02/26 -- Cuba: Regime forces kill four in gunfight with US speedboat "infiltrators;" Do Immigrant Cultures Threaten Liberty?
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Thomas L. Knapp
Feb 26, 2026, 6:18:06 AM (6 days ago) Feb 26
to Freedom News Daily
Freedom News Daily, 02/26/26
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Today's Freedom News:
1) Cuba: Regime forces kill four in gunfight with US speedboat “infiltrators”
2) Epstein Files Are Missing FBI Records About Woman Who Made Claim Against Trump
3) CPJ: Israeli forces responsible for at least 81% of journalist murders in 2025
4) SCOTUS rules against private prison firm facing enslavement lawsuit from immigrant abductees
5) Iceland to Hold EU Referendum “In the Coming Months,” PM Says
6) Pope Leo to tour four African countries in first major overseas trip of 2026
7) Summers to resign from teaching during review of Epstein ties, Harvard says
8) Mexico: Regime sends second aid package to Cuba as US tightens energy blockade
9) Artemis rocket heads back to its hangar for repairs as moonshot put on hold
10) UK: Aston Martin cuts jobs by 20% on Trump taxes, Chinese demand
11) TX: Hotly contested Senate race setting spending records ahead of Tuesday’s primary
12) PA: Democrats win state House special elections, keeping majority intact
13) CA: FBI searching home & office of LAUSDistrict Superintendent Alberto Carvalho
14) Myanmar: Junta airstrikes kill 17
15) Mexican Congress approves trimming work week to 40 hours
16) NH: Resident Charged With Shooting at Gang Thug
17) Study: Sperm swim more quickly in summer
18) Palestine: Israeli army, squatters attack Palestinians in Hebron area of West Bank
19) Brazil: Supreme Court convicts five in Rio councilwoman Franco’s killing
20) Court: IRS can continue leaking taxpayer data to violent gang
Today's Freedom Commentary:
21) Do Immigrant Cultures Threaten Liberty?
22) Trade, Tariffs, and Trust
23) Don’t trade liberty for dystopian world
24) Politicians Consider Soviet-Style Controls on 3D Printers
25) Venezuela’s Amnesty Law Falls Short
26) Will Trump Try to Pack the Supreme Court?
27) Thanks to Trump, Xi Has Time on His Side With Taiwan
28) Landmark Supreme Court ruling may change little for you
29) Trump’s State of the Union: Not a pivot, but a power play
30) To remind: AI should be biased because the world is biased
31) No, This War Will Be Completely Different, Bro
32) What FIRE’s critics get wrong about our ICE app lawsuit
33) Mainstream Media Still Won’t Follow Up on Epstein-Israel Connection
34) Companies Are Skeptical of Venezuela’s Oil Fields
35) The Classical Liberal University in a Second-Best World
36) A “Blizzard” Gives Mayor Zohran Mamdani Pretext for a “Climate Lockdown”
37) Patriotism and its enemies: The Jack Hughes/Eileen Gu Olympics debate
38) Don’t save Social Security
39) Attending to Our Inner State: A Guide for Modern Prophets
40) A Supreme Court Win Didn’t Free Richard Glossip. But This Judge Could.
41) Little Marco’s Quest to Make Imperialist West Imperialist Again
42) Watching Uncle Sam From Seoul
43) SOTU: Trump threatens Iran but doesn’t go all the way
44) Trump Has Other Means to Make Tariff Mischief
45) What Does “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness” Mean?
46) Section 122 Can’t Carry Trump’s Tariffs
47) The Online Right is Radicalizing Broken Men
48) Epstein Files: An Opportunity for Libertarians
49) AI Goes to Bat for Valerie Foushee
50) Do K-12 students have the right to walk out in protest?
Today's Freedom Podcast and Video:
51) So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast, episode 264
52) Reason Reacts to the State of the Union
53) The Briefing Podcast with Michael Waldman, 02/25/26
54) The Political Orphanage, 02/25/26
55) SolutionsWatch, 02/25/26
56) The Libertarian Angle, 02/25/26
57) Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 02/25/26
58) LPALive, episode 61
59) Nonzero, 02/24/26
60) The Kyle Anzalone Show, 02/24/26
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_____ Today's Freedom News _____
1) Cuba: Regime forces kill four in gunfight with US speedboat “infiltrators”
Source: CNN
“Cuba said its forces fatally shot four heavily armed people attempting to ‘infiltrate’ its territory on a Florida-registered speedboat on Wednesday, amid simmering tensions between the communist island and the US. Cuban border guard troops approached the boat after it entered their territorial waters in Falcones Cay, Villa Clara province, just over 100 miles from Florida, the country’s interior ministry said in a statement. A passenger on the speedboat shot at the Cuban vessel, wounding its commander, and prompting Cuban forces to return fire, according to the statement. Six other people aboard the speedboat were wounded and are in custody and receiving medical attention. The passengers were Cuban residents of the US and were armed with assault rifles, handguns and Molotov cocktails, and had ‘intended to carry out an infiltration for terrorist purposes,’ according to a later statement from the ministry.” (02/25/26)
https://www.cnn.com/2026/02/25/americas/cuba-florida-speedboat-intl-latam
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2) Epstein Files Are Missing FBI Records About Woman Who Made Claim Against Trump
Source: New York Times
“The vast trove of documents released by the Justice Department from its investigations into the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein failed to include some key materials related to a woman who made an accusation against President Trump, according to a review by The New York Times. The materials are F.B.I. memos summarizing interviews the bureau did in connection to claims made in 2019 by a woman who came forward after Mr. Epstein’s arrest to say she had been sexually assaulted by both Mr. Trump and the financier decades earlier, when she was a minor. The existence of the memos was revealed in an index listing the investigative materials …. According to that index, the F.B.I. conducted four interviews in connection with her claims and wrote summaries about each one. But only one summary of the four interviews, which describes her accusations against Mr. Epstein, was released by the Justice Department. The other three are missing.” (02/25/26)
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/25/us/politics/trump-epstein-files.html
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3) CPJ: Israeli forces responsible for at least 81% of journalist murders in 2025
Source: The Guardian [UK]
“A record 129 journalists and media workers were killed in the course of their work in 2025, two-thirds of them by Israeli forces, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). It was the second consecutive year in which killings of members of the press reached unprecedented levels, and the second year running in which Israel was responsible for roughly two-thirds of the total, the New York-based independent organisation, which documents attacks on journalists worldwide, said in its annual report published on Wednesday. … Israel was responsible for 81% of the 47 killings that the CPJ classified as intentionally targeted, or ‘murder.’ It said the actual figure was probably higher, owing to access restrictions that made verification difficult in Gaza.” (02/25/26)
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/feb/25/record-number-journalists-killed-2025-israel-gaza-war
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4) SCOTUS rules against private prison firm facing enslavement lawsuit from immigrant abductees
Source: Connecticut Post
“The Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled against a private prison company facing a lawsuit alleging immigration [abductees] were forced to work and paid only $1 a day in Colorado. The unanimous ruling is a procedural defeat for the GEO Group, but it’s not a final decision. The company is fighting a lawsuit from 2014 alleging detainees in Aurora had to perform unpaid janitorial work and other jobs for little pay to supplement meager meals. GEO defended its practices and argued that the case should be tossed out because it’s immune from lawsuits as a government contractor. After a judge disagreed, the company asked the Supreme Court to allow it to quickly appeal the ruling. But the justices refused.” (02/25/26)
https://www.ctpost.com/business/article/supreme-court-rules-against-private-prison-firm-21940695.php
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5) Iceland to Hold EU Referendum “In the Coming Months,” PM Says
Source: US News & World Report
“Iceland will hold a referendum ‘in the coming months’ on restarting European Union accession talks, Prime Minister Kristrun Frostadottir said on Wednesday during a visit to Poland. Reykjavik abandoned EU membership talks in 2013 after four years of negotiations, but a rise in the cost of living and the war in Ukraine have helped rekindle the island nation’s interest in joining the bloc, opinion polls have shown. Repeated threats by U.S. President Donald Trump to annex Greenland, which is located between Iceland and the United States, have also made the question of EU membership more pressing for Iceland, which is home to almost 400,000 people. … Iceland’s centre-left government, which came to power after a snap election in 2024, had promised to hold a referendum no later than next year on restarting talks with the EU.” (02/25/26)
https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2026-02-25/iceland-to-hold-eu-referendum-over-the-coming-months-pm-says
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6) Pope Leo to tour four African countries in first major overseas trip of 2026
Source: Reuters
“Pope Leo will visit four countries across Africa from April 13-23, the Vatican announced on Wednesday, with the pontiff making his first major overseas trip in 2026 to the continent where the Catholic Church is growing fastest. The pope will also make a one-day visit on March 28 to Monaco, the microstate on the French Riviera, and will visit Spain from June 6-12, the Vatican said. In Africa, Leo will visit Algeria, Angola, Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon. He is expected to draw large crowds, urge world leaders to support development on the continent, and highlight efforts at Catholic-Muslim dialogue. Leo, elected in May to succeed the late Pope Francis as head of the 1.4-billion-member Church, has made only one overseas trip so far, visiting Turkey and Lebanon in November and December on a visit originally organised for Francis.” (02/25/26)
https://www.reuters.com/world/pope-leo-heading-monaco-africa-spain-years-first-overseas-visits-2026-02-25/
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7) Summers to resign from teaching during review of Epstein ties, Harvard says
Source: Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal
“Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers will resign from teaching at Harvard University amid a campus review of his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, the university announced Wednesday. Summers, who has been on leave since November and whose name appeared hundreds of times in newly released Epstein files, will leave at the end of the school year, according to a statement from Harvard spokesperson Jason Newton. … Summers served as treasury secretary under former President Bill Clinton and went on to lead Harvard as president for five years starting in 2001. It’s the latest fallout from the Justice Department’s recent release of millions of pages of records pertaining to Epstein and his longtime confidant and former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell. Resignations have rippled across the academic, legal and business communities.” (02/25/26)
https://www.djournal.com/news/nation-world/larry-summers-will-resign-from-teaching-at-harvard-during-review-of-epstein-ties-university-says/article_80ebd8da-2af8-5ecc-9c53-d324c5642da9.html
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8) Mexico: Regime sends second aid package to Cuba as US tightens energy blockade
Source: San Diego Union-Tribune
“Mexico has sent a second humanitarian aid package for Cuba as the island faces a tightened U.S. embargo and threats of tariffs against countries providing it with oil. Two Mexican navy vessels carrying 1,193 tons of supplies departed the Gulf of Mexico port of Veracruz on Tuesday, the Mexican Foreign Ministry announced. The shipment is expected to arrive on Saturday. The Papaloapan is carrying 1,078 tons of beans and powdered milk, while the Huasteco is transporting 92 tons of beans and 23 tons of other food items. According to the Foreign Ministry, the final 23 tons of humanitarian aid were provided by various social organizations with the support of the Mexico City government. It is the second humanitarian aid package this year to the island.” (02/25/26)
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2026/02/25/mexico-aid-package-cuba-us-blockade/
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9) Artemis rocket heads back to its hangar for repairs as moonshot put on hold
Source: The Hill
“NASA on Wednesday is set to roll its enormous Space Launch System rocket back to the hangar for repairs, a move that will delay the launch of four astronauts on a long-awaited flight around the moon by at least a month. The 322-foot-tall rocket has been sitting out at the launch pad at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center since mid-January, but engineers recently found a blockage in the flow of helium to part of the booster’s upper stage that requires further investigation. The rollback means NASA will no longer be able to attempt to launch the Artemis II mission in March. Agency officials said they could potentially try in April, but the timeline will depend on the outcome of the repairs.” (02/25/26)
https://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/artemis-rocket-heads-back-hangar-repairs-moonshot-put-hold-rcna260493
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10) UK: Aston Martin cuts jobs by 20% on Trump taxes, Chinese demand
Source: Reuters
“British luxury car maker Aston Martin will cut its workforce by up to 20%, it said on Wednesday, as it strives to recover from the impact of U.S. import tariffs and weak demand in China. Aston Martin said the job cuts from a total workforce of around 3,000 should deliver annualised savings of around 40 million pounds ($54 million). It did not specify when the job cuts would be implemented, but said most of the savings would be this year. The cuts include a 5% reduction announced last year. … Best known as the car brand driven by James Bond, the company has struggled to generate cash and manage its debt of 1.38 billion pounds, although it has received injections of capital from Canadian billionaire and Chairman Lawrence Stroll and through deals. It said U.S. tariffs had been ‘extremely disruptive’ and demand had also been ‘extremely subdued’ in China, the world’s biggest auto market.” (02/25/26)
https://www.reuters.com/business/world-at-work/aston-martin-cuts-20-staff-amid-us-tariffs-weak-china-demand-2026-02-25/
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11) TX: Hotly contested Senate race setting spending records ahead of Tuesday’s primary
Source: SFGate
“Candidates and political groups are pouring money into Texas’ hotly contested U.S. Senate race at a record pace, partly fueled by Democrat James Talarico’s fundraising and allies of Republican Sen. John Cornyn trying to save his long career. Heading into Tuesday’s primary elections, the cost of advertising and reserved advertising time had topped $110 million, the most ever for a Senate primary, according to the ad-tracking firm AdImpact. The heavy spending in Texas is a preview of the money that is expected to flood this year’s midterm elections across the U.S. with control of Congress at stake.” (02/25/26)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/politics/article/the-hotly-contested-texas-senate-race-is-setting-21940994.php
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12) PA: Democrats win state House special elections, keeping majority intact
Source: The Hill
“Pennsylvania Democrats are projected to win two special elections for state House, keeping their majority intact, according to Decision Desk HQ. Democrats Ana Tiburcio and Jennifer Mazzocco won their Tuesday elections to represent Pennsylvania House Districts 22 in Lehigh County and 42 in Allegheny County, respectively. The seats were vacated after former state Rep. Josh Siegel (D) was elected as Lehigh County executive and ex-state Rep. Dan Miller (D) won a spot on the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas. Democrats were expected to keep both blue-leaning seats. But the party risked a tied 100-100 state House if they were to have come up short, which would have complicated Gov. Josh Shapiro’s (D) ability to pass his legislative priorities in the Keystone State.” (02/25/26)
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5752448-pennsylvania-democrats-win-special-elections/
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13) CA: FBI searching home & office of LAUSDistrict Superintendent Alberto Carvalho
Source: New York Post
“Federal officers are searching the home of Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, The California Post confirmed. The searches are being conducted at Carvalho’s San Pedro home, his office at LAUSD in downtown Los Angeles and another location in Miami tied to the investigation, according to a law enforcement source. An affidavit filed concerning the search was under seal, officials said. LAUSD employees looked confused outside headquarters Wednesday morning, unsure if they were able to go into work. Federal agents were seen entering the building, but would not comment on the reason for their visit when asked by a reporter for The California Post. Carvalho is the LAUSD’s chief employee and has led one of the nation’s largest school systems since 2022. Carvalho is the LAUSD’s chief employee and has led one of the nation’s largest school systems since 2022. It’s unclear why authorities are searching Carvalho’s home and office.” (02/25/26)
https://nypost.com/2026/02/25/us-news/fbi-searching-lausd-superintendent-alberto-carvalhos-home-office/
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14) Myanmar: Junta airstrikes kill 17
Source: Al Jazeera [Qatari state media]
“A military air strike by the Myanmar military in Rakhine state has killed at least 17 people and injured 14 others, local media reported, in the latest civil war carnage weeks after a military-backed governing party election win was dismissed as a ‘sham’ by international observers. Women and children were among those killed when air strikes hit Yoengu village in Ponnagyun township on Tuesday, the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) said. The village lies about 33 kilometres (21 miles) northeast of Sittwe, the Rakhine state capital. It was captured by the Arakan Army (AA), an ethnic Rakhine armed group fighting the Myanmar military, in March 2024.” (02/25/26)
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/2/25/military-government-air-strikes-kill-17-in-western-myanmar-state
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15) Mexican Congress approves trimming work week to 40 hours
Source: SFGate
“Mexican lawmakers approved President Claudia Sheinbaum’s initiative to gradually reduce the work week from 48 hours to 40 hours early Wednesday. The constitutional reform now goes to state legislatures for approval, where Sheinbaum’s governing party controls the majority. It passed the lower chamber of the Congress early Wednesday with 411 votes in favor and 58 against. The Senate had already approved it earlier this month. The change will be implemented gradually, trimming two hours per year beginning in 2027 and reaching a 40-hour work week in 2030. Lawmakers decided to maintain the requirement for one day of rest for every six days worked, rejecting a proposal to require two days of rest per week. The government has calculated that the change could affect 13.5 million workers, but some analysts say more than double that number could be covered.” (02/25/26)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/mexican-congress-approves-trimming-work-week-to-21940987.php
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16) NH: Resident Charged With Shooting at Gang Thug
Source: US News & World Report
“Authorities have charged a New Hampshire resident in connection with a shooting that occurred at the state’s border with Canada, federal prosecutors said Tuesday. Blu Zeke Daly, 26, who also goes by Cullan Zeke Daly, of Manchester, was charged with one count of attempted murder of a federal officer and one count of assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon, prosecutors said. Daly was shot near the border early Sunday by a U.S. Border Patrol agent who was returning fire from Daly, investigators said Monday. Daly is at a hospital receiving medical treatment under guard, prosecutors said. The Border Patrol agent, whom authorities have not named, was unharmed, authorities said earlier this week.” (02/24/26)
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/new-hampshire/articles/2026-02-24/new-hampshire-resident-charged-in-shooting-at-canadian-border
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17) Study: Sperm swim more quickly in summer
Source: BBC News [UK State Media]
“Sperm quality is highest in the summer and lowest in the winter, according to a new study. Researchers from the UK, Canada and Denmark analysed semen samples from 15,581 men in Denmark and Florida, all aged between 18 and 45. Their findings show that sperm motility – the ability of sperm to swim effectively – was consistently highest in June and July for both parts of the world. Understanding these seasonal patterns could improve fertility treatments, by optimising the timing of treatment and fertility testing to provide better guidance to couples trying to conceive. The study, published in the journal Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology, suggests that sperm’s motility levels remain consistent across different climates, instead changing with the seasons. Levels were lowest in December and January, even though Florida remains warm all year round.” (02/25/26)
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crl45x52ejgo
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18) Palestine: Israeli army, squatters attack Palestinians in Hebron area of West Bank
Source: Al Jazeera [Qatari state media]
“A number of Palestinians have been injured in separate attacks by the Israeli army and [squatters] in the Hebron area of the occupied West Bank, amid an escalating wave of state-backed violence as Israel concurrently continues its genocidal war on Gaza. In ad-Dhahiriya, about 24km (15 miles) southwest of Hebron, Israeli forces fired live and rubber bullets as they carried out a raid on Tuesday night, security sources told the Wafa news agency. Several Palestinians were injured by rubber-coated bullets fired at their feet, the agency reported. In a separate incident, four Palestinians were wounded when dozens of [squatters] launched an attack on the village of Khirbet Susiya in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron, late on Tuesday, local sources told Al Jazeera.” (02/25/26)
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/2/25/israeli-army-settlers-attack-palestinians-in-hebron-area-of-west-bank
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19) Brazil: Supreme Court convicts five in Rio councilwoman Franco’s killing
Source: SFGate
“A five-judge panel of Brazil’s Supreme Court on Wednesday unanimously voted to convict those accused of plotting the 2018 killing of Rio de Janeiro councilwoman Marielle Franco and her driver Anderson Gomes, a case that exposed deep-rooted ties between politics and organized crime. The case has stirred emotions in the politically divided nation. Some see Franco as a martyr and symbol of left-wing resistance, while allies of former President Jair Bolsonaro have attacked her legacy and the tributes paid to her since her death. The five men on trial for the killing of the 38-year-old human rights activist-turned-politician were former congressman Chiquinho Brazão; his brother who was a member of a Rio government watchdog, Domingos Brazão; his assistant Robson Calixto Fonseca; former police investigator Rivaldo Barbosa and former police officer Ronald Paulo Alves Pereira.” (02/25/26)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/brazil-s-supreme-court-to-rule-in-the-killing-of-21940508.php
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20) Court: IRS can continue leaking taxpayer data to violent gang
Source: Orange County Register
“A Washington, D.C., federal court on Tuesday rejected a request from an immigrant rights group to temporarily block the IRS from sharing certain taxpayer data that could make it easier to [abduct] people who are in the U.S. illegally [sic]. A three-judge panel for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit declined to issue a preliminary injunction for the immigrants’ rights group, Centro de Trabajadores Unidos, and other nonprofits that are suing the federal government over the data-sharing agreement signed last April by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. The agreement allows U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to submit names and addresses of immigrants inside the U.S. illegally [sic] to the IRS for cross-verification against tax records.” (02/24/26)
https://www.ocregister.com/2026/02/24/irs-immigrant-taxpayer-data-ice/
_____ Today's Freedom Commentary _____
21) Do Immigrant Cultures Threaten Liberty?
Source: Bet On It
by Vincent Cook
“Free immigration would appear to be in a different category from other policy decisions, in that its consequences permanently and radically alter the very composition of the democratic political body that makes those decisions. In fact, the liberal order, where and to the degree that it exists, is the product of a highly complex cultural development. One wonders, for instance, what would become of the liberal society of Switzerland under a regime of ‘open borders.’ Mises’s embrace of the economic benefits offered by free migration … is offset according to Raico by the political threat that migrants supposedly pose due to the illiberal cultures of their countries of origin. … Mises makes a crucially important point that Raico failed to acknowledge, namely that immigrants are not mindless puppets of the culture of their country of origin.” (02/25/26)
https://www.betonit.ai/p/do-immigrant-cultures-threaten-liberty
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22) Trade, Tariffs, and Trust
Source: EconLog
by David Hebert
“Plenty of reputable people have asked the question of what the effective tariff rate is, who actually pays the tariffs, and how many jobs will be created or lost. This is important to the work of gathering (further) evidence of the destructive effects of tariffs. But the decades of empirical, historical, and theoretical work on this front fail to capture the real cost of tariffs. It won’t show up in any BLS report, BEA release, or any other economic report one can imagine. The real cost is the destruction of trust on the world stage.” (02/25/26)
https://www.econlib.org/library/columns/y2026/hebert-ieepa
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23) Don’t trade liberty for dystopian world
Source: Eastern New Mexico News
by Kent McManigal
“It feels like the world, and America specifically, is becoming an authoritarian dystopia. More rules, harsher punishment, more surveillance; all leading to less liberty. What disturbs me the most is how many people seem to think this is fine. Or actively demand it because they fear or hate other people or what other people might do. Government is always willing to violate your rights and will oblige when asked to do so. Too many people will trade liberty for a false promise of safety — a hope for something government power can never provide. As long as they believe ‘other people’ are getting it worse than they are, they’re fine with the police state being built around them. They seem genuinely shocked when it is inevitably used against them and their rights.” (02/25/26)
https://www.easternnewmexiconews.com/story/2026/02/25/voices/opinion-dont-trade-liberty-for-dystopian-world/232856.html
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24) Politicians Consider Soviet-Style Controls on 3D Printers
Source: Reason
by JD Tuccille
“The old Soviet Union strictly controlled photocopiers, because they empowered individuals to share ideas that challenged state control. The restrictions ultimately broke down under the weight of mass defiance as people took advantage of every opportunity to distribute that which was forbidden by the government. Now, politicians in several states are channeling totalitarian policies of the past, this time with their eyes on 3D printers that can manufacture gun parts. Their intrusive rules are likely to suffer the same humiliating fate.” (02/25/26)
https://reason.com/2026/02/25/politicians-consider-soviet-style-controls-on-3d-printers/
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25) Venezuela’s Amnesty Law Falls Short
Source: Cato Institute
by Ian Vásquez
“he Venezuelan dictatorship’s release of some political prisoners and its passage of what it calls a general amnesty law no doubt represent moves in the right direction. But the amnesty is only partial, leaving in place the Chavistas’ entire apparatus of repression and showing, contrary to President Trump’s claims, that the regime remains very much in control of the country.” (02/25/26)
https://www.cato.org/commentary/venezuelas-amnesty-law-falls-short
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26) Will Trump Try to Pack the Supreme Court?
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
by Jacob G Hornberger
“Given President Trump’s rage-filled tirade against the Supreme Court for declaring his tariff spree unconstitutional, the question naturally arises: Will Trump come up with a plan to pack the Supreme Court with loyal toadies, as President Franklin Roosevelt did after the Supreme Court declared some of his socialist-fascist programs unconstitutional? After all, let’s not forget that Trump, like many leftwing statists, has praised FDR in the past.” (02/25/26)
https://www.fff.org/2026/02/25/will-trump-try-to-pack-the-supreme-court/
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27) Thanks to Trump, Xi Has Time on His Side With Taiwan
Source: Foreign Policy
by Ali Wyne
“At his January 2025 confirmation hearing to become the U.S. secretary of state, Marco Rubio assessed that ‘unless something dramatic changes’ in Asia’s military balance, China would attempt to invade Taiwan before the end of the decade. This view is widely shared. … The good news is that the short-term likelihood of a Chinese attack on Taiwan has diminished, even as it remains too high. The cause of this development, however, is not exactly reassuring. The events of the past year give Chinese leader Xi Jinping good reason to believe that his U.S. counterpart, President Donald Trump, will facilitate his attempt to extend China’s influence over the island without having to gamble on an invasion.” (02/25/26)
https://archive.is/TZqYL#selection-3609.0-3621.435
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28) Landmark Supreme Court ruling may change little for you
Source: USA Today
by Patrick Childress
“When will tariff refunds be available? We don’t know. The Supreme Court’s decision was silent on the issue of refunds. While the administration has not revealed how it will approach this issue, President Donald Trump’s comments during his Feb. 20 news conference were telling. Referring to refunds, the president mused: ‘I guess it has to get litigated for the next two years.’ This suggests that the administration is girding for a years-long judicial fight against the issuance of IEEPA-based tariff refunds. Who will receive tariff refunds? Probably not consumers. If and when the government cuts tariff refund checks, those funds will not be going to everyday citizens. Instead, the businesses that directly imported the affected goods will receive the money.” (02/25/26)
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2026/02/25/trump-tariffs-supreme-court-decision-prices-refunds/88822385007/
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29) Trump’s State of the Union: Not a pivot, but a power play
Source: Fox News
by Lee Hartley Carter
“If you tuned in last night hoping for a softer, more conciliatory Donald Trump, a president shaped by polls, eager to reach across the aisle, you were watching the wrong show. The 2026 State of the Union wasn’t a pivot. It was a power move. A flex. A signal that the old rules: measured rhetoric, polite bipartisanship — are dead. Trump continues to write new rules in real time, as audaciously as he’s writing everything else. From the opening line, ‘a speech to set the record straight,’ Trump made it clear: he wasn’t there to negotiate facts. He was there to define them. He understands something that confounds his opponents: in contemporary American politics, a good story doesn’t just compete with statistics, it obliterates them. While critics were fact-checking, Trump was storytelling. And in today’s politics, a story like his can outweigh nuance or evidence.” (02/25/26)
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/lee-carter-trumps-state-union-wasnt-pivot-power-play
-----
30) To remind: AI should be biased because the world is biased
Source: Adam Smith Institute
by Tim Worstall
“This is at least the start of the correct way to deal with bias in Artifical Intelligence: ‘A police chief has admitted artificial intelligence used to boost crime fighting will contain bias but pledged to combat the risks.’ At the heart of the point is the question, well, is reality biased? There are certainly those myriads who insist it is, yes. OK, so we want to use AI to aid us in managing reality. Therefore the AI has to start from the point that reality is biased. And those shrieking loudest about reality’s bias are the very people who should be insisting the AI recognises that bias. Because we need the results from the AI to reflect reality.” (02/25/26)
https://www.adamsmith.org/blog/to-remind-ai-should-be-biased-because-the-world-is-biased
-----
31) No, This War Will Be Completely Different, Bro
Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone
“No bro this US war in the middle east will be completely different, bro. See, this time the regime we’re trying to get rid of is REALLY BAD! No no, this is nothing like all those other times. This time military interventionism to topple an oil-rich government in west Asia will lead to peace and democracy. Our soldiers will be greeted as liberators! You don’t understand, bro. This time the government and the media are telling us the truth! … If it turns out our leaders were wrong and this war was a bad idea, I’m sure they’ll admit their mistakes and course-correct immediately to set things right, and then implement major, sweeping policy changes to make sure they never repeat the same mistakes again. What could possibly go wrong?” (02/25/26)
https://caitlinjohnstone.com.au/2026/02/25/no-bro-this-war-will-be-completely-different-bro/
-----
32) What FIRE’s critics get wrong about our ICE app lawsuit
Source: Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression
by Jacob Gaba
“FIRE is suing Attorney General Pamela Bondi and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem for strong-arming Facebook and Apple to censor groups and apps that use public information to report ICE activity. Whether on Facebook, in an app, on a website — or even through flyers, pamphlets, or word-of-mouth — Americans enjoy a fundamental First Amendment right to document and criticize law enforcement. But some people have raised objections centered on the relationship between free speech and law enforcement. So let’s answer some common criticisms we’ve faced.” (02/25/26)
https://www.fire.org/news/what-fires-critics-get-wrong-about-our-ice-app-lawsuit
-----
33) Mainstream Media Still Won’t Follow Up on Epstein-Israel Connection
Source: Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting
by Drew Favakeh
“Late last month, the US Department of Justice published 3.5 million pages about convicted sex offender and financier Jeffrey Epstein. On top of the grotesque and horrifying photos and emails that appear to offer more evidence of systemic and widespread child abuse, the Epstein files revealed further allegations of his ties to Israel and its intelligence agency Mossad. … It is important to note that the Epstein emails contain allegations and intimations, and don’t prove that Epstein was an Israeli agent, formally or informally. However, they do add to the existing evidence that Epstein used his considerable connections and wealth to assist the Israeli state.” (02/25/26)
https://fair.org/home/doj-released-much-more-on-epsteins-israel-ties-but-media-still-arent-much-interested/
-----
34) Companies Are Skeptical of Venezuela’s Oil Fields
Source: The American Conservative
by Joseph Addington
“At one time, multinational corporations operating in partnership with PDVSA made up the most productive sector of the Venezuelan oil industry, bringing technical expertise and investment that the Venezuelan government was unable or unwilling to contribute. The imposition of major sanctions meant that most of the partnerships essentially went dormant …. they are eager to put those rigs back online and make them productive once more. … But the investments from the GL50 license will be far from sufficient to return Venezuelan oil industry to its heyday in the late ’90s, when the country was pumping nearly 3.5 million barrels per day (today it pumps just under 900,000 bpd). For that, new outside investment will be needed under the GL49 — investment that so far the American energy industry has shown little interest in pursuing.” (02/25/26)
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/companies-are-skeptical-of-venezuelas-oil-fields/
-----
35) The Classical Liberal University in a Second-Best World
Source: Law & Liberty
by John O McGinnis
“The relationship between higher education and the state as it exists offers a possible justification for shock-and-awe policies for reform.” (02/25/26)
https://lawliberty.org/forum/the-classical-liberal-university-in-a-second-best-world/
-----
36) A “Blizzard” Gives Mayor Zohran Mamdani Pretext for a “Climate Lockdown”
Source: Brownstone Institute
by Naomi Wolf
“This blizzard — or ‘blizzard;’ it seems to me better described as a ‘snowfall’ — has been heralded by legacy media now for a couple of days. The language about it has been histrionic. It is a ‘bomb cyclone!’ It is ‘SEVERE WEATHER’ that requires an ‘ALERT!’ A red rectangle on the weather sites, surround those scary words. You can’t travel. But it’s not just that you are being advised not to travel, as a sovereign person, as in the past. There are ‘TRAVEL BANS.’ … The headlines’ freakout conceals the fact that this snowfall is within the range of normal, for the Northeastern United States. … the headlines drumming up hysteria have prepared the way for what is unfolding right now via City Hall, and via our still-new-on-the-job Marxist-Islamist Mayor, Zohran K Mamdani.” (02/25/26)
https://brownstone.org/articles/a-blizzard-gives-mayor-zohran-mamdani-pretext-for-a-climate-lockdown/
-----
37) Patriotism and its enemies: The Jack Hughes/Eileen Gu Olympics debate
Source: New York Post
by Rich Lowry
“The Winter Olympics had its thrills and spills — and a deep philosophical divide represented by two American, or American-born, athletes. Jack Hughes, the gold medal-winning American hockey player for the US team, gave voice to a patriotic reflex in his unhesitating, heartfelt expressions of love of his country. Eileen Gu, the gold medal-winning American-born freestyle skier competing for China, exemplified a cosmopolitan ideal that purports to float above mere nationhood. This difference — between the bloody-mouthed hockey player draped in his own country’s flag and the exceptionally talented part-time model resistant to any questions about national loyalty — drives many of the divisions in American society. Is loyalty to country a matter of choice, or an unalterable commitment? Is the appropriate attitude toward America one of fundamental gratitude or critical distance?” (02/24/26)
https://nypost.com/2026/02/24/opinion/patriotism-and-its-enemies-the-jack-hughes-eileen-gu-olympics-debate/
-----
38) Don’t save Social Security
Source: Washington Post
by Ramesh Ponnuru
“Another report, another dire prediction about Social Security. The Congressional Budget Office now estimates that the program’s trust fund will run out of money in 2032, during the next presidential term. The predominant response of official Washington was to ignore this warning like the ones before it. The serious-minded, public-spirited exceptions continued to ask: How are we going to save Social Security? Virtuous though they are, they’re asking the wrong question. It’s even backward, in that it focuses on the program rather than on the goals the program is supposed to serve. Better to ask instead: What kind of retirement system makes sense? And despite Social Security’s popularity, few Americans would design it as it currently is if they were answering that question from scratch.” (02/25/26)
https://archive.is/QVgW5
-----
39) Attending to Our Inner State: A Guide for Modern Prophets
Source: Mindset Shifts
by Barry Brownstein
“While it is tempting to try to save the world by shouting into the void of the ‘masses,’ Albert Jay Nock offered a different, harder piece of advice. He suggests that our actual task is not to convert the ‘masses’ but to ‘brace and reassure the Remnant.’ … Nock argued that the masses are beyond the reach of reason, and it is not our job to convert them. Nock is not saying don’t talk to or write for them, but drop the evangelical attitude that somehow you will get the ‘ear of the people’ and lead them out of the wilderness.” (02/25/26)
https://mindsetshifts.substack.com/p/attending-to-our-inner-state-a-guide
-----
40) A Supreme Court Win Didn’t Free Richard Glossip. But This Judge Could.
Source: The Intercept
by Liliana Segura
“A year since his legal victory — and after six judges recused themselves — Glossip is asking a new trial judge to release him from jail.” (02/25/26)
https://theintercept.com/2026/02/25/richard-glossip-judge-natalie-mai-oklahoma/
-----
41) Little Marco’s Quest to Make Imperialist West Imperialist Again
Source: Common Dreams
by Brent Everett Dickinson
“MAGA has been, throughout, an amorphous entity — curling, folding, dividing — as it slimed and slithered its way into this American life. Neocon MAGA is one particularly noteworthy division within, a more-than-slightly schizophrenic aberration that, if MAGA-world had any interest in maintaining conceptual coherence, would surely have long ago been run out of town. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is Neocon MAGA’s chief exemplar. In contrast to unreconstructed neocons like Lindsay Graham and John Bolton, who have tried to bootlick their way into President Donald Trump’s good graces with spotty results, ‘Little Marco’ was a neoconservative boy who has growth-spurted his way into a Neocon MAGA man.” (02/25/26)
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/marco-rubio-imperialism
-----
42) Watching Uncle Sam From Seoul
Source: Antiwar.com
by Jeffrey Robertson
“Since Trump’s election, Seoul’s analysts asked questions. Commentators voiced unease – and ‘Liberation Day’ proved their concerns well founded as the U.S. imposed a series of dynamic tariffs driven by social media and personal sentiment. Yet the depth of ties between Washington and Seoul led many to judge the tariffs difficult, but not insurmountable. Somewhere between Venezuela and Iran, attitudes started to change.” (02/25/26)
https://original.antiwar.com/jeffrey_robertson/2026/02/24/watching-uncle-sam-from-seoul
-----
43) SOTU: Trump threatens Iran but doesn’t go all the way
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Connor Echols
“Will he or won’t he? The president offered little insight, but built a case for potential Mideast escalation if he chose to do it.” (02/25/26)
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/state-of-the-union-iran/
-----
44) Trump Has Other Means to Make Tariff Mischief
Source: The UnPopulist
by Joe Bishop-Henchman
“The administration’s rapid pivot to Section 122 reflects necessity, not legal strength. It rests on redefining a ‘balance-of-payments crisis’ beyond recognition, disregarding its own recent legal positions, and assuming that courts will decline to examine economic realities too closely. That is a fragile foundation for a policy affecting hundreds of billions of dollars in commerce and millions of consumers. And it’s possible he will get away with it. Ultimately, this episode underscores a constitutional reality that no statutory workaround can erase: trade policy belongs to Congress. And unless Congress takes it back, it will not be able to put a definitive end to his tariff mischief.” (02/24/26)
https://www.theunpopulist.net/p/trump-has-other-means-to-make-tariff
-----
45) What Does “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness” Mean?
Source: Town Hall
by Americans for Prosperity
“When the Founders wrote ‘Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness’ into the Declaration of Independence, they weren’t guaranteeing comfort, equality of outcome, or a government-managed society. They were making a bolder claim that became the foundation of the American Dream: that people could build meaningful lives if government protected liberty and then got out of the way. That idea still matters today. At its core, the phrase shows trust in the American people. The Founders believed individuals, given freedom and responsibility, could make better choices for their lives than distant officials ever could. Perhaps more important is the idea that, as adults who are created equal, we have inherent dignity that must be recognized by our government. When this dignity is recognized, we can truly thrive as humans and give our best to our families, communities, and workplaces.” (02/25/26)
https://townhall.com/columnists/americans-for-prosperity/2026/02/25/what-does-life-liberty-and-the-pursuit-of-happiness-mean-n2671821
-----
46) Section 122 Can’t Carry Trump’s Tariffs
Source: Independent Institute
by Phillip W Magness
“The Supreme Court dealt a serious blow to President Trump’s economic agenda by ruling that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act doesn’t allow him to rewrite the U.S. tariff schedule. Mr. Trump immediately invoked a different law to impose a 10% tariff on all countries, followed by threats to raise it to 15%. The White House’s tariff Plan B looks copied from President Biden’s playbook when the court overruled his student-loan forgiveness scheme in 2023 and Mr. Biden began statute shopping for anything to back it. That strategy hit a roadblock in federal court, as a succession of rulings invalidated his attempt to revive the policy under different laws.” (02/24/26)
https://www.independent.org/article/2026/02/24/section-122-cant-carry-trumps-tariffs/
-----
47) The Online Right is Radicalizing Broken Men
Source: Desultory Scribblings
by Tyler Harris
“‘Why do Trump’s supporters keep trying to kill him?’ That’s the question I’ve most seen floating around in the wake of the killing of Austin Martin, a 21-year-old man who attempted to storm the cordon at Mar-a-Lago this past week while wielding a shotgun. It’s mostly rhetorical, but the glib and obvious answers – that Trump’s unique detestability and employment of violent rabble-rousing makes him an alluring target, even for his own acolytes, or that MAGA itself is a mental illness particularly prone even to internal violence – obscure a far more sweeping challenge. The online right has created an incredibly efficient and effective engine for breaking and radicalizing lonely young men.” (02/24/26)
https://tylerjohnharris.substack.com/p/the-online-right-is-radicalizing
-----
48) Epstein Files: An Opportunity for Libertarians
Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Ron Paul
“Those who have examined the Epstein files have seen information about how connected Jeffrey Epstein was to members of the political, business, and academic elites. Many of these connections started after Epstein’s 2008 conviction. The Epstein files support claims that Epstein worked with intelligence agencies, in particular Israel’s Mossad and the American CIA. Yet the mainstream media and most politicians seem uninterested in whether Epstein used underage girls in a scheme to blackmail powerful individuals on behalf of intelligence agencies. Fortunately, the alternative media is not afraid to discuss Epstein’s intelligence connections or any other matters related to Epstein, including suspicious circumstances surrounding his death.” (02/24/26)
https://mises.org/power-market/epstein-files-opportunity-libertarians
-----
49) AI Goes to Bat for Valerie Foushee
Source: The American Prospect
by David Dayen
“When we last left Rep. Valerie Foushee (D-NC), she was getting massively outspent in her March 3 Democratic primary for re-election in the Fourth Congressional District, where she faces Durham County commissioner Nida Allam. But that million-dollar deficit has now been mostly made up by a super PAC linked to artificial intelligence model designer Anthropic, makers of Claude, which is now dumping nearly $700,000 into supporting Foushee. Another $250,000 has been put toward Foushee by a mysterious PAC with ties to Democratic leadership. Jobs and Democracy PAC is Anthropic’s super PAC and part of an umbrella organization called Public First, which has been trying to give off a vibe of being the kinder, gentler AI super PAC, dedicated to prudent regulation rather than rampant accelerationism. The headline on Jobs and Democracy PAC’s website reads: ‘Supporting Democrats who put people before Big Tech.'” (02/25/26)
https://prospect.org/2026/02/25/ai-anthropic-claude-super-pac-valerie-foushee-congress-north-carolina/
-----
50) Do K-12 students have the right to walk out in protest?
Source: Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression
by Adam Goldstein
“Walkouts are a recurring form of student protest; students have used them to oppose gun violence, protest against racial injustice, call attention to climate change, protest wars, and more. Is there a right to walk out? Are states censoring students by pushing back? The short answer is that the First Amendment protects students’ rights to express views, but not the right to walk out of class to express them. But there’s a lot to unpack.” (02/24/26)
https://www.fire.org/news/do-k-12-students-have-right-walk-out-protest
_____ Today's Freedom Podcast and Video _____
51) So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast, episode 264
Source: Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression
“Anonymity from the founding to the digital age.” (02/25/26)
https://www.fire.org/news/podcasts/so-speak-free-speech-podcast/anonymity-founding-digital-age
-----
52) Reason Reacts to the State of the Union
Source: Reason
“Andrew Heaton talks with Reason‘s Katherine Mangu-Ward, Billy Binion, Robby Soave, Christian Britschgi, Eric Boehm, and Reem Ibrahim to get their instant reactions to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address.” (02/25/26)
https://reason.com/video/2026/02/25/reason-reacts-to-the-state-of-the-union/
-----
53) The Briefing Podcast with Michael Waldman, 02/25/26
Source: Brennan Center for Justice
“Can the Presidency Be Tamed? (with David Frum).” (02/25/26)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yckEb-708V0
-----
54) The Political Orphanage, 02/25/26
Source: The Political Orphanage
“How the Court Neutered Trump.” (02/25/26)
https://politicalorphanage.libsyn.com/how-the-court-neutered-trump
-----
55) SolutionsWatch, 02/25/26
Source: The Corbett Report
“How To Stand Your Ground.” (02/25/26)
https://corbettreport.com/how-to-stand-your-ground/
-----
56) The Libertarian Angle, 02/25/26
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
“Tariffs and Iran.” (02/25/26)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLAyrI7e4Sc
-----
57) Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 02/25/26
Source: Antiwar.com
“US F-22 Fighter Jets Arrive in Israel, Yair Lapid Backs Israel’s ‘Biblical Borders,’ and More.” (02/25/26)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBuariVKORQ
-----
58) LPALive, episode 61
Source: LP Alliance
“2026 State of the Union.” (02/24/26)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLEm8W9QJio
-----
59) Nonzero, 02/24/26
Source: bloggingheads.tv
“Iran War II | Robert Wright & Joshua Landis.” (02/24/26)
https://bloggingheads.tv/videos/69318
-----
60) The Kyle Anzalone Show, 02/24/26
Source: Libertarian Institute
“PROF. Mohammad Marandi : Brink of War! – Inside Iran’s Dealmaking, Deterrence, And Doubt.” (02/24/26)
https://libertarianinstitute.org/blog/the-kyle-anzalone-show-guest-prof-mohammad-marandi-brink-of-war-inside-irans-dealmaking-deterrence-and-doubt/
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Today's Freedom News:
1) Cuba: Regime forces kill four in gunfight with US speedboat “infiltrators”
2) Epstein Files Are Missing FBI Records About Woman Who Made Claim Against Trump
3) CPJ: Israeli forces responsible for at least 81% of journalist murders in 2025
4) SCOTUS rules against private prison firm facing enslavement lawsuit from immigrant abductees
5) Iceland to Hold EU Referendum “In the Coming Months,” PM Says
6) Pope Leo to tour four African countries in first major overseas trip of 2026
7) Summers to resign from teaching during review of Epstein ties, Harvard says
8) Mexico: Regime sends second aid package to Cuba as US tightens energy blockade
9) Artemis rocket heads back to its hangar for repairs as moonshot put on hold
10) UK: Aston Martin cuts jobs by 20% on Trump taxes, Chinese demand
11) TX: Hotly contested Senate race setting spending records ahead of Tuesday’s primary
12) PA: Democrats win state House special elections, keeping majority intact
13) CA: FBI searching home & office of LAUSDistrict Superintendent Alberto Carvalho
14) Myanmar: Junta airstrikes kill 17
15) Mexican Congress approves trimming work week to 40 hours
16) NH: Resident Charged With Shooting at Gang Thug
17) Study: Sperm swim more quickly in summer
18) Palestine: Israeli army, squatters attack Palestinians in Hebron area of West Bank
19) Brazil: Supreme Court convicts five in Rio councilwoman Franco’s killing
20) Court: IRS can continue leaking taxpayer data to violent gang
Today's Freedom Commentary:
21) Do Immigrant Cultures Threaten Liberty?
22) Trade, Tariffs, and Trust
23) Don’t trade liberty for dystopian world
24) Politicians Consider Soviet-Style Controls on 3D Printers
25) Venezuela’s Amnesty Law Falls Short
26) Will Trump Try to Pack the Supreme Court?
27) Thanks to Trump, Xi Has Time on His Side With Taiwan
28) Landmark Supreme Court ruling may change little for you
29) Trump’s State of the Union: Not a pivot, but a power play
30) To remind: AI should be biased because the world is biased
31) No, This War Will Be Completely Different, Bro
32) What FIRE’s critics get wrong about our ICE app lawsuit
33) Mainstream Media Still Won’t Follow Up on Epstein-Israel Connection
34) Companies Are Skeptical of Venezuela’s Oil Fields
35) The Classical Liberal University in a Second-Best World
36) A “Blizzard” Gives Mayor Zohran Mamdani Pretext for a “Climate Lockdown”
37) Patriotism and its enemies: The Jack Hughes/Eileen Gu Olympics debate
38) Don’t save Social Security
39) Attending to Our Inner State: A Guide for Modern Prophets
40) A Supreme Court Win Didn’t Free Richard Glossip. But This Judge Could.
41) Little Marco’s Quest to Make Imperialist West Imperialist Again
42) Watching Uncle Sam From Seoul
43) SOTU: Trump threatens Iran but doesn’t go all the way
44) Trump Has Other Means to Make Tariff Mischief
45) What Does “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness” Mean?
46) Section 122 Can’t Carry Trump’s Tariffs
47) The Online Right is Radicalizing Broken Men
48) Epstein Files: An Opportunity for Libertarians
49) AI Goes to Bat for Valerie Foushee
50) Do K-12 students have the right to walk out in protest?
Today's Freedom Podcast and Video:
51) So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast, episode 264
52) Reason Reacts to the State of the Union
53) The Briefing Podcast with Michael Waldman, 02/25/26
54) The Political Orphanage, 02/25/26
55) SolutionsWatch, 02/25/26
56) The Libertarian Angle, 02/25/26
57) Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 02/25/26
58) LPALive, episode 61
59) Nonzero, 02/24/26
60) The Kyle Anzalone Show, 02/24/26
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_____ Today's Freedom News _____
1) Cuba: Regime forces kill four in gunfight with US speedboat “infiltrators”
Source: CNN
“Cuba said its forces fatally shot four heavily armed people attempting to ‘infiltrate’ its territory on a Florida-registered speedboat on Wednesday, amid simmering tensions between the communist island and the US. Cuban border guard troops approached the boat after it entered their territorial waters in Falcones Cay, Villa Clara province, just over 100 miles from Florida, the country’s interior ministry said in a statement. A passenger on the speedboat shot at the Cuban vessel, wounding its commander, and prompting Cuban forces to return fire, according to the statement. Six other people aboard the speedboat were wounded and are in custody and receiving medical attention. The passengers were Cuban residents of the US and were armed with assault rifles, handguns and Molotov cocktails, and had ‘intended to carry out an infiltration for terrorist purposes,’ according to a later statement from the ministry.” (02/25/26)
https://www.cnn.com/2026/02/25/americas/cuba-florida-speedboat-intl-latam
-----
2) Epstein Files Are Missing FBI Records About Woman Who Made Claim Against Trump
Source: New York Times
“The vast trove of documents released by the Justice Department from its investigations into the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein failed to include some key materials related to a woman who made an accusation against President Trump, according to a review by The New York Times. The materials are F.B.I. memos summarizing interviews the bureau did in connection to claims made in 2019 by a woman who came forward after Mr. Epstein’s arrest to say she had been sexually assaulted by both Mr. Trump and the financier decades earlier, when she was a minor. The existence of the memos was revealed in an index listing the investigative materials …. According to that index, the F.B.I. conducted four interviews in connection with her claims and wrote summaries about each one. But only one summary of the four interviews, which describes her accusations against Mr. Epstein, was released by the Justice Department. The other three are missing.” (02/25/26)
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/25/us/politics/trump-epstein-files.html
-----
3) CPJ: Israeli forces responsible for at least 81% of journalist murders in 2025
Source: The Guardian [UK]
“A record 129 journalists and media workers were killed in the course of their work in 2025, two-thirds of them by Israeli forces, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). It was the second consecutive year in which killings of members of the press reached unprecedented levels, and the second year running in which Israel was responsible for roughly two-thirds of the total, the New York-based independent organisation, which documents attacks on journalists worldwide, said in its annual report published on Wednesday. … Israel was responsible for 81% of the 47 killings that the CPJ classified as intentionally targeted, or ‘murder.’ It said the actual figure was probably higher, owing to access restrictions that made verification difficult in Gaza.” (02/25/26)
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/feb/25/record-number-journalists-killed-2025-israel-gaza-war
-----
4) SCOTUS rules against private prison firm facing enslavement lawsuit from immigrant abductees
Source: Connecticut Post
“The Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled against a private prison company facing a lawsuit alleging immigration [abductees] were forced to work and paid only $1 a day in Colorado. The unanimous ruling is a procedural defeat for the GEO Group, but it’s not a final decision. The company is fighting a lawsuit from 2014 alleging detainees in Aurora had to perform unpaid janitorial work and other jobs for little pay to supplement meager meals. GEO defended its practices and argued that the case should be tossed out because it’s immune from lawsuits as a government contractor. After a judge disagreed, the company asked the Supreme Court to allow it to quickly appeal the ruling. But the justices refused.” (02/25/26)
https://www.ctpost.com/business/article/supreme-court-rules-against-private-prison-firm-21940695.php
-----
5) Iceland to Hold EU Referendum “In the Coming Months,” PM Says
Source: US News & World Report
“Iceland will hold a referendum ‘in the coming months’ on restarting European Union accession talks, Prime Minister Kristrun Frostadottir said on Wednesday during a visit to Poland. Reykjavik abandoned EU membership talks in 2013 after four years of negotiations, but a rise in the cost of living and the war in Ukraine have helped rekindle the island nation’s interest in joining the bloc, opinion polls have shown. Repeated threats by U.S. President Donald Trump to annex Greenland, which is located between Iceland and the United States, have also made the question of EU membership more pressing for Iceland, which is home to almost 400,000 people. … Iceland’s centre-left government, which came to power after a snap election in 2024, had promised to hold a referendum no later than next year on restarting talks with the EU.” (02/25/26)
https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2026-02-25/iceland-to-hold-eu-referendum-over-the-coming-months-pm-says
-----
6) Pope Leo to tour four African countries in first major overseas trip of 2026
Source: Reuters
“Pope Leo will visit four countries across Africa from April 13-23, the Vatican announced on Wednesday, with the pontiff making his first major overseas trip in 2026 to the continent where the Catholic Church is growing fastest. The pope will also make a one-day visit on March 28 to Monaco, the microstate on the French Riviera, and will visit Spain from June 6-12, the Vatican said. In Africa, Leo will visit Algeria, Angola, Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon. He is expected to draw large crowds, urge world leaders to support development on the continent, and highlight efforts at Catholic-Muslim dialogue. Leo, elected in May to succeed the late Pope Francis as head of the 1.4-billion-member Church, has made only one overseas trip so far, visiting Turkey and Lebanon in November and December on a visit originally organised for Francis.” (02/25/26)
https://www.reuters.com/world/pope-leo-heading-monaco-africa-spain-years-first-overseas-visits-2026-02-25/
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7) Summers to resign from teaching during review of Epstein ties, Harvard says
Source: Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal
“Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers will resign from teaching at Harvard University amid a campus review of his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, the university announced Wednesday. Summers, who has been on leave since November and whose name appeared hundreds of times in newly released Epstein files, will leave at the end of the school year, according to a statement from Harvard spokesperson Jason Newton. … Summers served as treasury secretary under former President Bill Clinton and went on to lead Harvard as president for five years starting in 2001. It’s the latest fallout from the Justice Department’s recent release of millions of pages of records pertaining to Epstein and his longtime confidant and former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell. Resignations have rippled across the academic, legal and business communities.” (02/25/26)
https://www.djournal.com/news/nation-world/larry-summers-will-resign-from-teaching-at-harvard-during-review-of-epstein-ties-university-says/article_80ebd8da-2af8-5ecc-9c53-d324c5642da9.html
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8) Mexico: Regime sends second aid package to Cuba as US tightens energy blockade
Source: San Diego Union-Tribune
“Mexico has sent a second humanitarian aid package for Cuba as the island faces a tightened U.S. embargo and threats of tariffs against countries providing it with oil. Two Mexican navy vessels carrying 1,193 tons of supplies departed the Gulf of Mexico port of Veracruz on Tuesday, the Mexican Foreign Ministry announced. The shipment is expected to arrive on Saturday. The Papaloapan is carrying 1,078 tons of beans and powdered milk, while the Huasteco is transporting 92 tons of beans and 23 tons of other food items. According to the Foreign Ministry, the final 23 tons of humanitarian aid were provided by various social organizations with the support of the Mexico City government. It is the second humanitarian aid package this year to the island.” (02/25/26)
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2026/02/25/mexico-aid-package-cuba-us-blockade/
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9) Artemis rocket heads back to its hangar for repairs as moonshot put on hold
Source: The Hill
“NASA on Wednesday is set to roll its enormous Space Launch System rocket back to the hangar for repairs, a move that will delay the launch of four astronauts on a long-awaited flight around the moon by at least a month. The 322-foot-tall rocket has been sitting out at the launch pad at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center since mid-January, but engineers recently found a blockage in the flow of helium to part of the booster’s upper stage that requires further investigation. The rollback means NASA will no longer be able to attempt to launch the Artemis II mission in March. Agency officials said they could potentially try in April, but the timeline will depend on the outcome of the repairs.” (02/25/26)
https://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/artemis-rocket-heads-back-hangar-repairs-moonshot-put-hold-rcna260493
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10) UK: Aston Martin cuts jobs by 20% on Trump taxes, Chinese demand
Source: Reuters
“British luxury car maker Aston Martin will cut its workforce by up to 20%, it said on Wednesday, as it strives to recover from the impact of U.S. import tariffs and weak demand in China. Aston Martin said the job cuts from a total workforce of around 3,000 should deliver annualised savings of around 40 million pounds ($54 million). It did not specify when the job cuts would be implemented, but said most of the savings would be this year. The cuts include a 5% reduction announced last year. … Best known as the car brand driven by James Bond, the company has struggled to generate cash and manage its debt of 1.38 billion pounds, although it has received injections of capital from Canadian billionaire and Chairman Lawrence Stroll and through deals. It said U.S. tariffs had been ‘extremely disruptive’ and demand had also been ‘extremely subdued’ in China, the world’s biggest auto market.” (02/25/26)
https://www.reuters.com/business/world-at-work/aston-martin-cuts-20-staff-amid-us-tariffs-weak-china-demand-2026-02-25/
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11) TX: Hotly contested Senate race setting spending records ahead of Tuesday’s primary
Source: SFGate
“Candidates and political groups are pouring money into Texas’ hotly contested U.S. Senate race at a record pace, partly fueled by Democrat James Talarico’s fundraising and allies of Republican Sen. John Cornyn trying to save his long career. Heading into Tuesday’s primary elections, the cost of advertising and reserved advertising time had topped $110 million, the most ever for a Senate primary, according to the ad-tracking firm AdImpact. The heavy spending in Texas is a preview of the money that is expected to flood this year’s midterm elections across the U.S. with control of Congress at stake.” (02/25/26)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/politics/article/the-hotly-contested-texas-senate-race-is-setting-21940994.php
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12) PA: Democrats win state House special elections, keeping majority intact
Source: The Hill
“Pennsylvania Democrats are projected to win two special elections for state House, keeping their majority intact, according to Decision Desk HQ. Democrats Ana Tiburcio and Jennifer Mazzocco won their Tuesday elections to represent Pennsylvania House Districts 22 in Lehigh County and 42 in Allegheny County, respectively. The seats were vacated after former state Rep. Josh Siegel (D) was elected as Lehigh County executive and ex-state Rep. Dan Miller (D) won a spot on the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas. Democrats were expected to keep both blue-leaning seats. But the party risked a tied 100-100 state House if they were to have come up short, which would have complicated Gov. Josh Shapiro’s (D) ability to pass his legislative priorities in the Keystone State.” (02/25/26)
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5752448-pennsylvania-democrats-win-special-elections/
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13) CA: FBI searching home & office of LAUSDistrict Superintendent Alberto Carvalho
Source: New York Post
“Federal officers are searching the home of Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, The California Post confirmed. The searches are being conducted at Carvalho’s San Pedro home, his office at LAUSD in downtown Los Angeles and another location in Miami tied to the investigation, according to a law enforcement source. An affidavit filed concerning the search was under seal, officials said. LAUSD employees looked confused outside headquarters Wednesday morning, unsure if they were able to go into work. Federal agents were seen entering the building, but would not comment on the reason for their visit when asked by a reporter for The California Post. Carvalho is the LAUSD’s chief employee and has led one of the nation’s largest school systems since 2022. Carvalho is the LAUSD’s chief employee and has led one of the nation’s largest school systems since 2022. It’s unclear why authorities are searching Carvalho’s home and office.” (02/25/26)
https://nypost.com/2026/02/25/us-news/fbi-searching-lausd-superintendent-alberto-carvalhos-home-office/
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14) Myanmar: Junta airstrikes kill 17
Source: Al Jazeera [Qatari state media]
“A military air strike by the Myanmar military in Rakhine state has killed at least 17 people and injured 14 others, local media reported, in the latest civil war carnage weeks after a military-backed governing party election win was dismissed as a ‘sham’ by international observers. Women and children were among those killed when air strikes hit Yoengu village in Ponnagyun township on Tuesday, the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) said. The village lies about 33 kilometres (21 miles) northeast of Sittwe, the Rakhine state capital. It was captured by the Arakan Army (AA), an ethnic Rakhine armed group fighting the Myanmar military, in March 2024.” (02/25/26)
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/2/25/military-government-air-strikes-kill-17-in-western-myanmar-state
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15) Mexican Congress approves trimming work week to 40 hours
Source: SFGate
“Mexican lawmakers approved President Claudia Sheinbaum’s initiative to gradually reduce the work week from 48 hours to 40 hours early Wednesday. The constitutional reform now goes to state legislatures for approval, where Sheinbaum’s governing party controls the majority. It passed the lower chamber of the Congress early Wednesday with 411 votes in favor and 58 against. The Senate had already approved it earlier this month. The change will be implemented gradually, trimming two hours per year beginning in 2027 and reaching a 40-hour work week in 2030. Lawmakers decided to maintain the requirement for one day of rest for every six days worked, rejecting a proposal to require two days of rest per week. The government has calculated that the change could affect 13.5 million workers, but some analysts say more than double that number could be covered.” (02/25/26)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/mexican-congress-approves-trimming-work-week-to-21940987.php
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16) NH: Resident Charged With Shooting at Gang Thug
Source: US News & World Report
“Authorities have charged a New Hampshire resident in connection with a shooting that occurred at the state’s border with Canada, federal prosecutors said Tuesday. Blu Zeke Daly, 26, who also goes by Cullan Zeke Daly, of Manchester, was charged with one count of attempted murder of a federal officer and one count of assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon, prosecutors said. Daly was shot near the border early Sunday by a U.S. Border Patrol agent who was returning fire from Daly, investigators said Monday. Daly is at a hospital receiving medical treatment under guard, prosecutors said. The Border Patrol agent, whom authorities have not named, was unharmed, authorities said earlier this week.” (02/24/26)
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/new-hampshire/articles/2026-02-24/new-hampshire-resident-charged-in-shooting-at-canadian-border
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17) Study: Sperm swim more quickly in summer
Source: BBC News [UK State Media]
“Sperm quality is highest in the summer and lowest in the winter, according to a new study. Researchers from the UK, Canada and Denmark analysed semen samples from 15,581 men in Denmark and Florida, all aged between 18 and 45. Their findings show that sperm motility – the ability of sperm to swim effectively – was consistently highest in June and July for both parts of the world. Understanding these seasonal patterns could improve fertility treatments, by optimising the timing of treatment and fertility testing to provide better guidance to couples trying to conceive. The study, published in the journal Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology, suggests that sperm’s motility levels remain consistent across different climates, instead changing with the seasons. Levels were lowest in December and January, even though Florida remains warm all year round.” (02/25/26)
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crl45x52ejgo
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18) Palestine: Israeli army, squatters attack Palestinians in Hebron area of West Bank
Source: Al Jazeera [Qatari state media]
“A number of Palestinians have been injured in separate attacks by the Israeli army and [squatters] in the Hebron area of the occupied West Bank, amid an escalating wave of state-backed violence as Israel concurrently continues its genocidal war on Gaza. In ad-Dhahiriya, about 24km (15 miles) southwest of Hebron, Israeli forces fired live and rubber bullets as they carried out a raid on Tuesday night, security sources told the Wafa news agency. Several Palestinians were injured by rubber-coated bullets fired at their feet, the agency reported. In a separate incident, four Palestinians were wounded when dozens of [squatters] launched an attack on the village of Khirbet Susiya in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron, late on Tuesday, local sources told Al Jazeera.” (02/25/26)
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/2/25/israeli-army-settlers-attack-palestinians-in-hebron-area-of-west-bank
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19) Brazil: Supreme Court convicts five in Rio councilwoman Franco’s killing
Source: SFGate
“A five-judge panel of Brazil’s Supreme Court on Wednesday unanimously voted to convict those accused of plotting the 2018 killing of Rio de Janeiro councilwoman Marielle Franco and her driver Anderson Gomes, a case that exposed deep-rooted ties between politics and organized crime. The case has stirred emotions in the politically divided nation. Some see Franco as a martyr and symbol of left-wing resistance, while allies of former President Jair Bolsonaro have attacked her legacy and the tributes paid to her since her death. The five men on trial for the killing of the 38-year-old human rights activist-turned-politician were former congressman Chiquinho Brazão; his brother who was a member of a Rio government watchdog, Domingos Brazão; his assistant Robson Calixto Fonseca; former police investigator Rivaldo Barbosa and former police officer Ronald Paulo Alves Pereira.” (02/25/26)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/brazil-s-supreme-court-to-rule-in-the-killing-of-21940508.php
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20) Court: IRS can continue leaking taxpayer data to violent gang
Source: Orange County Register
“A Washington, D.C., federal court on Tuesday rejected a request from an immigrant rights group to temporarily block the IRS from sharing certain taxpayer data that could make it easier to [abduct] people who are in the U.S. illegally [sic]. A three-judge panel for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit declined to issue a preliminary injunction for the immigrants’ rights group, Centro de Trabajadores Unidos, and other nonprofits that are suing the federal government over the data-sharing agreement signed last April by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. The agreement allows U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to submit names and addresses of immigrants inside the U.S. illegally [sic] to the IRS for cross-verification against tax records.” (02/24/26)
https://www.ocregister.com/2026/02/24/irs-immigrant-taxpayer-data-ice/
_____ Today's Freedom Commentary _____
21) Do Immigrant Cultures Threaten Liberty?
Source: Bet On It
by Vincent Cook
“Free immigration would appear to be in a different category from other policy decisions, in that its consequences permanently and radically alter the very composition of the democratic political body that makes those decisions. In fact, the liberal order, where and to the degree that it exists, is the product of a highly complex cultural development. One wonders, for instance, what would become of the liberal society of Switzerland under a regime of ‘open borders.’ Mises’s embrace of the economic benefits offered by free migration … is offset according to Raico by the political threat that migrants supposedly pose due to the illiberal cultures of their countries of origin. … Mises makes a crucially important point that Raico failed to acknowledge, namely that immigrants are not mindless puppets of the culture of their country of origin.” (02/25/26)
https://www.betonit.ai/p/do-immigrant-cultures-threaten-liberty
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22) Trade, Tariffs, and Trust
Source: EconLog
by David Hebert
“Plenty of reputable people have asked the question of what the effective tariff rate is, who actually pays the tariffs, and how many jobs will be created or lost. This is important to the work of gathering (further) evidence of the destructive effects of tariffs. But the decades of empirical, historical, and theoretical work on this front fail to capture the real cost of tariffs. It won’t show up in any BLS report, BEA release, or any other economic report one can imagine. The real cost is the destruction of trust on the world stage.” (02/25/26)
https://www.econlib.org/library/columns/y2026/hebert-ieepa
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23) Don’t trade liberty for dystopian world
Source: Eastern New Mexico News
by Kent McManigal
“It feels like the world, and America specifically, is becoming an authoritarian dystopia. More rules, harsher punishment, more surveillance; all leading to less liberty. What disturbs me the most is how many people seem to think this is fine. Or actively demand it because they fear or hate other people or what other people might do. Government is always willing to violate your rights and will oblige when asked to do so. Too many people will trade liberty for a false promise of safety — a hope for something government power can never provide. As long as they believe ‘other people’ are getting it worse than they are, they’re fine with the police state being built around them. They seem genuinely shocked when it is inevitably used against them and their rights.” (02/25/26)
https://www.easternnewmexiconews.com/story/2026/02/25/voices/opinion-dont-trade-liberty-for-dystopian-world/232856.html
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24) Politicians Consider Soviet-Style Controls on 3D Printers
Source: Reason
by JD Tuccille
“The old Soviet Union strictly controlled photocopiers, because they empowered individuals to share ideas that challenged state control. The restrictions ultimately broke down under the weight of mass defiance as people took advantage of every opportunity to distribute that which was forbidden by the government. Now, politicians in several states are channeling totalitarian policies of the past, this time with their eyes on 3D printers that can manufacture gun parts. Their intrusive rules are likely to suffer the same humiliating fate.” (02/25/26)
https://reason.com/2026/02/25/politicians-consider-soviet-style-controls-on-3d-printers/
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25) Venezuela’s Amnesty Law Falls Short
Source: Cato Institute
by Ian Vásquez
“he Venezuelan dictatorship’s release of some political prisoners and its passage of what it calls a general amnesty law no doubt represent moves in the right direction. But the amnesty is only partial, leaving in place the Chavistas’ entire apparatus of repression and showing, contrary to President Trump’s claims, that the regime remains very much in control of the country.” (02/25/26)
https://www.cato.org/commentary/venezuelas-amnesty-law-falls-short
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26) Will Trump Try to Pack the Supreme Court?
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
by Jacob G Hornberger
“Given President Trump’s rage-filled tirade against the Supreme Court for declaring his tariff spree unconstitutional, the question naturally arises: Will Trump come up with a plan to pack the Supreme Court with loyal toadies, as President Franklin Roosevelt did after the Supreme Court declared some of his socialist-fascist programs unconstitutional? After all, let’s not forget that Trump, like many leftwing statists, has praised FDR in the past.” (02/25/26)
https://www.fff.org/2026/02/25/will-trump-try-to-pack-the-supreme-court/
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27) Thanks to Trump, Xi Has Time on His Side With Taiwan
Source: Foreign Policy
by Ali Wyne
“At his January 2025 confirmation hearing to become the U.S. secretary of state, Marco Rubio assessed that ‘unless something dramatic changes’ in Asia’s military balance, China would attempt to invade Taiwan before the end of the decade. This view is widely shared. … The good news is that the short-term likelihood of a Chinese attack on Taiwan has diminished, even as it remains too high. The cause of this development, however, is not exactly reassuring. The events of the past year give Chinese leader Xi Jinping good reason to believe that his U.S. counterpart, President Donald Trump, will facilitate his attempt to extend China’s influence over the island without having to gamble on an invasion.” (02/25/26)
https://archive.is/TZqYL#selection-3609.0-3621.435
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28) Landmark Supreme Court ruling may change little for you
Source: USA Today
by Patrick Childress
“When will tariff refunds be available? We don’t know. The Supreme Court’s decision was silent on the issue of refunds. While the administration has not revealed how it will approach this issue, President Donald Trump’s comments during his Feb. 20 news conference were telling. Referring to refunds, the president mused: ‘I guess it has to get litigated for the next two years.’ This suggests that the administration is girding for a years-long judicial fight against the issuance of IEEPA-based tariff refunds. Who will receive tariff refunds? Probably not consumers. If and when the government cuts tariff refund checks, those funds will not be going to everyday citizens. Instead, the businesses that directly imported the affected goods will receive the money.” (02/25/26)
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2026/02/25/trump-tariffs-supreme-court-decision-prices-refunds/88822385007/
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29) Trump’s State of the Union: Not a pivot, but a power play
Source: Fox News
by Lee Hartley Carter
“If you tuned in last night hoping for a softer, more conciliatory Donald Trump, a president shaped by polls, eager to reach across the aisle, you were watching the wrong show. The 2026 State of the Union wasn’t a pivot. It was a power move. A flex. A signal that the old rules: measured rhetoric, polite bipartisanship — are dead. Trump continues to write new rules in real time, as audaciously as he’s writing everything else. From the opening line, ‘a speech to set the record straight,’ Trump made it clear: he wasn’t there to negotiate facts. He was there to define them. He understands something that confounds his opponents: in contemporary American politics, a good story doesn’t just compete with statistics, it obliterates them. While critics were fact-checking, Trump was storytelling. And in today’s politics, a story like his can outweigh nuance or evidence.” (02/25/26)
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/lee-carter-trumps-state-union-wasnt-pivot-power-play
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30) To remind: AI should be biased because the world is biased
Source: Adam Smith Institute
by Tim Worstall
“This is at least the start of the correct way to deal with bias in Artifical Intelligence: ‘A police chief has admitted artificial intelligence used to boost crime fighting will contain bias but pledged to combat the risks.’ At the heart of the point is the question, well, is reality biased? There are certainly those myriads who insist it is, yes. OK, so we want to use AI to aid us in managing reality. Therefore the AI has to start from the point that reality is biased. And those shrieking loudest about reality’s bias are the very people who should be insisting the AI recognises that bias. Because we need the results from the AI to reflect reality.” (02/25/26)
https://www.adamsmith.org/blog/to-remind-ai-should-be-biased-because-the-world-is-biased
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31) No, This War Will Be Completely Different, Bro
Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone
“No bro this US war in the middle east will be completely different, bro. See, this time the regime we’re trying to get rid of is REALLY BAD! No no, this is nothing like all those other times. This time military interventionism to topple an oil-rich government in west Asia will lead to peace and democracy. Our soldiers will be greeted as liberators! You don’t understand, bro. This time the government and the media are telling us the truth! … If it turns out our leaders were wrong and this war was a bad idea, I’m sure they’ll admit their mistakes and course-correct immediately to set things right, and then implement major, sweeping policy changes to make sure they never repeat the same mistakes again. What could possibly go wrong?” (02/25/26)
https://caitlinjohnstone.com.au/2026/02/25/no-bro-this-war-will-be-completely-different-bro/
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32) What FIRE’s critics get wrong about our ICE app lawsuit
Source: Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression
by Jacob Gaba
“FIRE is suing Attorney General Pamela Bondi and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem for strong-arming Facebook and Apple to censor groups and apps that use public information to report ICE activity. Whether on Facebook, in an app, on a website — or even through flyers, pamphlets, or word-of-mouth — Americans enjoy a fundamental First Amendment right to document and criticize law enforcement. But some people have raised objections centered on the relationship between free speech and law enforcement. So let’s answer some common criticisms we’ve faced.” (02/25/26)
https://www.fire.org/news/what-fires-critics-get-wrong-about-our-ice-app-lawsuit
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33) Mainstream Media Still Won’t Follow Up on Epstein-Israel Connection
Source: Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting
by Drew Favakeh
“Late last month, the US Department of Justice published 3.5 million pages about convicted sex offender and financier Jeffrey Epstein. On top of the grotesque and horrifying photos and emails that appear to offer more evidence of systemic and widespread child abuse, the Epstein files revealed further allegations of his ties to Israel and its intelligence agency Mossad. … It is important to note that the Epstein emails contain allegations and intimations, and don’t prove that Epstein was an Israeli agent, formally or informally. However, they do add to the existing evidence that Epstein used his considerable connections and wealth to assist the Israeli state.” (02/25/26)
https://fair.org/home/doj-released-much-more-on-epsteins-israel-ties-but-media-still-arent-much-interested/
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34) Companies Are Skeptical of Venezuela’s Oil Fields
Source: The American Conservative
by Joseph Addington
“At one time, multinational corporations operating in partnership with PDVSA made up the most productive sector of the Venezuelan oil industry, bringing technical expertise and investment that the Venezuelan government was unable or unwilling to contribute. The imposition of major sanctions meant that most of the partnerships essentially went dormant …. they are eager to put those rigs back online and make them productive once more. … But the investments from the GL50 license will be far from sufficient to return Venezuelan oil industry to its heyday in the late ’90s, when the country was pumping nearly 3.5 million barrels per day (today it pumps just under 900,000 bpd). For that, new outside investment will be needed under the GL49 — investment that so far the American energy industry has shown little interest in pursuing.” (02/25/26)
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/companies-are-skeptical-of-venezuelas-oil-fields/
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35) The Classical Liberal University in a Second-Best World
Source: Law & Liberty
by John O McGinnis
“The relationship between higher education and the state as it exists offers a possible justification for shock-and-awe policies for reform.” (02/25/26)
https://lawliberty.org/forum/the-classical-liberal-university-in-a-second-best-world/
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36) A “Blizzard” Gives Mayor Zohran Mamdani Pretext for a “Climate Lockdown”
Source: Brownstone Institute
by Naomi Wolf
“This blizzard — or ‘blizzard;’ it seems to me better described as a ‘snowfall’ — has been heralded by legacy media now for a couple of days. The language about it has been histrionic. It is a ‘bomb cyclone!’ It is ‘SEVERE WEATHER’ that requires an ‘ALERT!’ A red rectangle on the weather sites, surround those scary words. You can’t travel. But it’s not just that you are being advised not to travel, as a sovereign person, as in the past. There are ‘TRAVEL BANS.’ … The headlines’ freakout conceals the fact that this snowfall is within the range of normal, for the Northeastern United States. … the headlines drumming up hysteria have prepared the way for what is unfolding right now via City Hall, and via our still-new-on-the-job Marxist-Islamist Mayor, Zohran K Mamdani.” (02/25/26)
https://brownstone.org/articles/a-blizzard-gives-mayor-zohran-mamdani-pretext-for-a-climate-lockdown/
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37) Patriotism and its enemies: The Jack Hughes/Eileen Gu Olympics debate
Source: New York Post
by Rich Lowry
“The Winter Olympics had its thrills and spills — and a deep philosophical divide represented by two American, or American-born, athletes. Jack Hughes, the gold medal-winning American hockey player for the US team, gave voice to a patriotic reflex in his unhesitating, heartfelt expressions of love of his country. Eileen Gu, the gold medal-winning American-born freestyle skier competing for China, exemplified a cosmopolitan ideal that purports to float above mere nationhood. This difference — between the bloody-mouthed hockey player draped in his own country’s flag and the exceptionally talented part-time model resistant to any questions about national loyalty — drives many of the divisions in American society. Is loyalty to country a matter of choice, or an unalterable commitment? Is the appropriate attitude toward America one of fundamental gratitude or critical distance?” (02/24/26)
https://nypost.com/2026/02/24/opinion/patriotism-and-its-enemies-the-jack-hughes-eileen-gu-olympics-debate/
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38) Don’t save Social Security
Source: Washington Post
by Ramesh Ponnuru
“Another report, another dire prediction about Social Security. The Congressional Budget Office now estimates that the program’s trust fund will run out of money in 2032, during the next presidential term. The predominant response of official Washington was to ignore this warning like the ones before it. The serious-minded, public-spirited exceptions continued to ask: How are we going to save Social Security? Virtuous though they are, they’re asking the wrong question. It’s even backward, in that it focuses on the program rather than on the goals the program is supposed to serve. Better to ask instead: What kind of retirement system makes sense? And despite Social Security’s popularity, few Americans would design it as it currently is if they were answering that question from scratch.” (02/25/26)
https://archive.is/QVgW5
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39) Attending to Our Inner State: A Guide for Modern Prophets
Source: Mindset Shifts
by Barry Brownstein
“While it is tempting to try to save the world by shouting into the void of the ‘masses,’ Albert Jay Nock offered a different, harder piece of advice. He suggests that our actual task is not to convert the ‘masses’ but to ‘brace and reassure the Remnant.’ … Nock argued that the masses are beyond the reach of reason, and it is not our job to convert them. Nock is not saying don’t talk to or write for them, but drop the evangelical attitude that somehow you will get the ‘ear of the people’ and lead them out of the wilderness.” (02/25/26)
https://mindsetshifts.substack.com/p/attending-to-our-inner-state-a-guide
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40) A Supreme Court Win Didn’t Free Richard Glossip. But This Judge Could.
Source: The Intercept
by Liliana Segura
“A year since his legal victory — and after six judges recused themselves — Glossip is asking a new trial judge to release him from jail.” (02/25/26)
https://theintercept.com/2026/02/25/richard-glossip-judge-natalie-mai-oklahoma/
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41) Little Marco’s Quest to Make Imperialist West Imperialist Again
Source: Common Dreams
by Brent Everett Dickinson
“MAGA has been, throughout, an amorphous entity — curling, folding, dividing — as it slimed and slithered its way into this American life. Neocon MAGA is one particularly noteworthy division within, a more-than-slightly schizophrenic aberration that, if MAGA-world had any interest in maintaining conceptual coherence, would surely have long ago been run out of town. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is Neocon MAGA’s chief exemplar. In contrast to unreconstructed neocons like Lindsay Graham and John Bolton, who have tried to bootlick their way into President Donald Trump’s good graces with spotty results, ‘Little Marco’ was a neoconservative boy who has growth-spurted his way into a Neocon MAGA man.” (02/25/26)
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/marco-rubio-imperialism
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42) Watching Uncle Sam From Seoul
Source: Antiwar.com
by Jeffrey Robertson
“Since Trump’s election, Seoul’s analysts asked questions. Commentators voiced unease – and ‘Liberation Day’ proved their concerns well founded as the U.S. imposed a series of dynamic tariffs driven by social media and personal sentiment. Yet the depth of ties between Washington and Seoul led many to judge the tariffs difficult, but not insurmountable. Somewhere between Venezuela and Iran, attitudes started to change.” (02/25/26)
https://original.antiwar.com/jeffrey_robertson/2026/02/24/watching-uncle-sam-from-seoul
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43) SOTU: Trump threatens Iran but doesn’t go all the way
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Connor Echols
“Will he or won’t he? The president offered little insight, but built a case for potential Mideast escalation if he chose to do it.” (02/25/26)
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/state-of-the-union-iran/
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44) Trump Has Other Means to Make Tariff Mischief
Source: The UnPopulist
by Joe Bishop-Henchman
“The administration’s rapid pivot to Section 122 reflects necessity, not legal strength. It rests on redefining a ‘balance-of-payments crisis’ beyond recognition, disregarding its own recent legal positions, and assuming that courts will decline to examine economic realities too closely. That is a fragile foundation for a policy affecting hundreds of billions of dollars in commerce and millions of consumers. And it’s possible he will get away with it. Ultimately, this episode underscores a constitutional reality that no statutory workaround can erase: trade policy belongs to Congress. And unless Congress takes it back, it will not be able to put a definitive end to his tariff mischief.” (02/24/26)
https://www.theunpopulist.net/p/trump-has-other-means-to-make-tariff
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45) What Does “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness” Mean?
Source: Town Hall
by Americans for Prosperity
“When the Founders wrote ‘Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness’ into the Declaration of Independence, they weren’t guaranteeing comfort, equality of outcome, or a government-managed society. They were making a bolder claim that became the foundation of the American Dream: that people could build meaningful lives if government protected liberty and then got out of the way. That idea still matters today. At its core, the phrase shows trust in the American people. The Founders believed individuals, given freedom and responsibility, could make better choices for their lives than distant officials ever could. Perhaps more important is the idea that, as adults who are created equal, we have inherent dignity that must be recognized by our government. When this dignity is recognized, we can truly thrive as humans and give our best to our families, communities, and workplaces.” (02/25/26)
https://townhall.com/columnists/americans-for-prosperity/2026/02/25/what-does-life-liberty-and-the-pursuit-of-happiness-mean-n2671821
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46) Section 122 Can’t Carry Trump’s Tariffs
Source: Independent Institute
by Phillip W Magness
“The Supreme Court dealt a serious blow to President Trump’s economic agenda by ruling that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act doesn’t allow him to rewrite the U.S. tariff schedule. Mr. Trump immediately invoked a different law to impose a 10% tariff on all countries, followed by threats to raise it to 15%. The White House’s tariff Plan B looks copied from President Biden’s playbook when the court overruled his student-loan forgiveness scheme in 2023 and Mr. Biden began statute shopping for anything to back it. That strategy hit a roadblock in federal court, as a succession of rulings invalidated his attempt to revive the policy under different laws.” (02/24/26)
https://www.independent.org/article/2026/02/24/section-122-cant-carry-trumps-tariffs/
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47) The Online Right is Radicalizing Broken Men
Source: Desultory Scribblings
by Tyler Harris
“‘Why do Trump’s supporters keep trying to kill him?’ That’s the question I’ve most seen floating around in the wake of the killing of Austin Martin, a 21-year-old man who attempted to storm the cordon at Mar-a-Lago this past week while wielding a shotgun. It’s mostly rhetorical, but the glib and obvious answers – that Trump’s unique detestability and employment of violent rabble-rousing makes him an alluring target, even for his own acolytes, or that MAGA itself is a mental illness particularly prone even to internal violence – obscure a far more sweeping challenge. The online right has created an incredibly efficient and effective engine for breaking and radicalizing lonely young men.” (02/24/26)
https://tylerjohnharris.substack.com/p/the-online-right-is-radicalizing
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48) Epstein Files: An Opportunity for Libertarians
Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Ron Paul
“Those who have examined the Epstein files have seen information about how connected Jeffrey Epstein was to members of the political, business, and academic elites. Many of these connections started after Epstein’s 2008 conviction. The Epstein files support claims that Epstein worked with intelligence agencies, in particular Israel’s Mossad and the American CIA. Yet the mainstream media and most politicians seem uninterested in whether Epstein used underage girls in a scheme to blackmail powerful individuals on behalf of intelligence agencies. Fortunately, the alternative media is not afraid to discuss Epstein’s intelligence connections or any other matters related to Epstein, including suspicious circumstances surrounding his death.” (02/24/26)
https://mises.org/power-market/epstein-files-opportunity-libertarians
-----
49) AI Goes to Bat for Valerie Foushee
Source: The American Prospect
by David Dayen
“When we last left Rep. Valerie Foushee (D-NC), she was getting massively outspent in her March 3 Democratic primary for re-election in the Fourth Congressional District, where she faces Durham County commissioner Nida Allam. But that million-dollar deficit has now been mostly made up by a super PAC linked to artificial intelligence model designer Anthropic, makers of Claude, which is now dumping nearly $700,000 into supporting Foushee. Another $250,000 has been put toward Foushee by a mysterious PAC with ties to Democratic leadership. Jobs and Democracy PAC is Anthropic’s super PAC and part of an umbrella organization called Public First, which has been trying to give off a vibe of being the kinder, gentler AI super PAC, dedicated to prudent regulation rather than rampant accelerationism. The headline on Jobs and Democracy PAC’s website reads: ‘Supporting Democrats who put people before Big Tech.'” (02/25/26)
https://prospect.org/2026/02/25/ai-anthropic-claude-super-pac-valerie-foushee-congress-north-carolina/
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50) Do K-12 students have the right to walk out in protest?
Source: Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression
by Adam Goldstein
“Walkouts are a recurring form of student protest; students have used them to oppose gun violence, protest against racial injustice, call attention to climate change, protest wars, and more. Is there a right to walk out? Are states censoring students by pushing back? The short answer is that the First Amendment protects students’ rights to express views, but not the right to walk out of class to express them. But there’s a lot to unpack.” (02/24/26)
https://www.fire.org/news/do-k-12-students-have-right-walk-out-protest
_____ Today's Freedom Podcast and Video _____
51) So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast, episode 264
Source: Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression
“Anonymity from the founding to the digital age.” (02/25/26)
https://www.fire.org/news/podcasts/so-speak-free-speech-podcast/anonymity-founding-digital-age
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52) Reason Reacts to the State of the Union
Source: Reason
“Andrew Heaton talks with Reason‘s Katherine Mangu-Ward, Billy Binion, Robby Soave, Christian Britschgi, Eric Boehm, and Reem Ibrahim to get their instant reactions to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address.” (02/25/26)
https://reason.com/video/2026/02/25/reason-reacts-to-the-state-of-the-union/
-----
53) The Briefing Podcast with Michael Waldman, 02/25/26
Source: Brennan Center for Justice
“Can the Presidency Be Tamed? (with David Frum).” (02/25/26)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yckEb-708V0
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54) The Political Orphanage, 02/25/26
Source: The Political Orphanage
“How the Court Neutered Trump.” (02/25/26)
https://politicalorphanage.libsyn.com/how-the-court-neutered-trump
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55) SolutionsWatch, 02/25/26
Source: The Corbett Report
“How To Stand Your Ground.” (02/25/26)
https://corbettreport.com/how-to-stand-your-ground/
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56) The Libertarian Angle, 02/25/26
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
“Tariffs and Iran.” (02/25/26)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLAyrI7e4Sc
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57) Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 02/25/26
Source: Antiwar.com
“US F-22 Fighter Jets Arrive in Israel, Yair Lapid Backs Israel’s ‘Biblical Borders,’ and More.” (02/25/26)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBuariVKORQ
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58) LPALive, episode 61
Source: LP Alliance
“2026 State of the Union.” (02/24/26)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLEm8W9QJio
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59) Nonzero, 02/24/26
Source: bloggingheads.tv
“Iran War II | Robert Wright & Joshua Landis.” (02/24/26)
https://bloggingheads.tv/videos/69318
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60) The Kyle Anzalone Show, 02/24/26
Source: Libertarian Institute
“PROF. Mohammad Marandi : Brink of War! – Inside Iran’s Dealmaking, Deterrence, And Doubt.” (02/24/26)
https://libertarianinstitute.org/blog/the-kyle-anzalone-show-guest-prof-mohammad-marandi-brink-of-war-inside-irans-dealmaking-deterrence-and-doubt/
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