coffee company JDE Peet’s in $18 billion deal
Source: CNBC
“Keurig Dr Pepper will acquire Dutch coffee and tea company JDE Peet’s in a roughly $18 billion deal that could give a boost to the U.S. giant’s struggling coffee business, the two companies said Monday. The deal was first reported by the Wall Street Journal. Keurig Dr Pepper will pay JDE Peet’s shareholders 31.85 euros ($37.3) per share in cash, representing a 33% premium on the Dutch’s firm’s 90-day volume-weighted average stock price, which represents a total equity purchase of 15.7 billion euros ($18.4 billion). JDE Peet’s will, meanwhile, pay out a previously declared dividend of 0.36 euros per share prior to the deal closing.” (08/25/25)
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/08/25/keurig-dr-pepper-to-acquire-dutch-coffee-company-jde-peets-for-18-billion.html
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14) VA: AG’s findings from investigation into Roanoke College trans swimmer “incident” released
Source: Fox News
“Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares'[s] findings of an investigation into Roanoke College were released by complainants, Fox News Digital learned on Monday. Miyares’ investigation was in response to a … transgender swimmer that competed on Roanoke’s women’s team in 2023. Miyares concluded that the college denied the [cisgender] swimmers accommodations, advantages, and privileges on the basis of sex, caused the [cisgender swimmers] emotional, physical, and dignitary harms and violated the Virginia Human Rights Act (VHRA). Miyares also suggested the [cosgender] swimmers who were discriminated against are eligible to seek financial damages because the school’s policy violated the VHRA, as per state code. ‘A private complainant who has received a notice of right to file a civil action may file a civil action under the Act for compensatory and punitive damages, as well as injunctive relief,’ the report said.” (08/25/25)
https://www.foxnews.com/sports/virginia-ags-findings-from-investigation-roanoke-college-trans-swimmer-incident-released-complainants
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15) Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre’s memoir to be published posthumously
Source: The Guardian [UK]
“The posthumous memoir of Virginia Giuffre, one of Jeffrey Epstein’s most prominent accusers, will be published in the autumn, a publisher has announced. Giuffre had been working on Nobody’s Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice, with the award-winning author and journalist Amy Wallace before her death earlier this year. The 400-page book will be released on 21 October, according to the Associated Press. Giuffre, who alleged she had been trafficked for sex to Prince Andrew, had completed the manuscript before she took her own life in April, the publisher Alfred A Knopf said.” (08/25/25)
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/25/epstein-accuser-virginia-giuffres-memoir-to-be-published-posthumously
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16) Democrats demand Trump resume major offshore wind project near Rhode Island
Source: SFGate
“A nearly complete wind farm off the coast of Rhode Island and Connecticut faces an uncertain future as the states’ Democratic governors, members of Congress and union workers are calling Monday for the Trump administration to let construction resume. The administration halted construction on the Revolution Wind project last week, saying the federal government needs to review the project and address national security concerns. It did not specify what those concerns are. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management said Monday it’s not commenting further at this time. The Democratic politicians are getting involved because stopping work on Revolution Wind threatens local jobs and their states’ climate goals, and could drive up electricity prices throughout the region. Officials say the project is 80% complete, with all the underwater foundations and 45 out of 65 turbines already installed.” (08/25/25)
https://www.sfgate.com/business/article/democrats-ask-trump-to-resume-a-major-offshore-21014409.php
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17) Study: Risk of colon cancer slashed by eating broccoli
Source: Fox News
“Including more broccoli in your diet could reduce the risk of colon cancer, new research suggests. Diet is known to be a key modifiable risk factor for colon cancer — particularly a lack of vegetables and dietary fiber, as well as excessive alcohol and caffeine consumption, according to researchers. Cruciferous vegetables — including broccoli as well as cauliflower, kale, cabbage and Brussels sprouts — have previously been identified as risk-reducers, but it was unclear what volume of consumption had this benefit. These types of vegetables contain special natural compounds called glucosinolates, which break down into powerful substances called isothiocyanates, the researchers revealed. Isothiocyanates can help to keep cancer at bay by detoxifying the body, killing damaged cells and slowing or stopping the growth of unhealthy cells.” (08/25/25)
https://www.foxnews.com/health/risk-colon-cancer-slashed-eating-specific-types-vegetables-study-finds
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18) Russia: Official Detained Over Embezzlement of Border Fortification Money
Source: US News & World Report
“The deputy governor of a Russian region bordering Ukraine has been detained as part of a criminal case involving the embezzlement of 1 billion roubles ($12.4 million) earmarked for defensive fortifications, the TASS state news agency reported. The office of Deputy Kursk Governor Vladimir Bazarov, who previously worked as deputy governor in the neighbouring Belgorod region, was being searched, TASS reported. The detention of Bazarov was confirmed by Kursk Governor Alexander Khinshtein, who said the case related to his work in the Belgorod region. … Since Ukrainian troops smashed their way across the border and entered Kursk region last year in the biggest military incursion into Russia since World War Two, a series of Russian officials have been investigated for corruption.” (08/25/25)
https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2025-08-25/russian-official-detained-over-embezzlement-of-border-fortification-money-tass-says
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19) South Korea: Ahead of meeting with new president, Trump claims “Purge or Revolution”
Source: SFGate
“President Donald Trump greeted Lee Jae Myung, the new president of South Korea, by asserting that a ‘Purge or Revolution’ was taking place there and threatening to not do business with Seoul as he prepared to host the new leader at the White House later Monday. Trump elaborated later Monday that he was referring to raids on churches and on a U.S. military base by the new South Korean government, which ‘they probably shouldn’t have done,’ the president argued. ‘I heard bad things,’ Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Monday morning. ‘I don’t know if it’s true or not. I’ll be finding out.’ The warning shot previewed a potentially hostile confrontation later Monday as Lee, the liberal leader and longtime critic of Seoul’s conservative establishment, sits down with Trump to discuss Seoul and Washington’s recent trade agreement and continued defense cooperation.” (08/25/25)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/trade-and-defense-on-the-agenda-as-president-21014219.php
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20) DC: Occupation troops begin carrying firearms
Source: France 24 [French state media]
“Some National Guard units patrolling the nation’s capital at the direction of President Donald Trump have started carrying firearms, an escalation of his military deployment that makes good on a directive issued late last week by his defence secretary. A Defence Department official who was not authorised to speak publicly said some units on certain missions would be armed – some with handguns and others with rifles. The spokesperson said that all units with firearms have been trained and are operating under strict rules for use of force.” (08/25/25)
https://www.france24.com/en/americas/20250825-national-guard-patrols-begin-carrying-firearms-in-washington-dc
_____ Today's Freedom Commentary _____
21) The Illiberal Logic of Mission-Directed Governance
Source: Students For Liberty
by Bryan Cheung
“Mission-directed governance has emerged as a popular framework for tackling society’s most pressing challenges, from decarbonising the economy to achieving public health breakthroughs. Advocates like Mariana Mazzucato propose a proactive state that unifies society around ambitious missions, offering direction and stability in a world of uncertainty. Yet, while the vision appears transformative, its underlying logic conflicts with the pluralism and diversity that characterise democratic governance. Mission-directionality seeks singularity of purpose: a state-chosen mission that aligns social actors toward a shared goal. However, this focus inevitably curtails democratic processes, which thrive on debate and disagreement.” (08/25/25)
https://studentsforliberty.org/blog/the-illiberal-logic-of-mission-directed-governance/
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22) Nord Stream explosions linked to Ukraine military but no one cares
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Kelley Beaucar Vlahos
“After three years, the mystery of who sabotaged the Nord Stream pipelines in September 2022 has, for all intents and purposes, been solved. But unlike the dramatic unmasking during a Scooby-Doo episode or the riveting declaration of ‘who done it’ in front of a dinner party of sweating suspects in a Poirot mystery, the arrest of a former Ukrainian military officer accused of leading a team to sabotage the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines on Sept. 26, 2022, has landed like a cell phone going off in church — everyone hears something, but no one looks or pretends to notice. That is probably because while Ukrainians have been suspected for some time of being behind the explosions … it didn’t truly fit the preferred narrative.” (08/25/25)
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/nordstream-sabotage-ukraine/
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23) Will AI Make Universal Basic Income a Reality? Here’s How It Could Be Implemented
Source: Bitcoin.com
by Sergio Goschenko
“As AI continues to advance and increase its capabilities, analysts warn that intelligent robots could replace much manual human labor. This could trigger a wave of unemployment that would reshape society and prompt the enactment of some form of UBI. Here’s how that might happen.” (08/25/25)
https://news.bitcoin.com/will-ai-make-universal-basic-income-a-reality-heres-how-it-could-be-implemented/
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24) Why Americans Should Fear Washington in Intel’s Boardroom
Source: The Daily Economy
by Vance Ginn
“The Trump administration is reportedly negotiating to turn Intel’s $10.9 billion CHIPS Act subsidies into a 10 percent equity stake in the company. If finalized, Washington would be among Intel’s largest shareholders. That should set off alarm bells for anyone who still believes in free markets. A conservative administration that came to power promising deregulation and opportunity is now taking steps that blur the line between capitalism and state management of industry. This move is part of a larger pattern.” (08/25/25)
https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/why-americans-should-fear-washington-in-intels-boardroom/
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25) The War on Drugs as Imperial War
Source: CounterPunch
by Ron Jacobs
“Earlier this summer, the Trump regime upped Washington’s reward for the arrest of Maduro to fifty million dollars. It’s as if Washington thinks the world is the OK Corral and Wyatt Earp is packing heat-guided missiles. More recently, the Pentagon announced it will be deploying 4500 sailors, Marines, and other forces in the Caribbean, not far from Venezuela’s coast. In response, the Venezuelan government has mobilized its 4.5 million-member citizen militia. The rationale provided by the Trump administration is that these forces will be stationed there as part of its war on drugs and conduct illegal and essentially pointless attacks on the operations of certain drug cartels in Mexico and certain Central American countries. However, anyone familiar with the region’s map (a likely small number of US residents) can’t help but share Venezuela’s concern that the US has other intentions in the area, as well.” (08/25/25)
https://www.counterpunch.org/2025/08/25/the-war-on-drugs-as-imperial-war/
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26) If You’re So Smart, Why Aren’t You Happy?
Source: Bet On It
by Bryan Caplan
“How would you even begin to answer this challenge? It’s tempting to stonewall with: ‘I have horrible problems.’ But the obvious reply is: ‘If you’re so smart, why haven’t you solved these problems? Why didn’t you foresee these problems and avoid them in the first place?’ After all, smart people are good at solving, foreseeing, and avoiding problems. Almost by definition. To salvage the spirit of the ‘I have horrible problems’ response, you’ve got to switch to: ‘I’m extremely unlucky.’ Even though you’re really smart, the problems that afflict you aren’t just horrible. They’re also horribly unsolvable, horribly unforeseeable, and/or horribly unavoidable. While this isn’t impossible, it’s rarely plausible.” (08/25/25)
https://www.betonit.ai/p/if-youre-so-smart-why-arent-you-happy
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27) Israel’s Man-Made Atrocity Famine in Gaza
Source: Eunomia
by Daniel Larison
“It is important to understand that there were famine-like conditions in Gaza well before a formal declaration could be made. Once a famine has been declared, it is already too late for many of the starving to be saved. To wait for a formal declaration before taking action to stop people from starving to death is to wait far too long. The right time to act was over a year and a half ago. There is still time to halt and reverse the famine, but it will require an immediate end to the war and a massive relief effort to follow. … To continue lying that there is no famine and no starvation, as the Israeli government has been doing, is particularly loathsome.” (08/25/25)
https://daniellarison.substack.com/p/israels-man-made-atrocity-famine
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28) Most Americans Oppose Trump’s Plan To Ban Mail-In Voting
Source: Reason
by JD Tuccille
“President Donald Trump has long complained about the way Americans vote. He thinks it’s too easy to cast a ballot without proving your identity, and it bothers him that people can vote by mail without visiting a polling place. On the first point, he has a winning issue. Americans overwhelmingly agree that no ballots should be cast until voters show ID. But when it comes to mail-in ballots, he’s up against public opinion since most people really like the opportunity to vote remotely.” (08/25/25)
https://reason.com/2025/08/25/most-americans-oppose-trumps-plan-to-ban-mail-in-voting/
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29) “Is Hamas Causing The Famine?,” And Other Reader Questions
Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone
“Silvia asks on Facebook, ‘Many people in Europe are convinced that the famine in Gaza is caused by Hamas stealing humanitarian supplies. Where is the truth?’ The truth is that this is a propaganda narrative which has been debunked by some of the most pro-Israel, pro-establishment sources you can imagine. The New York Times reported last month that senior Israeli military officials had said this is false. … These are mainstream media sources citing Israeli military officials and the US government, respectively. This claim could not be more thoroughly debunked than it is, and it’s insane that I still see people trying to push it. Every major human rights group is in agreement that people in Gaza are starving because Israel is starving them, from Doctors Without Borders to Amnesty International to Human Rights Watch to UN special rapporteurs to hundreds of NGOs. This is a settled matter.” (08/25/25)
https://caitlinjohnstone.com.au/2025/08/25/is-hamas-causing-the-famine-and-other-reader-questions/
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30) Which way now for Japan?
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Jake Scott
“Many have welcomed Japan’s recent economic recovery after several years of contraction, but the current circumstances are fragile at best. As of August 2025, Japan’s economy, the fifth-largest globally by nominal GDP and purchasing power parity, embodies a weak recovery undermined by overreliance on government intervention: GDP growth is limp — flat in Q1 and only marginal in Q2 — barely avoiding recession. The lessons from the past must be heeded if Japan’s economic situation is to be navigated intelligently: state intervention may work in the short term, but will ultimately stifle dynamism and growth in the long term.” (08/25/25)
https://fee.org/articles/which-way-now-for-japan/
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31) Hypocritical Dems flouting laws & blaming Trump, missing important point in process
Source: New York Post
by Miranda Devine
“For all his Trump-deranged bravado, Democrat Senator Adam Schiff, the notorious Russia-hoaxer, looked like a frightened rabbit caught in the spotlight Sunday morning when he appeared on NBC’s ‘Meet the Press’ to deny the mortgage fraud scandal that has embroiled him. He should be nervous. A grand jury in Maryland is weighing criminal indictments for Schiff over alleged mortgage fraud, mail fraud, bank fraud and false statements to financial institutions that were uncovered by the Federal Housing Finance Agency, claiming he certified both a Maryland property and a California condominium as his primary residence for tax and mortgage purposes. New York Attorney General Letitia James, Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, and at least two other unnamed people are facing similar allegations, which carry potential jail terms up to 30 years.” (08/24/25)
https://nypost.com/2025/08/24/opinion/hypocritical-dems-are-flouting-laws-and-blaming-trump-they-are-missing-an-important-point-in-the-process/
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32) Smart people should talk about designer babies
Source: Sex and the State
by Cathy Reisenwitz
“Designer babies are so hot right now. The future of human genetic selection and modification is very quickly becoming the present. And yet, I’ve seen very few smart, thoughtful people talking about this with any nuance. On the one hand you’ve got the race scientists and ‘human biodiversity’ stans (but I repeat myself) cheering on this new wave of eugenical technology. On the other hand you’ve got tradcaths and SJWs calling every parent who wants to avoid watching their child die early from an extremely painful genetic condition a modern-day Josef Mengele.” (08/25/25)
https://cathyreisenwitz.substack.com/p/smart-people-should-talk-about-designer
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33) Does the Democratic Party Have a Death Wish?
Source: Common Dreams
by Les Leopold
“The New York Times recently released a report showing what we already know: the Democrats are in decline as more voters now register as Republicans or Independents. This is especially the case for young voters. Together, we can defend the truth when it’s under siege. It’s not hard to figure out why. Just ask yourself this simple question: What is the Democratic Party vision for our country? What message of economic justice do they have for working people who have suffered mass layoffs and job insecurity in recent years and are finding themselves left behind? What is their plan to help hard-working undocumented immigrants secure citizenship? How will they keep the wealth of the nation from gushing to the top one-tenth of the one percent? Epstein! That seems to be the current plan.” (08/25/25)
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/does-the-democratic-party-have-a-death-wish
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34) Drip. Drip. Drip.
Source: The Erick Erickson Show
by Eric-Woods Erickson
“AMD is an American microchip company. … Unlike its rival, Intel, AMD saw the need for battery efficient chips. It bet better than Intel. It will now be competitively disadvantaged by the United States government becoming Intel’s largest single shareholder. Apple, too, is a major player in microchip architecture. Using ARM chip architecture, which is very power efficient, Apple engineers and manufactures all its chips for its devices. … Many of Apple’s processing features run faster with less power than Intel’s chips. But, again, the United States now is the largest shareholder of Intel, which puts every other microchip company at a disadvantage. Why? Because Intel now has subsidy by taxpayers. Instead of having to let the creative destruction of the market place pick apart Intel, which has chronically made bad decisions, the leadership that made those bad decisions has been rewarded.” (08/25/25)
https://ewerickson.substack.com/p/drip-drip-drip
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35) The Cracker Barrel Hype(rreality)
Source: Unpopular Front
by John Ganz
“For a brand whose whole thing is nostalgia, I think it’s a pretty stupid idea to touch anything. But touch it they did: now, the stock has fallen, and a whole culture war fracas has started up. People suspect that the ‘liberal elites’ are responsible for the destruction of their beloved brand. (Or, even, as it’s implied or sometimes said openly, the Jews.) … Now, most well-adjusted adults would probably look at this and say, ‘This is all totally ridiculous,’ but the United States is not made up of well-adjusted adults; it’s made up of Americans.” (08/25/25)
https://www.unpopularfront.news/p/the-cracker-barrel-hyperreality
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36) A Crypto Micronation Is Making Friends at the White House
Source: Wired
by Joel Khalili
“When I visited the Free Republic of Liberland in April 2023, on its eighth anniversary, there was little to indicate that the tiny proto-nation — which had no permanent residents, barely any buildings, and a tendency to flood — was on track to fulfill its goal of becoming ‘the freest country on the planet.’ But these days, Liberland has friends in high places. … With Chinese cryptocurrency billionaire Justin Sun as its new prime minister, Liberland is aiming to make strides in international diplomacy — particularly in the US — and finally settle the land it claims to own. … Since US president Donald Trump won reelection in November, Sun has forged a close relationship with the Trump family. He has struck up a business partnership and assumed an adviser role at World Liberty Financial, a crypto business cofounded by the Trumps, and invested tens of millions of dollars in crypto coins tied to the Trump family.” (08/25/25)
https://archive.is/3ihC5
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37) Newsom used taxpayer funds to indoctrinate children; Trump ending that insanity
Source: Fox News
by Andrew Gradison
“California Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom exposed children to inappropriate sexual content and indoctrinated them with twisted ideas about childhood sexuality using federal tax dollars. The Trump administration has brought this to an end. California’s federally funded Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP) is riddled with radical gender ideology that denies biological reality, rejects gold-standard, evidence-based science and exceeds the scope of PREP’s authorizing statute. As a result, California will not receive further federal funding to indoctrinate children.” [editor’s note: Oh, it will still receive all kinds of money to indoctrinate children — just more in the way Gradison prefers – TLK] (08/25/25)
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/newsoms-california-used-taxpayer-funds-indoctrinate-children-trump-ending-insanity
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38) Bolton Raid: Legitimate Investigation or Political Retribution?
Source: The Dispatch
by Michael Warren
“Let’s assume for a moment that last week’s search and seizure at the home and office of John Bolton, the former national security adviser, was a sound and justifiable use of federal law enforcement resources. Yes, there are many obvious reasons to suggest Bolton’s targeting is unfair political retribution. … he has become among the president’s most unrelenting critics. It’s certainly suspicious that Friday’s raid came just days after Bolton criticized, on national television, Trump’s approach to the Russia war with Ukraine. It’s a fact that Bolton was identified as a member of the ‘enemies list’ compiled by future FBI director Kash Patel in his 2023 book, Government Gangsters. And Trump himself is constantly indicating his prejudiced view toward Bolton. … But if this apparent investigation into Bolton over whether he has illegally shared or possessed classified information is based on actual evidence, how would things have unfurled?” ()8/25/25)
https://thedispatch.com/article/bolton-raid-fbi-trump-classified-documents-retribution/
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39) Sow The Wind, Reap the Whirlwind
Source: Racket News
by Eric Salzman
“In 1940, Royal Air Force Air Marshall Arthur ‘Bomber’ Harris gave a memorable speech announcing the beginning of a bombing campaign over Germany. ‘The Nazis entered this war under the rather childish delusion that they were going to bomb everybody else and nobody was going to bomb them. At Rotterdam, London, Warsaw, and half a hundred other places, they put that rather naive theory into operation. They sowed the wind and now they are going to reap the whirlwind.’ The same can be said for using the justice system to go after your political enemies when you are in power. Some day, like this week, your enemies will be in power and do unto you as you did to them. In 2022, New York Attorney General Letitia James brought a civil case against then-former President Trump, after she made going after him the central issue in her 2018 campaign.” (08/25/25)
https://www.racket.news/p/they-sowed-the-wind-and-now-they
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40) Quantum Vibe, 08/25/25
Source: Big Head Press
by Scott Bieser
Cartoon. (08/25/25)
https://www.quantumvibe.com/strip?page=2549
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41) How One Teamsters Local Is Striking to Protect Immigrant Workers
Source: The American Prospect
by Sarah Lazare
“If it were up to Mauser Packaging Solutions management, there would be nothing in its contract with the union to stop federal immigration authorities from walking into the company’s Chicago plant whenever they want, maintenance mechanic Arturo Landa tells me as we sit under a navy blue tent with ‘Teamsters Local 705’ printed on the canopy. That’s alarming to the roughly 140 people who work there, about 90 percent of whom are Latino, many of them most comfortable speaking Spanish. The workers are acutely aware that in the present political climate, ‘even with proper documents, just based on the color of their skin, they could still get targeted,’ says Landa, who is 45 years old and has worked for Mauser for 12 years.” (08/25/25)
https://prospect.org/labor/2025-08-25-how-one-teamsters-local-is-striking-to-protect-immigrant-workers/
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42) The Mediocrity of Curtis Yarvin
Source: Law & Liberty
by John Horvat II
“With the right’s victory in the November elections, Yarvin gained a sizable following. He counts among his readers and admirers Vice President J. D. Vance as well as venture capitalists Peter Thiel and Marc Andreessen. Interviews with establishment media such as The New York Times have given him some notoriety outside the fringe from which he emerged. His thought fits into the rising populist wave found everywhere. The shaggy commentator has everything to make him popular among the illiberal right. He is brash, sarcastic, skeptical, and cynical. His style is irreverent and vulgar. He cares little for rules and formality. His anti-establishment invectives leave nothing standing. Every certainty must be doubted, every institution distrusted. … Thinkers usually lay out their thoughts in books. Thus, to understand this curious writer, Gray Mirror would be a logical place to start. However, Yarvin’s work fails to deliver.” (08/25/25)
https://lawliberty.org/the-mediocrity-of-curtis-yarvin/
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43) The War on Truth: Why Are Palestinian Journalists Being Systematically Erased?
Source: Antiwar.com
by Ramzy Baroud
“The killing of seven Palestinian journalists and media workers in Gaza on August 10 has prompted verbal condemnations, yet has inspired little to no substantive action. This has become the predictable and horrifying trajectory of the international community’s response to the ongoing Israeli genocide. By eliminating Palestinian journalists like Anas al-Sharif and Mohammed Qraiqeh, Israel has made a sinister statement that the genocide will spare no one. According to the monitoring website Shireen.ps, Israel has killed nearly 270 journalists since October 2023.” (08/25/25)
https://original.antiwar.com/ramzy-baroud/2025/08/24/the-war-on-truth-why-are-palestinian-journalists-being-systematically-erased/
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44) Medieval Wisdom for Modern Politics
Source: Medievalists.net
by unattributed
“Few voices from the Middle Ages speak to us as directly as Francesco Guicciardini’s. Born in Florence in 1483, he rose to prominence as a statesman and diplomat in a world of feuding city-states, papal power plays, and constant betrayals. Unlike many political thinkers of his time, Guicciardini did not deal in ideals — he dealt in survival. His Ricordi politici e civili (‘Political and Civil Maxims’) is a collection of sharp reflections drawn from decades in government. These are not lofty meditations on virtue, but hard-nosed lessons in how people really act: selfishly, calculatingly, and often deceptively. At times sly, at times cold, Guicciardini’s advice has the ring of lived experience.” [hat tip – JR] (08/25)
https://www.medievalists.net/2025/08/medieval-wisdom-for-modern-politics/
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45) Woke Left Goes Lock, Stock & Cracker Barrel
Source: Town Hall
by Jeff Crouere
“It happened again. Another legendary American institution has been targeted by woke leftists. This time it is the popular family restaurant chain, Cracker Barrel, founded in 1969. This is the restaurant people love visiting for its old-fashioned flavor, wholesome Americana in the gift store and great comfort food. It is a welcome respite for travelers who need a break after hours on the highway. Unfortunately, this successful restaurant chain has been targeted by leftists unhappy with anything that reflects Southern hospitality. The woke CEO of Cracker Barrel, Julie Masino, has announced a new logo. Gone is the image of the elderly gentleman, along with the barrel, and the phrase ‘Old Country Store.’ The replacement is the antiseptic wording ‘Cracker Barrel’ with no images. Unfortunately, it is not just the logo that Masino and the Board of Directors are changing.” [editor’s note: Someone’s gone cuckoo for Coco Puffs here, and it’s not Masino – TLK] (08/25/25)
https://townhall.com/columnists/jeffcrouere/2025/08/25/the-woke-left-goes-lock-stock-and-cracker-barrel-n2662283
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46) The government’s Intel stake is antithetical to American greatness
Source: Washington Post
by Scott Lincicome
“President Donald Trump’s announcement on Friday that the U.S. government will take a 10 percent stake in long-struggling Intel marks a dangerous turn in American industrial policy. Decades of market-oriented principles have been abandoned in favor of unprecedented government ownership of private enterprise. Sold as a pragmatic and fiscally responsible way to shore up national security, the $8.9 billion equity investment marks a troubling departure from the economic policies that made America prosperous and the world’s undisputed technological leader.” (08/24/25)
https://archive.is/OUjrk
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47) There Is No Trolley Problem
Source: The Reframe
by AR Moxon
“We actually aren’t constrained into atrocious premises by thought exercises. Obstacles are a reason to fight, not an excuse to quit.” (08/24/25)
https://www.the-reframe.com/there-is-no-trolley-problem
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48) A Tale of Two Peace Summits (and No Goddamn Peace)
Source: exile in happy valley
by Nicky Reid
“Lights! Cameras! Action! The scene is a heavily hyped but quickly slapped together peace summit in the late summer of this year of our lord Satan 2025. The setting is Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, some relic of the last cold war’s apocalypse culture on the desolate outskirts of Anchorage, Alaska. Our leading men are one Donald J. Trump, a dayglow corporate-welfare rapist who somehow failed his way to the top of an empire too big to fail without a goddamn apocalypse, and Vladimir Putin, a cold-blooded KGB thug who spent the post-Soviet years breaking legs for neoliberal oligarchs before reinventing himself as some kind of quasi-fascist heartthrob for self-loathing, alt-right, closet queens to toss off to between podcasts.” (08/24/25)
https://exileinhappyvalley.blogspot.com/2025/08/a-tale-of-two-peace-summits-and-no.html
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49) An Authoritarian Dress Rehearsal
Source: In These Times
by Alberto Toscano
“On August 11, President Donald Trump signed an executive order declaring a ‘crime emergency’ in Washington, D.C., and mandating a 30-day federal takeover of its Metropolitan Police Department. He ordered Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to mobilize the District of Columbia National Guard to patrol the city’s streets, alongside other federal law enforcement agencies, and promised the capital’s ‘Liberation Day’ was coming, as the combined federal force would free D.C. from ’the cesspool of crime and homelessness that it has become after decades of unilateral Democrat leadership.’ Or, as Trump declared on Truth Social, ’Washington, D.C. will be LIBERATED today! Crime, Savagery, Filth, and Scum will DISAPPEAR. I will, MAKE OUR CAPITAL GREAT AGAIN!’ Americans may be forgiven for feeling freedom fatigue; they’ve endured at least two ‘Liberation Days’ already.” (08/25/25)
https://inthesetimes.com/article/trump-washington-takeover-military-national-guard
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50) Tariffs are bad for America and erode liberty
Source: Orange County Register
by Brian P Simpson
“President Donald Trump has referred to the trade deficit as a loss, as if we lose money by buying imports. But we don’t lose money when we trade to obtain goods produced by foreigners. This is like saying we lose when we have a trade deficit with the local grocery store. Every week I buy goods from the grocer, and he doesn’t buy any goods from me. But I gain because I get food to eat. Free international trade raises our standard of living because it enables us to obtain less expensive goods and goods that cannot be produced in the U.S. Tariffs are taxes that raise the cost of bringing goods into the U.S. and thus make goods more expensive. They also protect inefficient domestic producers by restricting competition from foreigners.” (08/24/25)
https://archive.is/uXN88
_____ Today's Freedom Podcast and Video _____
51) Reason Roundtable, 08/25/25
Source: Reason
"Is It Too Late To End the Fed?" (08/25/25)
https://reason.com/podcast/2025/08/25/is-it-too-late-to-end-the-fed/
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52) Conflicts of Interest, episode 831
Source: Libertarian Institute
“Trump and Netanyahu Created a Famine in Gaza.” (08/25/25)
https://rumble.com/v6y21dq-trump-and-netanyahu-created-a-famine-in-gaza-coi-831.html
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53) Fountainhead Forum, 08/25/25
Source: Fountainhead Forum
“Skot Sheller responds to Saifedean Ammous about Javier Milei’s policies.” (08/25/25)
https://rumble.com/v6y26jg-ff-347-skot-sheller-responds-to-saifedean-ammous-about-javier-mileis-polici.html
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54) The Mona Charen Show, 08/25/25
Source: The Bulwark
“Why Affordable Housing Can’t Get Built in America (w/ Michael Tanner) | Mona Charen Show.” (08/25/25)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYthv8axhTs
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55) The Dispatch, 08/25/25
Source: The Dispatch
“The New Three Legs of Conservatism | Interview: Matt Lewis.” (08/25/25)
https://thedispatch.com/podcast/dispatch-podcast/the-new-three-legs-of-conservatism-interview-matt-lewis/
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56) EconTalk, 08/25/25
Source: EconTalk
“Hemingway, Love, and War (with David Wyatt).” (08/25/25)
https://www.econtalk.org/hemingway-love-and-war-with-david-wyatt/
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57) The Daily Blast With Greg Sargent, 08/25/25
Source: The New Republic
“Gavin Newsom’s Harsh New Trump Takedown Should Alarm Dems: ‘Wake Up!'” (08/25/25)
https://newrepublic.com/article/199497/gavin-newsom-harsh-new-trump-takedown-alarm-dems-wake-up
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58) Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 08/25/25
Source: Antiwar.com
“Smotrich: Palestinians Who Stay in Gaza City Can ‘Die of Hunger,’ Israel Bombs Yemen, and More.” (08/25/25)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Hwc7-NenZI
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59) Half the Answer, episode 29
Source: Liberal Currents
“The American Anti-Vaxx Movement: Past, Present, and Future.” (08/24/25)
https://www.liberalcurrents.com/half-the-answer-29-the-american-anti-vaxx-movement-past-present-and-future/
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60) LPALive!, 08/24/25
Source: LP Alliance
“LNC Special Meeting Aug 24, 2025.” (08/24/25)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LOy1jNS_sU
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