08/07 -- New Trump tax hikes on Americans take effect; Trumpworld Knows Epstein Is a Problem. But They Can’t Solve It
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Thomas L. Knapp
Aug 7, 2025, 6:23:05 AMAug 7
to Freedom News Daily
Freedom News Daily, 08/07/25
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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:
1) New Trump tax hikes on Americans take effect
2) Bosnia: Separatist Serb politician removed from office
3) Hackers strike US court system: Identities of informants compromised in wide hacking attack
4) Trump could meet Putin over Ukraine as soon as next week, official says
5) Jury convicts Tornado Cash political prisoner on one BS charge, deadlocks on others
6) Mall-based retailer Claire’s files for bankruptcy again
7) Italy: Regime approves $15.5 billion construction of world’s longest suspension bridge, from Sicily to mainland
8) TN: Blackburn joins Tennessee for governor
9) Biden team ready to drop dirt on Harris if she comes after him
10) US research station staff evacuated from Antarctica in high-risk operation
11) Taiwan: “Zero Day Attack” TV show imagines Chinese invasion
12) Trump regime pulls funding for new mRNA vaccines
13) Biden-era appointees could stymie Trump’s effort to reshape Fed
14) Pope Leo Criticises Nuclear Deterrence on 80th Anniversary of Hiroshima Bombing
15) US heimatschutz removes age limits for ICE gang recruits to boost hiring for Trump abductions/deportations
16) Musk, X notch court win against California deepfake law
17) After pressure from Trump, Apple to invest $100 billion domestically
18) Iran: Pezeshkian appoints moderate politician to top security post
19) Mexican ranchers struggle to adapt as tiny parasite ravages cattle exports to US
20) VA: Man shoots, kills home intruder who stabbed his wife to death
Today's Freedom Commentary:
21) Russia Exits INF, Arms Race Looms
22) Trumpworld Knows Epstein Is a Problem. But They Can’t Solve It
23) Data, Dishonesty, and Declining Rigor
24) On Refactoring Policy
25) No Matter Who Is President, Don’t Trust Government Data
26) George Orwell’s Case Against the Atomic Bomb
27) A Stark Raving Mad Society
28) It’s (Still) the Economy, Stupid
29) Politics no excuse for violating liberty
30) An inclusive Lebanon, one fewer gun at a time
31) How the Elite Changed Its Mind on Christianity
32) On the Democrat Protests in Texas and Nebraska
33) The Movement Continues for a Nuke-Free World
34) War on Words: The “Free Speech Recession” Is Not Over
35) Donald Trump, Master Statistician
36) The epically blundering Putin is alienating even Trump
37) Dam breaking on Britain’s illegal immigration crisis; the results could be ugly
38) Remember When the Democrats Lost the Elections Because of Fears About Inflation? The NYT Doesn’t
39) Symposium: Why was Japan the only nuclear holocaust in 80 yrs?
40) There Are No Simple Answers to International Relations
41) FEMA Employees Reassigned to ICE
42) Website Suppression
43) No, Nuking Cities Did Not Save Lives
44) Homeschooling and virtual schooling 2025
45) Who could be indicted by a grand jury in the Russia collusion hoax?
46) Fiction is not a felony
47) A Welcome U-Turn in Ukraine
48) When “Dead Enough” Becomes a Metric
49) The Growing Fight for Green Economic Populism
50) Why the poor pay more
Today's Freedom Podcast and Video:
51) The Political Orphanage, 08/06/25
52) So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast, 08/06/25
53) Reason Interview: Mark Pennington
54) Quillette Cetera, episode 50
55) Half the Answer, episode 25
56) Fountainhead Forum, episode 340
57) The Remnant with Jonah Goldberg, 08/06/25
58) The Good Fight, 08/06/25
59) SolutionsWatch, 08/06/25
60) Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 08/06/25
61) Nonzero, 08/05/25
62) Freakonomics Radio, 08/05/25
63) Politics Politics Politics
64) System Update, episode 498
65) Ill Literacy, episode 180
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_____ Today's Freedom News _____
1) New Trump tax hikes on Americans take effect
Source: NBC News
“After months of delays and extensions, President Donald Trump’s comprehensive and sweeping tariffs slate took effect Thursday just after midnight ET, shifting his global trade reset into high gear. [American buyers of m]ost imports into the United States will now face a baseline 10% duty, with the overall average effective tariff rate rising to more than 17% — the highest since 1935, during the Great Depression — thanks to higher duties on [American buyers of goods from] some of the biggest U.S. trading partners, according to the nonpartisan Yale Budget Lab think tank. … Yale’s Budget Lab calculates that the inflationary effect of tariffs will cost a typical household an average of as much as $2,400 this year.” (08/07/25)
https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/trump-tariffs-latest-round-takes-effect-thursday-august-7-2025-rcna223461
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2) Bosnia: Separatist Serb politician removed from office
Source: Associated Press
“Bosnia’s electoral authorities on Wednesday stripped separatist Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik from his position as president of the Serb entity in Bosnia, following an appeals court verdict that sentences him to one year in jail and six years ban on all political activities. The Central Electoral Commission said that Dodik has the right to appeal, with an early presidential election to be held 90 days after the decision. The last Bosnian Serb presidential vote was held in 2022. … The appeals court in Bosnia-Herzegovina confirmed Friday an earlier court ruling that sentenced the pro-Russia Bosnian Serb leader to one year in prison and handed a six-year ban on political activity. As a result, his mandate as Bosnian Serb president was revoked.” (08/06/25)
https://apnews.com/article/bosnia-serb-dodik-removed-election-separatist-sarajevo-6af8a3073e4851996a6ca2f270d0e659
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3) Hackers strike US court system: Identities of informants compromised in wide hacking attack
Source: WION [India]
“A sweeping hacking attack on the US federal court filing system may have compromised identities of confidential court informants, a report in the Politico website said on Wednesday (Aug 6). The hack targeted the US judiciary’s electronic case filing system. The case management system contains sensitive information, including indictments and arrest warrants. The hack may have exposed sensitive court data in several states, the Politico report said, citing two people aware of the matter. The filing system includes the case management/electronic case Files, or CM/ECF. This is used for uploading and managing case documents. The system also has the Public Access to Court Electronic Records, or PACER, which give the public paid access to some of the data.” (08/07/25)
https://www.wionews.com/trending/hackers-strike-us-court-system-identities-of-informants-compromised-in-wide-hacking-attack-cyberattack-news-1754553131340
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4) Trump could meet Putin over Ukraine as soon as next week, official says
Source: Reuters
“President Donald Trump could meet Vladimir Putin as soon as next week, a White House official said on Wednesday, as the U.S. maintained plans to impose secondary sanctions on Friday in an effort to pressure Moscow to end the war in Ukraine. Such a face-to-face meeting would be the first between a sitting U.S. and Russian president since Joe Biden met Putin in Geneva in June 2021, some eight months before Russia launched the biggest attack on a European nation since World War Two by invading Ukraine.” (08/06/25)
https://archive.is/c7Vtn
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5) Jury convicts Tornado Cash political prisoner on one BS charge, deadlocks on others
Source: Bitcoin.com
“Tornado Cash developer Roman Storm was convicted Wednesday of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business, while the jury deadlocked on charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to violate North Korea sanctions. … Storm faced three felony counts stemming from his role in creating the cryptocurrency mixing service. Prosecutors alleged Tornado Cash laundered over $1 billion in criminal proceeds, including funds for North Korea’s Lazarus Group. … Storm’s defense maintained he was merely a developer of open-source software and lacked control over Tornado Cash after its launch. The case is seen as a landmark test of developer liability for decentralized finance (DeFi) tools.” [editor’s note: He developed a piece of software. That was his “crime” – TLK] (08/06/25)
https://news.bitcoin.com/tornado-cash-founder-guilty-of-unlicensed-business-operation/
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6) Mall-based retailer Claire’s files for bankruptcy again
Source: The Hill
“Claire’s, the mall-based accessories retailer that caters to tweens, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for the second time in less than a decade. The Illinois-based company announced Wednesday that it was voluntarily beginning Chapter 11 proceedings in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware ‘to maximize the value of its business.’ Its Canadian branch is expected to do the same. … Currently, Claire’s has about $500 million in debt and between $1 billion and $10 billion in assets and liabilities. Citing court documents, CNBC reports Claire’s is exploring a sale of its assets. Other retailers that have filed for bankruptcy this year include At Home and JOANN. Fellow mall-focused stores, like Torrid, have also been forced to close dozens of stores.” (08/06/25)
https://thehill.com/homenews/nexstar_media_wire/5438586-mall-based-retailer-claires-files-for-bankruptcy-again/
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7) Italy: Regime approves $15.5 billion construction of world’s longest suspension bridge, from Sicily to mainland
Source: CBS News
“A long-delayed and debated bridge linking the Italian mainland with Sicily cleared a major hurdle Wednesday, allowing work to begin on what would be the world’s longest suspension bridge, despite concerns over earthquakes, environmental impacts and the threat of mafia interference. An interministerial committee with oversight of strategic public investments approved the 13.5 billion euro ($15.5 billion) project, the Transport Ministry said in a statement. … The Strait of Messina Bridge would measure nearly 3.7 kilometers (2.3 miles), with the suspended span reaching 3.3 kilometers (some two miles), surpassing Canakkale Bridge in Turkey, currently the longest, by 1,277 meters (4,189 feet). With four lanes of traffic flanked by a double-track railway, the bridge would have the capacity to carry 6,000 vehicles an hour and 200 trains a day.” (08/06/25)
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/italy-messina-bridge-15-5-billion-construction-worlds-longest-suspension-span-sicily-to-mainland/
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8) TN: Blackburn joins Tennessee for governor
Source: CNN
“Republican US Sen. Marsha Blackburn announced on Wednesday that she is entering the open Tennessee governor’s race in 2026, setting up a primary clash with US Rep. John Rose. Blackburn’s announcement makes official what had been expected for some time from the ally of President Donald Trump. She had made no secret that she was planning on running for the position. It sets up a Republican primary clash in August 2026 against Rose who is also a Trump backer. They will be competing to replace GOP Gov. Bill Lee, who is hitting his limit of two four-year terms in office.” (08/06/25)
https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/06/politics/republican-marsha-blackburn-tennessee-governor
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9) Biden team ready to drop dirt on Harris if she comes after him
Source: Fox News
“Political analyst Mark Halperin revealed last week that former President Joe Biden’s team is prepared to release unflattering stories about their efforts to prepare former Vice President Kamala Harris for a potential run if she comes after him in her new book. Harris announced the release of her upcoming book 107 Days, documenting her short-lived presidential run, just a week after Biden reportedly signed a $10 million deal with the Hachette Book Group for his upcoming presidential memoir. While speaking on 2Way’s ‘The Morning Meeting’ with Sean Spicer and Dan Turrentine, Halperin dismissed the notion that they discussed these books with each other, adding that the Biden team is ready to push back if they feel threatened.” (08/06/25)
https://www.foxnews.com/media/biden-team-ready-drop-dirt-harris-she-comes-after-him-mark-halperin-says
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10) US research station staff evacuated from Antarctica in high-risk operation
Source: The Guardian [UK]
“The New Zealand air force has evacuated three people from a US research base in Antarctica in a high-risk operation that required navigating through extreme weather and round-the-clock darkness. The air force said on Wednesday the United National Science Foundation requested a medical evacuation for three of its staff members based at the McMurdo Station, one of whom needed urgent medical care. The crew of the C-130J Hercules flew on Tuesday afternoon, working through the night to complete the mission, the air force said. … The Hercules flew to Antarctica with a doctor on board to care for the patients during the flight. The plane landed back in Christchurch on Wednesday morning, after a 19.5 hour round trip.” (08/06/25)
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/06/mcmurdo-station-antarctica-medical-evacuation
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11) Taiwan: “Zero Day Attack” TV show imagines Chinese invasion
Source: BBC News [UK State Media]
“A Chinese fighter jet plane crashes in the waters off Taiwan’s coast, prompting Chinese warships to blockade the island for a ‘search and rescue’. Taiwanese soldiers manning Dadan Island, a rocky outcrop mere kilometres from China’s coast, begin vanishing mysteriously. Then one night, a fishing boat lands on Dadan. A signal flare arcs into the inky sky – and illuminates Chinese soldiers who have spilled out of the boat and amassed on the beach. This is the key scenario in Zero Day Attack, a new Taiwanese television show about a fictional Chinese military invasion. Beijing has long viewed self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory, vowing to ‘reunify’ with it some day while not ruling out the use of force. The series, which aired its first episode over the weekend, was partially funded by the Taiwanese government, which hopes to raise awareness about the threat China poses.” (08/06/25)
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz93ge90dywo
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12) Trump regime pulls funding for new mRNA vaccines
Source: Axios
“Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Tuesday that the government is pulling $500 million in funding to develop new mRNA vaccines in order to focus on ‘safer, broader vaccine platforms.’ Among the 22 contracts the Trump administration is winding down is a Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority award to Moderna to develop a new line of defense against H5N1 bird flu. The administration said is also rejecting or canceling proposals from Pfizer and Sanofi Pasteur that were part of a BARDA rapid response partnership.” (08/05/25)
https://archive.is/mXLtt
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13) Biden-era appointees could stymie Trump’s effort to reshape Fed
Source: Reuters
“President Donald Trump’s coming nomination of a new member of the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors will focus attention on the plans of three others appointed by his predecessor, as well as Fed Chair Jerome Powell himself, who combined could offer a powerful counterweight against any efforts to overhaul monetary policy or the central bank’s operations. Fed Governor Adriana Kugler’s surprise resignation last week gives Trump a seat to fill months earlier than expected with someone who could serve as a Fed chief-in-waiting until Powell’s term as head of the central bank ends in May, or, should the president elevate Governor Christopher Waller to the job, add another supportive voice to the board.” (08/06/25)
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/biden-era-appointees-could-stymie-trumps-effort-reshape-fed-2025-08-06/
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14) Pope Leo Criticises Nuclear Deterrence on 80th Anniversary of Hiroshima Bombing
Source: US News & World Report
“Pope Leo on Wednesday criticised the ‘illusory security’ of the global nuclear deterrence system, in an appeal on the 80th anniversary of the United States dropping an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima at the end of the Second World War. Leo, the first U.S.-born pope, said in his weekly audience that the destruction in Hiroshima, which killed about 78,000 people instantly, should serve ‘as a universal warning against the devastation caused … by nuclear weapons.’ … While the Catholic Church for decades gave tacit acceptance to the system of nuclear deterrence that developed in the Cold War, Leo’s predecessor Pope Francis changed the Church’s teaching to condemn the possession of nuclear arms.” (08/06/25)
https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2025-08-06/pope-leo-criticises-nuclear-deterrence-on-80th-anniversary-of-hiroshima-bombing
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15) US heimatschutz removes age limits for ICE gang recruits to boost hiring for Trump abductions/deportations
Source: SFGate
“The Department of Homeland Security said Wednesday that it is removing age limits for new hires at the agency responsible for immigration enforcement, as it aims to expand hiring after a massive infusion of cash from Congress. The department said in a news release that it would waive age limits for new applicants so ‘even more patriots will qualify to join ICE,’ the agency responsible for finding, arresting, detaining and removing people who are in the U.S. illegally. The agency is at the center of the Trump administration’s efforts to carry out President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda. Earlier this summer Congress passed a spending bill that gives ICE money to hire 10,000 more staff. Currently, ICE applicants must be 21 years old and no older than 37 or 40, depending on what position they are applying for. In an interview with Fox & Friends, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said applicants could be as young as 18.” (08/06/25)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/politics/article/homeland-security-removes-age-limits-for-ice-20804934.php
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16) Musk, X notch court win against California deepfake law
Source: Politico
“A federal judge on Tuesday struck down a California law restricting AI-generated, deepfake content during elections — among the strictest such measures in the country — notching a win for Elon Musk and his X platform, which challenged the rules. But Judge John Mendez also declined to give an opinion on the free speech arguments that were central to the plaintiffs’ case, instead citing federal rules for online platforms for his decision. Mendez also said he intended to overrule a second law, which would require labels on digitally altered campaign materials and ads, for violating the First Amendment.” (08/05/25)
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/05/elon-musk-x-court-win-california-deepfake-law-00494936
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17) After pressure from Trump, Apple to invest $100 billion domestically
Source: BBC News [UK State Media]
“Apple is planning to boost investments in its home country by another $100bn (£750m) as it comes under pressure from the Trump administration to do more manufacturing in the US. The White House said the money would be used to encourage firms to make more Apple parts in the US and would add to the company’s previous pledge to spend $500bn in the US over four years. Apple did not immediately comment. On an investor call last week, chief executive Tim Cook referenced the company’s earlier commitment and said it was looking to ‘do more’ as it tries to avoid a wave of tariffs poised to hit its products. Earlier this spring President Donald Trump singled out Apple by name, threatening to raise tariffs on the company’s products if it did not move manufacturing of its iPhones to the US.” (08/06/25)
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdx0n7y29kdo
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18) Iran: Pezeshkian appoints moderate politician to top security post
Source: ABC News
“Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has appointed veteran politician Ali Larijani as the new secretary for the country’s highest security body, the Supreme National Security Council, state media reported on Tuesday. The decree, reported by the state-run IRNA news agency, marks Larijani’s return to a post he previously held for two years from 2005 to 2007. He replaces Gen. Ali Akbar Ahmadian, who had been in the role since 2023. Larijani, 67, a moderate conservative, has served as an adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in recent years. Khamenei holds the final say on all state matters in the country.” (08/05/25)
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/irans-president-appoints-moderate-politician-top-security-post-124380784
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19) Mexican ranchers struggle to adapt as tiny parasite ravages cattle exports to US
Source: SFGate
“The United States’[s] suspension of live cattle imports from Mexico hit at the worst possible time for rancher Martín Ibarra Vargas, who after two years of severe drought had hoped to put his family on better footing selling his calves across the northern border. Like his father and grandfather before him, Ibarra Vargas has raised cattle on the parched soil of Sonora, the state in northwestern Mexico that shares a long border with the United States, particularly Arizona. His family has faced punishing droughts before but has never before had to contend with the economic hit of a new scourge: the New World Screwworm, a flesh-eating parasite. U.S. agriculture officials halted live cattle crossing the border in July – the third suspension of the past eight months — due to concerns about the flesh-eating maggot which has been found in southern Mexico and is creeping north.” (08/05/25)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/mexican-ranchers-struggle-to-adapt-as-a-tiny-20802215.php
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20) VA: Man shoots, kills home intruder who stabbed his wife to death
Source: WRDW News
“Two people are dead after a home invasion in Virginia on Sunday night, according to the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies responded to a call Sunday at 11:58 p.m. for a home invasion involving an armed intruder on the 13000 block of North Valley Pike. When deputies arrived, they found the homeowner, 65-year-old Michael Hatcher, outside the home. Hatcher is the person who called 911, officials say. Officials said Hatcher had visible injuries from an altercation with the armed intruder. Investigators found that the invader, 41-year-old Kevin Moses Walker, had entered the home and stabbed Hatcher’s wife, 62-year-old Holly Hatcher, to death. Investigators said that Walker then tried to stab Michael Hatcher, who in turn, shot and killed Walker while trying to escape the attack.” (08/05/25)
https://www.wrdw.com/2025/08/05/man-shoots-kills-home-intruder-who-stabbed-his-wife-death-officials-say/
_____ Today's Freedom Commentary _____
21) Russia Exits INF, Arms Race Looms
Source: The Realist Review
by Steven Starr
“Russia has announced that it will no longer adhere to the terms of the INF Treaty, which Trump, at the urging of his neoconservative National Security Adviser John Bolton, withdrew from in 2019. Russia will now answer any Western deployment of missiles — including land, sea, and air systems — with a tit-for-tat deployments. This includes the deployment of medium range nuclear-armed missiles in Europe.” (08/06/25)
https://therealistreview.substack.com/p/russia-exits-inf-arms-race-looms
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22) Trumpworld Knows Epstein Is a Problem. But They Can’t Solve It
Source: Wired
by Jake Lahut
“Privately, some of President Donald Trump’s most loyal allies have come to a sobering conclusion. There’s simply nothing that can be done, they’ve come to believe, to salvage the ongoing catastrophe that is the MAGA base fraying over the ghost of Jeffrey Epstein. People aren’t jumping off the Trump train yet — at least not in significant numbers, though polling shows at least 60 percent of Americans disapprove of his handling of the Epstein case in recent weeks — but the damage has been done with supporters. ‘Honestly, like, fuck Trump,’ a Trumpworld source who works in conservative media tells me. ‘I’m not a conspiracy theorist, but there’s obviously something nefarious that went on.’ … The Epstein story has been a viral content machine on the right for years, and it has too much momentum behind it to simply be shut down and stopped in its tracks.” (08/06/25)
https://archive.is/ECjse
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23) Data, Dishonesty, and Declining Rigor
Source: Law & Liberty
by James Andrews
“AI didn’t break higher ed. It revealed the cracks: falling standards, eroded norms, and a growing disconnect between degrees and the job market. These problems predate ChatGPT. Colleges had already begun relaxing expectations around attendance, participation, and performance, especially through online and hybrid formats designed for convenience, not rigor. But the shift wasn’t merely structural. In chasing enrollment and cutting instructional costs, many institutions de-emphasized disciplines with deep traditions of structure and rigor, expanding instead into programs that are easier to scale online — but often less grounded in formal methods or measurable outcomes. Online and hybrid courses haven’t just changed how students learn; they’ve reshaped what many now expect from faculty, coursework, and from college itself.” (08/06/25)
https://lawliberty.org/data-dishonesty-and-declining-rigor/
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24) On Refactoring Policy
Source: Waste No More Time
by Nicholas Sarwark
“It was during the rise of the Rational Unified Process and Java and object-oriented programming that I discovered refactoring. Refactoring refers to the process of changing the internal factors of an object without changing the output of the object, usually to improve performance or resource utilization or to redesign a data structure. … In the United States, there has been a great deal of change to how things work in our government, much of it created by Elon Musk and his disastrous DOGE program to ‘make government more efficient’ that ended up mangling many working systems because ‘move fast and break things’ is the opposite of refactoring. The first thing to break is the expected result of the system. It was a massive failure, but we can use it as a lesson and take the opposite approach.” (08/06/25)
https://nsarwark.substack.com/p/on-refactoring-policy
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25) No Matter Who Is President, Don’t Trust Government Data
Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Connor O’Keeffe
“President Trump caused a stir last Friday after he fired the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) hours after it released a weaker-than-expected jobs report. In a post on his social media site Truth Social, the president blamed the Biden-appointed BLS commissioner, Dr. Erika McEntarfer, for manipulating jobs numbers to prop up Democrats and make his administration look bad. He promised to appoint someone ‘much more competent and qualified.’ … while Trump’s assertion of BLS data manipulation was characteristically imprecise, there’s no question that the political establishment has been concealing, spinning, and even outright manipulating government economic data for its own benefit.” (08/06/25)
https://mises.org/mises-wire/no-matter-who-president-dont-trust-government-data
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26) George Orwell’s Case Against the Atomic Bomb
Source: Libertarian Institute
by James Rushmore
“At the core of [Orwell’] polemic is the premise that nuclear weapons grease the wheels of statism by allowing the world’s superpowers to hold the global population hostage. Orwell dispels the most optimistic argument put forward by proponents of the atomic bomb, namely that such technology would inaugurate a new era of peace. That peace, however, would be maintained by the threat of mutual assured destruction. The ruling class would be permitted to amass even more power, all while waving the banner of ‘peace through strength’ and stockpiling tens of thousands of nuclear warheads. The threat of nuclear war would facilitate the exponential growth of the state. Rather than reaping a peace dividend, it would use the prospect of nuclear annihilation to expand its empire, thereby exerting its awesome tyranny over both its own citizenry and billions of foreign civilians.” (08/06/25)
https://libertarianinstitute.org/articles/george-orwells-case-against-the-atomic-bomb
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27) A Stark Raving Mad Society
Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone
“I hate Piers Morgan. He represents so much about what’s sick about our society. He hosts a Jerry Springer-style program where he regularly brings on people who oppose genocide and people who support it so they can scream at each other and draw clicks and attention with the viral video clips it generates. He morally postures about Gaza when it’s convenient while also playing both sides, badgering guests to ‘condemn Hamas’ and shrieking at anti-genocide activists in order to frame himself as a dispassionate neutral observer of a 21st century holocaust. All while comfortably enjoying the fruits of the empire he defends.” (08/06/25)
https://caitlinjohnstone.com.au/2025/08/06/the-new-issue-of-johnstone-a-stark-raving-mad-society/
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28) It’s (Still) the Economy, Stupid
Source: The Dispatch
by David M Drucker
“Candidates running for office this year and next are focusing specifically on ‘affordability,’ a broader economic issue distinct from jobs, wages, and, more recently, inflation. Whether it’s Democrats like New York City’s socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani or centrist Virginia gubernatorial nominee Abigail Spanberger, or Republicans like New Jersey gubernatorial nominee Jack Ciattarelli or New Jersey Senate contender Scott Brown — along with others on the ballot this year or next — ‘affordability’ is dominating the campaign trail. Housing seems to be a key driver of voters’ anxiety, but Democratic and Republican strategists agree the unease extends beyond high rents and expensive mortgages.” (08/06/25)
https://thedispatch.com/article/republicans-democrats-inflation-affordability-housing/
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29) Politics no excuse for violating liberty
Source: Eastern New Mexico News
by Kent McManigal
“Over the past few years, I’ve seen many online videos in which an individual brags about how they’ll mistreat anyone in their care if they know that person holds an opposing political opinion. The really scary thing is how many of these are healthcare workers. I’ve also seen videos of teachers who threaten to take it out on students whose parents don’t align with the teacher’s political bias. These people sometimes lose their job when their video gets noticed. Then there are those on video celebrating having legislation enforcers upend and destroy someone’s life, when the individual did nothing objectively unethical. … It’s clear from the videos that all these people think they are the good guys. But who could possibly imagine this is right? People conditioned by politics, that’s who. And it’s contagious.” (08/06/25)
https://www.easternnewmexiconews.com/story/2025/08/06/voices/opinion-politics-no-excuse-for-violating-liberty/231400.html
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30) An inclusive Lebanon, one fewer gun at a time
Source: Christian Science Monitor
by staff
“A frequent diplomatic success in recent years has been persuading armed militias to give up their weapons and focus on peaceful politics. Examples can be found in Northern Ireland, Colombia, the Palestinian territories, and, lately, in Turkey. On Tuesday, Lebanon headed down this road. For the first time in decades, the country’s highest executive body took up the issue of a timetable to disarm the Shiite militant group Hezbollah. Lebanon’s collective identity as a nation, as well as its ability to rebuild after a 13-month war with Israel, depends on Hezbollah acknowledging that the state must have a monopoly over the use of force. Or, as President Joseph Aoun said last month, the Lebanese army ‘alone reflects the Lebanese people’s desire to see their country free, sovereign and independent.’ Since launching an attack on Israel the day after Hamas did on Oct. 7, 2023, Hezbollah has lost support among Lebanon’s Shiite community.” (08/05/25)
https://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/the-monitors-view/2025/0805/An-inclusive-Lebanon-one-fewer-gun-at-a-time
-----
31) How the Elite Changed Its Mind on Christianity
Source: Reason
by Emma Camp
“As the decline in religious attendance has slowed, the past few years have also seen a clear rise in the status of religion. It’s becoming more and more socially acceptable to be religious in elite intellectual spaces — something that could have a real impact on how religion is perceived by everyone else. This is a big change from the past few decades, in which internet ‘new atheism’ effectively framed religion, Christianity in particular, as fundamentally anti-intellectual and subtly low-class. … Today, one can belong to the ideas-making class — an aspiring public intellectual or artist — and still be religious, so long as one steers clear of evangelical kitsch.” (08/06/25)
https://reason.com/2025/08/06/how-the-elite-changed-its-mind-on-christianity/
-----
32) On the Democrat Protests in Texas and Nebraska
Source: Town Hall
by Byron York
“You’ve seen reports about the unpopularity of the Democratic Party these days — stories with headlines like ‘Democrats Get Lowest Rating From Voters in 35 Years’. It’s true: Large numbers of voters disapprove of the party and, even though they don’t love Republicans either, trust the GOP more to handle many basic issues. On the other hand, some elements of the Democratic Party are filled with passionate intensity. We’re seeing two examples of that now. The first is in Texas. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott called a special session of the legislature this summer to deal with the question of redistricting, which is, of course, always a contentious topic. … Rather than deal with a defeat on redistricting, which would result in more Republican congressional seats, Democrats in the Texas House decided to flee the state to block a vote.” (08/06/25)
https://townhall.com/columnists/byronyork/2025/08/06/columnistsbyronyork20250805on-the-democratic-protests-in-texas-and-nebraska-n2661456
-----
33) The Movement Continues for a Nuke-Free World
Source: Common Dreams
by Ann Wright
“As this is the commemoration of horrific deaths and wounding of hundreds of thousands of people in Hiroshima and Nagasaki 80 years ago in 1945, as an American citizen, I offer my profound apologies to the families of those killed in Japan — Japanese, Koreans, and other nationalities including the U.S. prisoners of war who were there. And to Marshallese and U.S. ‘downwinders’ who suffered from U.S. testing of atomic and nuclear weapons, for the criminal actions of my government in using these weapons of mass destruction. I also apologize to the Vietnamese delegation at the conference for the U.S. dropping millions of gallons of Agent Orange and leaving tons of unexploded ordnance in Vietnam. The knowledge that the horrific weapons would be used to kill and maim innocent civilians as a strategy to end the war was brutal, reckless, and without any sense of humanity.” (08/06/25)
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/nuclear-free-world
-----
34) War on Words: The “Free Speech Recession” Is Not Over
Source: The Daily Economy
by Julian Adorney
“Censorship is a tool that the powerful use to keep the little guy down. And in a republic in which power regularly changes hands, any new censoring tools that we give to our political allies will invariably be wielded by our political opponents. As [Greg] Lukianoff writes: ‘A good intellectual exercise before passing a new law is to consider how your worst enemy would use that law — and thinking about that is even more important when imagining restrictions on free speech.'” (08/06/25)
https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/the-war-on-words-is-essential-reading-for-our-political-moment/
-----
35) Donald Trump, Master Statistician
Source: The Bulwark
by Bill Lueders
“Whatever the claim, the president has the numbers to prove it, even if he has to make them up.” (08/06/25)
https://www.thebulwark.com/p/donald-trump-master-statistician-mathematics-innumeracy-numbers-fabulism
-----
36) The epically blundering Putin is alienating even Trump
Source: Washington Post
by George F Will
“Donald Trump has announced himself ‘disappointed.’ He had such high hopes for Vladimir Putin. Putin’s response to Trump’s 50-day ultimatum — to agree to ‘a deal’ by Sept. 3 or face severe economic consequences — was intensified attacks on Ukraine population centers. Trump’s subsequent 10-day ultimatum, expiring Friday, seems to have been equally unavailing. Putin aims to get not to negotiations but to Kyiv, because only extinguishing Ukraine’s nationhood can redeem his epochal blunder. Although Putin has been certified a ‘genius’ (by Trump; Putin has not reciprocated), not since Adolf Hitler invaded the Soviet Union 84 summers ago has a military undertaking been as comprehensively counterproductive for its initiator as Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.” (08/06/25)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/08/06/trump-putin-russia-ukraine/
-----
37) Dam breaking on Britain’s illegal immigration crisis; the results could be ugly
Source: New York Post
by Glenn H Reynolds
“Britain’s Labour government is in trouble: Its program of massive third-world immigration from places like Pakistan and Somalia is wildly, overwhelmingly unpopular. But that’s not the real problem; the real problem is that despite the best efforts of Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his leftist captive media, Britons themselves have discovered just how unpopular it is. You might think that’s absurd — if mass immigration is unpopular, how can everyone not know it? Everyone doesn’t know it because the government has been policing speech about immigration. Any criticism of open borders, lax enforcement or — worst of all — immigrant crime has been punished as ‘racist’ and ‘hate speech’ by the Starmer regime.” (08/05/25)
https://nypost.com/2025/08/05/opinion/uk-is-facing-migrant-crisis-reality-and-results-will-be-ugly/
-----
38) Remember When the Democrats Lost the Elections Because of Fears About Inflation? The NYT Doesn’t
Source: CounterPunch
by Dean Baker
“As usual, the New York Times gets things exactly wrong in a piece headlined ‘Trump’s Tariffs are Making Money. That May Make Them Hard to Quit.’ The gist of the article is that the tariffs are on a path to raise close to $400 billion a year, and possibly considerably more, depending on where Trump ends up with his trade ‘deals.’ While this is in fact a very substantial sum, it makes for an obvious campaign issue for Democrats in 2026 and 2028. They can promise a huge tax cut to ordinary workers. At $400 billion, the tariffs come to an average of more than $3,000 per household annually. The Democrats can promise a large tax cut to working and middle-class families by rolling back the tariffs.” (08/06/25)
https://www.counterpunch.org/2025/08/06/remember-when-the-democrats-lost-the-elections-because-of-fears-about-inflation-the-nyt-doesnt/
-----
39) Symposium: Why was Japan the only nuclear holocaust in 80 yrs?
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by various authors
“On the anniversary of Hiroshima and Nagasaki we ask 17 experts whether ‘deterrence’ is the real legacy. Or not.” (08/06/25)
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/hiroshima-and-nagasaki/
-----
40) There Are No Simple Answers to International Relations
Source: Liberal Currents
by Henry Sargent
“One of Bertrand Russell’s great insights, now a popular liberal refrain, is that movements always go too far. Even the best ideas must be adaptable to events or risk consequences that run counter to the intentions of the original theorists. Theories often fall victim to their own success; once fluid solutions to contemporary problems become solidified over time, leading to dogmatism. Nowhere is theoretical overreach more dangerous than in the field of international relations. So often in the past, the very theories designed to minimize the likelihood of war have themselves become part of justifications for war.” (08/06/25)
https://www.liberalcurrents.com/there-are-no-simple-answers-to-international-relations/
-----
41) FEMA Employees Reassigned to ICE
Source: The American Prospect
by David Dayen
“A number of employees with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) were informed via email late on Tuesday that they have been reassigned, effective immediately, to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The workers had seven days to accept the reassignment, under threat of being removed from the civil service. … Like at many federal agencies, these employees had been on paid administrative leave for months …. now, these probationary FEMA employees on leave are apparently being shifted as a stopgap maneuver to bolster the ranks of ICE, which received tens of billions of dollars in the GOP mega-bill but faces the daunting task of hiring thousands of new agents to an unpopular agency with plummeting morale.” (08/06/25)
https://prospect.org/labor/2025-08-06-fema-employees-reassigned-to-ice/
-----
42) Website Suppression
Source: Common Sense
by Paul Jacob
“Censors are on the march … seemingly everywhere. Strike them down one place, they pop up three others. Or, in the U.S., two: the House and the Senate. ‘Earlier this year, U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren introduced a new pirate site blocking bill, titled the Foreign Anti-Digital Piracy Act,’ we read at Torrent Freak, which goes on to tell us that, in late July, ‘a similar proposal was introduced by Senators Tillis, Coons, Blackburn, and Schiff. The bipartisan bill, titled Block Bad Electronic Art and Recording Distributors (Block BEARD), aims to introduce a legal mechanism for rightsholders to request site blocking orders.’ Ostensibly, the Block BEARD Act targets websites accused of harboring pirated materials. But Reclaim the Net observes that the legislation would establish ‘a formal, court-approved process that could be used to make entire websites vanish from the American internet.'” (08/06/25)
https://thisiscommonsense.org/2025/08/06/website-suppression/
-----
43) No, Nuking Cities Did Not Save Lives
Source: Antiwar.com
by David Swanson
“It’s oddly encouraging that the New York Post had to bring up its kookiest rightwing propagandist on Friday to argue that nuking Hiroshima and Nagasaki saved lives. It’s almost as if the New York Times’[s] kookiest rightwing propagandist’s claiming that killing Palestinians is not genocide had to be one-upped by the Post. It’s even more encouraging that the Post felt obliged to expand the usual definition of ‘lives’ to include the lives of Japanese people, claiming that nuking people saved not only U.S. lives but also Japanese lives — an argument it would have been very hard to find even being attempted during the early decades of this myth.” (08/06/25)
https://original.antiwar.com/david_swanson/2025/08/05/no-nuking-cities-did-not-save-lives/
-----
44) Homeschooling and virtual schooling 2025
Source: The Price of Liberty
by Nathan Barton
“According to the National Home Education Research Institute, there were 3.1 million homeschooled K-12 students in the 2021-2022 school year, up from 2.5 million in spring 2019. Forbes indicated last year that estimates put the number of American homeschooled students at nearly 4 million kids nationwide. As multiple states do not require notification when parents decide to educate their children at home, the number might be much higher. Today, there is good evidence that home schooling and virtual schooling numbers are double the pre-Panic numbers: as many as 5 million. Especially when you look at micro-schools and even forms of ‘unschooling’ across the nation. The parasites that feed off the ‘public school’ system are panicked.” (08/05/25)
https://thepriceofliberty.org/2025/08/05/homeschooling-and-virtual-schooling-2025/
-----
45) Who could be indicted by a grand jury in the Russia collusion hoax?
Source: Fox News
by Gregg Jarrett
“It’s been nearly a decade since President Donald Trump became the victim of the greatest mass delusion in American political history. Those who abused the levers of government power and schemed to frame him are now suffering an acute case of the legal jitters. Those behind the infamous Russia Hoax have reason to be nervous. On Monday, the news broke that the Department of Justice is convening a grand jury to assess a growing body of incriminating evidence. Indictments may follow. There was never a Trump-Russia collusion conspiracy. But there was an elaborate conspiracy to falsely accuse him of collusion. It becomes criminal if it can be shown that people lied under oath, deceived government agencies, manufactured false documents, or if federal officials themselves violated rights and laws with the intent to persecute and/or prosecute an innocent person.” (08/06/25)
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/gregg-jarrett-who-could-indicted-grand-jury-russia-collusion-hoax
-----
46) Fiction is not a felony
Source: Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression
by Karan Kuppa-Apte & Edan Kauer
“In American courtrooms today, song lyrics are being treated as confessions and fiction is being read as fact. On July 24, Reps. Hank Johnson (GA-04) and Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37) reintroduced the Restoring Artistic Protection (RAP) Act, a bill aimed at reining in a surreal injustice in the American legal system — using artists’ creative fiction as evidence against them at trial. This is not a hypothetical. As of June of this year, courts have seen over 820 cases where lyrics and other artistic work were presented as supposed proof of guilt. That number doesn’t include what’s buried in sealed records or never covered by the press. These aren’t smoking guns either — they’re lines from songs.” (08/05/25)
https://www.thefire.org/news/fiction-not-felony
-----
47) A Welcome U-Turn in Ukraine
Source: Persuasion
by Michael McFaul
“Massive protests forced Zelenskyy to backtrack on a dangerous law. Will Trump’s opponents heed the lesson?” (08/05/25)
https://www.persuasion.community/p/a-welcome-u-turn-in-ukraine
-----
48) When “Dead Enough” Becomes a Metric
Source: Brownstone Institute
by Josh Stylman
“The heart monitor flatlines. The family weeps. The doctors wait exactly 75 seconds — then restart the procedure. In the world of organ transplants, ‘dead enough’ has become a moving target. The New York Times just reported something most people aren’t ready to hear: in the rush to expand organ transplants, procurement teams have sometimes started too early. Not after death — before it was fully established. This isn’t just investigative journalism anymore — it’s official. In July, the US Department of Health and Human Services released the results of a federal investigation into the transplant system.” (08/05/25)
https://brownstone.org/articles/when-dead-enough-becomes-a-metric/
-----
49) The Growing Fight for Green Economic Populism
Source: In These Times
by Ruthy Gourevitch & Batul Hassan
“From battling extreme heat on the job to flooding at home, the working class is on the frontlines of extreme weather this summer, fueled by an escalating climate crisis. This crisis is also making life more expensive, from higher utility bills in poorly insulated rental units to medical bills resulting from treatment after days spent in the dangerous heat. But at a time when the federal government is dismantling the social safety net and climate investments, working class movements are not sitting back and waiting for their bosses, landlords or politicians to act. Instead, labor and tenant unions are taking matters into their own hands, creating a blueprint for how to organize around both the climate and cost of living crises at the same time.” (08/05/25)
https://inthesetimes.com/article/green-economic-populism-climate-social-housing-chicago
-----
50) Why the poor pay more
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Lika Kobeshavidze
“Walk into a government clinic in Lagos on a Monday morning, and you’ll see the real price of ‘free’ healthcare. Even early in the day, the benches are already full. Mothers clutch sick children, elderly men sit on the floor, and everyone waits, sometimes for hours, just to be seen. When a nurse finally calls a name, there’s often a quiet expectation for a ‘token,’ a polite word for a bribe, to move the process along. And if you do make it to the doctor? The medicine is often out of stock. You leave with a prescription in hand and another bill to pay at a private pharmacy. This isn’t a glitch in the system. It is the system.” (08/05/25)
https://fee.org/articles/why-the-poor-pay-more/
_____ Today's Freedom Podcast and Video _____
51) The Political Orphanage, 08/06/25
Source: The Political Orphanage
“Greg Lukianoff is Worried About Free Speech.” (08/06/25)
https://politicalorphanage.libsyn.com/greg-lukianoff-is-worried-about-free-speech
-----
52) So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast, 08/06/25
Source: Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression
“The state of commercial speech.” (08/06/25)
https://www.thefire.org/news/podcasts/so-speak-free-speech-podcast/state-commercial-speech
-----
53) Reason Interview: Mark Pennington
Source: Reason
“The Libertarian Case for Postmodernism.” (08/06/25)
https://reason.com/podcast/2025/08/06/the-libertarian-case-for-postmodernism/
-----
54) Quillette Cetera, episode 50
Source: Quillette
“Can We Regulate Online Hate Without Killing Free Speech? With Dr Andre Oboler.” (08/06/25)
https://quillette.com/2025/08/06/can-we-regulate-online-hate-without-killing-free-speech-dr-andre-oboler-quillette-cetera-ep-50/
-----
55) Half the Answer, episode 25
Source: Liberal Currents
“Still Talking About Epstein.” (08/06/25)
https://www.liberalcurrents.com/half-the-answer-25-still-talking-about-epstein/
-----
56) Fountainhead Forum, episode 340
Source: Fountainhead Forum
“Ed Hudgins on working at NASA during the moon landing.” (08/06/25)
https://rumble.com/v6x7bkw-ff-340-ed-hudgins-on-working-at-nasa-during-the-moon-landing.html
-----
57) The Remnant with Jonah Goldberg, 08/06/25
Source: The Dispatch
“A Return to Econ 101 | Interview: Russ Roberts.” (08/06/25)
https://thedispatch.com/podcast/remnant/a-return-to-econ-101-interview-russ-roberts/
-----
58) The Good Fight, 08/06/25
Source: Yascha Mounk
“Yascha Mounk and Miles Taylor discuss ‘the adults in the room’ during Trump’s first administration.” (08/06/25)
https://yaschamounk.substack.com/p/miles-taylor-on-resisting-donald
-----
59) SolutionsWatch, 08/06/25
Source: The Corbett Report
“How to Set Up An Email Alias.” (08/06/25)
https://corbettreport.com/how-to-set-up-an-email-alias-solutionswatch/
-----
60) Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 08/06/25
Source: Antiwar.com
“Trump Says Occupying Gaza Is ‘Up to Israel,’ 80th Anniversary of US Bombing Hiroshima, and More.” (08/06/25)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQZ8GT9-gWU
-----
61) Nonzero, 08/05/25
Source: bloggingheads.tv
“Must We Discuss Sydney Sweeney? | Robert Wright & Paul Bloom.” (08/05/25)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61vV4LdPqKE
-----
62) Freakonomics Radio, 08/05/25
Source: Freakonomics
“Why Does Tipping Still Exist? (Update).” (08/05/25)
https://freakonomics.com/podcast/why-does-tipping-still-exist-update/
-----
63) Politics Politics Politics
Source: Politics Politics Politics
“What Are Texas Democrats Thinking?! The Political Stories That Still Matter in 2025 (with Kirk Bado).” (08/05/25)
https://www.politicspoliticspolitics.com/p/what-are-texas-democrats-thinking
-----
64) System Update, episode 498
Source: System Update
“Should Obama Admin Officials Be Prosecuted for Russiagate Lies? Major Escalations in Trump/Brazil Conflict.” (08/05/25)
https://rumble.com/v6x6sn4-system-update-show-498.html
-----
65) Ill Literacy, episode 180
Source: Heartland Institute
“An Abundance of Caution (Guest: David Zweig).” (08/05/25)
https://heartland.org/podcasts/ill-literacy-episode-180-an-abundance-of-caution-guest-david-zweig/
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Today's Freedom News:
1) New Trump tax hikes on Americans take effect
2) Bosnia: Separatist Serb politician removed from office
3) Hackers strike US court system: Identities of informants compromised in wide hacking attack
4) Trump could meet Putin over Ukraine as soon as next week, official says
5) Jury convicts Tornado Cash political prisoner on one BS charge, deadlocks on others
6) Mall-based retailer Claire’s files for bankruptcy again
7) Italy: Regime approves $15.5 billion construction of world’s longest suspension bridge, from Sicily to mainland
8) TN: Blackburn joins Tennessee for governor
9) Biden team ready to drop dirt on Harris if she comes after him
10) US research station staff evacuated from Antarctica in high-risk operation
11) Taiwan: “Zero Day Attack” TV show imagines Chinese invasion
12) Trump regime pulls funding for new mRNA vaccines
13) Biden-era appointees could stymie Trump’s effort to reshape Fed
14) Pope Leo Criticises Nuclear Deterrence on 80th Anniversary of Hiroshima Bombing
15) US heimatschutz removes age limits for ICE gang recruits to boost hiring for Trump abductions/deportations
16) Musk, X notch court win against California deepfake law
17) After pressure from Trump, Apple to invest $100 billion domestically
18) Iran: Pezeshkian appoints moderate politician to top security post
19) Mexican ranchers struggle to adapt as tiny parasite ravages cattle exports to US
20) VA: Man shoots, kills home intruder who stabbed his wife to death
Today's Freedom Commentary:
21) Russia Exits INF, Arms Race Looms
22) Trumpworld Knows Epstein Is a Problem. But They Can’t Solve It
23) Data, Dishonesty, and Declining Rigor
24) On Refactoring Policy
25) No Matter Who Is President, Don’t Trust Government Data
26) George Orwell’s Case Against the Atomic Bomb
27) A Stark Raving Mad Society
28) It’s (Still) the Economy, Stupid
29) Politics no excuse for violating liberty
30) An inclusive Lebanon, one fewer gun at a time
31) How the Elite Changed Its Mind on Christianity
32) On the Democrat Protests in Texas and Nebraska
33) The Movement Continues for a Nuke-Free World
34) War on Words: The “Free Speech Recession” Is Not Over
35) Donald Trump, Master Statistician
36) The epically blundering Putin is alienating even Trump
37) Dam breaking on Britain’s illegal immigration crisis; the results could be ugly
38) Remember When the Democrats Lost the Elections Because of Fears About Inflation? The NYT Doesn’t
39) Symposium: Why was Japan the only nuclear holocaust in 80 yrs?
40) There Are No Simple Answers to International Relations
41) FEMA Employees Reassigned to ICE
42) Website Suppression
43) No, Nuking Cities Did Not Save Lives
44) Homeschooling and virtual schooling 2025
45) Who could be indicted by a grand jury in the Russia collusion hoax?
46) Fiction is not a felony
47) A Welcome U-Turn in Ukraine
48) When “Dead Enough” Becomes a Metric
49) The Growing Fight for Green Economic Populism
50) Why the poor pay more
Today's Freedom Podcast and Video:
51) The Political Orphanage, 08/06/25
52) So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast, 08/06/25
53) Reason Interview: Mark Pennington
54) Quillette Cetera, episode 50
55) Half the Answer, episode 25
56) Fountainhead Forum, episode 340
57) The Remnant with Jonah Goldberg, 08/06/25
58) The Good Fight, 08/06/25
59) SolutionsWatch, 08/06/25
60) Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 08/06/25
61) Nonzero, 08/05/25
62) Freakonomics Radio, 08/05/25
63) Politics Politics Politics
64) System Update, episode 498
65) Ill Literacy, episode 180
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_____ Today's Freedom News _____
1) New Trump tax hikes on Americans take effect
Source: NBC News
“After months of delays and extensions, President Donald Trump’s comprehensive and sweeping tariffs slate took effect Thursday just after midnight ET, shifting his global trade reset into high gear. [American buyers of m]ost imports into the United States will now face a baseline 10% duty, with the overall average effective tariff rate rising to more than 17% — the highest since 1935, during the Great Depression — thanks to higher duties on [American buyers of goods from] some of the biggest U.S. trading partners, according to the nonpartisan Yale Budget Lab think tank. … Yale’s Budget Lab calculates that the inflationary effect of tariffs will cost a typical household an average of as much as $2,400 this year.” (08/07/25)
https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/trump-tariffs-latest-round-takes-effect-thursday-august-7-2025-rcna223461
-----
2) Bosnia: Separatist Serb politician removed from office
Source: Associated Press
“Bosnia’s electoral authorities on Wednesday stripped separatist Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik from his position as president of the Serb entity in Bosnia, following an appeals court verdict that sentences him to one year in jail and six years ban on all political activities. The Central Electoral Commission said that Dodik has the right to appeal, with an early presidential election to be held 90 days after the decision. The last Bosnian Serb presidential vote was held in 2022. … The appeals court in Bosnia-Herzegovina confirmed Friday an earlier court ruling that sentenced the pro-Russia Bosnian Serb leader to one year in prison and handed a six-year ban on political activity. As a result, his mandate as Bosnian Serb president was revoked.” (08/06/25)
https://apnews.com/article/bosnia-serb-dodik-removed-election-separatist-sarajevo-6af8a3073e4851996a6ca2f270d0e659
-----
3) Hackers strike US court system: Identities of informants compromised in wide hacking attack
Source: WION [India]
“A sweeping hacking attack on the US federal court filing system may have compromised identities of confidential court informants, a report in the Politico website said on Wednesday (Aug 6). The hack targeted the US judiciary’s electronic case filing system. The case management system contains sensitive information, including indictments and arrest warrants. The hack may have exposed sensitive court data in several states, the Politico report said, citing two people aware of the matter. The filing system includes the case management/electronic case Files, or CM/ECF. This is used for uploading and managing case documents. The system also has the Public Access to Court Electronic Records, or PACER, which give the public paid access to some of the data.” (08/07/25)
https://www.wionews.com/trending/hackers-strike-us-court-system-identities-of-informants-compromised-in-wide-hacking-attack-cyberattack-news-1754553131340
-----
4) Trump could meet Putin over Ukraine as soon as next week, official says
Source: Reuters
“President Donald Trump could meet Vladimir Putin as soon as next week, a White House official said on Wednesday, as the U.S. maintained plans to impose secondary sanctions on Friday in an effort to pressure Moscow to end the war in Ukraine. Such a face-to-face meeting would be the first between a sitting U.S. and Russian president since Joe Biden met Putin in Geneva in June 2021, some eight months before Russia launched the biggest attack on a European nation since World War Two by invading Ukraine.” (08/06/25)
https://archive.is/c7Vtn
-----
5) Jury convicts Tornado Cash political prisoner on one BS charge, deadlocks on others
Source: Bitcoin.com
“Tornado Cash developer Roman Storm was convicted Wednesday of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business, while the jury deadlocked on charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to violate North Korea sanctions. … Storm faced three felony counts stemming from his role in creating the cryptocurrency mixing service. Prosecutors alleged Tornado Cash laundered over $1 billion in criminal proceeds, including funds for North Korea’s Lazarus Group. … Storm’s defense maintained he was merely a developer of open-source software and lacked control over Tornado Cash after its launch. The case is seen as a landmark test of developer liability for decentralized finance (DeFi) tools.” [editor’s note: He developed a piece of software. That was his “crime” – TLK] (08/06/25)
https://news.bitcoin.com/tornado-cash-founder-guilty-of-unlicensed-business-operation/
-----
6) Mall-based retailer Claire’s files for bankruptcy again
Source: The Hill
“Claire’s, the mall-based accessories retailer that caters to tweens, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for the second time in less than a decade. The Illinois-based company announced Wednesday that it was voluntarily beginning Chapter 11 proceedings in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware ‘to maximize the value of its business.’ Its Canadian branch is expected to do the same. … Currently, Claire’s has about $500 million in debt and between $1 billion and $10 billion in assets and liabilities. Citing court documents, CNBC reports Claire’s is exploring a sale of its assets. Other retailers that have filed for bankruptcy this year include At Home and JOANN. Fellow mall-focused stores, like Torrid, have also been forced to close dozens of stores.” (08/06/25)
https://thehill.com/homenews/nexstar_media_wire/5438586-mall-based-retailer-claires-files-for-bankruptcy-again/
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7) Italy: Regime approves $15.5 billion construction of world’s longest suspension bridge, from Sicily to mainland
Source: CBS News
“A long-delayed and debated bridge linking the Italian mainland with Sicily cleared a major hurdle Wednesday, allowing work to begin on what would be the world’s longest suspension bridge, despite concerns over earthquakes, environmental impacts and the threat of mafia interference. An interministerial committee with oversight of strategic public investments approved the 13.5 billion euro ($15.5 billion) project, the Transport Ministry said in a statement. … The Strait of Messina Bridge would measure nearly 3.7 kilometers (2.3 miles), with the suspended span reaching 3.3 kilometers (some two miles), surpassing Canakkale Bridge in Turkey, currently the longest, by 1,277 meters (4,189 feet). With four lanes of traffic flanked by a double-track railway, the bridge would have the capacity to carry 6,000 vehicles an hour and 200 trains a day.” (08/06/25)
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/italy-messina-bridge-15-5-billion-construction-worlds-longest-suspension-span-sicily-to-mainland/
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8) TN: Blackburn joins Tennessee for governor
Source: CNN
“Republican US Sen. Marsha Blackburn announced on Wednesday that she is entering the open Tennessee governor’s race in 2026, setting up a primary clash with US Rep. John Rose. Blackburn’s announcement makes official what had been expected for some time from the ally of President Donald Trump. She had made no secret that she was planning on running for the position. It sets up a Republican primary clash in August 2026 against Rose who is also a Trump backer. They will be competing to replace GOP Gov. Bill Lee, who is hitting his limit of two four-year terms in office.” (08/06/25)
https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/06/politics/republican-marsha-blackburn-tennessee-governor
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9) Biden team ready to drop dirt on Harris if she comes after him
Source: Fox News
“Political analyst Mark Halperin revealed last week that former President Joe Biden’s team is prepared to release unflattering stories about their efforts to prepare former Vice President Kamala Harris for a potential run if she comes after him in her new book. Harris announced the release of her upcoming book 107 Days, documenting her short-lived presidential run, just a week after Biden reportedly signed a $10 million deal with the Hachette Book Group for his upcoming presidential memoir. While speaking on 2Way’s ‘The Morning Meeting’ with Sean Spicer and Dan Turrentine, Halperin dismissed the notion that they discussed these books with each other, adding that the Biden team is ready to push back if they feel threatened.” (08/06/25)
https://www.foxnews.com/media/biden-team-ready-drop-dirt-harris-she-comes-after-him-mark-halperin-says
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10) US research station staff evacuated from Antarctica in high-risk operation
Source: The Guardian [UK]
“The New Zealand air force has evacuated three people from a US research base in Antarctica in a high-risk operation that required navigating through extreme weather and round-the-clock darkness. The air force said on Wednesday the United National Science Foundation requested a medical evacuation for three of its staff members based at the McMurdo Station, one of whom needed urgent medical care. The crew of the C-130J Hercules flew on Tuesday afternoon, working through the night to complete the mission, the air force said. … The Hercules flew to Antarctica with a doctor on board to care for the patients during the flight. The plane landed back in Christchurch on Wednesday morning, after a 19.5 hour round trip.” (08/06/25)
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/06/mcmurdo-station-antarctica-medical-evacuation
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11) Taiwan: “Zero Day Attack” TV show imagines Chinese invasion
Source: BBC News [UK State Media]
“A Chinese fighter jet plane crashes in the waters off Taiwan’s coast, prompting Chinese warships to blockade the island for a ‘search and rescue’. Taiwanese soldiers manning Dadan Island, a rocky outcrop mere kilometres from China’s coast, begin vanishing mysteriously. Then one night, a fishing boat lands on Dadan. A signal flare arcs into the inky sky – and illuminates Chinese soldiers who have spilled out of the boat and amassed on the beach. This is the key scenario in Zero Day Attack, a new Taiwanese television show about a fictional Chinese military invasion. Beijing has long viewed self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory, vowing to ‘reunify’ with it some day while not ruling out the use of force. The series, which aired its first episode over the weekend, was partially funded by the Taiwanese government, which hopes to raise awareness about the threat China poses.” (08/06/25)
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz93ge90dywo
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12) Trump regime pulls funding for new mRNA vaccines
Source: Axios
“Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Tuesday that the government is pulling $500 million in funding to develop new mRNA vaccines in order to focus on ‘safer, broader vaccine platforms.’ Among the 22 contracts the Trump administration is winding down is a Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority award to Moderna to develop a new line of defense against H5N1 bird flu. The administration said is also rejecting or canceling proposals from Pfizer and Sanofi Pasteur that were part of a BARDA rapid response partnership.” (08/05/25)
https://archive.is/mXLtt
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13) Biden-era appointees could stymie Trump’s effort to reshape Fed
Source: Reuters
“President Donald Trump’s coming nomination of a new member of the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors will focus attention on the plans of three others appointed by his predecessor, as well as Fed Chair Jerome Powell himself, who combined could offer a powerful counterweight against any efforts to overhaul monetary policy or the central bank’s operations. Fed Governor Adriana Kugler’s surprise resignation last week gives Trump a seat to fill months earlier than expected with someone who could serve as a Fed chief-in-waiting until Powell’s term as head of the central bank ends in May, or, should the president elevate Governor Christopher Waller to the job, add another supportive voice to the board.” (08/06/25)
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/biden-era-appointees-could-stymie-trumps-effort-reshape-fed-2025-08-06/
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14) Pope Leo Criticises Nuclear Deterrence on 80th Anniversary of Hiroshima Bombing
Source: US News & World Report
“Pope Leo on Wednesday criticised the ‘illusory security’ of the global nuclear deterrence system, in an appeal on the 80th anniversary of the United States dropping an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima at the end of the Second World War. Leo, the first U.S.-born pope, said in his weekly audience that the destruction in Hiroshima, which killed about 78,000 people instantly, should serve ‘as a universal warning against the devastation caused … by nuclear weapons.’ … While the Catholic Church for decades gave tacit acceptance to the system of nuclear deterrence that developed in the Cold War, Leo’s predecessor Pope Francis changed the Church’s teaching to condemn the possession of nuclear arms.” (08/06/25)
https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2025-08-06/pope-leo-criticises-nuclear-deterrence-on-80th-anniversary-of-hiroshima-bombing
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15) US heimatschutz removes age limits for ICE gang recruits to boost hiring for Trump abductions/deportations
Source: SFGate
“The Department of Homeland Security said Wednesday that it is removing age limits for new hires at the agency responsible for immigration enforcement, as it aims to expand hiring after a massive infusion of cash from Congress. The department said in a news release that it would waive age limits for new applicants so ‘even more patriots will qualify to join ICE,’ the agency responsible for finding, arresting, detaining and removing people who are in the U.S. illegally. The agency is at the center of the Trump administration’s efforts to carry out President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda. Earlier this summer Congress passed a spending bill that gives ICE money to hire 10,000 more staff. Currently, ICE applicants must be 21 years old and no older than 37 or 40, depending on what position they are applying for. In an interview with Fox & Friends, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said applicants could be as young as 18.” (08/06/25)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/politics/article/homeland-security-removes-age-limits-for-ice-20804934.php
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16) Musk, X notch court win against California deepfake law
Source: Politico
“A federal judge on Tuesday struck down a California law restricting AI-generated, deepfake content during elections — among the strictest such measures in the country — notching a win for Elon Musk and his X platform, which challenged the rules. But Judge John Mendez also declined to give an opinion on the free speech arguments that were central to the plaintiffs’ case, instead citing federal rules for online platforms for his decision. Mendez also said he intended to overrule a second law, which would require labels on digitally altered campaign materials and ads, for violating the First Amendment.” (08/05/25)
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/05/elon-musk-x-court-win-california-deepfake-law-00494936
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17) After pressure from Trump, Apple to invest $100 billion domestically
Source: BBC News [UK State Media]
“Apple is planning to boost investments in its home country by another $100bn (£750m) as it comes under pressure from the Trump administration to do more manufacturing in the US. The White House said the money would be used to encourage firms to make more Apple parts in the US and would add to the company’s previous pledge to spend $500bn in the US over four years. Apple did not immediately comment. On an investor call last week, chief executive Tim Cook referenced the company’s earlier commitment and said it was looking to ‘do more’ as it tries to avoid a wave of tariffs poised to hit its products. Earlier this spring President Donald Trump singled out Apple by name, threatening to raise tariffs on the company’s products if it did not move manufacturing of its iPhones to the US.” (08/06/25)
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdx0n7y29kdo
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18) Iran: Pezeshkian appoints moderate politician to top security post
Source: ABC News
“Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has appointed veteran politician Ali Larijani as the new secretary for the country’s highest security body, the Supreme National Security Council, state media reported on Tuesday. The decree, reported by the state-run IRNA news agency, marks Larijani’s return to a post he previously held for two years from 2005 to 2007. He replaces Gen. Ali Akbar Ahmadian, who had been in the role since 2023. Larijani, 67, a moderate conservative, has served as an adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in recent years. Khamenei holds the final say on all state matters in the country.” (08/05/25)
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/irans-president-appoints-moderate-politician-top-security-post-124380784
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19) Mexican ranchers struggle to adapt as tiny parasite ravages cattle exports to US
Source: SFGate
“The United States’[s] suspension of live cattle imports from Mexico hit at the worst possible time for rancher Martín Ibarra Vargas, who after two years of severe drought had hoped to put his family on better footing selling his calves across the northern border. Like his father and grandfather before him, Ibarra Vargas has raised cattle on the parched soil of Sonora, the state in northwestern Mexico that shares a long border with the United States, particularly Arizona. His family has faced punishing droughts before but has never before had to contend with the economic hit of a new scourge: the New World Screwworm, a flesh-eating parasite. U.S. agriculture officials halted live cattle crossing the border in July – the third suspension of the past eight months — due to concerns about the flesh-eating maggot which has been found in southern Mexico and is creeping north.” (08/05/25)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/mexican-ranchers-struggle-to-adapt-as-a-tiny-20802215.php
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20) VA: Man shoots, kills home intruder who stabbed his wife to death
Source: WRDW News
“Two people are dead after a home invasion in Virginia on Sunday night, according to the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies responded to a call Sunday at 11:58 p.m. for a home invasion involving an armed intruder on the 13000 block of North Valley Pike. When deputies arrived, they found the homeowner, 65-year-old Michael Hatcher, outside the home. Hatcher is the person who called 911, officials say. Officials said Hatcher had visible injuries from an altercation with the armed intruder. Investigators found that the invader, 41-year-old Kevin Moses Walker, had entered the home and stabbed Hatcher’s wife, 62-year-old Holly Hatcher, to death. Investigators said that Walker then tried to stab Michael Hatcher, who in turn, shot and killed Walker while trying to escape the attack.” (08/05/25)
https://www.wrdw.com/2025/08/05/man-shoots-kills-home-intruder-who-stabbed-his-wife-death-officials-say/
_____ Today's Freedom Commentary _____
21) Russia Exits INF, Arms Race Looms
Source: The Realist Review
by Steven Starr
“Russia has announced that it will no longer adhere to the terms of the INF Treaty, which Trump, at the urging of his neoconservative National Security Adviser John Bolton, withdrew from in 2019. Russia will now answer any Western deployment of missiles — including land, sea, and air systems — with a tit-for-tat deployments. This includes the deployment of medium range nuclear-armed missiles in Europe.” (08/06/25)
https://therealistreview.substack.com/p/russia-exits-inf-arms-race-looms
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22) Trumpworld Knows Epstein Is a Problem. But They Can’t Solve It
Source: Wired
by Jake Lahut
“Privately, some of President Donald Trump’s most loyal allies have come to a sobering conclusion. There’s simply nothing that can be done, they’ve come to believe, to salvage the ongoing catastrophe that is the MAGA base fraying over the ghost of Jeffrey Epstein. People aren’t jumping off the Trump train yet — at least not in significant numbers, though polling shows at least 60 percent of Americans disapprove of his handling of the Epstein case in recent weeks — but the damage has been done with supporters. ‘Honestly, like, fuck Trump,’ a Trumpworld source who works in conservative media tells me. ‘I’m not a conspiracy theorist, but there’s obviously something nefarious that went on.’ … The Epstein story has been a viral content machine on the right for years, and it has too much momentum behind it to simply be shut down and stopped in its tracks.” (08/06/25)
https://archive.is/ECjse
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23) Data, Dishonesty, and Declining Rigor
Source: Law & Liberty
by James Andrews
“AI didn’t break higher ed. It revealed the cracks: falling standards, eroded norms, and a growing disconnect between degrees and the job market. These problems predate ChatGPT. Colleges had already begun relaxing expectations around attendance, participation, and performance, especially through online and hybrid formats designed for convenience, not rigor. But the shift wasn’t merely structural. In chasing enrollment and cutting instructional costs, many institutions de-emphasized disciplines with deep traditions of structure and rigor, expanding instead into programs that are easier to scale online — but often less grounded in formal methods or measurable outcomes. Online and hybrid courses haven’t just changed how students learn; they’ve reshaped what many now expect from faculty, coursework, and from college itself.” (08/06/25)
https://lawliberty.org/data-dishonesty-and-declining-rigor/
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24) On Refactoring Policy
Source: Waste No More Time
by Nicholas Sarwark
“It was during the rise of the Rational Unified Process and Java and object-oriented programming that I discovered refactoring. Refactoring refers to the process of changing the internal factors of an object without changing the output of the object, usually to improve performance or resource utilization or to redesign a data structure. … In the United States, there has been a great deal of change to how things work in our government, much of it created by Elon Musk and his disastrous DOGE program to ‘make government more efficient’ that ended up mangling many working systems because ‘move fast and break things’ is the opposite of refactoring. The first thing to break is the expected result of the system. It was a massive failure, but we can use it as a lesson and take the opposite approach.” (08/06/25)
https://nsarwark.substack.com/p/on-refactoring-policy
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25) No Matter Who Is President, Don’t Trust Government Data
Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Connor O’Keeffe
“President Trump caused a stir last Friday after he fired the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) hours after it released a weaker-than-expected jobs report. In a post on his social media site Truth Social, the president blamed the Biden-appointed BLS commissioner, Dr. Erika McEntarfer, for manipulating jobs numbers to prop up Democrats and make his administration look bad. He promised to appoint someone ‘much more competent and qualified.’ … while Trump’s assertion of BLS data manipulation was characteristically imprecise, there’s no question that the political establishment has been concealing, spinning, and even outright manipulating government economic data for its own benefit.” (08/06/25)
https://mises.org/mises-wire/no-matter-who-president-dont-trust-government-data
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26) George Orwell’s Case Against the Atomic Bomb
Source: Libertarian Institute
by James Rushmore
“At the core of [Orwell’] polemic is the premise that nuclear weapons grease the wheels of statism by allowing the world’s superpowers to hold the global population hostage. Orwell dispels the most optimistic argument put forward by proponents of the atomic bomb, namely that such technology would inaugurate a new era of peace. That peace, however, would be maintained by the threat of mutual assured destruction. The ruling class would be permitted to amass even more power, all while waving the banner of ‘peace through strength’ and stockpiling tens of thousands of nuclear warheads. The threat of nuclear war would facilitate the exponential growth of the state. Rather than reaping a peace dividend, it would use the prospect of nuclear annihilation to expand its empire, thereby exerting its awesome tyranny over both its own citizenry and billions of foreign civilians.” (08/06/25)
https://libertarianinstitute.org/articles/george-orwells-case-against-the-atomic-bomb
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27) A Stark Raving Mad Society
Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone
“I hate Piers Morgan. He represents so much about what’s sick about our society. He hosts a Jerry Springer-style program where he regularly brings on people who oppose genocide and people who support it so they can scream at each other and draw clicks and attention with the viral video clips it generates. He morally postures about Gaza when it’s convenient while also playing both sides, badgering guests to ‘condemn Hamas’ and shrieking at anti-genocide activists in order to frame himself as a dispassionate neutral observer of a 21st century holocaust. All while comfortably enjoying the fruits of the empire he defends.” (08/06/25)
https://caitlinjohnstone.com.au/2025/08/06/the-new-issue-of-johnstone-a-stark-raving-mad-society/
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28) It’s (Still) the Economy, Stupid
Source: The Dispatch
by David M Drucker
“Candidates running for office this year and next are focusing specifically on ‘affordability,’ a broader economic issue distinct from jobs, wages, and, more recently, inflation. Whether it’s Democrats like New York City’s socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani or centrist Virginia gubernatorial nominee Abigail Spanberger, or Republicans like New Jersey gubernatorial nominee Jack Ciattarelli or New Jersey Senate contender Scott Brown — along with others on the ballot this year or next — ‘affordability’ is dominating the campaign trail. Housing seems to be a key driver of voters’ anxiety, but Democratic and Republican strategists agree the unease extends beyond high rents and expensive mortgages.” (08/06/25)
https://thedispatch.com/article/republicans-democrats-inflation-affordability-housing/
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29) Politics no excuse for violating liberty
Source: Eastern New Mexico News
by Kent McManigal
“Over the past few years, I’ve seen many online videos in which an individual brags about how they’ll mistreat anyone in their care if they know that person holds an opposing political opinion. The really scary thing is how many of these are healthcare workers. I’ve also seen videos of teachers who threaten to take it out on students whose parents don’t align with the teacher’s political bias. These people sometimes lose their job when their video gets noticed. Then there are those on video celebrating having legislation enforcers upend and destroy someone’s life, when the individual did nothing objectively unethical. … It’s clear from the videos that all these people think they are the good guys. But who could possibly imagine this is right? People conditioned by politics, that’s who. And it’s contagious.” (08/06/25)
https://www.easternnewmexiconews.com/story/2025/08/06/voices/opinion-politics-no-excuse-for-violating-liberty/231400.html
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30) An inclusive Lebanon, one fewer gun at a time
Source: Christian Science Monitor
by staff
“A frequent diplomatic success in recent years has been persuading armed militias to give up their weapons and focus on peaceful politics. Examples can be found in Northern Ireland, Colombia, the Palestinian territories, and, lately, in Turkey. On Tuesday, Lebanon headed down this road. For the first time in decades, the country’s highest executive body took up the issue of a timetable to disarm the Shiite militant group Hezbollah. Lebanon’s collective identity as a nation, as well as its ability to rebuild after a 13-month war with Israel, depends on Hezbollah acknowledging that the state must have a monopoly over the use of force. Or, as President Joseph Aoun said last month, the Lebanese army ‘alone reflects the Lebanese people’s desire to see their country free, sovereign and independent.’ Since launching an attack on Israel the day after Hamas did on Oct. 7, 2023, Hezbollah has lost support among Lebanon’s Shiite community.” (08/05/25)
https://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/the-monitors-view/2025/0805/An-inclusive-Lebanon-one-fewer-gun-at-a-time
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31) How the Elite Changed Its Mind on Christianity
Source: Reason
by Emma Camp
“As the decline in religious attendance has slowed, the past few years have also seen a clear rise in the status of religion. It’s becoming more and more socially acceptable to be religious in elite intellectual spaces — something that could have a real impact on how religion is perceived by everyone else. This is a big change from the past few decades, in which internet ‘new atheism’ effectively framed religion, Christianity in particular, as fundamentally anti-intellectual and subtly low-class. … Today, one can belong to the ideas-making class — an aspiring public intellectual or artist — and still be religious, so long as one steers clear of evangelical kitsch.” (08/06/25)
https://reason.com/2025/08/06/how-the-elite-changed-its-mind-on-christianity/
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32) On the Democrat Protests in Texas and Nebraska
Source: Town Hall
by Byron York
“You’ve seen reports about the unpopularity of the Democratic Party these days — stories with headlines like ‘Democrats Get Lowest Rating From Voters in 35 Years’. It’s true: Large numbers of voters disapprove of the party and, even though they don’t love Republicans either, trust the GOP more to handle many basic issues. On the other hand, some elements of the Democratic Party are filled with passionate intensity. We’re seeing two examples of that now. The first is in Texas. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott called a special session of the legislature this summer to deal with the question of redistricting, which is, of course, always a contentious topic. … Rather than deal with a defeat on redistricting, which would result in more Republican congressional seats, Democrats in the Texas House decided to flee the state to block a vote.” (08/06/25)
https://townhall.com/columnists/byronyork/2025/08/06/columnistsbyronyork20250805on-the-democratic-protests-in-texas-and-nebraska-n2661456
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33) The Movement Continues for a Nuke-Free World
Source: Common Dreams
by Ann Wright
“As this is the commemoration of horrific deaths and wounding of hundreds of thousands of people in Hiroshima and Nagasaki 80 years ago in 1945, as an American citizen, I offer my profound apologies to the families of those killed in Japan — Japanese, Koreans, and other nationalities including the U.S. prisoners of war who were there. And to Marshallese and U.S. ‘downwinders’ who suffered from U.S. testing of atomic and nuclear weapons, for the criminal actions of my government in using these weapons of mass destruction. I also apologize to the Vietnamese delegation at the conference for the U.S. dropping millions of gallons of Agent Orange and leaving tons of unexploded ordnance in Vietnam. The knowledge that the horrific weapons would be used to kill and maim innocent civilians as a strategy to end the war was brutal, reckless, and without any sense of humanity.” (08/06/25)
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/nuclear-free-world
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34) War on Words: The “Free Speech Recession” Is Not Over
Source: The Daily Economy
by Julian Adorney
“Censorship is a tool that the powerful use to keep the little guy down. And in a republic in which power regularly changes hands, any new censoring tools that we give to our political allies will invariably be wielded by our political opponents. As [Greg] Lukianoff writes: ‘A good intellectual exercise before passing a new law is to consider how your worst enemy would use that law — and thinking about that is even more important when imagining restrictions on free speech.'” (08/06/25)
https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/the-war-on-words-is-essential-reading-for-our-political-moment/
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35) Donald Trump, Master Statistician
Source: The Bulwark
by Bill Lueders
“Whatever the claim, the president has the numbers to prove it, even if he has to make them up.” (08/06/25)
https://www.thebulwark.com/p/donald-trump-master-statistician-mathematics-innumeracy-numbers-fabulism
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36) The epically blundering Putin is alienating even Trump
Source: Washington Post
by George F Will
“Donald Trump has announced himself ‘disappointed.’ He had such high hopes for Vladimir Putin. Putin’s response to Trump’s 50-day ultimatum — to agree to ‘a deal’ by Sept. 3 or face severe economic consequences — was intensified attacks on Ukraine population centers. Trump’s subsequent 10-day ultimatum, expiring Friday, seems to have been equally unavailing. Putin aims to get not to negotiations but to Kyiv, because only extinguishing Ukraine’s nationhood can redeem his epochal blunder. Although Putin has been certified a ‘genius’ (by Trump; Putin has not reciprocated), not since Adolf Hitler invaded the Soviet Union 84 summers ago has a military undertaking been as comprehensively counterproductive for its initiator as Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.” (08/06/25)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/08/06/trump-putin-russia-ukraine/
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37) Dam breaking on Britain’s illegal immigration crisis; the results could be ugly
Source: New York Post
by Glenn H Reynolds
“Britain’s Labour government is in trouble: Its program of massive third-world immigration from places like Pakistan and Somalia is wildly, overwhelmingly unpopular. But that’s not the real problem; the real problem is that despite the best efforts of Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his leftist captive media, Britons themselves have discovered just how unpopular it is. You might think that’s absurd — if mass immigration is unpopular, how can everyone not know it? Everyone doesn’t know it because the government has been policing speech about immigration. Any criticism of open borders, lax enforcement or — worst of all — immigrant crime has been punished as ‘racist’ and ‘hate speech’ by the Starmer regime.” (08/05/25)
https://nypost.com/2025/08/05/opinion/uk-is-facing-migrant-crisis-reality-and-results-will-be-ugly/
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38) Remember When the Democrats Lost the Elections Because of Fears About Inflation? The NYT Doesn’t
Source: CounterPunch
by Dean Baker
“As usual, the New York Times gets things exactly wrong in a piece headlined ‘Trump’s Tariffs are Making Money. That May Make Them Hard to Quit.’ The gist of the article is that the tariffs are on a path to raise close to $400 billion a year, and possibly considerably more, depending on where Trump ends up with his trade ‘deals.’ While this is in fact a very substantial sum, it makes for an obvious campaign issue for Democrats in 2026 and 2028. They can promise a huge tax cut to ordinary workers. At $400 billion, the tariffs come to an average of more than $3,000 per household annually. The Democrats can promise a large tax cut to working and middle-class families by rolling back the tariffs.” (08/06/25)
https://www.counterpunch.org/2025/08/06/remember-when-the-democrats-lost-the-elections-because-of-fears-about-inflation-the-nyt-doesnt/
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39) Symposium: Why was Japan the only nuclear holocaust in 80 yrs?
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by various authors
“On the anniversary of Hiroshima and Nagasaki we ask 17 experts whether ‘deterrence’ is the real legacy. Or not.” (08/06/25)
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/hiroshima-and-nagasaki/
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40) There Are No Simple Answers to International Relations
Source: Liberal Currents
by Henry Sargent
“One of Bertrand Russell’s great insights, now a popular liberal refrain, is that movements always go too far. Even the best ideas must be adaptable to events or risk consequences that run counter to the intentions of the original theorists. Theories often fall victim to their own success; once fluid solutions to contemporary problems become solidified over time, leading to dogmatism. Nowhere is theoretical overreach more dangerous than in the field of international relations. So often in the past, the very theories designed to minimize the likelihood of war have themselves become part of justifications for war.” (08/06/25)
https://www.liberalcurrents.com/there-are-no-simple-answers-to-international-relations/
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41) FEMA Employees Reassigned to ICE
Source: The American Prospect
by David Dayen
“A number of employees with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) were informed via email late on Tuesday that they have been reassigned, effective immediately, to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The workers had seven days to accept the reassignment, under threat of being removed from the civil service. … Like at many federal agencies, these employees had been on paid administrative leave for months …. now, these probationary FEMA employees on leave are apparently being shifted as a stopgap maneuver to bolster the ranks of ICE, which received tens of billions of dollars in the GOP mega-bill but faces the daunting task of hiring thousands of new agents to an unpopular agency with plummeting morale.” (08/06/25)
https://prospect.org/labor/2025-08-06-fema-employees-reassigned-to-ice/
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42) Website Suppression
Source: Common Sense
by Paul Jacob
“Censors are on the march … seemingly everywhere. Strike them down one place, they pop up three others. Or, in the U.S., two: the House and the Senate. ‘Earlier this year, U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren introduced a new pirate site blocking bill, titled the Foreign Anti-Digital Piracy Act,’ we read at Torrent Freak, which goes on to tell us that, in late July, ‘a similar proposal was introduced by Senators Tillis, Coons, Blackburn, and Schiff. The bipartisan bill, titled Block Bad Electronic Art and Recording Distributors (Block BEARD), aims to introduce a legal mechanism for rightsholders to request site blocking orders.’ Ostensibly, the Block BEARD Act targets websites accused of harboring pirated materials. But Reclaim the Net observes that the legislation would establish ‘a formal, court-approved process that could be used to make entire websites vanish from the American internet.'” (08/06/25)
https://thisiscommonsense.org/2025/08/06/website-suppression/
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43) No, Nuking Cities Did Not Save Lives
Source: Antiwar.com
by David Swanson
“It’s oddly encouraging that the New York Post had to bring up its kookiest rightwing propagandist on Friday to argue that nuking Hiroshima and Nagasaki saved lives. It’s almost as if the New York Times’[s] kookiest rightwing propagandist’s claiming that killing Palestinians is not genocide had to be one-upped by the Post. It’s even more encouraging that the Post felt obliged to expand the usual definition of ‘lives’ to include the lives of Japanese people, claiming that nuking people saved not only U.S. lives but also Japanese lives — an argument it would have been very hard to find even being attempted during the early decades of this myth.” (08/06/25)
https://original.antiwar.com/david_swanson/2025/08/05/no-nuking-cities-did-not-save-lives/
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44) Homeschooling and virtual schooling 2025
Source: The Price of Liberty
by Nathan Barton
“According to the National Home Education Research Institute, there were 3.1 million homeschooled K-12 students in the 2021-2022 school year, up from 2.5 million in spring 2019. Forbes indicated last year that estimates put the number of American homeschooled students at nearly 4 million kids nationwide. As multiple states do not require notification when parents decide to educate their children at home, the number might be much higher. Today, there is good evidence that home schooling and virtual schooling numbers are double the pre-Panic numbers: as many as 5 million. Especially when you look at micro-schools and even forms of ‘unschooling’ across the nation. The parasites that feed off the ‘public school’ system are panicked.” (08/05/25)
https://thepriceofliberty.org/2025/08/05/homeschooling-and-virtual-schooling-2025/
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45) Who could be indicted by a grand jury in the Russia collusion hoax?
Source: Fox News
by Gregg Jarrett
“It’s been nearly a decade since President Donald Trump became the victim of the greatest mass delusion in American political history. Those who abused the levers of government power and schemed to frame him are now suffering an acute case of the legal jitters. Those behind the infamous Russia Hoax have reason to be nervous. On Monday, the news broke that the Department of Justice is convening a grand jury to assess a growing body of incriminating evidence. Indictments may follow. There was never a Trump-Russia collusion conspiracy. But there was an elaborate conspiracy to falsely accuse him of collusion. It becomes criminal if it can be shown that people lied under oath, deceived government agencies, manufactured false documents, or if federal officials themselves violated rights and laws with the intent to persecute and/or prosecute an innocent person.” (08/06/25)
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/gregg-jarrett-who-could-indicted-grand-jury-russia-collusion-hoax
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46) Fiction is not a felony
Source: Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression
by Karan Kuppa-Apte & Edan Kauer
“In American courtrooms today, song lyrics are being treated as confessions and fiction is being read as fact. On July 24, Reps. Hank Johnson (GA-04) and Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37) reintroduced the Restoring Artistic Protection (RAP) Act, a bill aimed at reining in a surreal injustice in the American legal system — using artists’ creative fiction as evidence against them at trial. This is not a hypothetical. As of June of this year, courts have seen over 820 cases where lyrics and other artistic work were presented as supposed proof of guilt. That number doesn’t include what’s buried in sealed records or never covered by the press. These aren’t smoking guns either — they’re lines from songs.” (08/05/25)
https://www.thefire.org/news/fiction-not-felony
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47) A Welcome U-Turn in Ukraine
Source: Persuasion
by Michael McFaul
“Massive protests forced Zelenskyy to backtrack on a dangerous law. Will Trump’s opponents heed the lesson?” (08/05/25)
https://www.persuasion.community/p/a-welcome-u-turn-in-ukraine
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48) When “Dead Enough” Becomes a Metric
Source: Brownstone Institute
by Josh Stylman
“The heart monitor flatlines. The family weeps. The doctors wait exactly 75 seconds — then restart the procedure. In the world of organ transplants, ‘dead enough’ has become a moving target. The New York Times just reported something most people aren’t ready to hear: in the rush to expand organ transplants, procurement teams have sometimes started too early. Not after death — before it was fully established. This isn’t just investigative journalism anymore — it’s official. In July, the US Department of Health and Human Services released the results of a federal investigation into the transplant system.” (08/05/25)
https://brownstone.org/articles/when-dead-enough-becomes-a-metric/
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49) The Growing Fight for Green Economic Populism
Source: In These Times
by Ruthy Gourevitch & Batul Hassan
“From battling extreme heat on the job to flooding at home, the working class is on the frontlines of extreme weather this summer, fueled by an escalating climate crisis. This crisis is also making life more expensive, from higher utility bills in poorly insulated rental units to medical bills resulting from treatment after days spent in the dangerous heat. But at a time when the federal government is dismantling the social safety net and climate investments, working class movements are not sitting back and waiting for their bosses, landlords or politicians to act. Instead, labor and tenant unions are taking matters into their own hands, creating a blueprint for how to organize around both the climate and cost of living crises at the same time.” (08/05/25)
https://inthesetimes.com/article/green-economic-populism-climate-social-housing-chicago
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50) Why the poor pay more
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Lika Kobeshavidze
“Walk into a government clinic in Lagos on a Monday morning, and you’ll see the real price of ‘free’ healthcare. Even early in the day, the benches are already full. Mothers clutch sick children, elderly men sit on the floor, and everyone waits, sometimes for hours, just to be seen. When a nurse finally calls a name, there’s often a quiet expectation for a ‘token,’ a polite word for a bribe, to move the process along. And if you do make it to the doctor? The medicine is often out of stock. You leave with a prescription in hand and another bill to pay at a private pharmacy. This isn’t a glitch in the system. It is the system.” (08/05/25)
https://fee.org/articles/why-the-poor-pay-more/
_____ Today's Freedom Podcast and Video _____
51) The Political Orphanage, 08/06/25
Source: The Political Orphanage
“Greg Lukianoff is Worried About Free Speech.” (08/06/25)
https://politicalorphanage.libsyn.com/greg-lukianoff-is-worried-about-free-speech
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52) So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast, 08/06/25
Source: Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression
“The state of commercial speech.” (08/06/25)
https://www.thefire.org/news/podcasts/so-speak-free-speech-podcast/state-commercial-speech
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53) Reason Interview: Mark Pennington
Source: Reason
“The Libertarian Case for Postmodernism.” (08/06/25)
https://reason.com/podcast/2025/08/06/the-libertarian-case-for-postmodernism/
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54) Quillette Cetera, episode 50
Source: Quillette
“Can We Regulate Online Hate Without Killing Free Speech? With Dr Andre Oboler.” (08/06/25)
https://quillette.com/2025/08/06/can-we-regulate-online-hate-without-killing-free-speech-dr-andre-oboler-quillette-cetera-ep-50/
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55) Half the Answer, episode 25
Source: Liberal Currents
“Still Talking About Epstein.” (08/06/25)
https://www.liberalcurrents.com/half-the-answer-25-still-talking-about-epstein/
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56) Fountainhead Forum, episode 340
Source: Fountainhead Forum
“Ed Hudgins on working at NASA during the moon landing.” (08/06/25)
https://rumble.com/v6x7bkw-ff-340-ed-hudgins-on-working-at-nasa-during-the-moon-landing.html
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57) The Remnant with Jonah Goldberg, 08/06/25
Source: The Dispatch
“A Return to Econ 101 | Interview: Russ Roberts.” (08/06/25)
https://thedispatch.com/podcast/remnant/a-return-to-econ-101-interview-russ-roberts/
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58) The Good Fight, 08/06/25
Source: Yascha Mounk
“Yascha Mounk and Miles Taylor discuss ‘the adults in the room’ during Trump’s first administration.” (08/06/25)
https://yaschamounk.substack.com/p/miles-taylor-on-resisting-donald
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59) SolutionsWatch, 08/06/25
Source: The Corbett Report
“How to Set Up An Email Alias.” (08/06/25)
https://corbettreport.com/how-to-set-up-an-email-alias-solutionswatch/
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60) Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 08/06/25
Source: Antiwar.com
“Trump Says Occupying Gaza Is ‘Up to Israel,’ 80th Anniversary of US Bombing Hiroshima, and More.” (08/06/25)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQZ8GT9-gWU
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61) Nonzero, 08/05/25
Source: bloggingheads.tv
“Must We Discuss Sydney Sweeney? | Robert Wright & Paul Bloom.” (08/05/25)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61vV4LdPqKE
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62) Freakonomics Radio, 08/05/25
Source: Freakonomics
“Why Does Tipping Still Exist? (Update).” (08/05/25)
https://freakonomics.com/podcast/why-does-tipping-still-exist-update/
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63) Politics Politics Politics
Source: Politics Politics Politics
“What Are Texas Democrats Thinking?! The Political Stories That Still Matter in 2025 (with Kirk Bado).” (08/05/25)
https://www.politicspoliticspolitics.com/p/what-are-texas-democrats-thinking
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64) System Update, episode 498
Source: System Update
“Should Obama Admin Officials Be Prosecuted for Russiagate Lies? Major Escalations in Trump/Brazil Conflict.” (08/05/25)
https://rumble.com/v6x6sn4-system-update-show-498.html
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65) Ill Literacy, episode 180
Source: Heartland Institute
“An Abundance of Caution (Guest: David Zweig).” (08/05/25)
https://heartland.org/podcasts/ill-literacy-episode-180-an-abundance-of-caution-guest-david-zweig/
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