10/26 -- "Progressive" Democrats withdraw pro-diplomacy Ukraine letter; Older Politicians Aren't Necessarily Wiser Politicians
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Thomas L. Knapp
Oct 26, 2022, 6:50:14 AM10/26/22
to Freedom News Daily
Freedom News Daily, 10/26/22
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Produced by the staff of Rational Review News Digest
https://news.rationalreview.com/
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Today's Freedom News:
0) Year-End Fundraiser: Halfway to Halfway is ... Halfway!
1) "Progressive" Democrats withdraw pro-diplomacy Ukraine letter; idiot pol calls it "olive branch to a war criminal"
2) Turkey: Regime thugs abduct 11 journalists working for pro-Kurdish media
3) Alito whines that the public knowing what SCOTUS is up to makes justices "targets for assassination"
4) Ukraine war: Quisling officials out of, Russian troops into, Kherson?
5) Apple to customers: Switch to Android if you want financial privacy
6) FL: DeSantis refuses to commit to serving full term
7) South Africa: Tigray peace talks begin
8) TX: US gun supplier jailed for almost eight years in synagogue siege case
9) FL: Protest ban at university after anti-Sasse rally
10) Ukraine: Russians accused of sabotaging water pipe to Mykolaiv
11) US home prices continued to lose momentum in August
12) NE: Republicans struggle to OK ban despite anti-abortion history
13) Bangladesh: Thousands evacuated as Cyclone Sitrang makes landfall
14) Study: Plastic recycling a "failed concept," with only 5% recycled in US last year as production rises
15) Iranian man who didn't wash for half a century dies at 94
16) Russia: Court denies Griner's appeal of nine-year cannabis sentence
17) VA: Police chief whines about "perfect storm" of retirements, resignations
18) Meta-owned messaging service WhatsApp back online after global outage
19) CA: Students Have Smaller Drop in Math & Reading Test Scores
20) AZ: Voter group seeks restraining order against group linked to voter intimidation allegations
Today's Freedom Commentary:
21) Older Politicians Aren't Necessarily Wiser Politicians
22) Body Snatchers and Regulatory Capture
23) Thank You, Mr. President, for Lengthening My Leash
24) Democracy is supposed to be contentious
25) Where'd the Workers Go?
26) Liberalism, True And False
27) Law, Praxeology, and Unintended Moral Decay
28) Chickens Are Coming Home To Roost for Democrats
29) A Political Solution for Assange
30) Fauci and Others Will be Deposed
31) Violent Crime Is Driving a Red Wave
32) Why Germany's pursuit of peace in Ukraine is paralyzed
33) What US Africa Command Doesn't Want You To Know
34) Private Investors Can't Stop America From Borrowing Money
35) Driving Liberty in the Traffic of Tolerance
36) Political Theater: Joe Biden Pardons ZERO Federal Marijuana Prisoners
37) Doctor Dead End
38) Homeland Security chief Mayorkas needs to be impeached and Congress must force a reckoning
39) Proposition 12, the Constitution, and Good Government
40) Yes, People Move Because of Taxes
41) History's First Libertarian?
42) Writing on War, And Living in a World from Hell
43) No, "Russiagate" Wasn't the Hoax That Team Trump Claims It Was
44) Captured by the Captive Nations Lobby
45) Biden's Marijuana Pardons Did Not Free a Single Federal Prisoner or Deliver the Expungement He Promised
46) Biden's Destroying the Economy; Is It Intentional?
47) Blindness or lies? Government at its "best"
48) Beware Hawkish Catastrophism
49) How Progressives Can Counter "Tough-on Crime" Messaging
50) Family Tax Benefit Reform is Long Overdue
Today's Freedom Podcast and Video:
51) Rising, 10/25/22
52) Hubwonk, 10/25/22
53) The Bryan Hyde Show, 10/25/22
54) Vital Dissent, episode 237
55) Pod Save America, 10/25/22
56) Ron Paul Liberty Report, 10/25/22
57) Annelle Sheline on The Scott Horton Show
58) Cyberlaw Podcast, episode 427
59) Freedom Works with Paul Molloy, 10/24/22
60) The Chris Spangle Show, 10/24/22
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_____ Today's Freedom News _____
0) Year-End Fundraiser: Halfway to Halfway is ... Halfway!
THANK YOU to supporters JRS, DJ, and RW! Their contributions yesterday, totaling $250, bring our year-end fundraiser total (as of 6am eastern this morning) to $1,287.50 ... exactly halfway to our goal of $5,150!
I know what you're thinking. You're thinking I can't do math. But yes, $1,287.50 really IS halfway to $5,150 ... because supporter GL has offered "matching funds" for up to half our goal. So once we've reached, $2,575 from our other readers, we've also reached $5,150 altogether.
The more quickly we get there, the sooner I can stop flapping my lips at you about money until NEXT October. YOU can help us get this thing over with by Halloween at:
https://news.rationalreview.com/support-rrnd
Have a great day!
Yours in liberty,
Tom Knapp
Publisher
Rational Review News Digest / Freedom News Daily
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1) "Progressive" Democrats withdraw pro-diplomacy Ukraine letter; idiot pol calls it "olive branch to a war criminal"
Source: Business Insider
"Progressive Democrats faced a wave of backlash over a letter calling on President Joe Biden to pursue negotiations with Russia to end the war in Ukraine -- including from members of their own party. The letter, which was signed by 30 Democrats led by Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington state, was released Monday and withdrawn a day later by the progressive lawmakers following the blistering criticism. ... The Monday letter urged Biden to 'pair the military and economic support the United States has provided to Ukraine with a proactive diplomatic push, redoubling efforts to seek a realistic framework for a ceasefire.' ... 'This letter is an olive branch to a war criminal who's losing his war. Ukraine is on the march. Congress should be standing firmly behind [Biden's] effective strategy, including tighter -- not weaker! -- sanctions,' Democratic Rep. Jake Auchincloss of Massachusetts said in a tweet reacting to the letter." (10/25/22)
https://www.businessinsider.com/progressive-democrats-withdraw-letter-calling-biden-pursue-talks-with-russia-2022-10
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2) Turkey: Regime thugs abduct 11 journalists working for pro-Kurdish media
Source: ABC News
"Police carried out raids in several Turkish cities on Tuesday and detained 11 journalists affiliated with pro-Kurdish media for their alleged links to Kurdish militants, officials and reports said. The detentions come days after Turkey ratified a controversial new media law that mandates prison terms for people deemed to be spreading 'disinformation' for the purpose of causing 'public worry, fear and panic.' ... The pro-Kurdish Mezopotamya news agency said its chief editor, Diren Yurtsever, and eight other journalists were taken away for questioning following simultaneous police raids on their homes in Ankara, Istanbul and five other cities. Two journalists from the JinNews agency were also detained, it said. Police confirmed the detentions with a statement posted on Twitter saying the suspects were taken away for news or content 'that incites the public to hatred and enmity.'" (10/25/22)
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/turkey-detains-11-journalists-working-pro-kurdish-media-92064823
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3) Alito whines that the public knowing what SCOTUS is up to makes justices "targets for assassination"
Source: Axios
"U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito said Tuesday a leak of his draft opinion on overturning federal protections for abortion made members of the bench 'thought to be in the majority ... targets for assassination.' The leak to Politico ahead of the decision confirming that opinion overruling Roe v Wade 'gave people a rational reason to think they could prevent that from happening by killing one of us,' Alito said in a speech at the conservative Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C. ... Chief Justice John Roberts announced in May the Supreme Court had launched an investigation into the leak -- which Alito on Tuesday called a 'grave betrayal of trust by somebody.'" (10/26/22)
https://www.axios.com/2022/10/26/alito-supreme-court-abortion-leak-justices-assassination-targets
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4) Ukraine war: Quisling officials out of, Russian troops into, Kherson?
Source: CNN
"A veil of uncertainty has descended over Ukraine's southern front, as a counteroffensive raises hopes of further Ukrainian gains and speculation grows about what Russia's next move might be. There are mixed signals over Russia's plans for the key city of Kherson, which it has occupied since the early days of the war. Some indications suggest Moscow is bracing for battle, while others point towards preparations for withdrawal. ... Ukrainian officials say the Russians are moving injured people, administrative services and financial institutions out of the city, while sending in more troops to fortify their positions. ... on Tuesday, Ukraine's military claimed Russian forces were preparing 'defensive positions' along the east bank of the Dnipro -- the opposite side of the river from Kherson city -- and leaving small pathways for a 'potential retreat' from the west bank." (10/25/22)
https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/25/europe/kherson-russian-soldiers-defend-city-intl
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5) Apple to customers: Switch to Android if you want financial privacy
Source: CNBC
"Apple clarified its rules on cryptocurrencies and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) laying out what apps are allowed to do with these technologies. On crypto exchanges, Apple said in updated App Store rules on Monday, that apps may facilitate 'transactions or transmissions of cryptocurrency on an approved exchange.' But the app can only be offered in countries or regions where it has licensing and permission to operate a crypto exchange. 'Apps may not use their own mechanisms to unlock content or functionality,' such as cryptocurrencies or cryptocurrency wallets." (10/25/22)
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/10/25/apple-tightens-its-rules-on-crypto-and-nfts-in-its-app-store.html
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6) FL: DeSantis refuses to commit to serving full term
Source: SFGate
"A defiant Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis refused to commit to serving a full four-year term if reelected when pressed by his Democratic rival, Charlie Crist, at their only gubernatorial debate on Monday. Crist, a former congressman and one-term governor, accused DeSantis, a rising Republican star considered a likely 2024 presidential contender, of being too distracted by his national political ambitions to lead properly. DeSantis skirted several attempts by Crist to get him to say he'd serve a full second term. 'I know that Charlie is interested in talking about 2024 and Joe Biden, but I just want to make things very, very clear: The only worn-out old donkey I'm looking to put out to pasture is Charlie Crist,' DeSantis said of his 66-year-old opponent. Later, Crist slapped back, 'You won't even say if you want to be the governor of Florida after this election.'" (10/25/22)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Florida-Gov-DeSantis-faces-off-against-Crist-in-17530738.php
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7) South Africa: Tigray peace talks begin
Source: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation [Canadian state media]
"Peace talks to end Ethiopia's devastating Tigray conflict have begun in South Africa, a South African government spokesperson said Tuesday. It is the highest-level effort yet to end two years of fighting that has killed perhaps hundreds of thousands of people. The African Union-led talks that started Tuesday are expected to continue until Sunday, said Vincent Magwenya, spokesperson for South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. Delegations from the Ethiopian government and Tigray authorities arrived in South Africa this week. There was no immediate comment from either side." (10/25/22)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/peace-talks-ethiopia-tigray-south-africa-1.6628808
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8) TX: US gun supplier jailed for almost eight years in synagogue siege case
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
"A Texan who sold a British man a pistol he later used in an attack on a US synagogue has been jailed for almost eight years. Henry 'Michael' Dwight Williams, 33, sold the gun to Malik Faisal Akram two days before the siege at the Congregation Beth Israel in a suburb of Dallas, Texas, in January. Akram, who took four hostages, was shot dead by officers. Williams was arrested just over a week later. He pled guilty in June to being a felon in possession of a firearm, prosecutors say. Williams had previous convictions for aggravated assault, which meant, US Attorney Chad Meacham noted, he 'had no business carrying -- much less buying and selling -- firearms'" (10/25/22)
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-63386714
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9) FL: Protest ban at university after anti-Sasse rally
Source: Seattle Times
"The University of Florida is going to start enforcing a decades-old prohibition against indoor protests following a raucous demonstration earlier this month against the selection of U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse as a finalist for the school president's job. The current university president, Kent Fuch, said Monday in a letter to the university community that a protest inside a forum where Sasse was taking questions on Oct. 10 made it difficult to hear the Nebraska senator's responses as protesters were banging their fists on windows, walls and furniture. Because of the demonstration involving 1,000 protesters, the discussion had to be moved online and shortened. While the university supports the First Amendment right to free speech, 'with this commitment comes an obligation to protect the rights of everyone in our community to speak and to hear,' Fuchs said." (10/25/22)
https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/protest-ban-at-florida-university-after-anti-sasse-rally/
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10) Ukraine: Russians accused of sabotaging water pipe to Mykolaiv
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
"For six months, homes in Ukraine's southern coastal city of Mykolaiv have been without clean drinking water. Military and UN experts have told a BBC investigation they believe Russian forces deliberately cut off the water supply last April. Satellite imagery and data suggest the pipeline to the city was deliberately destroyed while under Russian control. Destroying resources vital for civilian life is widely regarded as violations of international humanitarian law. But in recent weeks Russia has further targeted Ukraine's power and water infrastructure, prompting shortages across the country. Queuing in the street in Mykolaiv to collect clean drinking water is dangerous as the city is close to the front line and is often shelled. Since Russia's invasion it has remained under Ukrainian control." (10/25/22)
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-63383605
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11) US home prices continued to lose momentum in August
Source: CNN
"US home prices continued to gain ground in August, but the pace of growth slowed considerably as rising mortgage rates pushed more prospective buyers out of the market. Home prices rose 13% in August from the year before, a smaller jump than the 15.6% growth seen in July and 18.1% pace in June, according to the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller US National Home Price Index. The drop between July and August was the largest deceleration in the history of the index going back to 1987, surpassing the previous record a month prior. July also marked the first month-over-month decrease for the national index since February 2012 and that continued in August, with seasonally adjusted prices falling 0.9% month-over-month." (10/25/22)
https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/25/homes/case-shiller-home-prices-august/index.html
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12) NE: Republicans struggle to OK ban despite anti-abortion history
Source: SFGate
"Nebraska Republicans are expected to dominate as usual at the polls in November and retain control of the officially nonpartisan Legislature. They face a far tougher challenge flipping enough seats to push through a statewide abortion ban. The Supreme Court decision overturning the constitutional right to abortion has injected a degree of uncertainty into elections, even in some of the nation's most reliably red states. Abortion opponents in Nebraska are hoping to avoid a repeat of what happened this summer in neighboring Kansas, where voters overwhelming rejected a ballot measure that would have paved the way for an abortion ban there. 'Whether we like it or not, Nebraska is now a destination state for abortion,' said David Zebolsky, chairman of Nebraskans Embracing Life. 'We're supporting strong pro-life legislative candidates in the November election to change that.'" (10/25/22)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Nebraska-struggling-to-OK-ban-despite-17533171.php
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13) Bangladesh: Thousands evacuated as Cyclone Sitrang makes landfall
Source: Al Jazeera [Qatar state media]
"Cyclone Sitrang has lashed Bangladesh, killing at least 9 people and snapping power and communication lines in the country's southern and southwestern coastal region, officials said on Tuesday. The cyclone triggered heavy rains and flooding in many areas, including the capital Dhaka. The cyclone originated in the Bay of Bengal before turning north towards Bangladesh's vast coast, prompting authorities to evacuate hundreds of thousands of people to cyclone shelters late on Monday. On Monday, the government halted operations by all river vessels across the country, closed three airports and asked fishing boats to return from the deep sea and remain anchored in the Bay of Bengal." (10/25/22)
https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/2022/10/25/thousands-evacuated-as-cyclone-sitrang-hits-bangladesh
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14) Study: Plastic recycling a "failed concept," with only 5% recycled in US last year as production rises
Source: CBS News
"Plastic recycling rates are declining even as production shoots up, according to a Greenpeace USA report out Monday that blasted industry claims of creating an efficient, circular economy as 'fiction.' Titled 'Circular Claims Fall Flat Again,' the study found that of 51 million tons of plastic waste generated by U.S. households in 2021, only 2.4 million tons were recycled, or around five percent. After peaking in 2014 at 10 percent, the trend has been decreasing, especially since China stopped accepting the West's plastic waste in 2018. Virgin production -- of non-recycled plastic, that is -- meanwhile is rapidly rising as the petrochemical industry expands, lowering costs." (10/25/22)
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/plastic-recycling-failed-concept-us-greenpeace-study-5-percent-recycled-production-up/
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15) Iranian man who didn't wash for half a century dies at 94
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
"A hermit dubbed by media as 'the world's dirtiest man' has died at the age of 94, just months after having his first wash in decades. Amou Haji had refused to use soap and water for more than half a century, fearing it would make him sick. The Iranian, who lived in the southern province of Fars, had avoided previous attempts by villagers to get him clean. But, local media say, Amou Haji finally succumbed to pressure and washed a few months ago. According to Iran's IRNA news agency, he became ill shortly afterwards and died on Sunday. In a previous interview, given to the Tehran Times in 2014, he revealed his favourite meal was porcupine, and that he lived between a hole in the ground and a brick shack built by concerned neighbours in the village of Dejgah." (10/25/22)
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-63389045
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16) Russia: Court denies Griner's appeal of nine-year cannabis sentence
Source: USA Today
"A Russian court on Tuesday denied American basketball star Brittney Griner's appeal of her nine-year prison sentence for drug possession. Griner, an eight-time all-star center with the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and a two-time Olympic gold medalist, was convicted Aug. 4 after police said they found vape canisters containing cannabis oil in her luggage at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport. The Moscow Regional Court ruled Tuesday to uphold the sentence. In the ruling the court stated, however, that the time Griner will have to serve in prison will be recalculated with her time in pre-trial detention taken into account." (10/25/22)
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/wnba/2022/10/25/brittney-griners-appeal-drug-sentence-denied-russian-court/10594915002/
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17) VA: Police chief whines about "perfect storm" of retirements, resignations
Source: Fox News
"The Norfolk Police Department in Virginia is ramping up initiatives to attract new recruits as the force copes with hundreds of vacancies this year. 'If conditions hold as they are today, we've got five years before we see some incremental improvement, and we need to be prepared for that,' Norfolk Police Chief Michael Goldsmith said earlier this month. Data provided to Fox News Digital shows sworn vacancies at the department have ballooned from 47 in 2019 to 117 in 2020, and up to 162 in 2021. Sworn vacancies sit at 227, as of last week. Goldsmith attributed the increase in departures to a 'perfect storm' of an influx of officers leaving the profession amid a 'negative narrative' on police following the 2020 riots and protests, combined with 'baby boomer retirements,' the Virginian-Pilot reported." [editor's note: Fewer cops is GOOD news – TLK] (10/25/22)
https://www.foxnews.com/us/va-police-chief-warns-perfect-storm-retirements-resignations-negative-narrative-cops
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18) Meta-owned messaging service WhatsApp back online after global outage
Source: CNBC
"WhatsApp, the messaging app owned by Facebook parent Meta, suffered a global outage on Tuesday. Problems were first detected around 3:17 a.m. ET, according to Downdetector.com, which monitors outages across internet services. Users reported problems with sending and receiving messages. Normal service on WhatsApp had appeared to be restored at around 5 a.m. ET. ... WhatsApp, which has around 2 billion users, is particularly popular in countries such as India and Brazil. Users across the world from the U.K. to India and Turkey reported outages on Tuesday." (10/25/22)
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/10/25/whatsapp-is-down-globally.html
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19) CA: Students Have Smaller Drop in Math & Reading Test Scores
Source: SFGate
"Pandemic school closures are over, but parents, teachers and students still wonder how prolonged distance learning affected academic progress. The initial signs are concerning. Scores released this week from a statewide exam administered in the spring revealed dismally low levels of proficiency in reading and math. About 47% of California students met English language standards and 33% met math standards, both performance drops from 2019. The findings were echoed by national data also published on Monday, which found that just 30% of eighth graders in the state achieved proficiency in reading and 23% in math, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, known as the nation's report card. ... If there's any glimmer of good news for California, it is that students' academic performance here fell slightly less than across the nation during the pandemic, my colleague Sarah Mervosh reported." (10/25/22)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/California-Students-Have-Dismally-Low-Math-and-17532687.php
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20) AZ: Voter group seeks restraining order against group linked to voter intimidation allegations
Source: CNN
"An association for retirees and an organization for Latino voters are seeking a temporary restraining order against a group they allege is coordinating a campaign of voter intimidation in Arizona. The restraining order request was filed Monday evening with a federal court lawsuit alleging that the group Clean Elections USA and its founder, Melody Jennings, were running afoul of federal law with incidents near ballot drop box locations in Arizona. The lawsuit accuses the defendants of a 'coordinated campaign of vigilante voter intimidation' in violation of the Voting Rights Act and federal civil rights law. Clean Elections USA did not respond to a CNN inquiry." (10/25/22)
https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/25/politics/arizona-voter-intimidation-allegation-temporary-restraining-order
_____ Today's Freedom Commentary _____
21) Older Politicians Aren't Necessarily Wiser Politicians
Source: Garrison Center
by Thomas L Knapp
"I am not a doctor. I do not play a doctor on TV, or on the Internet. You're probably not a doctor, either. But our lack of credentials to issue medical diagnoses doesn't prevent us from noticing, and making plausible inferences from, visible signs of (likely age-related) mental decline. Joe Biden just ain't right in the head. He's not remembering and understanding things that people with normal mental function remember and understand. He's living, at least some of the time, in an alternate reality. Nor is he the first. Ronald Reagan is now acknowledged to have been in the early stages of Alzheimer's during the last years of his presidency. Donald Trump seems incapable of opening his mouth without saying something bizarrely disconnected from reality .... It's not just the presidency, either." (10/25/22)
https://thegarrisoncenter.org/archives/17208
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22) Body Snatchers and Regulatory Capture
Source: EconLog
by Kevin Corcoran
"I occasionally find myself pondering how libertarians agree and disagree with non-libertarians. How much disagreement is due to a deep divide in values, and how much is due to different ideas on how to pursue similar values? Of course, there is no single answer to this question, but broad trends can be noticed. I've noticed one area where libertarians and leftist (broadly) agree on the nature of a problem, but come to very different conclusions on the best way to respond to that problem." (10/24/22)
https://www.econlib.org/body-snatchers-and-regulatory-capture/
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23) Thank You, Mr. President, for Lengthening My Leash
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
by Jacob G Hornberger
"Three weeks ago, President Biden issued a mass pardon for people convicted of federal marijuana possession. His leftist supporters praised and glorified him for his act of extreme compassion and generosity. Never mind that there was no one incarcerated in a federal penitentiary for simple possession of marijuana. Never mind that Biden's pardon didn't extend to people serving time in the federal pen for possession with intent to distribute. Never mind that it didn't extend to people who were incarcerated for distributing marijuana to people who wanted it. Never mind that his pardon didn't extend to people serving time for possessing or distributing other drugs. ... All that mattered was that Biden had lengthened the federal leash a bit on American serfs -- the leash that came with the war on drugs when it was launched decades ago." (10/25/22)
https://www.fff.org/2022/10/25/thank-you-mr-president-for-lengthening-my-leash/
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24) Democracy is supposed to be contentious
Source: Orange County Register
by John Seiler
"We keep reading headlines about how American democracy supposedly is in peril. 'American democracy is under threat,' frets the Economist. 'The midterm elections could leave democracy weaker ahead of the 2024 presidential race.' Not really. Democracy is supposed to be rambunctious. People expecting placid elections are looking in the wrong place." (10/25/22)
https://www.ocregister.com/2022/10/25/democracy-is-supposed-to-be-contentious/
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25) Where'd the Workers Go?
Source: The Pamphleteer
by Davis Hunt
"I am down in North Louisiana for a few days helping to produce a series of recruitment videos for a sawmill having a hard time staffing its operation. Even with the government's Covid response on the drawdown, staffing problems continue to reverberate across the country; at this point, we all have experienced the effects of this first-hand, be it at a restaurant or in delays for contracting work. Unfortunately, a dwindling workforce is not a new trend: since a post-WWII peak, the labor force participation rate (LFPR) among prime-age working men has been on a steady decline. In January 1960, LFPR was 97.1%. Sixty-two years later, in January 2022, LFPR stood at 88.2%. In other words, Covid is not wholly to blame. Rather, it accelerated what was a pre-existing trend, pushing many out of the workforce early and introducing others to the charms of living on the dole." (10/25/22)
https://pamphleteer.co/newsletter/no-363-whered-the-workers-go/
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26) Liberalism, True And False
Source: Cobden Centre
by Dr. Richard M Ebeling
"The death of liberalism has been hailed or feared for well over a century now. In the United States, the tribal collectivists of identity politics and critical race theory insist that America has never been about freedom. It has always been a racist society born with the institution of slavery. The idea of liberal individualism is a ruse to hide the oppression and exploitation of women and 'people of color' by capitalist white males. There was an underlying humility in the older classical liberalism that assumed that each person could better find his own way than to presume that political paternalists could make better decisions for them. Among conservatives, liberalism is rejected for not fostering a proper moral sense in people and creating a group loyalty of something outside of and better than 'merely' the autonomy of the narrowly self-interested individual ..." (10/25/22)
https://www.cobdencentre.org/2022/10/liberalism-true-and-false/
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27) Law, Praxeology, and Unintended Moral Decay
Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Robert Zumwalt
"The application of praxeology has been described as 'methodological individualism.' As Rothbard wrote, 'only an individual can adopt values or make choices; only an individual can act.' Law, being essentially the attempt at controlling the values, choices, and actions of individuals, must at least be subject to criticism by this methodology. Below, I attempt to apply such a criticism to the legal theory of prominent twentieth century British jurist and legal philosopher Patrick Devlin known as legal moralism to make the case that legal systems intended to enforce a society's morality may end up contributing to its moral decay instead." (10/25/22)
https://mises.org/wire/law-praxeology-and-unintended-moral-decay
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28) Chickens Are Coming Home To Roost for Democrats
Source: Epoch Times
by Conrad Black
"All indications now are that the Democrats are finally about to pay for using Trump-hate as a substitute for governing for two years, just as for four years prior to that they used Trump-hate as a substitute for normal opposition. The entire fabric of myths and frauds and defamations that the national political media have conveniently held up as a safety net for the Democratic Party and this terribly incompetent administration is about to disappear, and the Democrats will finally carry the can for 14 years of incompetence and venality .... The greatest liberation of all in the national purgation that now seems likely in the midterm elections in two weeks will be the debunking of the totalitarian fiction that the 2020 election was unquestionably fair." (10/25/22)
https://www.theepochtimes.com/election-denial-will-win_4815454.html
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29) A Political Solution for Assange
Source: CounterPunch
by Binoy Kampmark
"It was telling. Of the mainstream Australian press gallery, only David Crowe of the Sydney Morning Herald turned up to listen to Jennifer Robinson, lawyer extraordinaire who has spent years representing Julian Assange. Since 2019, that representation has taken an even more urgent note: to prevent the WikiLeaks founder from being extradited to the United States, where he faces 18 charges, 17 confected from the archaic Espionage Act of 1917. In addressing the Australian National Press Club, Robinson's address, titled 'Julian Assange, Free Speech and Democracy,' was a grand recapitulation of the political case against the WikiLeaks founder. Followers of this ever darkening situation would not have found anything new. The shock, rather, was how ignorant many remain about the chapters in this scandalous episode of persecution." (10/25/22)
https://www.counterpunch.org/2022/10/25/a-political-solution-for-assange/
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30) Fauci and Others Will be Deposed
Source: Brownstone Institute
by Aaron Kheriaty
"I've posted before on our Missouri v. Biden lawsuit, in which the state of Missouri and Louisiana -- along with four private plaintiffs (Jay Bhattacharya, Martin Kulldorff, the advocacy organization Health Freedom Louisiana, and yours truly) represented by the New Civil Liberties Alliance -- are suing the Biden Administration for alleged free speech violations. We now have strong evidence that the executive branch of the federal government has been colluding with social media to censor content on social media platforms -- including Twitter, Google, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram -- that questions, challenges, or contradicts the government's covid policies. This week, the federal judge in the case granted our request to obtain deposition testimony, under oath, from the following current or former government officials: 1. NIAID Director and White House Chief Medical Advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci ..." (10/25/22)
https://brownstone.org/articles/fauci-and-others-will-be-deposed/
-----
31) Violent Crime Is Driving a Red Wave
Source: RealClearPolitics
By Charles Lipson
"Two weeks before the 2022 midterms, fear of crime is second only to worries over inflation and recession. Both issues -- personal security and economic security – affect voters directly. They arise every time voters ride the subway, walk down a dark street, pay the cashier at the grocery, or fill up their truck. That's why survey after survey says they are the top issues motivating voters this November. That's bad news for Democrats. Pollsters say Republicans hold huge advantages on the economy, inflation, and crime, the issues that matter most to voters. Since crime is essentially a local issue, why does it hurt Democrats running for national or statewide office? Because the Democratic Party has associated itself with the notion that 'social justice' and 'racial equality' require fundamentally changing policing and incarceration. The problem, they say, is police, not criminals." (10/25/22)
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2022/10/25/violent_crime_is_driving_a_red_wave_148370.html
-----
32) Why Germany's pursuit of peace in Ukraine is paralyzed
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Anatol Lieven
"There are growing fears that the energy shortages and price rises resulting from the Russian invasion of Ukraine, European Union sanctions against Russia, and Russian cuts in gas supplies could lead to something approaching the 'de-industrialisation' of Europe .... Worries about this are especially acute in Germany, the industrial powerhouse of Europe, which has so far managed largely to avoid the steep decline in manufacturing capacity that has affected other European countries over the past two generations. ... it seems probable that previous German governments would have been doing their utmost to restore Russian gas supplies by bringing about a peace settlement or at least a ceasefire in Ukraine .... By contrast, since the threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine first emerged almost a year ago, there has been no serious autonomous German effort either to prevent the war or to bring it to an end." (10/25/22)
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/2022/10/25/why-germanys-pursuit-toward-peace-in-ukraine-is-paralyzed/
-----
33) What US Africa Command Doesn't Want You To Know
Source: Antiwar.com
by Nick Turse & Tom Engelhardt
"What's the U.S. military doing in Africa? It's an enigma, wrapped in a riddle, straight-jacketed in secrecy, and hogtied by red tape. Or at least it would be if it were up to the Pentagon. Ten years ago, I embarked on a quest to answer that question at TomDispatch, chronicling a growing American military presence on that continent, a build-up of both logistical capabilities and outposts, and the possibility that far more was occurring out of sight. 'Keep your eye on Africa,' I concluded. 'The U.S. military is going to make news there for years to come.' I knew I had a story when U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) failed to answer basic questions honestly. And the command's reaction to the article told me that I also had a new beat." (10/25/22)
https://original.antiwar.com/nick_turse/2022/10/24/what-us-africa-command-doesnt-want-you-to-know/
-----
34) Private Investors Can't Stop America From Borrowing Money
Source: The American Prospect
by Ryan Cooper
"The antics of the British Conservative Party -- where Liz Truss turned in by far the shortest term as prime minister in U.K. history -- have been both hilarious and a welcome distraction from America's wretched political news. But it's increasingly clear that the way Truss went down, plus the inflation that has stayed stubbornly high for months now, has resurrected one of the demons of austerity politics: the dread bond vigilantes. ... The theory here is that should Congress pass some big spending bill without taxes to compensate, private investors (the aforementioned vigilantes) might balk at buying the resulting debt, and the government will be forced to cut back." (10/25/22)
https://prospect.org/economy/private-investors-cant-stop-america-from-borrowing-money/
-----
35) Driving Liberty in the Traffic of Tolerance
Source: Law & Liberty
by Michael D Thomas
"The wonderful essay by Doug Rasmussen and Doug Den Uyl points to liberty as the supreme value, and there is a good case to be made for that. My response is that in comparing tolerance and liberty, the two authors could apply their own distinction between the political and the ethical to sort out the difference between liberty as an ethical virtue and tolerance as a political principle. Tolerance is a political principle because it is entirely dependent on the institutional rules that make up a governance organization." (10/25/22)
https://lawliberty.org/driving-liberty-in-the-traffic-of-tolerance/
-----
36) Political Theater: Joe Biden Pardons ZERO Federal Marijuana Prisoners
Source: Libertarian Institute
by Matt Agorist
"Earlier this month, President Joe Biden announced what many perceived to be one of the largest acts of clemency in history. Biden said he was rolling out a mass pardon for all those currently sitting in jail on a federal marijuana possession charge. This announcement was a breath of fresh air considering this country's horrific track record when it comes to kidnapping, caging, and killing people over this plant. While this sounds like a major move on the surface, when we take a closer look, it doesn't appear to be major, or, in fact, any move at all. ... The president pardoning 6,500 people sounds pretty incredible until we look at the number of people who are currently in custody. That number sits a zero." (10/25/22)
https://libertarianinstitute.org/articles/political-theater-joe-biden-pardons-zero-federal-marijuana-prisoners/
-----
37) Doctor Dead End
Source: Common Sense
by Paul Jacob
"Dr. Anthony Fauci not only holds a smoking gun, he's standing over the corpse and sniffing the barrel, grinning like a cartoon villain. Last week we considered the gross indecency of this director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and lead member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force funding Peter Daszak and the Wuhan lab to do more research on bat coronaviruses -- to the tune of 'Six Million Dimes.' And now that a Boston group has publicized its gain-of-function research, we should ask ourselves: is Fauci involved in this, too? The answer is: YES -- to the tune of $2.5 million!" (10/25/22)
https://thisiscommonsense.org/2022/10/25/doctor-dead-end/
-----
38) Homeland Security chief Mayorkas needs to be impeached and Congress must force a reckoning
Source: Fox News
by Liz Peek
"Republican Governors Ron DeSantis, Doug Ducey and Greg Abbott have done Americans a great service by publicizing the humanitarian and national security crisis [sic] at our southern border. They have, by sending migrants to Democrat-run cities like New York and Chicago, and elitist encampments like Martha's Vineyard, exposed the lawlessness and hypocrisy of liberal Democrats .... Soon, it will be Congress'[s] turn. If, as expected, Republicans take over control of the House of Representatives, GOP legislators must proceed with the articles of impeachment brought against Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas that were first introduced August 10, 2021. That resolution, forwarded by Arizona Representative Andy Biggs and a group of like-minded GOP legislators, claimed that Mayorkas presided over 'a reckless abandonment of border security and immigration enforcement, at the expense of the Constitution and the security of the United States.'" [editor's note: The Constitution forbids "immigration enforcement" – TLK] (10/25/22)
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/homeland-security-chief-mayorkas-needs-impeached-congress-force-reckoning
-----
39) Proposition 12, the Constitution, and Good Government
Source: American Institute for Economic Research
by Gary M Galles
"Four years ago, California voters approved Proposition 12, in which a 'yes' vote was promoted to 'establish minimum space requirements based on square feet for calves raised for veal, breeding pigs, and egg-laying hens and to ban the sale of (a) veal from calves, (b) pork from breeding pigs, and (c) eggs from hens when the animals are confined to areas below minimum square-feet requirements.' That proposition has been challenged, however, as unconstitutional on the basis of something missing from that proposition, namely, where it would apply." (10/25/22)
https://www.aier.org/article/proposition-12-the-constitution-and-good-government/
-----
40) Yes, People Move Because of Taxes
Source: Hawaii Reporter
by Tom Yamachika
"This week, we focus on a study that has just come out of the national Tax Foundation (with whom the Tax Foundation of Hawaii shares a name but not much else). That study looks at IRS and census data to see if tax considerations affect people's decisions to move from one state and to another. ... Hawaii was, interestingly, the only state to lose population but also gain in adjusted gross income being reported to the state. We picked up nearly $71 million in AGI. This means that we gained a few high-income individuals but lost more of those folks scraping to make ends meet. ... four of the top five states that former Hawaii residents moved to, namely Florida, Nevada, Texas, and Washington, don't tax individuals on wage income." (10/25/22)
https://www.hawaiireporter.com/yes-people-move-because-of-taxes/
-----
41) History's First Libertarian?
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Jon Miltimore
"Though neither Smith or Chydenius used the term 'spontaneous order' -- it didn't appear until the 20th century -- the phenomenon is clearly what both philosophers describe. It's the idea that social order and harmony emerge from the voluntary actions of individuals, not central planning. Yet neither of these great philosophers were the first to articulate this idea. That distinction belongs to Zhuang Zhou (aka Zhuangzi), a Chinese philosopher and poet who lived during the 4th century B.C. Zhuang Zhou rejected the Confucianism of the time, which emphasized obedience to national authority in addition to its broader ethical teachings, and embraced (and expanded upon) the teachings of Lao-Tzu, a contemporary of Confucius who opposed state rule and emphasized laissez faire economics." (10/25/22)
https://fee.org/articles/historys-first-libertarian/
-----
42) Writing on War, And Living in a World from Hell
Source: TomDispatch
by Chris Hedges
"As this century began, I was writing War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning, my reflections on two decades as a war correspondent, 15 of them with the New York Times, in Central America, the Middle East, Africa, Bosnia, and Kosovo. I worked in a small, sparsely furnished studio apartment on First Avenue in New York City. ... The super, who lived in the first-floor apartment, smoked prodigious amounts of weed, leaving the grimy lobby stinking of pot. When he found out I was writing a book, he suggested I chronicle his moment of glory during the six days of clashes known as the Stonewall Riots, triggered by a 1969 police raid on the Stonewall Inn, a gay club in Greenwich Village. He claimed he had thrown a trash can through the front window of a police cruiser." (10/25/22)
https://tomdispatch.com/writing-on-war
-----
43) No, "Russiagate" Wasn't the Hoax That Team Trump Claims It Was
Source: Cato Institute
by Cathy Young
"There is no question that after the 2016 election, a number of people devastated by Trump's win eagerly jumped on what we might call a 'Trump is Putin's bitch' narrative that was at best unproven and at worst drastically overhyped. ... Yet the idea that the Mueller report exposed Russiagate as a 'hoax' rests on a false binary: either Trump and/or his associates actively conspired with Russia, or Trump has been the victim of a 'Russia, Russia, Russia' witch hunt. But there is also another scenario: that Trump ran as a Russia-friendly candidate, Russia interfered in the election to help Trump (as the Mueller report very clearly states), and Trump and his cronies were fine with that. And that scenario is not a hoax or a concoction of the Steele dossier." (10/25/22)
https://www.cato.org/commentary/no-russiagate-wasnt-hoax-team-trump-claims-it-was
-----
44) Captured by the Captive Nations Lobby
Source: The American Conservative
by James W Carden
"What explains the Biden administration's commitment to the war in Ukraine? It can't be popular support. A recent poll by Morning Consult showed few Americans believe the U.S. is insufficiently supportive of Ukraine. ... Part of the answer, of course, has to do with Russia, and Russia's ongoing occupation of parts and eastern and southern Ukraine. But the special pleading of a specific U.S. lobby has also played a significant role in shaping the administration's response to Putin's February invasion." (10/25/22)
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/captured-by-the-captive-nations-lobby/
-----
45) Biden's Marijuana Pardons Did Not Free a Single Federal Prisoner or Deliver the Expungement He Promised
Source: Reason
by Jacob Sullum
"Edwin Rubis has served more than two decades of a 40-year federal prison sentence for participating in a marijuana distribution operation. Taking into account 'good time' credit, he is not scheduled to be released until August 2032. Rubis is one of about 3,000 federal prisoners whose cannabis-related sentences were unaffected by President Joe Biden's mass pardon for low-level marijuana offenders. A protest at the White House today called attention to their predicament. Biden's October 6 proclamation applied only to U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents convicted of simple marijuana possession under the Controlled Substances Act or the District of Columbia Code, none of whom was still incarcerated." (10/24/22)
https://reason.com/2022/10/24/bidens-marijuana-pardons-did-not-free-a-single-federal-prisoner-or-deliver-the-expungement-he-promised/
-----
46) Biden's Destroying the Economy; Is It Intentional?
Source: Town Hall
by Stephen Moore
"Everywhere I go, people are mystified about President Joe Biden's economic agenda. So few of the policies comport with basic common sense that I'm asked the same question over and over: Is Biden intentionally trying to take a wrecking ball to the economy? Is this all part of some diabolical plan, the 'great reset,' to end our system of free market capitalism [sic] and replace it with some form of big government socialism? ... My belief is that, no, I don't think this is an intentional, nefarious Dr. Evil-type plot. But if this were a scheme to burn down the village in order to rebuild it, Biden and his administration are doing a great job of it." (10/25/22)
https://townhall.com/columnists/stephenmoore/2022/10/24/bidens-destroying-the-economy-is-it-intentional-n2614935
-----
47) Blindness or lies? Government at its "best"
Source: The Price of Liberty
by Nathan Barton
"Is government just blind (willfully or not)? Or is it just that government is incapable of telling the truth? Are lies essential to government? Lets look at just one example." (10/24/22)
https://thepriceofliberty.org/2022/10/24/blindness-or-lies-government-at-its-best/
-----
48) Beware Hawkish Catastrophism
Source: Eunomia
by Daniel Larison
"Warning that 'inaction' will lead to disaster is the default rhetorical move among hawks, and hawks issue these warnings so often because it is usually the only way for them to sell aggressive policies that make no sense for U.S. interests. Because the U.S. often has little or nothing at stake in a given country, hawks that want the U.S. to intervene in that country are compelled to exaggerate the importance of the place and its connection to U.S. interests elsewhere. This is why China hawks exaggerate Taiwan's importance to the U.S. position in East Asia, and it is why hawkish Atlanticists exaggerate the importance of Ukraine to NATO's security, and it is why Cold War hawks exaggerated the importance of South Vietnam to the policy of containment itself. It was also why the Bush administration had to exaggerate the supposed threat from Iraq." (10/24/22)
https://daniellarison.substack.com/p/beware-hawkish-catastrophism
-----
49) How Progressives Can Counter "Tough-on Crime" Messaging
Source: In These Times
by Robert Kraig
"After the cold-blooded police murder of George Floyd in 2020 sparked the largest outpouring of public protest in American history since the Civil Rights Movement, a brilliant set of Black organizers leveraged social media's virality and corporate media's thirst for sensational video to flip the traditional crime narrative. Police were recast as dangerous, and innocent Black people as victims of their racism. Shifts in resources from the carceral state to the most economically and racially marginalized communities, previously unthinkable, seemed possible. What a difference two years makes. Massive propaganda ... gave the carceral state a golden opportunity to restore the previous order. Riding a wave of public fear, mayoral candidates in 2021 and 2022 won on platforms of more policing. The GOP continues to use crime as its leading racial dog whistle for the midterms." (10/24/22)
https://inthesetimes.com/article/public-safety-police-crime-criminal-justice-defund-community-organizing
-----
50) Family Tax Benefit Reform is Long Overdue
Source: Niskanen Center
by Joshua McCabe
"There has been no shortage of proposals from Congress to expand various family tax benefits in recent years. The temporary expansion of the Child Tax Credit (CTC), Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), and Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC) under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARP) are the most recent examples of this trend. However, attempts to rationalize this maze of family tax benefits -- consolidation of overlapping benefits, streamlined eligibility requirements, and reduced administrative burdens -- have been few and far between." (10/24/22)
https://www.niskanencenter.org/family-tax-benefit-reform-is-long-overdue/
_____ Today's Freedom Podcast and Video _____
51) Rising, 10/25/22
Source: The Hill
"Briahna Joy Gray and Robby Soave discuss Democratic lawmakers finally pressing President Biden to change strategy in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, pushing instead for negotiations with Russia instead of supporting Ukraine indefinitely." (10/25/22)
https://thehill.com/hilltv/rising/3703017-rising-october-25-2022/
-----
52) Hubwonk, 10/25/22
Source: Pioneer Institute
"The Causes and Potential Cures for Inflation." (10/25/22)
https://pioneerinstitute.org/podcast-hubwonk/the-causes-and-potential-cures-for-inflation/
-----
53) The Bryan Hyde Show, 10/25/22
Source: The Bryan Hyde Show
"The internet has been a major game-changer for most of us. Paul Rosenberg explains how the world has overcome the internet and we need to reclaim that online space." (10/25/22)
https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-tbh4f-12f826d
-----
54) Vital Dissent, episode 237
Source: Libertarian Institute
"America's Original Experiment in Nation Building ft. Scott Spaulding." (10/25/22)
https://libertarianinstitute.org/patrick/americas-original-experiment-in-nation-building-ft-scott-spaulding-ep-237/
-----
55) Pod Save America, 10/25/22
Source: Crooked Media
"It's Midnights In America (with AOC!)" (10/25/22)
https://stitcher.simplecastaudio.com/9aa1e238-cbed-4305-9808-c9228fc6dd4f/episodes/2255a487-0587-494b-8462-bfcd6c7d070a/audio/128/default.mp3
-----
56) Ron Paul Liberty Report, 10/25/22
Source: Ron Paul Liberty Report
"Smackdown! House Dems Desperately Walk Back Letter Urging Diplomacy For Ukraine." (10/25/22)
https://rumble.com/v1ptddl-smackdown-house-dems-desperately-walk-back-letter-urging-diplomacy-for-ukri.html
-----
57) Annelle Sheline on The Scott Horton Show
Source: The Scott Horton Show
"Mad at the Saudis? End the War in Yemen." (10/24/22)
https://scotthorton.org/interviews/10-21-22-annelle-sheline-mad-at-the-saudis-end-the-war-in-yemen/
-----
58) Cyberlaw Podcast, episode 427
Source: The Volokh Conspiracy
"The FBI: Lost in Cyberspace?" (10/24/22)
https://reason.com/volokh/2022/10/24/the-fbi-lost-in-cyberspace/
-----
59) Freedom Works with Paul Molloy, 10/24/22
Source: Freedom Works
"Annelle Sheline of The Quincy Institute on ex-military taking jobs with human rights abuse countries." (10/24/22)
http://internetradiopros.com/freedomworks/?name=2022-10-24_zfw10242022.mp3
-----
60) The Chris Spangle Show, 10/24/22
Source: The Chris Spangle Show
"Fighting to Stop the Fentanyl Crisis with Finesse Moreno-Rivera." (10/24/22)
https://wearelibertarians.com/css-fighting-to-stop-the-fentanyl-crisis-with-finesse-moreno-rivera/
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Today's Freedom News:
0) Year-End Fundraiser: Halfway to Halfway is ... Halfway!
1) "Progressive" Democrats withdraw pro-diplomacy Ukraine letter; idiot pol calls it "olive branch to a war criminal"
2) Turkey: Regime thugs abduct 11 journalists working for pro-Kurdish media
3) Alito whines that the public knowing what SCOTUS is up to makes justices "targets for assassination"
4) Ukraine war: Quisling officials out of, Russian troops into, Kherson?
5) Apple to customers: Switch to Android if you want financial privacy
6) FL: DeSantis refuses to commit to serving full term
7) South Africa: Tigray peace talks begin
8) TX: US gun supplier jailed for almost eight years in synagogue siege case
9) FL: Protest ban at university after anti-Sasse rally
10) Ukraine: Russians accused of sabotaging water pipe to Mykolaiv
11) US home prices continued to lose momentum in August
12) NE: Republicans struggle to OK ban despite anti-abortion history
13) Bangladesh: Thousands evacuated as Cyclone Sitrang makes landfall
14) Study: Plastic recycling a "failed concept," with only 5% recycled in US last year as production rises
15) Iranian man who didn't wash for half a century dies at 94
16) Russia: Court denies Griner's appeal of nine-year cannabis sentence
17) VA: Police chief whines about "perfect storm" of retirements, resignations
18) Meta-owned messaging service WhatsApp back online after global outage
19) CA: Students Have Smaller Drop in Math & Reading Test Scores
20) AZ: Voter group seeks restraining order against group linked to voter intimidation allegations
Today's Freedom Commentary:
21) Older Politicians Aren't Necessarily Wiser Politicians
22) Body Snatchers and Regulatory Capture
23) Thank You, Mr. President, for Lengthening My Leash
24) Democracy is supposed to be contentious
25) Where'd the Workers Go?
26) Liberalism, True And False
27) Law, Praxeology, and Unintended Moral Decay
28) Chickens Are Coming Home To Roost for Democrats
29) A Political Solution for Assange
30) Fauci and Others Will be Deposed
31) Violent Crime Is Driving a Red Wave
32) Why Germany's pursuit of peace in Ukraine is paralyzed
33) What US Africa Command Doesn't Want You To Know
34) Private Investors Can't Stop America From Borrowing Money
35) Driving Liberty in the Traffic of Tolerance
36) Political Theater: Joe Biden Pardons ZERO Federal Marijuana Prisoners
37) Doctor Dead End
38) Homeland Security chief Mayorkas needs to be impeached and Congress must force a reckoning
39) Proposition 12, the Constitution, and Good Government
40) Yes, People Move Because of Taxes
41) History's First Libertarian?
42) Writing on War, And Living in a World from Hell
43) No, "Russiagate" Wasn't the Hoax That Team Trump Claims It Was
44) Captured by the Captive Nations Lobby
45) Biden's Marijuana Pardons Did Not Free a Single Federal Prisoner or Deliver the Expungement He Promised
46) Biden's Destroying the Economy; Is It Intentional?
47) Blindness or lies? Government at its "best"
48) Beware Hawkish Catastrophism
49) How Progressives Can Counter "Tough-on Crime" Messaging
50) Family Tax Benefit Reform is Long Overdue
Today's Freedom Podcast and Video:
51) Rising, 10/25/22
52) Hubwonk, 10/25/22
53) The Bryan Hyde Show, 10/25/22
54) Vital Dissent, episode 237
55) Pod Save America, 10/25/22
56) Ron Paul Liberty Report, 10/25/22
57) Annelle Sheline on The Scott Horton Show
58) Cyberlaw Podcast, episode 427
59) Freedom Works with Paul Molloy, 10/24/22
60) The Chris Spangle Show, 10/24/22
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THANK YOU to supporters JRS, DJ, and RW! Their contributions yesterday, totaling $250, bring our year-end fundraiser total (as of 6am eastern this morning) to $1,287.50 ... exactly halfway to our goal of $5,150!
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-----
1) "Progressive" Democrats withdraw pro-diplomacy Ukraine letter; idiot pol calls it "olive branch to a war criminal"
Source: Business Insider
"Progressive Democrats faced a wave of backlash over a letter calling on President Joe Biden to pursue negotiations with Russia to end the war in Ukraine -- including from members of their own party. The letter, which was signed by 30 Democrats led by Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington state, was released Monday and withdrawn a day later by the progressive lawmakers following the blistering criticism. ... The Monday letter urged Biden to 'pair the military and economic support the United States has provided to Ukraine with a proactive diplomatic push, redoubling efforts to seek a realistic framework for a ceasefire.' ... 'This letter is an olive branch to a war criminal who's losing his war. Ukraine is on the march. Congress should be standing firmly behind [Biden's] effective strategy, including tighter -- not weaker! -- sanctions,' Democratic Rep. Jake Auchincloss of Massachusetts said in a tweet reacting to the letter." (10/25/22)
https://www.businessinsider.com/progressive-democrats-withdraw-letter-calling-biden-pursue-talks-with-russia-2022-10
-----
2) Turkey: Regime thugs abduct 11 journalists working for pro-Kurdish media
Source: ABC News
"Police carried out raids in several Turkish cities on Tuesday and detained 11 journalists affiliated with pro-Kurdish media for their alleged links to Kurdish militants, officials and reports said. The detentions come days after Turkey ratified a controversial new media law that mandates prison terms for people deemed to be spreading 'disinformation' for the purpose of causing 'public worry, fear and panic.' ... The pro-Kurdish Mezopotamya news agency said its chief editor, Diren Yurtsever, and eight other journalists were taken away for questioning following simultaneous police raids on their homes in Ankara, Istanbul and five other cities. Two journalists from the JinNews agency were also detained, it said. Police confirmed the detentions with a statement posted on Twitter saying the suspects were taken away for news or content 'that incites the public to hatred and enmity.'" (10/25/22)
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/turkey-detains-11-journalists-working-pro-kurdish-media-92064823
-----
3) Alito whines that the public knowing what SCOTUS is up to makes justices "targets for assassination"
Source: Axios
"U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito said Tuesday a leak of his draft opinion on overturning federal protections for abortion made members of the bench 'thought to be in the majority ... targets for assassination.' The leak to Politico ahead of the decision confirming that opinion overruling Roe v Wade 'gave people a rational reason to think they could prevent that from happening by killing one of us,' Alito said in a speech at the conservative Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C. ... Chief Justice John Roberts announced in May the Supreme Court had launched an investigation into the leak -- which Alito on Tuesday called a 'grave betrayal of trust by somebody.'" (10/26/22)
https://www.axios.com/2022/10/26/alito-supreme-court-abortion-leak-justices-assassination-targets
-----
4) Ukraine war: Quisling officials out of, Russian troops into, Kherson?
Source: CNN
"A veil of uncertainty has descended over Ukraine's southern front, as a counteroffensive raises hopes of further Ukrainian gains and speculation grows about what Russia's next move might be. There are mixed signals over Russia's plans for the key city of Kherson, which it has occupied since the early days of the war. Some indications suggest Moscow is bracing for battle, while others point towards preparations for withdrawal. ... Ukrainian officials say the Russians are moving injured people, administrative services and financial institutions out of the city, while sending in more troops to fortify their positions. ... on Tuesday, Ukraine's military claimed Russian forces were preparing 'defensive positions' along the east bank of the Dnipro -- the opposite side of the river from Kherson city -- and leaving small pathways for a 'potential retreat' from the west bank." (10/25/22)
https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/25/europe/kherson-russian-soldiers-defend-city-intl
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5) Apple to customers: Switch to Android if you want financial privacy
Source: CNBC
"Apple clarified its rules on cryptocurrencies and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) laying out what apps are allowed to do with these technologies. On crypto exchanges, Apple said in updated App Store rules on Monday, that apps may facilitate 'transactions or transmissions of cryptocurrency on an approved exchange.' But the app can only be offered in countries or regions where it has licensing and permission to operate a crypto exchange. 'Apps may not use their own mechanisms to unlock content or functionality,' such as cryptocurrencies or cryptocurrency wallets." (10/25/22)
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/10/25/apple-tightens-its-rules-on-crypto-and-nfts-in-its-app-store.html
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6) FL: DeSantis refuses to commit to serving full term
Source: SFGate
"A defiant Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis refused to commit to serving a full four-year term if reelected when pressed by his Democratic rival, Charlie Crist, at their only gubernatorial debate on Monday. Crist, a former congressman and one-term governor, accused DeSantis, a rising Republican star considered a likely 2024 presidential contender, of being too distracted by his national political ambitions to lead properly. DeSantis skirted several attempts by Crist to get him to say he'd serve a full second term. 'I know that Charlie is interested in talking about 2024 and Joe Biden, but I just want to make things very, very clear: The only worn-out old donkey I'm looking to put out to pasture is Charlie Crist,' DeSantis said of his 66-year-old opponent. Later, Crist slapped back, 'You won't even say if you want to be the governor of Florida after this election.'" (10/25/22)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Florida-Gov-DeSantis-faces-off-against-Crist-in-17530738.php
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7) South Africa: Tigray peace talks begin
Source: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation [Canadian state media]
"Peace talks to end Ethiopia's devastating Tigray conflict have begun in South Africa, a South African government spokesperson said Tuesday. It is the highest-level effort yet to end two years of fighting that has killed perhaps hundreds of thousands of people. The African Union-led talks that started Tuesday are expected to continue until Sunday, said Vincent Magwenya, spokesperson for South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. Delegations from the Ethiopian government and Tigray authorities arrived in South Africa this week. There was no immediate comment from either side." (10/25/22)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/peace-talks-ethiopia-tigray-south-africa-1.6628808
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8) TX: US gun supplier jailed for almost eight years in synagogue siege case
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
"A Texan who sold a British man a pistol he later used in an attack on a US synagogue has been jailed for almost eight years. Henry 'Michael' Dwight Williams, 33, sold the gun to Malik Faisal Akram two days before the siege at the Congregation Beth Israel in a suburb of Dallas, Texas, in January. Akram, who took four hostages, was shot dead by officers. Williams was arrested just over a week later. He pled guilty in June to being a felon in possession of a firearm, prosecutors say. Williams had previous convictions for aggravated assault, which meant, US Attorney Chad Meacham noted, he 'had no business carrying -- much less buying and selling -- firearms'" (10/25/22)
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-63386714
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9) FL: Protest ban at university after anti-Sasse rally
Source: Seattle Times
"The University of Florida is going to start enforcing a decades-old prohibition against indoor protests following a raucous demonstration earlier this month against the selection of U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse as a finalist for the school president's job. The current university president, Kent Fuch, said Monday in a letter to the university community that a protest inside a forum where Sasse was taking questions on Oct. 10 made it difficult to hear the Nebraska senator's responses as protesters were banging their fists on windows, walls and furniture. Because of the demonstration involving 1,000 protesters, the discussion had to be moved online and shortened. While the university supports the First Amendment right to free speech, 'with this commitment comes an obligation to protect the rights of everyone in our community to speak and to hear,' Fuchs said." (10/25/22)
https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/protest-ban-at-florida-university-after-anti-sasse-rally/
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10) Ukraine: Russians accused of sabotaging water pipe to Mykolaiv
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
"For six months, homes in Ukraine's southern coastal city of Mykolaiv have been without clean drinking water. Military and UN experts have told a BBC investigation they believe Russian forces deliberately cut off the water supply last April. Satellite imagery and data suggest the pipeline to the city was deliberately destroyed while under Russian control. Destroying resources vital for civilian life is widely regarded as violations of international humanitarian law. But in recent weeks Russia has further targeted Ukraine's power and water infrastructure, prompting shortages across the country. Queuing in the street in Mykolaiv to collect clean drinking water is dangerous as the city is close to the front line and is often shelled. Since Russia's invasion it has remained under Ukrainian control." (10/25/22)
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-63383605
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11) US home prices continued to lose momentum in August
Source: CNN
"US home prices continued to gain ground in August, but the pace of growth slowed considerably as rising mortgage rates pushed more prospective buyers out of the market. Home prices rose 13% in August from the year before, a smaller jump than the 15.6% growth seen in July and 18.1% pace in June, according to the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller US National Home Price Index. The drop between July and August was the largest deceleration in the history of the index going back to 1987, surpassing the previous record a month prior. July also marked the first month-over-month decrease for the national index since February 2012 and that continued in August, with seasonally adjusted prices falling 0.9% month-over-month." (10/25/22)
https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/25/homes/case-shiller-home-prices-august/index.html
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12) NE: Republicans struggle to OK ban despite anti-abortion history
Source: SFGate
"Nebraska Republicans are expected to dominate as usual at the polls in November and retain control of the officially nonpartisan Legislature. They face a far tougher challenge flipping enough seats to push through a statewide abortion ban. The Supreme Court decision overturning the constitutional right to abortion has injected a degree of uncertainty into elections, even in some of the nation's most reliably red states. Abortion opponents in Nebraska are hoping to avoid a repeat of what happened this summer in neighboring Kansas, where voters overwhelming rejected a ballot measure that would have paved the way for an abortion ban there. 'Whether we like it or not, Nebraska is now a destination state for abortion,' said David Zebolsky, chairman of Nebraskans Embracing Life. 'We're supporting strong pro-life legislative candidates in the November election to change that.'" (10/25/22)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Nebraska-struggling-to-OK-ban-despite-17533171.php
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13) Bangladesh: Thousands evacuated as Cyclone Sitrang makes landfall
Source: Al Jazeera [Qatar state media]
"Cyclone Sitrang has lashed Bangladesh, killing at least 9 people and snapping power and communication lines in the country's southern and southwestern coastal region, officials said on Tuesday. The cyclone triggered heavy rains and flooding in many areas, including the capital Dhaka. The cyclone originated in the Bay of Bengal before turning north towards Bangladesh's vast coast, prompting authorities to evacuate hundreds of thousands of people to cyclone shelters late on Monday. On Monday, the government halted operations by all river vessels across the country, closed three airports and asked fishing boats to return from the deep sea and remain anchored in the Bay of Bengal." (10/25/22)
https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/2022/10/25/thousands-evacuated-as-cyclone-sitrang-hits-bangladesh
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14) Study: Plastic recycling a "failed concept," with only 5% recycled in US last year as production rises
Source: CBS News
"Plastic recycling rates are declining even as production shoots up, according to a Greenpeace USA report out Monday that blasted industry claims of creating an efficient, circular economy as 'fiction.' Titled 'Circular Claims Fall Flat Again,' the study found that of 51 million tons of plastic waste generated by U.S. households in 2021, only 2.4 million tons were recycled, or around five percent. After peaking in 2014 at 10 percent, the trend has been decreasing, especially since China stopped accepting the West's plastic waste in 2018. Virgin production -- of non-recycled plastic, that is -- meanwhile is rapidly rising as the petrochemical industry expands, lowering costs." (10/25/22)
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/plastic-recycling-failed-concept-us-greenpeace-study-5-percent-recycled-production-up/
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15) Iranian man who didn't wash for half a century dies at 94
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
"A hermit dubbed by media as 'the world's dirtiest man' has died at the age of 94, just months after having his first wash in decades. Amou Haji had refused to use soap and water for more than half a century, fearing it would make him sick. The Iranian, who lived in the southern province of Fars, had avoided previous attempts by villagers to get him clean. But, local media say, Amou Haji finally succumbed to pressure and washed a few months ago. According to Iran's IRNA news agency, he became ill shortly afterwards and died on Sunday. In a previous interview, given to the Tehran Times in 2014, he revealed his favourite meal was porcupine, and that he lived between a hole in the ground and a brick shack built by concerned neighbours in the village of Dejgah." (10/25/22)
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-63389045
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16) Russia: Court denies Griner's appeal of nine-year cannabis sentence
Source: USA Today
"A Russian court on Tuesday denied American basketball star Brittney Griner's appeal of her nine-year prison sentence for drug possession. Griner, an eight-time all-star center with the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and a two-time Olympic gold medalist, was convicted Aug. 4 after police said they found vape canisters containing cannabis oil in her luggage at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport. The Moscow Regional Court ruled Tuesday to uphold the sentence. In the ruling the court stated, however, that the time Griner will have to serve in prison will be recalculated with her time in pre-trial detention taken into account." (10/25/22)
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/wnba/2022/10/25/brittney-griners-appeal-drug-sentence-denied-russian-court/10594915002/
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17) VA: Police chief whines about "perfect storm" of retirements, resignations
Source: Fox News
"The Norfolk Police Department in Virginia is ramping up initiatives to attract new recruits as the force copes with hundreds of vacancies this year. 'If conditions hold as they are today, we've got five years before we see some incremental improvement, and we need to be prepared for that,' Norfolk Police Chief Michael Goldsmith said earlier this month. Data provided to Fox News Digital shows sworn vacancies at the department have ballooned from 47 in 2019 to 117 in 2020, and up to 162 in 2021. Sworn vacancies sit at 227, as of last week. Goldsmith attributed the increase in departures to a 'perfect storm' of an influx of officers leaving the profession amid a 'negative narrative' on police following the 2020 riots and protests, combined with 'baby boomer retirements,' the Virginian-Pilot reported." [editor's note: Fewer cops is GOOD news – TLK] (10/25/22)
https://www.foxnews.com/us/va-police-chief-warns-perfect-storm-retirements-resignations-negative-narrative-cops
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18) Meta-owned messaging service WhatsApp back online after global outage
Source: CNBC
"WhatsApp, the messaging app owned by Facebook parent Meta, suffered a global outage on Tuesday. Problems were first detected around 3:17 a.m. ET, according to Downdetector.com, which monitors outages across internet services. Users reported problems with sending and receiving messages. Normal service on WhatsApp had appeared to be restored at around 5 a.m. ET. ... WhatsApp, which has around 2 billion users, is particularly popular in countries such as India and Brazil. Users across the world from the U.K. to India and Turkey reported outages on Tuesday." (10/25/22)
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/10/25/whatsapp-is-down-globally.html
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19) CA: Students Have Smaller Drop in Math & Reading Test Scores
Source: SFGate
"Pandemic school closures are over, but parents, teachers and students still wonder how prolonged distance learning affected academic progress. The initial signs are concerning. Scores released this week from a statewide exam administered in the spring revealed dismally low levels of proficiency in reading and math. About 47% of California students met English language standards and 33% met math standards, both performance drops from 2019. The findings were echoed by national data also published on Monday, which found that just 30% of eighth graders in the state achieved proficiency in reading and 23% in math, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, known as the nation's report card. ... If there's any glimmer of good news for California, it is that students' academic performance here fell slightly less than across the nation during the pandemic, my colleague Sarah Mervosh reported." (10/25/22)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/California-Students-Have-Dismally-Low-Math-and-17532687.php
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20) AZ: Voter group seeks restraining order against group linked to voter intimidation allegations
Source: CNN
"An association for retirees and an organization for Latino voters are seeking a temporary restraining order against a group they allege is coordinating a campaign of voter intimidation in Arizona. The restraining order request was filed Monday evening with a federal court lawsuit alleging that the group Clean Elections USA and its founder, Melody Jennings, were running afoul of federal law with incidents near ballot drop box locations in Arizona. The lawsuit accuses the defendants of a 'coordinated campaign of vigilante voter intimidation' in violation of the Voting Rights Act and federal civil rights law. Clean Elections USA did not respond to a CNN inquiry." (10/25/22)
https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/25/politics/arizona-voter-intimidation-allegation-temporary-restraining-order
_____ Today's Freedom Commentary _____
21) Older Politicians Aren't Necessarily Wiser Politicians
Source: Garrison Center
by Thomas L Knapp
"I am not a doctor. I do not play a doctor on TV, or on the Internet. You're probably not a doctor, either. But our lack of credentials to issue medical diagnoses doesn't prevent us from noticing, and making plausible inferences from, visible signs of (likely age-related) mental decline. Joe Biden just ain't right in the head. He's not remembering and understanding things that people with normal mental function remember and understand. He's living, at least some of the time, in an alternate reality. Nor is he the first. Ronald Reagan is now acknowledged to have been in the early stages of Alzheimer's during the last years of his presidency. Donald Trump seems incapable of opening his mouth without saying something bizarrely disconnected from reality .... It's not just the presidency, either." (10/25/22)
https://thegarrisoncenter.org/archives/17208
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22) Body Snatchers and Regulatory Capture
Source: EconLog
by Kevin Corcoran
"I occasionally find myself pondering how libertarians agree and disagree with non-libertarians. How much disagreement is due to a deep divide in values, and how much is due to different ideas on how to pursue similar values? Of course, there is no single answer to this question, but broad trends can be noticed. I've noticed one area where libertarians and leftist (broadly) agree on the nature of a problem, but come to very different conclusions on the best way to respond to that problem." (10/24/22)
https://www.econlib.org/body-snatchers-and-regulatory-capture/
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23) Thank You, Mr. President, for Lengthening My Leash
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
by Jacob G Hornberger
"Three weeks ago, President Biden issued a mass pardon for people convicted of federal marijuana possession. His leftist supporters praised and glorified him for his act of extreme compassion and generosity. Never mind that there was no one incarcerated in a federal penitentiary for simple possession of marijuana. Never mind that Biden's pardon didn't extend to people serving time in the federal pen for possession with intent to distribute. Never mind that it didn't extend to people who were incarcerated for distributing marijuana to people who wanted it. Never mind that his pardon didn't extend to people serving time for possessing or distributing other drugs. ... All that mattered was that Biden had lengthened the federal leash a bit on American serfs -- the leash that came with the war on drugs when it was launched decades ago." (10/25/22)
https://www.fff.org/2022/10/25/thank-you-mr-president-for-lengthening-my-leash/
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24) Democracy is supposed to be contentious
Source: Orange County Register
by John Seiler
"We keep reading headlines about how American democracy supposedly is in peril. 'American democracy is under threat,' frets the Economist. 'The midterm elections could leave democracy weaker ahead of the 2024 presidential race.' Not really. Democracy is supposed to be rambunctious. People expecting placid elections are looking in the wrong place." (10/25/22)
https://www.ocregister.com/2022/10/25/democracy-is-supposed-to-be-contentious/
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25) Where'd the Workers Go?
Source: The Pamphleteer
by Davis Hunt
"I am down in North Louisiana for a few days helping to produce a series of recruitment videos for a sawmill having a hard time staffing its operation. Even with the government's Covid response on the drawdown, staffing problems continue to reverberate across the country; at this point, we all have experienced the effects of this first-hand, be it at a restaurant or in delays for contracting work. Unfortunately, a dwindling workforce is not a new trend: since a post-WWII peak, the labor force participation rate (LFPR) among prime-age working men has been on a steady decline. In January 1960, LFPR was 97.1%. Sixty-two years later, in January 2022, LFPR stood at 88.2%. In other words, Covid is not wholly to blame. Rather, it accelerated what was a pre-existing trend, pushing many out of the workforce early and introducing others to the charms of living on the dole." (10/25/22)
https://pamphleteer.co/newsletter/no-363-whered-the-workers-go/
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26) Liberalism, True And False
Source: Cobden Centre
by Dr. Richard M Ebeling
"The death of liberalism has been hailed or feared for well over a century now. In the United States, the tribal collectivists of identity politics and critical race theory insist that America has never been about freedom. It has always been a racist society born with the institution of slavery. The idea of liberal individualism is a ruse to hide the oppression and exploitation of women and 'people of color' by capitalist white males. There was an underlying humility in the older classical liberalism that assumed that each person could better find his own way than to presume that political paternalists could make better decisions for them. Among conservatives, liberalism is rejected for not fostering a proper moral sense in people and creating a group loyalty of something outside of and better than 'merely' the autonomy of the narrowly self-interested individual ..." (10/25/22)
https://www.cobdencentre.org/2022/10/liberalism-true-and-false/
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27) Law, Praxeology, and Unintended Moral Decay
Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Robert Zumwalt
"The application of praxeology has been described as 'methodological individualism.' As Rothbard wrote, 'only an individual can adopt values or make choices; only an individual can act.' Law, being essentially the attempt at controlling the values, choices, and actions of individuals, must at least be subject to criticism by this methodology. Below, I attempt to apply such a criticism to the legal theory of prominent twentieth century British jurist and legal philosopher Patrick Devlin known as legal moralism to make the case that legal systems intended to enforce a society's morality may end up contributing to its moral decay instead." (10/25/22)
https://mises.org/wire/law-praxeology-and-unintended-moral-decay
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28) Chickens Are Coming Home To Roost for Democrats
Source: Epoch Times
by Conrad Black
"All indications now are that the Democrats are finally about to pay for using Trump-hate as a substitute for governing for two years, just as for four years prior to that they used Trump-hate as a substitute for normal opposition. The entire fabric of myths and frauds and defamations that the national political media have conveniently held up as a safety net for the Democratic Party and this terribly incompetent administration is about to disappear, and the Democrats will finally carry the can for 14 years of incompetence and venality .... The greatest liberation of all in the national purgation that now seems likely in the midterm elections in two weeks will be the debunking of the totalitarian fiction that the 2020 election was unquestionably fair." (10/25/22)
https://www.theepochtimes.com/election-denial-will-win_4815454.html
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29) A Political Solution for Assange
Source: CounterPunch
by Binoy Kampmark
"It was telling. Of the mainstream Australian press gallery, only David Crowe of the Sydney Morning Herald turned up to listen to Jennifer Robinson, lawyer extraordinaire who has spent years representing Julian Assange. Since 2019, that representation has taken an even more urgent note: to prevent the WikiLeaks founder from being extradited to the United States, where he faces 18 charges, 17 confected from the archaic Espionage Act of 1917. In addressing the Australian National Press Club, Robinson's address, titled 'Julian Assange, Free Speech and Democracy,' was a grand recapitulation of the political case against the WikiLeaks founder. Followers of this ever darkening situation would not have found anything new. The shock, rather, was how ignorant many remain about the chapters in this scandalous episode of persecution." (10/25/22)
https://www.counterpunch.org/2022/10/25/a-political-solution-for-assange/
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30) Fauci and Others Will be Deposed
Source: Brownstone Institute
by Aaron Kheriaty
"I've posted before on our Missouri v. Biden lawsuit, in which the state of Missouri and Louisiana -- along with four private plaintiffs (Jay Bhattacharya, Martin Kulldorff, the advocacy organization Health Freedom Louisiana, and yours truly) represented by the New Civil Liberties Alliance -- are suing the Biden Administration for alleged free speech violations. We now have strong evidence that the executive branch of the federal government has been colluding with social media to censor content on social media platforms -- including Twitter, Google, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram -- that questions, challenges, or contradicts the government's covid policies. This week, the federal judge in the case granted our request to obtain deposition testimony, under oath, from the following current or former government officials: 1. NIAID Director and White House Chief Medical Advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci ..." (10/25/22)
https://brownstone.org/articles/fauci-and-others-will-be-deposed/
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31) Violent Crime Is Driving a Red Wave
Source: RealClearPolitics
By Charles Lipson
"Two weeks before the 2022 midterms, fear of crime is second only to worries over inflation and recession. Both issues -- personal security and economic security – affect voters directly. They arise every time voters ride the subway, walk down a dark street, pay the cashier at the grocery, or fill up their truck. That's why survey after survey says they are the top issues motivating voters this November. That's bad news for Democrats. Pollsters say Republicans hold huge advantages on the economy, inflation, and crime, the issues that matter most to voters. Since crime is essentially a local issue, why does it hurt Democrats running for national or statewide office? Because the Democratic Party has associated itself with the notion that 'social justice' and 'racial equality' require fundamentally changing policing and incarceration. The problem, they say, is police, not criminals." (10/25/22)
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2022/10/25/violent_crime_is_driving_a_red_wave_148370.html
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32) Why Germany's pursuit of peace in Ukraine is paralyzed
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Anatol Lieven
"There are growing fears that the energy shortages and price rises resulting from the Russian invasion of Ukraine, European Union sanctions against Russia, and Russian cuts in gas supplies could lead to something approaching the 'de-industrialisation' of Europe .... Worries about this are especially acute in Germany, the industrial powerhouse of Europe, which has so far managed largely to avoid the steep decline in manufacturing capacity that has affected other European countries over the past two generations. ... it seems probable that previous German governments would have been doing their utmost to restore Russian gas supplies by bringing about a peace settlement or at least a ceasefire in Ukraine .... By contrast, since the threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine first emerged almost a year ago, there has been no serious autonomous German effort either to prevent the war or to bring it to an end." (10/25/22)
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/2022/10/25/why-germanys-pursuit-toward-peace-in-ukraine-is-paralyzed/
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33) What US Africa Command Doesn't Want You To Know
Source: Antiwar.com
by Nick Turse & Tom Engelhardt
"What's the U.S. military doing in Africa? It's an enigma, wrapped in a riddle, straight-jacketed in secrecy, and hogtied by red tape. Or at least it would be if it were up to the Pentagon. Ten years ago, I embarked on a quest to answer that question at TomDispatch, chronicling a growing American military presence on that continent, a build-up of both logistical capabilities and outposts, and the possibility that far more was occurring out of sight. 'Keep your eye on Africa,' I concluded. 'The U.S. military is going to make news there for years to come.' I knew I had a story when U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) failed to answer basic questions honestly. And the command's reaction to the article told me that I also had a new beat." (10/25/22)
https://original.antiwar.com/nick_turse/2022/10/24/what-us-africa-command-doesnt-want-you-to-know/
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34) Private Investors Can't Stop America From Borrowing Money
Source: The American Prospect
by Ryan Cooper
"The antics of the British Conservative Party -- where Liz Truss turned in by far the shortest term as prime minister in U.K. history -- have been both hilarious and a welcome distraction from America's wretched political news. But it's increasingly clear that the way Truss went down, plus the inflation that has stayed stubbornly high for months now, has resurrected one of the demons of austerity politics: the dread bond vigilantes. ... The theory here is that should Congress pass some big spending bill without taxes to compensate, private investors (the aforementioned vigilantes) might balk at buying the resulting debt, and the government will be forced to cut back." (10/25/22)
https://prospect.org/economy/private-investors-cant-stop-america-from-borrowing-money/
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35) Driving Liberty in the Traffic of Tolerance
Source: Law & Liberty
by Michael D Thomas
"The wonderful essay by Doug Rasmussen and Doug Den Uyl points to liberty as the supreme value, and there is a good case to be made for that. My response is that in comparing tolerance and liberty, the two authors could apply their own distinction between the political and the ethical to sort out the difference between liberty as an ethical virtue and tolerance as a political principle. Tolerance is a political principle because it is entirely dependent on the institutional rules that make up a governance organization." (10/25/22)
https://lawliberty.org/driving-liberty-in-the-traffic-of-tolerance/
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36) Political Theater: Joe Biden Pardons ZERO Federal Marijuana Prisoners
Source: Libertarian Institute
by Matt Agorist
"Earlier this month, President Joe Biden announced what many perceived to be one of the largest acts of clemency in history. Biden said he was rolling out a mass pardon for all those currently sitting in jail on a federal marijuana possession charge. This announcement was a breath of fresh air considering this country's horrific track record when it comes to kidnapping, caging, and killing people over this plant. While this sounds like a major move on the surface, when we take a closer look, it doesn't appear to be major, or, in fact, any move at all. ... The president pardoning 6,500 people sounds pretty incredible until we look at the number of people who are currently in custody. That number sits a zero." (10/25/22)
https://libertarianinstitute.org/articles/political-theater-joe-biden-pardons-zero-federal-marijuana-prisoners/
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37) Doctor Dead End
Source: Common Sense
by Paul Jacob
"Dr. Anthony Fauci not only holds a smoking gun, he's standing over the corpse and sniffing the barrel, grinning like a cartoon villain. Last week we considered the gross indecency of this director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and lead member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force funding Peter Daszak and the Wuhan lab to do more research on bat coronaviruses -- to the tune of 'Six Million Dimes.' And now that a Boston group has publicized its gain-of-function research, we should ask ourselves: is Fauci involved in this, too? The answer is: YES -- to the tune of $2.5 million!" (10/25/22)
https://thisiscommonsense.org/2022/10/25/doctor-dead-end/
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38) Homeland Security chief Mayorkas needs to be impeached and Congress must force a reckoning
Source: Fox News
by Liz Peek
"Republican Governors Ron DeSantis, Doug Ducey and Greg Abbott have done Americans a great service by publicizing the humanitarian and national security crisis [sic] at our southern border. They have, by sending migrants to Democrat-run cities like New York and Chicago, and elitist encampments like Martha's Vineyard, exposed the lawlessness and hypocrisy of liberal Democrats .... Soon, it will be Congress'[s] turn. If, as expected, Republicans take over control of the House of Representatives, GOP legislators must proceed with the articles of impeachment brought against Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas that were first introduced August 10, 2021. That resolution, forwarded by Arizona Representative Andy Biggs and a group of like-minded GOP legislators, claimed that Mayorkas presided over 'a reckless abandonment of border security and immigration enforcement, at the expense of the Constitution and the security of the United States.'" [editor's note: The Constitution forbids "immigration enforcement" – TLK] (10/25/22)
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/homeland-security-chief-mayorkas-needs-impeached-congress-force-reckoning
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39) Proposition 12, the Constitution, and Good Government
Source: American Institute for Economic Research
by Gary M Galles
"Four years ago, California voters approved Proposition 12, in which a 'yes' vote was promoted to 'establish minimum space requirements based on square feet for calves raised for veal, breeding pigs, and egg-laying hens and to ban the sale of (a) veal from calves, (b) pork from breeding pigs, and (c) eggs from hens when the animals are confined to areas below minimum square-feet requirements.' That proposition has been challenged, however, as unconstitutional on the basis of something missing from that proposition, namely, where it would apply." (10/25/22)
https://www.aier.org/article/proposition-12-the-constitution-and-good-government/
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40) Yes, People Move Because of Taxes
Source: Hawaii Reporter
by Tom Yamachika
"This week, we focus on a study that has just come out of the national Tax Foundation (with whom the Tax Foundation of Hawaii shares a name but not much else). That study looks at IRS and census data to see if tax considerations affect people's decisions to move from one state and to another. ... Hawaii was, interestingly, the only state to lose population but also gain in adjusted gross income being reported to the state. We picked up nearly $71 million in AGI. This means that we gained a few high-income individuals but lost more of those folks scraping to make ends meet. ... four of the top five states that former Hawaii residents moved to, namely Florida, Nevada, Texas, and Washington, don't tax individuals on wage income." (10/25/22)
https://www.hawaiireporter.com/yes-people-move-because-of-taxes/
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41) History's First Libertarian?
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Jon Miltimore
"Though neither Smith or Chydenius used the term 'spontaneous order' -- it didn't appear until the 20th century -- the phenomenon is clearly what both philosophers describe. It's the idea that social order and harmony emerge from the voluntary actions of individuals, not central planning. Yet neither of these great philosophers were the first to articulate this idea. That distinction belongs to Zhuang Zhou (aka Zhuangzi), a Chinese philosopher and poet who lived during the 4th century B.C. Zhuang Zhou rejected the Confucianism of the time, which emphasized obedience to national authority in addition to its broader ethical teachings, and embraced (and expanded upon) the teachings of Lao-Tzu, a contemporary of Confucius who opposed state rule and emphasized laissez faire economics." (10/25/22)
https://fee.org/articles/historys-first-libertarian/
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42) Writing on War, And Living in a World from Hell
Source: TomDispatch
by Chris Hedges
"As this century began, I was writing War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning, my reflections on two decades as a war correspondent, 15 of them with the New York Times, in Central America, the Middle East, Africa, Bosnia, and Kosovo. I worked in a small, sparsely furnished studio apartment on First Avenue in New York City. ... The super, who lived in the first-floor apartment, smoked prodigious amounts of weed, leaving the grimy lobby stinking of pot. When he found out I was writing a book, he suggested I chronicle his moment of glory during the six days of clashes known as the Stonewall Riots, triggered by a 1969 police raid on the Stonewall Inn, a gay club in Greenwich Village. He claimed he had thrown a trash can through the front window of a police cruiser." (10/25/22)
https://tomdispatch.com/writing-on-war
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43) No, "Russiagate" Wasn't the Hoax That Team Trump Claims It Was
Source: Cato Institute
by Cathy Young
"There is no question that after the 2016 election, a number of people devastated by Trump's win eagerly jumped on what we might call a 'Trump is Putin's bitch' narrative that was at best unproven and at worst drastically overhyped. ... Yet the idea that the Mueller report exposed Russiagate as a 'hoax' rests on a false binary: either Trump and/or his associates actively conspired with Russia, or Trump has been the victim of a 'Russia, Russia, Russia' witch hunt. But there is also another scenario: that Trump ran as a Russia-friendly candidate, Russia interfered in the election to help Trump (as the Mueller report very clearly states), and Trump and his cronies were fine with that. And that scenario is not a hoax or a concoction of the Steele dossier." (10/25/22)
https://www.cato.org/commentary/no-russiagate-wasnt-hoax-team-trump-claims-it-was
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44) Captured by the Captive Nations Lobby
Source: The American Conservative
by James W Carden
"What explains the Biden administration's commitment to the war in Ukraine? It can't be popular support. A recent poll by Morning Consult showed few Americans believe the U.S. is insufficiently supportive of Ukraine. ... Part of the answer, of course, has to do with Russia, and Russia's ongoing occupation of parts and eastern and southern Ukraine. But the special pleading of a specific U.S. lobby has also played a significant role in shaping the administration's response to Putin's February invasion." (10/25/22)
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/captured-by-the-captive-nations-lobby/
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45) Biden's Marijuana Pardons Did Not Free a Single Federal Prisoner or Deliver the Expungement He Promised
Source: Reason
by Jacob Sullum
"Edwin Rubis has served more than two decades of a 40-year federal prison sentence for participating in a marijuana distribution operation. Taking into account 'good time' credit, he is not scheduled to be released until August 2032. Rubis is one of about 3,000 federal prisoners whose cannabis-related sentences were unaffected by President Joe Biden's mass pardon for low-level marijuana offenders. A protest at the White House today called attention to their predicament. Biden's October 6 proclamation applied only to U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents convicted of simple marijuana possession under the Controlled Substances Act or the District of Columbia Code, none of whom was still incarcerated." (10/24/22)
https://reason.com/2022/10/24/bidens-marijuana-pardons-did-not-free-a-single-federal-prisoner-or-deliver-the-expungement-he-promised/
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46) Biden's Destroying the Economy; Is It Intentional?
Source: Town Hall
by Stephen Moore
"Everywhere I go, people are mystified about President Joe Biden's economic agenda. So few of the policies comport with basic common sense that I'm asked the same question over and over: Is Biden intentionally trying to take a wrecking ball to the economy? Is this all part of some diabolical plan, the 'great reset,' to end our system of free market capitalism [sic] and replace it with some form of big government socialism? ... My belief is that, no, I don't think this is an intentional, nefarious Dr. Evil-type plot. But if this were a scheme to burn down the village in order to rebuild it, Biden and his administration are doing a great job of it." (10/25/22)
https://townhall.com/columnists/stephenmoore/2022/10/24/bidens-destroying-the-economy-is-it-intentional-n2614935
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47) Blindness or lies? Government at its "best"
Source: The Price of Liberty
by Nathan Barton
"Is government just blind (willfully or not)? Or is it just that government is incapable of telling the truth? Are lies essential to government? Lets look at just one example." (10/24/22)
https://thepriceofliberty.org/2022/10/24/blindness-or-lies-government-at-its-best/
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48) Beware Hawkish Catastrophism
Source: Eunomia
by Daniel Larison
"Warning that 'inaction' will lead to disaster is the default rhetorical move among hawks, and hawks issue these warnings so often because it is usually the only way for them to sell aggressive policies that make no sense for U.S. interests. Because the U.S. often has little or nothing at stake in a given country, hawks that want the U.S. to intervene in that country are compelled to exaggerate the importance of the place and its connection to U.S. interests elsewhere. This is why China hawks exaggerate Taiwan's importance to the U.S. position in East Asia, and it is why hawkish Atlanticists exaggerate the importance of Ukraine to NATO's security, and it is why Cold War hawks exaggerated the importance of South Vietnam to the policy of containment itself. It was also why the Bush administration had to exaggerate the supposed threat from Iraq." (10/24/22)
https://daniellarison.substack.com/p/beware-hawkish-catastrophism
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49) How Progressives Can Counter "Tough-on Crime" Messaging
Source: In These Times
by Robert Kraig
"After the cold-blooded police murder of George Floyd in 2020 sparked the largest outpouring of public protest in American history since the Civil Rights Movement, a brilliant set of Black organizers leveraged social media's virality and corporate media's thirst for sensational video to flip the traditional crime narrative. Police were recast as dangerous, and innocent Black people as victims of their racism. Shifts in resources from the carceral state to the most economically and racially marginalized communities, previously unthinkable, seemed possible. What a difference two years makes. Massive propaganda ... gave the carceral state a golden opportunity to restore the previous order. Riding a wave of public fear, mayoral candidates in 2021 and 2022 won on platforms of more policing. The GOP continues to use crime as its leading racial dog whistle for the midterms." (10/24/22)
https://inthesetimes.com/article/public-safety-police-crime-criminal-justice-defund-community-organizing
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50) Family Tax Benefit Reform is Long Overdue
Source: Niskanen Center
by Joshua McCabe
"There has been no shortage of proposals from Congress to expand various family tax benefits in recent years. The temporary expansion of the Child Tax Credit (CTC), Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), and Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC) under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARP) are the most recent examples of this trend. However, attempts to rationalize this maze of family tax benefits -- consolidation of overlapping benefits, streamlined eligibility requirements, and reduced administrative burdens -- have been few and far between." (10/24/22)
https://www.niskanencenter.org/family-tax-benefit-reform-is-long-overdue/
_____ Today's Freedom Podcast and Video _____
51) Rising, 10/25/22
Source: The Hill
"Briahna Joy Gray and Robby Soave discuss Democratic lawmakers finally pressing President Biden to change strategy in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, pushing instead for negotiations with Russia instead of supporting Ukraine indefinitely." (10/25/22)
https://thehill.com/hilltv/rising/3703017-rising-october-25-2022/
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52) Hubwonk, 10/25/22
Source: Pioneer Institute
"The Causes and Potential Cures for Inflation." (10/25/22)
https://pioneerinstitute.org/podcast-hubwonk/the-causes-and-potential-cures-for-inflation/
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53) The Bryan Hyde Show, 10/25/22
Source: The Bryan Hyde Show
"The internet has been a major game-changer for most of us. Paul Rosenberg explains how the world has overcome the internet and we need to reclaim that online space." (10/25/22)
https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-tbh4f-12f826d
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54) Vital Dissent, episode 237
Source: Libertarian Institute
"America's Original Experiment in Nation Building ft. Scott Spaulding." (10/25/22)
https://libertarianinstitute.org/patrick/americas-original-experiment-in-nation-building-ft-scott-spaulding-ep-237/
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55) Pod Save America, 10/25/22
Source: Crooked Media
"It's Midnights In America (with AOC!)" (10/25/22)
https://stitcher.simplecastaudio.com/9aa1e238-cbed-4305-9808-c9228fc6dd4f/episodes/2255a487-0587-494b-8462-bfcd6c7d070a/audio/128/default.mp3
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56) Ron Paul Liberty Report, 10/25/22
Source: Ron Paul Liberty Report
"Smackdown! House Dems Desperately Walk Back Letter Urging Diplomacy For Ukraine." (10/25/22)
https://rumble.com/v1ptddl-smackdown-house-dems-desperately-walk-back-letter-urging-diplomacy-for-ukri.html
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57) Annelle Sheline on The Scott Horton Show
Source: The Scott Horton Show
"Mad at the Saudis? End the War in Yemen." (10/24/22)
https://scotthorton.org/interviews/10-21-22-annelle-sheline-mad-at-the-saudis-end-the-war-in-yemen/
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58) Cyberlaw Podcast, episode 427
Source: The Volokh Conspiracy
"The FBI: Lost in Cyberspace?" (10/24/22)
https://reason.com/volokh/2022/10/24/the-fbi-lost-in-cyberspace/
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59) Freedom Works with Paul Molloy, 10/24/22
Source: Freedom Works
"Annelle Sheline of The Quincy Institute on ex-military taking jobs with human rights abuse countries." (10/24/22)
http://internetradiopros.com/freedomworks/?name=2022-10-24_zfw10242022.mp3
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60) The Chris Spangle Show, 10/24/22
Source: The Chris Spangle Show
"Fighting to Stop the Fentanyl Crisis with Finesse Moreno-Rivera." (10/24/22)
https://wearelibertarians.com/css-fighting-to-stop-the-fentanyl-crisis-with-finesse-moreno-rivera/
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