02/03 -- DC: Trump toady threatens gun owners with arrest; In the Killing of Alex Pretti, Only Libertarians Get it
6 views
Skip to first unread message
Thomas L. Knapp
Feb 3, 2026, 6:21:18 AM (8 days ago) Feb 3
to Freedom News Daily
Freedom News Daily, 02/03/26
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Presented by the Liberty International
https://liberty-intl.org/
Produced by the staff of Rational Review News Digest
More News, More Commentary, More Audio/Video at Our Web Edition!
https://news.rationalreview.com/
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Today's Freedom News:
1) DC: Trump toady threatens gun owners with arrest
2) Shutdown theater: US House aims for Tuesday vote on funding bill
3) White House faces questions over UAE royal’s $500 million bribe
4) Lawsuit challenges US regime’s green card freeze
5) Egypt: Medical evacuees from Gaza enter as Rafah crossing reopens
6) MTG: MAGA “was all a lie”
7) US-Iran nuclear talks planned for Friday amid military buildup
8) Norway: Son of crown princess arrested days before his rape trial set to begin
9) US, Indian regimes reach trade deal, Trump says after Modi call
10) France: Capgemini to get rid of US subsidiary over ICE gang ties
11) Catholic Church and Italy investigate sacred and profane cherub seemingly modeled on Meloni
12) Philippines: Duterte faces new impeachment bids after surviving attempt
13) MN: Multiple Minneapolis schools closed by hoax threat
14) Punxsutawney Phil is said to have seen his shadow, forecasting six more weeks of wintry weather
15) Franc: Regime’s budget clears the way for Macron’s military spending boost
16) Bangladesh: Hasina, niece sentenced in absentia
17) Sanctioned Russian jet touches down in Cuba, echoing secret flights before Maduro’s ouster
18) Trump says Kennedy Center will close for two years for renovations
19) Syria’s interior ministry forces enter key city under deal with Kurdish-led SDF
20) Costa Rica: Fernandez wins presidential election
Today's Freedom Commentary:
21) In the Killing of Alex Pretti, Only Libertarians Get it
22) Will Republicans Fall for Inflationary Populism?
23) There Is No “Right” Way to Pursue Regime Change
24) Trump Lawsuits: The Most Efficient Grift Ever
25) The Dadaism of “All Theories Are False”
26) Stand Up To Bullies!
27) The Evil of the US Empire’s Aggression Against Cuba
28) Trump Calls His Enemies Terrorists. Does That Mean He Can Just Kill Them?
29) Shooting Protesters, from Minneapolis to Tehran
30) Will He, or Won’t He?
31) Slouching Toward Fort Sumter?
32) With Love from Minnesota
33) Dissecting The Belief That The US Should Forcibly Remove Tyrannical Governments
34) The Homo Economicus Rent vs. Buy Calculator
35) Defending the Humanities, Again
36) Trump Is Broadening His Use of Economic Warfare
37) Mamdani’s class warfare against New York businesses is “economic vandalism”
38) Geo-kleptocracy and the rise of “global mafia politics”
39) Everyone Dies?
40) Dumping State Income Taxes Could Mean High Sales Taxes — or an Opportunity for Smaller Government
41) Once Again, the Cuban People Bear the Brunt of US Economic Warfare
42) Is Kevin Warsh a Hawk, a Dove, or the Next Volcker? Markets Are About to Find Out
43) Quantum Vibe, 02/02/26
44) Affordability fact check: Trump can’t hide from higher prices
45) “Melania” serves as a dainty middle finger to Trump’s media tormenters (who were wrong about everything)
46) We All Need to Have a Serious Conversation About Revolution
47) Ammon Bundy Is All Alone
48) Trump’s lawless DHS is tearing America apart
49) The Permanent Overclass
50) Where It Ends
Today's Freedom Podcast and Video:
51) Reason Roundtable, 02/02/26
52) So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast, 02/02/26
53) Show-Me Institute Podcast, 02/02/26
54) Rising, 02/02/26
55) The Climate Realism Show, episode 188
56) EconTalk, 02/02/26
57) The Daily Blast With Greg Sargent, 02/02/26
58) Capitals Uncovered, episode 33
59) TechTank, season 5, episode 36
60) Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 02/02/26
61) The Brian Nichols Show, 02/01/26
62) Fountainhead Forum, episode 415
63) Gordon Hahn on The Scott Horton Show
64) Pink Flame of Liberty, 02/01/26
65) Free Talk Live, 02/01/26
vvvvv SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS vvvvv
Tyranny Demands AN ACT OF SELF-DEFENSE: A NOVEL BY ERNE LEWIS
https://tinyurl.com/actofselfdefense
ONE IDENTITY FOR ALL YOUR CRYPTO
https://fioprotocol.io/
SAMUEL EDWARD KONKIN III REVOLUTIONARY FRIEND BY WENDY MCELROY
https://www.amazon.com/Samuel-Edward-Konkin-Revolutionary-Friend-ebook/dp/B0DP7B6127
TRY STARLINK: YOU GET A FREE MONTH AND SO DO WE!
https://starlink.com/residential?referral=RC-DF-8980236-19330-50
THE CONSTITUTION OF NON-STATE GOVERNMENT: FIELD GUIDE TO TEXAS SECESSION (2nd edition), by TL Hulsey
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1883853117
^^^^^ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS ^^^^^
_____ Today's Freedom News _____
1) DC: Trump toady threatens gun owners with arrest
Source: New York Times
“Jeannine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, on Monday threatened jail time for anyone who enters the capital with a gun. In remarks on Fox News that could deepen a growing rift between gun owners and the Trump administration, Ms. Pirro declared that if anyone brings ‘a gun into the District, you mark my words, you’re going to jail. I don’t care if you have a license in another district and I don’t care if you’re a law-abiding law owner somewhere else.’ Her remarks prompted swift pushback from the Republican Party’s pro-Second Amendment wing, which was thrown into a cycle of confusion and frustration over comments from President Trump and some in his administration after Alex Pretti, a licensed gun owner, was [murdered] by federal immigration agents last month during a protest in Minneapolis.” (02/02/26)
https://archive.is/FOHcx
-----
2) Shutdown theater: US House aims for Tuesday vote on funding bill
Source: Fox News
“House Republican leaders plan to vote Tuesday to pass a government funding package approved by the Senate, three days after a shutdown began. Funding lapsed Saturday amid divisions in Congress over changes to the Department of Homeland Security after agents [murdered] two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., pushed the vote back by one day after, he said, Democrats conveyed to him that they won’t provide enough votes to skip the procedural hurdles. … The bill, which passed the Senate 71-29, would complete funding for the government to the tune of more than $1 trillion — except DHS, which will carry on with a two-week stopgap bill as Democrats demand guardrails on immigration enforcement operations.” (02/02/26)
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/house-tuesday-vote-end-government-shutdown-reopen-trump-rcna256782
-----
3) White House faces questions over UAE royal’s $500 million bribe
Source: ABC News
“President Donald Trump’s cryptocurrency firm, World Liberty Financial, sold a $500 million stake to a member of the Emirati royal family shortly before his inauguration last January, The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday, sparking concerns over a potential conflict of interest. According to the Journal, which reviewed undisclosed corporate documents, a firm associated with Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, an Abu Dhabi royal who operates an enormous state investment fund, purchased a 49% stake in World Liberty, which is co-owned by Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and his family, just four days before the Trump administration swept into office. Months later, the Trump administration agreed to supply the UAE with highly coveted American-made AI chips despite the prior administration’s concern that they may fall into the hands of the Chinese.” (02/02/26)
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/white-house-faces-questions-uae-royals-investment-trump/story?id=129774262
-----
4) Lawsuit challenges US regime’s green card freeze
Source: Bloomberg
“A Trump administration policy suspending green cards over concerns of reliance on public benefits is unlawful, a new lawsuit argues. The freeze on immigrant visas for 75 countries violates the Administrative Procedure Act and Immigration and Nationality Act as well as equal protections under the Constitution, according to the complaint filed in the Southern District of New York. ‘This administration is trying to shut down lawful immigration from nearly half the countries in the world without legal authority or justification,’ said Anna Gallagher, executive director of Catholic Legal Immigration Network Inc., the lead plaintiff in the suit.” (02/02/26)
https://archive.is/EDmds
-----
5) Egypt: Medical evacuees from Gaza enter as Rafah crossing reopens
Source: Associated Press
“A small number of medical evacuees from Gaza entered Egypt on Monday as the Rafah border crossing reopened, marking a key step in the Israel-Hamas ceasefire but a mostly symbolic one. Few people will be allowed to travel in either direction and no goods will pass through. About 20,000 Palestinian children and adults needing medical care hope to leave the devastated territory via the crossing, according to Gaza health officials. Thousands of other Palestinians outside the territory hope to enter and return home. The crossing had been closed since Israeli troops seized it in May 2024. The number of travelers is expected to increase over time if the system is successful. Israel has said it and Egypt will vet people for exit and entry.” (02/02/26)
https://apnews.com/article/rafah-gaza-israel-palestinians-egypt-crossing-b78d6a15790148a697634cd303c3b5a9
-----
6) MTG: MAGA “was all a lie”
Source: The Hill
“Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) said President Trump’s Make American Great Again slogan was a ‘lie,’ saying his first year back in office was focused on obliging wealthy supporters. ‘I think people are realizing it was all a lie. It was a big lie for the people. What MAGA is really serving in this administration, who they’re serving, is their big donors,’ Greene said in a Wednesday interview with radio personality Kim Iversen. … The former Georgia representative recently resigned from Congress, after airing concerns over the future of health care premiums and the war in Gaza, citing fractures within the GOP and falling out with Trump and MAGA, despite years of loyal support for the president.” (02/02/26)
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5718355-marjorie-taylor-greene-trump-maga-lie
-----
7) US-Iran nuclear talks planned for Friday amid military buildup
Source: Axios
“White House envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are expected to meet on Friday in Istanbul to discuss a possible nuclear deal, according to two sources with knowledge. … This would be the first meeting between U.S. and Iranian officials since the collapse of the negotiations and the 12-day war last June. It comes during a massive U.S. military buildup in the Gulf, and with President Trump insisting the only way to avoid military conflict is a swift deal.” {editor’s note: What is the point of “talks” toward a “deal?” There’s already a binding deal that the US regime has been in violation of since 2017 – TLK] (02/02/26)
https://archive.is/ufaVv
-----
8) Norway: Son of crown princess arrested days before his rape trial set to begin
Source: CBC News [Canadian state media]
“The eldest son of Norway’s crown princess has been arrested, just before his trial opens on charges including rape in a case that has been an embarrassment to the royal family, police said on Monday. Marius Borg Høiby was arrested on Sunday evening and is accused of assault, threats with a knife and violation of a restraining order, police said in a statement. They requested four weeks’ detention on grounds of risk of reoffending. … Ahead of the trial, Friday’s release of the latest batch of documents from the Epstein files shone an unflattering spotlight on Mette-Marit. They contained several hundred mentions of the crown princess, who already said in 2019 that she regretted having had contact with Epstein, Norwegian media reported.” (02/02/26)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/norway-princess-son-rape-9.7070424?cmp=rss
-----
9) US, Indian regimes reach trade deal, Trump says after Modi call
Source: BBC News [UK State Media]
“US President Donald Trump announced that he agreed to a trade deal with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, where the US will lower tariffs on goods from India to 18% from 25%. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said India will reduce trade barriers to zero and will also stop buying Russian oil. An additional 25% tariff penalty imposed for Delhi’s refusal to stop buying oil from Russia will be dropped. The announcement comes less than a week after India and the European Union announced a landmark trade deal that capped nearly two decades of on-off talks. Modi said on X that he is ‘delighted’ that an agreement with the US has been reached. In the post, Trump said that a morning phone call with Modi included discussions of trade and the Russia-Ukraine war.” (02/02/25)
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yve1x9zv0o
-----
10) France: Capgemini to get rid of US subsidiary over ICE gang ties
Source: The American Bazaar
“Capgemini is getting rid of one of its subsidiaries. The French IT giant announced on Sunday that it was putting up for sale its subsidiary working with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), at the heart of international controversy over the violent methods used by these federal agents. The company has been in the spotlight for several days because of a contract, revealed by the NGO Observatoire des Multinationales, that its U.S. subsidiary, Capgemini Government Solutions, signed with ICE to identify foreign nationals on U.S. soil and track their movements. … In a press release, Capgemini explained that ‘the usual legal constraints imposed in the United States on contracting with federal entities conducting classified activities did not allow the Group to exercise appropriate control over certain aspects of this subsidiary’s operations.'” (02/02/26)
https://americanbazaaronline.com/2026/02/02/capgemini-to-get-rid-of-us-arm-working-with-ice-474361/
-----
11) Catholic Church and Italy investigate sacred and profane cherub seemingly modeled on Meloni
Source: SFGate
“There is a long tradition of painters depicting real people in their religious art, but the appearance in a Roman church of a cherub that bears a striking resemblance to Premier Giorgia Meloni has sparked a minor scandal for both church and state in Italy. The diocese of Rome and the Italian Culture Ministry both announced investigations into the recent renovations at the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Lucina, after photographs of the Meloni-esque cherub were published in Italian newspapers this weekend. Their swift and harsh reactions indicated little tolerance for the profane in a sacred place. The ruckus has given the basilica, already well known as one of the oldest churches in Rome, newfound celebrity status. It was jammed on Sunday and Monday with curiosity-seekers straining to photograph the angel in a side chapel up near the front altar, at times disrupting Mass.” (02/02/25)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/catholic-church-and-italy-investigate-sacred-and-21329101.php
-----
12) Philippines: Duterte faces new impeachment bids after surviving attempt
Source: ABC News
“Activists filed two impeachment complaints against Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte Monday, accusing her of large-scale corruption after an initial attempt to unseat her a year ago was shot down by the Supreme Court on a legal technicality. The new impeachment bids filed before the House of Representatives are the latest episode in the stormy political life of Duterte, a 47-year-old lawyer and former city mayor who has been touted by supporters as a potential presidential contender in 2028. She is the daughter of ex- President Rodrigo Duterte, who oversaw bloody anti-drug crackdowns while in office from 2016 to 2022. He was arrested and detained in the Netherlands by the International Criminal Court last year for alleged crimes against humanity.” (02/02/26)
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/philippine-vice-president-faces-2-new-impeachment-bids-129775355
-----
13) MN: Multiple Minneapolis schools closed by hoax threat
Source: BBC News [UK State Media]
“Police say no suspicious packages or devices have been located after a bomb threat was sent to schools in the Columbia Heights neighbourhood, a suburb of Minneapolis, on Monday. Multiple schools in the district, where a number of students have been abducted in recent weeks as part of Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions in Minnesota, were nonetheless forced to close for the day. Columbia Heights Public Schools said it closed the schools out of an abundance of caution following a credible threat. Classes will resume on Tuesday. The school closures come as protests against ICE continue in Minnesota and across the US. Among the students [abducted] by federal agents in the Columbia Heights district was five-year-old Liam Ramos. A photo of Ramos in a blue bunny-eared hat being held by ICE agents led to a national outcry.” (02/02/25)
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2kzzz3m51o
-----
14) Punxsutawney Phil is said to have seen his shadow, forecasting six more weeks of wintry weather
Source: San Diego Union Tribune
“Punxsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks of wintry weather Monday, a forecast sure to disappoint many after what’s already been a long, cold season across large parts of the United States. His annual prediction and announcement that he had seen his shadow was translated by his handlers in the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club at Gobbler’s Knob in western Pennsylvania. The news was greeted with a mix of cheers and boos from the tens of thousands who braved temperatures in the single-digits Fahrenheit to await the annual prognostication.” (02/02/26)
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2026/02/02/phil-groundhog-predicts-more-winter/
-----
15) Franc: Regime’s budget clears the way for Macron’s military spending boost
Source: SFGate
“France has adopted its delayed 2026 budget Monday, clearing the way for higher military spending promised by President Emmanuel Macron to confront threats linked to Russia’s war in Ukraine and Mideast conflicts. The adoption of the budget marks the final step of a monthslong, chaotic process that exposed deep divisions in the fractured Parliament, which proved unable to reach a compromise. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu ultimately opted to use his special constitutional power to pass the bill without a vote, surviving two no-confidence votes on Monday evening. Macron has vowed to increase defense spending to counter what he describes as a widening range of threats, from Russia and nuclear proliferation to terrorism and cyberattacks. France in December passed an emergency law to avoid a U.S.-style government shutdown, but only the full 2026 budget provides the military with the needed funding to build up forces.” (02/02/25)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/france-s-budget-set-to-clear-the-way-for-macron-s-21328588.php
-----
16) Bangladesh: Hasina, niece sentenced in absentia
Source: ABC News
“Bangladesh’s exiled former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been sentenced to 10 years in jail and her niece, the British lawmaker Tulip Siddiq, to four years in connection with two cases involving a government township project. … The country’s official corruption watchdog filed the cases alleging that Hasina colluded with government officials to illegally secure six plots in the Purbachal New Town Project, near Dhaka, for herself and her family members despite their ineligibility under government regulations.” (02/02/26)
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/bangladeshs-leader-hasina-uk-lawmaker-niece-sentenced-graft-129774461
-----
17) Sanctioned Russian jet touches down in Cuba, echoing secret flights before Maduro’s ouster
Source: Fox News
“A Russian cargo plane typically used to transfer military equipment landed at a military airfield in Havana Sunday night, echoing flight patterns seen ahead of the capture of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela. The U.S.-sanctioned Ilyushin Il-76, operated by Russian state-linked airline Aviacon Zitotrans, was tracked landing at San Antonio de los Baños Airfield, a Cuban military installation roughly 30 miles south of Havana, according to public flight data. Flight-tracking records show the aircraft stopped in St. Petersburg and Sochi in Russia; Mauritania, Africa; and the Dominican Republic. Each landing would have required approval from host governments, offering a window into which countries are continuing to permit Russian military-linked aviation activity despite Western sanctions.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/sanctioned-russian-jet-touches-down-cuba-echoing-secret-flights-before-maduros-ouster
-----
18) Trump says Kennedy Center will close for two years for renovations
Source: NBC News
“President Donald Trump announced Sunday that he has determined that the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington should close for about two years. Trump, who wrote on Truth Social that the decision is ‘totally subject’ to approval by his handpicked board, said that the center will close on July 4 and that ‘financing is completed, and fully in place.’ He did not elaborate on where the funding came from. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on questions about the funding. … Trump has frequently discussed remodeling the Kennedy Center, arguing that the theater was poorly maintained and in desperate need of repairs, some of which are already underway.” (02/01/26)
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-says-kennedy-center-will-close-two-years-renovations-rcna256982
-----
19) Syria’s interior ministry forces enter key city under deal with Kurdish-led SDF
Source: SFGate
“A small contingent of security forces with Syria’s interior ministry entered the city of al-Hassakeh on Monday as part of a deal between Damascus and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, which control the city. The SDF announced the new agreement with the central government on Friday, aiming to stabilize a ceasefire in the country that ended weeks of fighting, in which the Kurdish-led force lost most of the territory it previously held in northeastern Syria. It lays out steps toward integrating the force into the army and police forces, and integrating civilian institutions in SDF-controlled areas into the central government. Under the deal, government military forces won’t enter Kurdish-majority areas, but small contingents of security forces reporting to the interior ministry will enter the cities of al-Hassakeh and Qamishli to secure state-affiliated institutions such as the civil registry, passport offices and the airport, and to restart work at those institutions.” (02/02/25)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/syria-s-interior-ministry-forces-enter-key-city-21328623.php
-----
20) Costa Rica: Fernandez wins presidential election
Source: Deutsche Welle [German state media]
“Laura Fernandez, a conservative, populist politician with strong links to outgoing President Rodrigo Chaves, has won nearly half of the votes in Costa Rica’s general election with 94% of votes counted, meaning she will become the country’s new leader. Her victory confirms a strong rightward trend in Latin America, where voter anger at corruption and crime have driven recent conservative wins in Chile, Bolivia, Argentina and Honduras. Fernandez had won 48.3% of the vote, the preliminary results from the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) showed, far in excess of the 40% needed to avoid a run-off.” (02/02/26)
https://www.dw.com/en/costa-rica-conservative-laura-fernandez-wins-election/a-75762471
_____ Today's Freedom Commentary _____
21) In the Killing of Alex Pretti, Only Libertarians Get it
Source: Libertarian Institute
by Jack Hunter
“On January 24, protester and legal gun owner Alex Pretti was shot and killed by United States Customs and Border Protection agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota, making national news. … Many conservatives, both influencers and politicians, rushed to justify the agents’ actions, with a particular emphasis on the reported politics and past behavior of Pretti. The Daily Wire’s Matt Walsh even went so far as to say that Pretti ‘got what was coming to him.’ Aren’t conservatives traditionally in favor of free speech, and perhaps even more so, gun rights? Some were. But so many weren’t that it was left to libertarians to actually defend the First and Second Amendments and to note that Americans shouldn’t be murdered by the state for exercising them and their deaths justified by lying politicians.” (02/02/26)
https://libertarianinstitute.org/articles/in-the-killing-of-alex-pretti-only-libertarians-get-it
-----
22) Will Republicans Fall for Inflationary Populism?
Source: The Daily Economy
by Alexander W Salter
“Donald Trump wants lower interest rates. He has said so openly and has pressured the Federal Reserve accordingly. The political logic seems obvious: easier money boosts asset prices, juices consumer spending, and appears to support headline growth. With midterms approaching, that sugar high is tempting. But it’s also a mistake — economically, politically, and strategically. Lower rates at this point in the cycle would almost certainly reignite inflation. And except in the very short run, they would not make capital more affordable in real terms. Instead, they would worsen the affordability crisis (which voters are already upset about) and undermine the GOP’s reputation as the party of economic responsibility.” (02/02/26)
https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/will-republicans-fall-for-inflationary-populism/
-----
23) There Is No “Right” Way to Pursue Regime Change
Source: Eunomia
by Daniel Larison
“The U.S. should not be in the business of regime change. Our regime change policies tend to fail and produce even worse outcomes, but those aren’t the only reasons not to do it. We shouldn’t have these policies in the first place. … There is no ‘right’ way to pursue regime change because the interference and coercion required make the attempt inherently illegitimate.” (02/02/26)
https://daniellarison.substack.com/p/there-is-no-right-way-to-pursue-regime
-----
24) Trump Lawsuits: The Most Efficient Grift Ever
Source: CounterPunch
by Dean Baker
“You have to give Donald Trump some credit. He was making plenty of money selling pardons, ripping off Venezuela’s oil, and selling seats on his ‘Board of Peace,’ but all of these required something resembling work. … Trump’s latest grift is far simpler. He just sues the government and then orders Attorney General Pam Bondi to give him the money. He already did this several months back when he filed a $230 million suit because the government tried to prosecute him for the crimes he committed. … now Trump has decided he needs more money, so he’s demanding more than 40 times as much, suing the Internal Revenue Service for $10 billion for releasing information from his tax returns. One of the ironies of this story is that the leak took place in Trump’s first term, so ostensibly, as president, he is responsible for the harm for which he is suing the government.” (02/02/26)
https://www.counterpunch.org/2026/02/02/trump-lawsuits-the-most-efficient-grift-ever/
-----
25) The Dadaism of “All Theories Are False”
Source: Bet On It
by Bryan Caplan
“There are two morals to today’s quixotic quest. First: ‘All theories are false’ is false. Some theories are true. Indeed, we’re awash in true theories. Many of these are only true to a few decimal places, but that’s fine. Some theories are true only under normal conditions, but that, too, is fine. Most listeners take such qualifications for granted — and any remaining ambiguity is easy enough to fix with explicit caveats. Second: Scientists are bad at philosophy of science.” (02/02/26)
https://www.betonit.ai/p/the-dadaism-of-all-theories-are-false
-----
26) Stand Up To Bullies!
Source: Persuasion
“It’s the first thing you learn when you go to some rough-and-tumble new school—if you run into a bully, the trick is to stand up to them. More than the particular situation, what matters is the underlying psychology. The point is that, whatever else seems to be going on, bullies usually prefer to puff up than to follow through, and, once they sniff strength, they’ll tend to move on to someone they can more readily pick on. After ten years of Trumpism — ten-and-a-half if we date our current era to Trump’s descent down the golden escalator — the great wisdom of our time may simply be to confirm the schoolyard adage.” (02/02/26)
https://www.persuasion.community/p/stand-up-to-bullies
-----
27) The Evil of the US Empire’s Aggression Against Cuba
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
by Jacob G Hornberger
“During the entire Cold War racket, when U.S. officials repeatedly said that the Reds were coming to get us, did you ever think for a moment that the U.S. government, led by the Pentagon, the CIA, and the NSA, would be actually partnering with a Red regime? Yet, here we are — the national-security branch of the federal government and President Trump partnering with the Red regime in Venezuela to oust the Red regime in Cuba. That’s amusing, but what is pathetic is that the U.S. Empire is targeting the Cuban people with death and economic privation as a way to effect a change in policy of the Cuban government or, better yet, an entire change to a pro-U.S. regime that will loyally obey the orders of the U.S. Empire, as the Venezuelan Red regime is now doing.” (02/02/26)
https://www.fff.org/2026/02/02/the-evil-of-the-u-s-empires-aggression-against-cuba/
-----
28) Trump Calls His Enemies Terrorists. Does That Mean He Can Just Kill Them?
Source: The Intercept
by Nick Turse
“‘Terrorist’ is the word that the Trump administration employs to describe the victims of its most egregious acts of state violence. President Donald Trump has used the word ‘terrorist’ to justify the extrajudicial killings of civilians in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean. And his deputies used it to explain away the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis by federal agents. … These killings were conducted thousands of miles apart by different agencies in very different contexts. But the connection between them could be more than semantic.” (02/02/26)
https://theintercept.com/2026/02/02/trump-nspm-7-domestic-terrorist-minneapolis-alex-pretti/
-----
29) Shooting Protesters, from Minneapolis to Tehran
Source: TomDispatch
by Juan Cole
“The pro-democracy protesters in Iran deserved so much better. They deserved the support of a democratic United States that could sincerely urge the rule of law and habeas corpus (allowing people to legally challenge their detentions) be respected, not to speak of freedom of speech, the press, and assembly in accordance with the Constitution. Unfortunately, President Donald J. Trump has forfeited any claim to respect for such rights or a principled foreign policy and so has proved strikingly ineffective in aiding those protesters. The arbitrary arrests and killings committed by agents of Trump’s authoritarian-style rule differ only in number, not in kind, from the detainments and killings of protesters carried out by the basij (or pro-regime street militias) in Iran. In fact, they rendered his protests and bluster about Iran the height of hypocrisy.” (02/02/25)
https://tomdispatch.com/why-trumps-denunciations-of-the-iranian-killings-ring-fatally-hollow/
-----
30) Will He, or Won’t He?
Source: Ron Paul Liberty Report
by Ron Paul
“For the past month, Americans have been wondering whether President Trump will attack Iran, or whether the massive military build-up in the Middle East is just another bluff. President Trump claims that the decision is his alone to make. Thus far, President Trump has made little effort to explain to the American people – or to Congress – why launching a war against Iran is in our national interest. Instead, he wanders from one reason to another, hoping something will stick.” (02/02/26)
http://www.ronpaullibertyreport.com/archives/will-he-or-wont-he
-----
31) Slouching Toward Fort Sumter?
Source: Town Hall
by Victor Davis Hanson
“In the months before the April 12, 1861, firing on Fort Sumter, there were lots of sharp divisions in the North about the proper reaction to the first seven Confederate states that had already left the Union. Not all Unionists believed that war was inevitable. Some, in fact, were happy to be done with the departing South and thus see their stain of slavery gone from the Union. Similarly, others agreed that the emerging Confederacy was not worth the trouble and costs of war, and the secessionists could just form their own nation and stew in their own backward, servile juice. But after Fort Sumter, Lincoln … gained a consensus that the Constitution had no clauses about any lawful departure from the Union. But it did operate under a clear supremacy clause that made state obstruction of federal law and occupation of federal property veritable sedition.” (02/02/25)
https://townhall.com/columnists/victordavishanson/2026/02/02/slouching-toward-fort-sumter-n2670522
-----
32) With Love from Minnesota
Source: Law & Liberty
by Rachel Lu
“Eighteen years ago, when I first moved to the Twin Cities, they had a reputation for being ‘Minnesota nice.’ I sigh now to remember it. Somewhere deep in a dresser drawer, I still have a t-shirt that reads: ‘Keep St. Paul Boring.’ I liked boring St Paul. I admit that things could be worse. Our recent adventures haven’t been nearly as exciting as the ones in 2020. During the George Floyd riots, the chaos spilled over noticeably into surrounding neighborhoods, with columns of black smoke visibly rising into the sky, presumably from burned buildings and cars. … Even without the smoke and shattered windows, these have certainly been Interesting Times, which naturally prompts reflection.” (02/02/26)
https://lawliberty.org/with-love-from-minnesota/
-----
33) Dissecting The Belief That The US Should Forcibly Remove Tyrannical Governments
Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone
“‘Government X does bad things’ and ‘therefore the US should forcibly overthrow Government X’ are two completely different claims. Propagandists keep acting like they’re the same claim and like the second claim naturally follows the first, and I’m seeing far too many people accepting this manipulation without question. They are not the same claim. They’re entirely unrelated. It should not be necessary to explain this to grown adults, but here we are. Even if we accept as fact all the claims about how badly the US-targeted government is behaving, and even if we ignore the obvious fact that unilateral US regime change wars are against international law, there is still no valid reason to accept that a government doing bad things justifies US regime change interventionism.” (02/02/25)
https://caitlinjohnstone.com.au/2026/02/02/dissecting-the-belief-that-the-us-should-forcibly-remove-tyrannical-governments/
-----
34) The Homo Economicus Rent vs. Buy Calculator
Source: Independent Institute
by Jonathan Hofer & Kristian Fors
“When people decide to rent or purchase a home, they often focus on financial liabilities (what they pay to others) and overlook the economic costs of capital. Several rent vs. buy calculators are available online …. These offer many insights but tend to understate the unrealized opportunity costs of the road not taken, from both the renter’s and the homebuyer’s perspectives. Renters may have the opportunity to invest what would have otherwise gone toward a down payment and closing costs, as well as the monthly savings they gain from not having a mortgage. On the other hand, at some point, a homeowner’s monthly mortgage payment is likely to be lower than monthly rent, and it also offers the potential benefit of property appreciation.” (02/02/26)
https://www.independent.org/article/2026/02/02/homo-economicus-rent-vs-buy-calculator/
-----
35) Defending the Humanities, Again
Source: ProSocial Libertarians
by Andrew Jason Cohen
“I’ve continued taking part in conversations about the problems of academia. Some I’ve recently discussed this with agree with me that thinking of academia as a mere means to a career is a big problem. They nonetheless worry that colleges have lost their way and are teaching things they oughtn’t. Some complain that the humanities have simply expanded too much, reducing the emphasis on classics. Some, typically folks in the social sciences, seem less concerned with the classics but nonetheless have an antipathy toward anything new. The social science advocates I’ve discussed these things with seemed to believe their disciplines were closer to the hard sciences than the humanities. Perhaps they are right, at least in some ways (assume they both use empirical evidence more than the humanities). I’m not sure why that matters.” (02/02/26)
https://prosociallibertarians.substack.com/p/defending-the-humanities-again
-----
36) Trump Is Broadening His Use of Economic Warfare
Source: Antiwar.com
by Ted Snider
“Tariffs and sanctions have continued to be the tool for which the Trump administration reaches most readily for regime change in recent days. As American attention turns to Cuba, the Trump administration has reportedly set an end of year deadline for regime change. … But regime change is not the only job that economic warfare is being used for. It is also being used to influence foreign elections.” (02/02/26)
https://original.antiwar.com/ted_snider/2026/02/01/trump-is-broadening-his-use-of-economic-warfare
-----
37) Mamdani’s class warfare against New York businesses is “economic vandalism”
Source: Fox News
by Steve Forbes
“Last fall, when New York’s business community warned that the election of a self-described democratic socialist as mayor would trigger an assault on the city’s economic engine, we were waved off as hysterical. The press assured us that Zohran Mamdani was ‘evolving’, that his rhetoric would soften, that we should focus instead on his vague promises of ‘affordability’. That reassurance evaporated almost instantly. Barely two weeks after his swearing-in — amid lofty rhetoric about ‘the warmth of collectivism’ — the Mamdani administration unveiled its real agenda. Sam Levine, the newly installed commissioner of the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection and a veteran of Lina Khan’s Federal Trade Commission, released a sensational report accusing companies like DoorDash and Uber Eats of ‘diverting’ more than $500 million from delivery workers.” (02/02/25)
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/mamdanis-class-warfare-against-new-york-businesses-economic-vandalism
-----
38) Geo-kleptocracy and the rise of “global mafia politics”
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Martin de Caro
“In his second inaugural address, Trump claimed he wanted to be remembered as a peacemaker. Instead, he’s practicing what the scholar Alex de Waal calls ‘global mafia politics,’ the new rules of an unraveling order that render familiar debates between realists and idealists, or restrainers versus primacists, somewhat stale. To better understand this dynamic, I spoke to de Waal about his thesis that the ‘political marketplace’ now dominates international relations.” (02/02/26)
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/global-mafia-politics/
-----
39) Everyone Dies?
Source: Common Sense
by Paul Jacob
“After Friday, when I worried about robots taking over, I was glad to read a debunking of the AI Will Destroy Us All meme, so in vogue. In ‘Superintelligent AI Is Not Coming To Kill You,’ from the March issue of Reason, Neil Chilson argues that we shouldn’t freak out. Not only do I not want to freak out, I don’t want to use AI very much — though I understand that, these days, sometimes it makes sense to consult the Oracles.” (02/02/26)
https://thisiscommonsense.org/2026/02/02/everyone-dies/
-----
40) Dumping State Income Taxes Could Mean High Sales Taxes — or an Opportunity for Smaller Government
Source: Reason
by JD Tuccille
“Missouri lawmakers are considering a proposal to abolish the state’s income tax and replace it with a sales tax. They’re not alone: Last year, Mississippi approved legislation that will decrease the state income tax over several years until it’s eliminated. That follows in the footsteps of Kentucky and Oklahoma. New Hampshire, which has no income tax, phased out its tax on interest and dividends. Several states making the move are considering sales taxes to fill the revenue gap, and they have the backing of the White House. But a new report warns that sales taxes may have to be higher than anticipated to make up the difference — unless state governments shrink in size and expense.” (02/02/26)
https://reason.com/2026/02/02/dumping-state-income-taxes-could-mean-high-sales-taxes-or-an-opportunity-for-smaller-government/
-----
41) Once Again, the Cuban People Bear the Brunt of US Economic Warfare
Source: Common Dreams
by Julia Norman
“The Trump administration’s latest threat to impose secondary tariffs on any nation selling oil to Cuba represents a dramatic and catastrophic tightening of the six-decade-long, deliberate chokehold the United States has maintained on Cuba’s access to essential resources. This act of collective punishment against the Cuban people, for alleged crimes the US government has scarcely attempted to substantiate, will be felt across every aspect of daily life. According to Trump’s January 29 executive order, this latest escalation in economic warfare is framed as a response to the ‘unusual and extraordinary threat’ the Cuban government allegedly poses to US national security.” (02/02/25)
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/us-sanctions-cuba
-----
42) Is Kevin Warsh a Hawk, a Dove, or the Next Volcker? Markets Are About to Find Out
Source: Bitcoin.com
by Jamie Redman
“President Donald Trump has nominated former Federal Reserve governor Kevin Warsh to lead the U.S. central bank, instantly reviving an old debate with real market consequences: Is Warsh a hard-money hawk, a quiet dove, or something closer to a modern-day Paul Volcker? The answer matters, because investors are already trading the nomination as if Volcker himself just walked back into the Federal Reserve building.” (02/02/26)
https://news.bitcoin.com/is-kevin-warsh-a-hawk-a-dove-or-the-next-volcker-markets-are-about-to-find-out/
-----
43) Quantum Vibe, 02/02/26
Source: Big Head Press
by Scott Bieser
Cartoon. (02/02/26)
https://www.quantumvibe.com/strip?page=2573
-----
44) Affordability fact check: Trump can’t hide from higher prices
Source: JimBovard.com
by James Bovard
“During his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump continually promised to make life more ‘affordable’ for Americans battered by Bidenflation. But in Iowa, Trump scoffed that Democrats ‘come up with this word ‘affordability.’’ ‘First time you heard about it was like a few months ago,’ he said. ‘You’re not hearing it so much anymore … because the prices are coming down so much.’ Yet on Nov. 29, Trump proclaimed on Truth Social: ‘I AM THE AFFORDABILITY PRESIDENT.’ Six weeks later, he sneered in Detroit that affordability is a ‘fake word by Democrats.’ For Donald Trump, the affordability issue conveniently appears and vanishes like the Cheshire Cat in ‘Alice in Wonderland.'” (02/01/26)
https://jimbovard.com/blog/2026/02/01/n-y-post-affordability-fact-check-trump-cant-hide-from-higher-prices/
-----
45) “Melania” serves as a dainty middle finger to Trump’s media tormenters (who were wrong about everything)
Source: New York Post
by Miranda Devine
“In a big blow to the Trump-deranged community, Melania Trump’s eponymous movie knocked the lights out on its opening weekend. It came in at No. 3 overall, and its $7 million box office take in three days is almost unheard of for a documentary. ‘Melania’ is crushing it on Rotten Tomatoes, too, with a 99% audience score on the ‘popcornometer’ easily besting the sneering critics’ 10% on the Tomatometer ratings. Like everything to do with Donald Trump’s two presidencies, whatever the leftist media’s opinion, the American public thinks the opposite. The inverse media-ometer is one of the most reliable gauges of public sentiment in this country.” (02/01/25)
https://nypost.com/2026/02/01/opinion/miranda-devine-melania-serves-as-a-dainty-middle-finger-to-trumps-media-tormenters-who-were-wrong-about-everything/
-----
46) We All Need to Have a Serious Conversation About Revolution
Source: exile in happy valley
by Nicky Reid
“A pretty good portion of humanity clearly seems to recognize that we are gazing into the abyss at the moment but how exactly do we turn this ship around from the brink of oblivion? … At some point somebody has to say the word ‘revolution’ and I’m not talking about some commie-scented air-freshener for a champaign socialist candidacy in SOHO. I am talking in no uncertain terms about all of us putting our partisan tribalism aside and doing what I think we all know needs to be done. I am talking about having a serious and ongoing conversation about overthrowing the government of the United States of America.” (02/01/26)
https://exileinhappyvalley.blogspot.com/2026/02/we-all-need-to-have-serious.html
-----
47) Ammon Bundy Is All Alone
Source: The Atlantic
by Jacob Stern
“Not so long ago, Ammon Bundy was the most famous right-wing militia leader in America. His two armed standoffs with federal agents had made him the face of the Patriot Movement: a loose assemblage of anti-government extremists, Second Amendment maximalists, and more than a few white nationalists. Even some mainstream elements of the Republican Party embraced him as a modern folk hero. But Bundy’s criticism of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown now threatens to make him a pariah within his own community.” (02/01/26)
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/02/ammon-bundy-trump-ice/685849/
-----
48) Trump’s lawless DHS is tearing America apart
Source: Orange County Register
by Dave Min
“The murders of Alex Pretti and Renee Good by masked federal agents earlier this month shocked our consciences. But it is important to understand these killings were the inevitable result of a culture of violence and lawlessness at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in which masked DHS agents have been routinely engaging in brazenly criminal acts across the country for months with no accountability or oversight. To be clear, punching someone in the face because you don’t like the sign they are holding is a crime. Same with pulling a gun on or spraying bear mace at a peaceful bystander. And yet we have seen literally thousands of clearly documented crimes like these committed by DHS agents over the past year with no consequences or even investigations. This is part of a broader culture of lawlessness and contempt for accountability that permeates DHS and ICE.” (02/01/26)
https://www.ocregister.com/2026/02/01/dave-min-trumps-lawless-dhs-is-tearing-america-apart/
-----
49) The Permanent Overclass
Source: The American Prospect
by Rodger Sherman
“Football taught me rich people could be stupid. Even as a kid, I’d seen plenty of movies and TV shows where rich people were greedy, cruel, vain, and unlikable. But stupid? Obviously, rich people are smart! Otherwise, how did they become rich? But as any NFL fan knows, some franchises are just always bad. Superstars wilt when traded to these teams; top draft picks fail to live up to their billing. No coach can fix their problems. And when you look under the microscope at these teams, to understand why they never win or get their act together, there’s often a common answer: a billionaire, convinced of his own brilliance, swerving the team into a ditch over and over again.” (02/02/25)
https://prospect.org/2026/02/02/feb-2026-magazine-sports-permanent-overclass-nfl-owners-ny-jets-woody-johnson-cowboys-jerry-jones/
-----
50) Where It Ends
Source: The Reframe
by AR Moxon
“The so-called Justice Department issued another tranche of emails from the Jeffery Epstein trove known colloquially as ‘The Epstein Files.’ I imagine that, like previous emissions, Justice has redacted most of the references to the best friend of the infamous serial child-rapist and sex trafficker (who is our current and temporary president Don Trump, in case you didn’t know). And I imagine that, like before, a bit of the tip of Trump’s culpability iceberg will manage to break through to the surface, because when you’re dealing with an iceberg of such magnitude there’s only so much hiding you can do.” (02/01/26)
https://www.the-reframe.com/where-it-ends/
_____ Today's Freedom Podcast and Video _____
51) Reason Roundtable, 02/02/26
Source: Reason
"Democrats Are Flipping Trump Districts in Texas?!" (02/02/26)
https://reason.com/podcast/2026/02/02/democrats-are-flipping-trump-districts-in-texas/
-----
52) So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast, 02/02/26
Source: Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression
“Free speech in Trump 2.0.” (02/02/26)
https://www.thefire.org/news/podcasts/so-speak-free-speech-podcast/free-speech-trump-20
-----
53) Show-Me Institute Podcast, 02/02/26
Source: Show-Me Institute
“The Six Words Driving the Education Debate in 2026 With Mike McShane.” (02/02/26)
https://showmeinstitute.org/article/education/the-six-words-driving-the-education-debate-in-2026-with-mike-mcshane/
-----
54) Rising, 02/02/26
Source: The Hill
“Robby Soave delivers radar on Independent Journalist Don Lemon being arrested and charged in connection with his decision to join a group of anti-ICE protesters who entered a church in St. Paul Minnesota.” (02/02/26)
https://thehill.com/hilltv/rising/5718235-rising-february-2-2026/
-----
55) The Climate Realism Show, episode 188
Source: Heartland Institute
“Winter Misery.” (02/02/26)
https://heartland.org/podcasts/winter-misery-the-climate-realism-show-188/
-----
56) EconTalk, 02/02/26
Source: EconTalk
“How to Flourish (with Daniel Coyle).” (02/02/26)
https://www.econtalk.org/how-to-flourish-with-daniel-coyle/
-----
57) The Daily Blast With Greg Sargent, 02/02/26
Source: The New Republic
“Trump Tirade over Protests Goes Off Rails as Crushing Fox Poll Hits.” (02/02/26)
https://newrepublic.com/article/205997/trump-tirade-protests-goes-off-rails-crushing-fox-poll-hits
-----
58) Capitals Uncovered, episode 33
Source: The Realist Review
“An interview with TRR editor James W. Carden.” (02/02/26)
https://therealistreview.substack.com/p/podcast-peace-is-lonely
-----
59) TechTank, season 5, episode 36
Source: Brookings Institution
“Tech outlooks for 2026.” (02/02/26)
https://shows.acast.com/tech-tank/episodes/tech-outlooks-for-2026
-----
60) Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 02/02/26
Source: Antiwar.com
“Khamenei Warns US Attack Will Bring ‘Regional War,’ US Bombed Somalia 25 Times in January, and More.” (02/02/26)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-5CCkXMSJ8
-----
61) The Brian Nichols Show, 02/01/26
Source: Lions of Liberty
“AI Slop DESTROYS Reality | 2026 WARNING.” (02/01/26)
https://www.lionsofliberty.com/episodes/tbns-ai-slop-destroys-reality-2026-warning
-----
62) Fountainhead Forum, episode 415
Source: Fountainhead Forum
“Alu Axelman on surviving a false accusation of inappropriate behavior with a minor.” (02/01/26)
https://rumble.com/v755py8-ff-415-alu-axelman-on-surviving-a-false-accusation-of-inappropriate-behavio.html
-----
63) Gordon Hahn on The Scott Horton Show
Source: The Scott Horton
“Gordon Hahn on the Impediments to Peace in Ukraine.” (02/01/26)
https://scotthorton.org/interviews/1-30-26-gordon-hahn-on-the-impediments-to-peace-in-ukraine/
-----
64) Pink Flame of Liberty, 02/01/26
Source: Pink Flame of Liberty
“Wolff v. Trump: Melania moves to DISMISS.” (02/01/26)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfxWvpmXTL8
-----
65) Free Talk Live, 02/01/26
Source: Free Talk Live
“Hawaii’s 9th circuit approved gun ban is impossible to follow :: New idea to limit government’s gun grabbing- only if it was implemented in the 1790’s :: NH red flag laws hidden in the restraining order statutes :: Bonnie’s story that ended in a restraining order :: The judge ordered Bonnie gets a stranger’s pets :: Dave Ridley’s new call series on NH freedom movement OG activism :: Derrick J’s Victimless Crime Spree ::Important to support activists you agree with :: The US developing weapons that may be illegal in international law :: How is Venezuela doing now? :: Turd is disappointed by Silent Hill 2 :: US capitol police claim jurisdiction outside of DC :: Are pensions communist? :: Hidden taxes :: The government union busting :: Social security is a pyramid scheme :: The UK age verifying VPNs 2026-02-01 :: Bonnie, Mr.Penguin, Angelo.” (02/01/26)
https://soundcloud.com/freetalklive/ftl2026-02-01
----------------------------------------------------------------------
FND is published every weekday except on holidays. Forward freely.
To subscribe or unsubscribe, visit:
http://groups.google.com/group/freedom-news-daily
Support the Liberty International (tax deductible)
https://liberty-intl.org/join-the-movement/
----------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Presented by the Liberty International
https://liberty-intl.org/
Produced by the staff of Rational Review News Digest
More News, More Commentary, More Audio/Video at Our Web Edition!
https://news.rationalreview.com/
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Today's Freedom News:
1) DC: Trump toady threatens gun owners with arrest
2) Shutdown theater: US House aims for Tuesday vote on funding bill
3) White House faces questions over UAE royal’s $500 million bribe
4) Lawsuit challenges US regime’s green card freeze
5) Egypt: Medical evacuees from Gaza enter as Rafah crossing reopens
6) MTG: MAGA “was all a lie”
7) US-Iran nuclear talks planned for Friday amid military buildup
8) Norway: Son of crown princess arrested days before his rape trial set to begin
9) US, Indian regimes reach trade deal, Trump says after Modi call
10) France: Capgemini to get rid of US subsidiary over ICE gang ties
11) Catholic Church and Italy investigate sacred and profane cherub seemingly modeled on Meloni
12) Philippines: Duterte faces new impeachment bids after surviving attempt
13) MN: Multiple Minneapolis schools closed by hoax threat
14) Punxsutawney Phil is said to have seen his shadow, forecasting six more weeks of wintry weather
15) Franc: Regime’s budget clears the way for Macron’s military spending boost
16) Bangladesh: Hasina, niece sentenced in absentia
17) Sanctioned Russian jet touches down in Cuba, echoing secret flights before Maduro’s ouster
18) Trump says Kennedy Center will close for two years for renovations
19) Syria’s interior ministry forces enter key city under deal with Kurdish-led SDF
20) Costa Rica: Fernandez wins presidential election
Today's Freedom Commentary:
21) In the Killing of Alex Pretti, Only Libertarians Get it
22) Will Republicans Fall for Inflationary Populism?
23) There Is No “Right” Way to Pursue Regime Change
24) Trump Lawsuits: The Most Efficient Grift Ever
25) The Dadaism of “All Theories Are False”
26) Stand Up To Bullies!
27) The Evil of the US Empire’s Aggression Against Cuba
28) Trump Calls His Enemies Terrorists. Does That Mean He Can Just Kill Them?
29) Shooting Protesters, from Minneapolis to Tehran
30) Will He, or Won’t He?
31) Slouching Toward Fort Sumter?
32) With Love from Minnesota
33) Dissecting The Belief That The US Should Forcibly Remove Tyrannical Governments
34) The Homo Economicus Rent vs. Buy Calculator
35) Defending the Humanities, Again
36) Trump Is Broadening His Use of Economic Warfare
37) Mamdani’s class warfare against New York businesses is “economic vandalism”
38) Geo-kleptocracy and the rise of “global mafia politics”
39) Everyone Dies?
40) Dumping State Income Taxes Could Mean High Sales Taxes — or an Opportunity for Smaller Government
41) Once Again, the Cuban People Bear the Brunt of US Economic Warfare
42) Is Kevin Warsh a Hawk, a Dove, or the Next Volcker? Markets Are About to Find Out
43) Quantum Vibe, 02/02/26
44) Affordability fact check: Trump can’t hide from higher prices
45) “Melania” serves as a dainty middle finger to Trump’s media tormenters (who were wrong about everything)
46) We All Need to Have a Serious Conversation About Revolution
47) Ammon Bundy Is All Alone
48) Trump’s lawless DHS is tearing America apart
49) The Permanent Overclass
50) Where It Ends
Today's Freedom Podcast and Video:
51) Reason Roundtable, 02/02/26
52) So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast, 02/02/26
53) Show-Me Institute Podcast, 02/02/26
54) Rising, 02/02/26
55) The Climate Realism Show, episode 188
56) EconTalk, 02/02/26
57) The Daily Blast With Greg Sargent, 02/02/26
58) Capitals Uncovered, episode 33
59) TechTank, season 5, episode 36
60) Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 02/02/26
61) The Brian Nichols Show, 02/01/26
62) Fountainhead Forum, episode 415
63) Gordon Hahn on The Scott Horton Show
64) Pink Flame of Liberty, 02/01/26
65) Free Talk Live, 02/01/26
vvvvv SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS vvvvv
Tyranny Demands AN ACT OF SELF-DEFENSE: A NOVEL BY ERNE LEWIS
https://tinyurl.com/actofselfdefense
ONE IDENTITY FOR ALL YOUR CRYPTO
https://fioprotocol.io/
SAMUEL EDWARD KONKIN III REVOLUTIONARY FRIEND BY WENDY MCELROY
https://www.amazon.com/Samuel-Edward-Konkin-Revolutionary-Friend-ebook/dp/B0DP7B6127
TRY STARLINK: YOU GET A FREE MONTH AND SO DO WE!
https://starlink.com/residential?referral=RC-DF-8980236-19330-50
THE CONSTITUTION OF NON-STATE GOVERNMENT: FIELD GUIDE TO TEXAS SECESSION (2nd edition), by TL Hulsey
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1883853117
^^^^^ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS ^^^^^
_____ Today's Freedom News _____
1) DC: Trump toady threatens gun owners with arrest
Source: New York Times
“Jeannine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, on Monday threatened jail time for anyone who enters the capital with a gun. In remarks on Fox News that could deepen a growing rift between gun owners and the Trump administration, Ms. Pirro declared that if anyone brings ‘a gun into the District, you mark my words, you’re going to jail. I don’t care if you have a license in another district and I don’t care if you’re a law-abiding law owner somewhere else.’ Her remarks prompted swift pushback from the Republican Party’s pro-Second Amendment wing, which was thrown into a cycle of confusion and frustration over comments from President Trump and some in his administration after Alex Pretti, a licensed gun owner, was [murdered] by federal immigration agents last month during a protest in Minneapolis.” (02/02/26)
https://archive.is/FOHcx
-----
2) Shutdown theater: US House aims for Tuesday vote on funding bill
Source: Fox News
“House Republican leaders plan to vote Tuesday to pass a government funding package approved by the Senate, three days after a shutdown began. Funding lapsed Saturday amid divisions in Congress over changes to the Department of Homeland Security after agents [murdered] two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., pushed the vote back by one day after, he said, Democrats conveyed to him that they won’t provide enough votes to skip the procedural hurdles. … The bill, which passed the Senate 71-29, would complete funding for the government to the tune of more than $1 trillion — except DHS, which will carry on with a two-week stopgap bill as Democrats demand guardrails on immigration enforcement operations.” (02/02/26)
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/house-tuesday-vote-end-government-shutdown-reopen-trump-rcna256782
-----
3) White House faces questions over UAE royal’s $500 million bribe
Source: ABC News
“President Donald Trump’s cryptocurrency firm, World Liberty Financial, sold a $500 million stake to a member of the Emirati royal family shortly before his inauguration last January, The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday, sparking concerns over a potential conflict of interest. According to the Journal, which reviewed undisclosed corporate documents, a firm associated with Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, an Abu Dhabi royal who operates an enormous state investment fund, purchased a 49% stake in World Liberty, which is co-owned by Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and his family, just four days before the Trump administration swept into office. Months later, the Trump administration agreed to supply the UAE with highly coveted American-made AI chips despite the prior administration’s concern that they may fall into the hands of the Chinese.” (02/02/26)
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/white-house-faces-questions-uae-royals-investment-trump/story?id=129774262
-----
4) Lawsuit challenges US regime’s green card freeze
Source: Bloomberg
“A Trump administration policy suspending green cards over concerns of reliance on public benefits is unlawful, a new lawsuit argues. The freeze on immigrant visas for 75 countries violates the Administrative Procedure Act and Immigration and Nationality Act as well as equal protections under the Constitution, according to the complaint filed in the Southern District of New York. ‘This administration is trying to shut down lawful immigration from nearly half the countries in the world without legal authority or justification,’ said Anna Gallagher, executive director of Catholic Legal Immigration Network Inc., the lead plaintiff in the suit.” (02/02/26)
https://archive.is/EDmds
-----
5) Egypt: Medical evacuees from Gaza enter as Rafah crossing reopens
Source: Associated Press
“A small number of medical evacuees from Gaza entered Egypt on Monday as the Rafah border crossing reopened, marking a key step in the Israel-Hamas ceasefire but a mostly symbolic one. Few people will be allowed to travel in either direction and no goods will pass through. About 20,000 Palestinian children and adults needing medical care hope to leave the devastated territory via the crossing, according to Gaza health officials. Thousands of other Palestinians outside the territory hope to enter and return home. The crossing had been closed since Israeli troops seized it in May 2024. The number of travelers is expected to increase over time if the system is successful. Israel has said it and Egypt will vet people for exit and entry.” (02/02/26)
https://apnews.com/article/rafah-gaza-israel-palestinians-egypt-crossing-b78d6a15790148a697634cd303c3b5a9
-----
6) MTG: MAGA “was all a lie”
Source: The Hill
“Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) said President Trump’s Make American Great Again slogan was a ‘lie,’ saying his first year back in office was focused on obliging wealthy supporters. ‘I think people are realizing it was all a lie. It was a big lie for the people. What MAGA is really serving in this administration, who they’re serving, is their big donors,’ Greene said in a Wednesday interview with radio personality Kim Iversen. … The former Georgia representative recently resigned from Congress, after airing concerns over the future of health care premiums and the war in Gaza, citing fractures within the GOP and falling out with Trump and MAGA, despite years of loyal support for the president.” (02/02/26)
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5718355-marjorie-taylor-greene-trump-maga-lie
-----
7) US-Iran nuclear talks planned for Friday amid military buildup
Source: Axios
“White House envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are expected to meet on Friday in Istanbul to discuss a possible nuclear deal, according to two sources with knowledge. … This would be the first meeting between U.S. and Iranian officials since the collapse of the negotiations and the 12-day war last June. It comes during a massive U.S. military buildup in the Gulf, and with President Trump insisting the only way to avoid military conflict is a swift deal.” {editor’s note: What is the point of “talks” toward a “deal?” There’s already a binding deal that the US regime has been in violation of since 2017 – TLK] (02/02/26)
https://archive.is/ufaVv
-----
8) Norway: Son of crown princess arrested days before his rape trial set to begin
Source: CBC News [Canadian state media]
“The eldest son of Norway’s crown princess has been arrested, just before his trial opens on charges including rape in a case that has been an embarrassment to the royal family, police said on Monday. Marius Borg Høiby was arrested on Sunday evening and is accused of assault, threats with a knife and violation of a restraining order, police said in a statement. They requested four weeks’ detention on grounds of risk of reoffending. … Ahead of the trial, Friday’s release of the latest batch of documents from the Epstein files shone an unflattering spotlight on Mette-Marit. They contained several hundred mentions of the crown princess, who already said in 2019 that she regretted having had contact with Epstein, Norwegian media reported.” (02/02/26)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/norway-princess-son-rape-9.7070424?cmp=rss
-----
9) US, Indian regimes reach trade deal, Trump says after Modi call
Source: BBC News [UK State Media]
“US President Donald Trump announced that he agreed to a trade deal with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, where the US will lower tariffs on goods from India to 18% from 25%. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said India will reduce trade barriers to zero and will also stop buying Russian oil. An additional 25% tariff penalty imposed for Delhi’s refusal to stop buying oil from Russia will be dropped. The announcement comes less than a week after India and the European Union announced a landmark trade deal that capped nearly two decades of on-off talks. Modi said on X that he is ‘delighted’ that an agreement with the US has been reached. In the post, Trump said that a morning phone call with Modi included discussions of trade and the Russia-Ukraine war.” (02/02/25)
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yve1x9zv0o
-----
10) France: Capgemini to get rid of US subsidiary over ICE gang ties
Source: The American Bazaar
“Capgemini is getting rid of one of its subsidiaries. The French IT giant announced on Sunday that it was putting up for sale its subsidiary working with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), at the heart of international controversy over the violent methods used by these federal agents. The company has been in the spotlight for several days because of a contract, revealed by the NGO Observatoire des Multinationales, that its U.S. subsidiary, Capgemini Government Solutions, signed with ICE to identify foreign nationals on U.S. soil and track their movements. … In a press release, Capgemini explained that ‘the usual legal constraints imposed in the United States on contracting with federal entities conducting classified activities did not allow the Group to exercise appropriate control over certain aspects of this subsidiary’s operations.'” (02/02/26)
https://americanbazaaronline.com/2026/02/02/capgemini-to-get-rid-of-us-arm-working-with-ice-474361/
-----
11) Catholic Church and Italy investigate sacred and profane cherub seemingly modeled on Meloni
Source: SFGate
“There is a long tradition of painters depicting real people in their religious art, but the appearance in a Roman church of a cherub that bears a striking resemblance to Premier Giorgia Meloni has sparked a minor scandal for both church and state in Italy. The diocese of Rome and the Italian Culture Ministry both announced investigations into the recent renovations at the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Lucina, after photographs of the Meloni-esque cherub were published in Italian newspapers this weekend. Their swift and harsh reactions indicated little tolerance for the profane in a sacred place. The ruckus has given the basilica, already well known as one of the oldest churches in Rome, newfound celebrity status. It was jammed on Sunday and Monday with curiosity-seekers straining to photograph the angel in a side chapel up near the front altar, at times disrupting Mass.” (02/02/25)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/catholic-church-and-italy-investigate-sacred-and-21329101.php
-----
12) Philippines: Duterte faces new impeachment bids after surviving attempt
Source: ABC News
“Activists filed two impeachment complaints against Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte Monday, accusing her of large-scale corruption after an initial attempt to unseat her a year ago was shot down by the Supreme Court on a legal technicality. The new impeachment bids filed before the House of Representatives are the latest episode in the stormy political life of Duterte, a 47-year-old lawyer and former city mayor who has been touted by supporters as a potential presidential contender in 2028. She is the daughter of ex- President Rodrigo Duterte, who oversaw bloody anti-drug crackdowns while in office from 2016 to 2022. He was arrested and detained in the Netherlands by the International Criminal Court last year for alleged crimes against humanity.” (02/02/26)
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/philippine-vice-president-faces-2-new-impeachment-bids-129775355
-----
13) MN: Multiple Minneapolis schools closed by hoax threat
Source: BBC News [UK State Media]
“Police say no suspicious packages or devices have been located after a bomb threat was sent to schools in the Columbia Heights neighbourhood, a suburb of Minneapolis, on Monday. Multiple schools in the district, where a number of students have been abducted in recent weeks as part of Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions in Minnesota, were nonetheless forced to close for the day. Columbia Heights Public Schools said it closed the schools out of an abundance of caution following a credible threat. Classes will resume on Tuesday. The school closures come as protests against ICE continue in Minnesota and across the US. Among the students [abducted] by federal agents in the Columbia Heights district was five-year-old Liam Ramos. A photo of Ramos in a blue bunny-eared hat being held by ICE agents led to a national outcry.” (02/02/25)
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2kzzz3m51o
-----
14) Punxsutawney Phil is said to have seen his shadow, forecasting six more weeks of wintry weather
Source: San Diego Union Tribune
“Punxsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks of wintry weather Monday, a forecast sure to disappoint many after what’s already been a long, cold season across large parts of the United States. His annual prediction and announcement that he had seen his shadow was translated by his handlers in the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club at Gobbler’s Knob in western Pennsylvania. The news was greeted with a mix of cheers and boos from the tens of thousands who braved temperatures in the single-digits Fahrenheit to await the annual prognostication.” (02/02/26)
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2026/02/02/phil-groundhog-predicts-more-winter/
-----
15) Franc: Regime’s budget clears the way for Macron’s military spending boost
Source: SFGate
“France has adopted its delayed 2026 budget Monday, clearing the way for higher military spending promised by President Emmanuel Macron to confront threats linked to Russia’s war in Ukraine and Mideast conflicts. The adoption of the budget marks the final step of a monthslong, chaotic process that exposed deep divisions in the fractured Parliament, which proved unable to reach a compromise. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu ultimately opted to use his special constitutional power to pass the bill without a vote, surviving two no-confidence votes on Monday evening. Macron has vowed to increase defense spending to counter what he describes as a widening range of threats, from Russia and nuclear proliferation to terrorism and cyberattacks. France in December passed an emergency law to avoid a U.S.-style government shutdown, but only the full 2026 budget provides the military with the needed funding to build up forces.” (02/02/25)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/france-s-budget-set-to-clear-the-way-for-macron-s-21328588.php
-----
16) Bangladesh: Hasina, niece sentenced in absentia
Source: ABC News
“Bangladesh’s exiled former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been sentenced to 10 years in jail and her niece, the British lawmaker Tulip Siddiq, to four years in connection with two cases involving a government township project. … The country’s official corruption watchdog filed the cases alleging that Hasina colluded with government officials to illegally secure six plots in the Purbachal New Town Project, near Dhaka, for herself and her family members despite their ineligibility under government regulations.” (02/02/26)
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/bangladeshs-leader-hasina-uk-lawmaker-niece-sentenced-graft-129774461
-----
17) Sanctioned Russian jet touches down in Cuba, echoing secret flights before Maduro’s ouster
Source: Fox News
“A Russian cargo plane typically used to transfer military equipment landed at a military airfield in Havana Sunday night, echoing flight patterns seen ahead of the capture of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela. The U.S.-sanctioned Ilyushin Il-76, operated by Russian state-linked airline Aviacon Zitotrans, was tracked landing at San Antonio de los Baños Airfield, a Cuban military installation roughly 30 miles south of Havana, according to public flight data. Flight-tracking records show the aircraft stopped in St. Petersburg and Sochi in Russia; Mauritania, Africa; and the Dominican Republic. Each landing would have required approval from host governments, offering a window into which countries are continuing to permit Russian military-linked aviation activity despite Western sanctions.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/sanctioned-russian-jet-touches-down-cuba-echoing-secret-flights-before-maduros-ouster
-----
18) Trump says Kennedy Center will close for two years for renovations
Source: NBC News
“President Donald Trump announced Sunday that he has determined that the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington should close for about two years. Trump, who wrote on Truth Social that the decision is ‘totally subject’ to approval by his handpicked board, said that the center will close on July 4 and that ‘financing is completed, and fully in place.’ He did not elaborate on where the funding came from. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on questions about the funding. … Trump has frequently discussed remodeling the Kennedy Center, arguing that the theater was poorly maintained and in desperate need of repairs, some of which are already underway.” (02/01/26)
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-says-kennedy-center-will-close-two-years-renovations-rcna256982
-----
19) Syria’s interior ministry forces enter key city under deal with Kurdish-led SDF
Source: SFGate
“A small contingent of security forces with Syria’s interior ministry entered the city of al-Hassakeh on Monday as part of a deal between Damascus and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, which control the city. The SDF announced the new agreement with the central government on Friday, aiming to stabilize a ceasefire in the country that ended weeks of fighting, in which the Kurdish-led force lost most of the territory it previously held in northeastern Syria. It lays out steps toward integrating the force into the army and police forces, and integrating civilian institutions in SDF-controlled areas into the central government. Under the deal, government military forces won’t enter Kurdish-majority areas, but small contingents of security forces reporting to the interior ministry will enter the cities of al-Hassakeh and Qamishli to secure state-affiliated institutions such as the civil registry, passport offices and the airport, and to restart work at those institutions.” (02/02/25)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/syria-s-interior-ministry-forces-enter-key-city-21328623.php
-----
20) Costa Rica: Fernandez wins presidential election
Source: Deutsche Welle [German state media]
“Laura Fernandez, a conservative, populist politician with strong links to outgoing President Rodrigo Chaves, has won nearly half of the votes in Costa Rica’s general election with 94% of votes counted, meaning she will become the country’s new leader. Her victory confirms a strong rightward trend in Latin America, where voter anger at corruption and crime have driven recent conservative wins in Chile, Bolivia, Argentina and Honduras. Fernandez had won 48.3% of the vote, the preliminary results from the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) showed, far in excess of the 40% needed to avoid a run-off.” (02/02/26)
https://www.dw.com/en/costa-rica-conservative-laura-fernandez-wins-election/a-75762471
_____ Today's Freedom Commentary _____
21) In the Killing of Alex Pretti, Only Libertarians Get it
Source: Libertarian Institute
by Jack Hunter
“On January 24, protester and legal gun owner Alex Pretti was shot and killed by United States Customs and Border Protection agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota, making national news. … Many conservatives, both influencers and politicians, rushed to justify the agents’ actions, with a particular emphasis on the reported politics and past behavior of Pretti. The Daily Wire’s Matt Walsh even went so far as to say that Pretti ‘got what was coming to him.’ Aren’t conservatives traditionally in favor of free speech, and perhaps even more so, gun rights? Some were. But so many weren’t that it was left to libertarians to actually defend the First and Second Amendments and to note that Americans shouldn’t be murdered by the state for exercising them and their deaths justified by lying politicians.” (02/02/26)
https://libertarianinstitute.org/articles/in-the-killing-of-alex-pretti-only-libertarians-get-it
-----
22) Will Republicans Fall for Inflationary Populism?
Source: The Daily Economy
by Alexander W Salter
“Donald Trump wants lower interest rates. He has said so openly and has pressured the Federal Reserve accordingly. The political logic seems obvious: easier money boosts asset prices, juices consumer spending, and appears to support headline growth. With midterms approaching, that sugar high is tempting. But it’s also a mistake — economically, politically, and strategically. Lower rates at this point in the cycle would almost certainly reignite inflation. And except in the very short run, they would not make capital more affordable in real terms. Instead, they would worsen the affordability crisis (which voters are already upset about) and undermine the GOP’s reputation as the party of economic responsibility.” (02/02/26)
https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/will-republicans-fall-for-inflationary-populism/
-----
23) There Is No “Right” Way to Pursue Regime Change
Source: Eunomia
by Daniel Larison
“The U.S. should not be in the business of regime change. Our regime change policies tend to fail and produce even worse outcomes, but those aren’t the only reasons not to do it. We shouldn’t have these policies in the first place. … There is no ‘right’ way to pursue regime change because the interference and coercion required make the attempt inherently illegitimate.” (02/02/26)
https://daniellarison.substack.com/p/there-is-no-right-way-to-pursue-regime
-----
24) Trump Lawsuits: The Most Efficient Grift Ever
Source: CounterPunch
by Dean Baker
“You have to give Donald Trump some credit. He was making plenty of money selling pardons, ripping off Venezuela’s oil, and selling seats on his ‘Board of Peace,’ but all of these required something resembling work. … Trump’s latest grift is far simpler. He just sues the government and then orders Attorney General Pam Bondi to give him the money. He already did this several months back when he filed a $230 million suit because the government tried to prosecute him for the crimes he committed. … now Trump has decided he needs more money, so he’s demanding more than 40 times as much, suing the Internal Revenue Service for $10 billion for releasing information from his tax returns. One of the ironies of this story is that the leak took place in Trump’s first term, so ostensibly, as president, he is responsible for the harm for which he is suing the government.” (02/02/26)
https://www.counterpunch.org/2026/02/02/trump-lawsuits-the-most-efficient-grift-ever/
-----
25) The Dadaism of “All Theories Are False”
Source: Bet On It
by Bryan Caplan
“There are two morals to today’s quixotic quest. First: ‘All theories are false’ is false. Some theories are true. Indeed, we’re awash in true theories. Many of these are only true to a few decimal places, but that’s fine. Some theories are true only under normal conditions, but that, too, is fine. Most listeners take such qualifications for granted — and any remaining ambiguity is easy enough to fix with explicit caveats. Second: Scientists are bad at philosophy of science.” (02/02/26)
https://www.betonit.ai/p/the-dadaism-of-all-theories-are-false
-----
26) Stand Up To Bullies!
Source: Persuasion
“It’s the first thing you learn when you go to some rough-and-tumble new school—if you run into a bully, the trick is to stand up to them. More than the particular situation, what matters is the underlying psychology. The point is that, whatever else seems to be going on, bullies usually prefer to puff up than to follow through, and, once they sniff strength, they’ll tend to move on to someone they can more readily pick on. After ten years of Trumpism — ten-and-a-half if we date our current era to Trump’s descent down the golden escalator — the great wisdom of our time may simply be to confirm the schoolyard adage.” (02/02/26)
https://www.persuasion.community/p/stand-up-to-bullies
-----
27) The Evil of the US Empire’s Aggression Against Cuba
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
by Jacob G Hornberger
“During the entire Cold War racket, when U.S. officials repeatedly said that the Reds were coming to get us, did you ever think for a moment that the U.S. government, led by the Pentagon, the CIA, and the NSA, would be actually partnering with a Red regime? Yet, here we are — the national-security branch of the federal government and President Trump partnering with the Red regime in Venezuela to oust the Red regime in Cuba. That’s amusing, but what is pathetic is that the U.S. Empire is targeting the Cuban people with death and economic privation as a way to effect a change in policy of the Cuban government or, better yet, an entire change to a pro-U.S. regime that will loyally obey the orders of the U.S. Empire, as the Venezuelan Red regime is now doing.” (02/02/26)
https://www.fff.org/2026/02/02/the-evil-of-the-u-s-empires-aggression-against-cuba/
-----
28) Trump Calls His Enemies Terrorists. Does That Mean He Can Just Kill Them?
Source: The Intercept
by Nick Turse
“‘Terrorist’ is the word that the Trump administration employs to describe the victims of its most egregious acts of state violence. President Donald Trump has used the word ‘terrorist’ to justify the extrajudicial killings of civilians in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean. And his deputies used it to explain away the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis by federal agents. … These killings were conducted thousands of miles apart by different agencies in very different contexts. But the connection between them could be more than semantic.” (02/02/26)
https://theintercept.com/2026/02/02/trump-nspm-7-domestic-terrorist-minneapolis-alex-pretti/
-----
29) Shooting Protesters, from Minneapolis to Tehran
Source: TomDispatch
by Juan Cole
“The pro-democracy protesters in Iran deserved so much better. They deserved the support of a democratic United States that could sincerely urge the rule of law and habeas corpus (allowing people to legally challenge their detentions) be respected, not to speak of freedom of speech, the press, and assembly in accordance with the Constitution. Unfortunately, President Donald J. Trump has forfeited any claim to respect for such rights or a principled foreign policy and so has proved strikingly ineffective in aiding those protesters. The arbitrary arrests and killings committed by agents of Trump’s authoritarian-style rule differ only in number, not in kind, from the detainments and killings of protesters carried out by the basij (or pro-regime street militias) in Iran. In fact, they rendered his protests and bluster about Iran the height of hypocrisy.” (02/02/25)
https://tomdispatch.com/why-trumps-denunciations-of-the-iranian-killings-ring-fatally-hollow/
-----
30) Will He, or Won’t He?
Source: Ron Paul Liberty Report
by Ron Paul
“For the past month, Americans have been wondering whether President Trump will attack Iran, or whether the massive military build-up in the Middle East is just another bluff. President Trump claims that the decision is his alone to make. Thus far, President Trump has made little effort to explain to the American people – or to Congress – why launching a war against Iran is in our national interest. Instead, he wanders from one reason to another, hoping something will stick.” (02/02/26)
http://www.ronpaullibertyreport.com/archives/will-he-or-wont-he
-----
31) Slouching Toward Fort Sumter?
Source: Town Hall
by Victor Davis Hanson
“In the months before the April 12, 1861, firing on Fort Sumter, there were lots of sharp divisions in the North about the proper reaction to the first seven Confederate states that had already left the Union. Not all Unionists believed that war was inevitable. Some, in fact, were happy to be done with the departing South and thus see their stain of slavery gone from the Union. Similarly, others agreed that the emerging Confederacy was not worth the trouble and costs of war, and the secessionists could just form their own nation and stew in their own backward, servile juice. But after Fort Sumter, Lincoln … gained a consensus that the Constitution had no clauses about any lawful departure from the Union. But it did operate under a clear supremacy clause that made state obstruction of federal law and occupation of federal property veritable sedition.” (02/02/25)
https://townhall.com/columnists/victordavishanson/2026/02/02/slouching-toward-fort-sumter-n2670522
-----
32) With Love from Minnesota
Source: Law & Liberty
by Rachel Lu
“Eighteen years ago, when I first moved to the Twin Cities, they had a reputation for being ‘Minnesota nice.’ I sigh now to remember it. Somewhere deep in a dresser drawer, I still have a t-shirt that reads: ‘Keep St. Paul Boring.’ I liked boring St Paul. I admit that things could be worse. Our recent adventures haven’t been nearly as exciting as the ones in 2020. During the George Floyd riots, the chaos spilled over noticeably into surrounding neighborhoods, with columns of black smoke visibly rising into the sky, presumably from burned buildings and cars. … Even without the smoke and shattered windows, these have certainly been Interesting Times, which naturally prompts reflection.” (02/02/26)
https://lawliberty.org/with-love-from-minnesota/
-----
33) Dissecting The Belief That The US Should Forcibly Remove Tyrannical Governments
Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone
“‘Government X does bad things’ and ‘therefore the US should forcibly overthrow Government X’ are two completely different claims. Propagandists keep acting like they’re the same claim and like the second claim naturally follows the first, and I’m seeing far too many people accepting this manipulation without question. They are not the same claim. They’re entirely unrelated. It should not be necessary to explain this to grown adults, but here we are. Even if we accept as fact all the claims about how badly the US-targeted government is behaving, and even if we ignore the obvious fact that unilateral US regime change wars are against international law, there is still no valid reason to accept that a government doing bad things justifies US regime change interventionism.” (02/02/25)
https://caitlinjohnstone.com.au/2026/02/02/dissecting-the-belief-that-the-us-should-forcibly-remove-tyrannical-governments/
-----
34) The Homo Economicus Rent vs. Buy Calculator
Source: Independent Institute
by Jonathan Hofer & Kristian Fors
“When people decide to rent or purchase a home, they often focus on financial liabilities (what they pay to others) and overlook the economic costs of capital. Several rent vs. buy calculators are available online …. These offer many insights but tend to understate the unrealized opportunity costs of the road not taken, from both the renter’s and the homebuyer’s perspectives. Renters may have the opportunity to invest what would have otherwise gone toward a down payment and closing costs, as well as the monthly savings they gain from not having a mortgage. On the other hand, at some point, a homeowner’s monthly mortgage payment is likely to be lower than monthly rent, and it also offers the potential benefit of property appreciation.” (02/02/26)
https://www.independent.org/article/2026/02/02/homo-economicus-rent-vs-buy-calculator/
-----
35) Defending the Humanities, Again
Source: ProSocial Libertarians
by Andrew Jason Cohen
“I’ve continued taking part in conversations about the problems of academia. Some I’ve recently discussed this with agree with me that thinking of academia as a mere means to a career is a big problem. They nonetheless worry that colleges have lost their way and are teaching things they oughtn’t. Some complain that the humanities have simply expanded too much, reducing the emphasis on classics. Some, typically folks in the social sciences, seem less concerned with the classics but nonetheless have an antipathy toward anything new. The social science advocates I’ve discussed these things with seemed to believe their disciplines were closer to the hard sciences than the humanities. Perhaps they are right, at least in some ways (assume they both use empirical evidence more than the humanities). I’m not sure why that matters.” (02/02/26)
https://prosociallibertarians.substack.com/p/defending-the-humanities-again
-----
36) Trump Is Broadening His Use of Economic Warfare
Source: Antiwar.com
by Ted Snider
“Tariffs and sanctions have continued to be the tool for which the Trump administration reaches most readily for regime change in recent days. As American attention turns to Cuba, the Trump administration has reportedly set an end of year deadline for regime change. … But regime change is not the only job that economic warfare is being used for. It is also being used to influence foreign elections.” (02/02/26)
https://original.antiwar.com/ted_snider/2026/02/01/trump-is-broadening-his-use-of-economic-warfare
-----
37) Mamdani’s class warfare against New York businesses is “economic vandalism”
Source: Fox News
by Steve Forbes
“Last fall, when New York’s business community warned that the election of a self-described democratic socialist as mayor would trigger an assault on the city’s economic engine, we were waved off as hysterical. The press assured us that Zohran Mamdani was ‘evolving’, that his rhetoric would soften, that we should focus instead on his vague promises of ‘affordability’. That reassurance evaporated almost instantly. Barely two weeks after his swearing-in — amid lofty rhetoric about ‘the warmth of collectivism’ — the Mamdani administration unveiled its real agenda. Sam Levine, the newly installed commissioner of the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection and a veteran of Lina Khan’s Federal Trade Commission, released a sensational report accusing companies like DoorDash and Uber Eats of ‘diverting’ more than $500 million from delivery workers.” (02/02/25)
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/mamdanis-class-warfare-against-new-york-businesses-economic-vandalism
-----
38) Geo-kleptocracy and the rise of “global mafia politics”
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Martin de Caro
“In his second inaugural address, Trump claimed he wanted to be remembered as a peacemaker. Instead, he’s practicing what the scholar Alex de Waal calls ‘global mafia politics,’ the new rules of an unraveling order that render familiar debates between realists and idealists, or restrainers versus primacists, somewhat stale. To better understand this dynamic, I spoke to de Waal about his thesis that the ‘political marketplace’ now dominates international relations.” (02/02/26)
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/global-mafia-politics/
-----
39) Everyone Dies?
Source: Common Sense
by Paul Jacob
“After Friday, when I worried about robots taking over, I was glad to read a debunking of the AI Will Destroy Us All meme, so in vogue. In ‘Superintelligent AI Is Not Coming To Kill You,’ from the March issue of Reason, Neil Chilson argues that we shouldn’t freak out. Not only do I not want to freak out, I don’t want to use AI very much — though I understand that, these days, sometimes it makes sense to consult the Oracles.” (02/02/26)
https://thisiscommonsense.org/2026/02/02/everyone-dies/
-----
40) Dumping State Income Taxes Could Mean High Sales Taxes — or an Opportunity for Smaller Government
Source: Reason
by JD Tuccille
“Missouri lawmakers are considering a proposal to abolish the state’s income tax and replace it with a sales tax. They’re not alone: Last year, Mississippi approved legislation that will decrease the state income tax over several years until it’s eliminated. That follows in the footsteps of Kentucky and Oklahoma. New Hampshire, which has no income tax, phased out its tax on interest and dividends. Several states making the move are considering sales taxes to fill the revenue gap, and they have the backing of the White House. But a new report warns that sales taxes may have to be higher than anticipated to make up the difference — unless state governments shrink in size and expense.” (02/02/26)
https://reason.com/2026/02/02/dumping-state-income-taxes-could-mean-high-sales-taxes-or-an-opportunity-for-smaller-government/
-----
41) Once Again, the Cuban People Bear the Brunt of US Economic Warfare
Source: Common Dreams
by Julia Norman
“The Trump administration’s latest threat to impose secondary tariffs on any nation selling oil to Cuba represents a dramatic and catastrophic tightening of the six-decade-long, deliberate chokehold the United States has maintained on Cuba’s access to essential resources. This act of collective punishment against the Cuban people, for alleged crimes the US government has scarcely attempted to substantiate, will be felt across every aspect of daily life. According to Trump’s January 29 executive order, this latest escalation in economic warfare is framed as a response to the ‘unusual and extraordinary threat’ the Cuban government allegedly poses to US national security.” (02/02/25)
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/us-sanctions-cuba
-----
42) Is Kevin Warsh a Hawk, a Dove, or the Next Volcker? Markets Are About to Find Out
Source: Bitcoin.com
by Jamie Redman
“President Donald Trump has nominated former Federal Reserve governor Kevin Warsh to lead the U.S. central bank, instantly reviving an old debate with real market consequences: Is Warsh a hard-money hawk, a quiet dove, or something closer to a modern-day Paul Volcker? The answer matters, because investors are already trading the nomination as if Volcker himself just walked back into the Federal Reserve building.” (02/02/26)
https://news.bitcoin.com/is-kevin-warsh-a-hawk-a-dove-or-the-next-volcker-markets-are-about-to-find-out/
-----
43) Quantum Vibe, 02/02/26
Source: Big Head Press
by Scott Bieser
Cartoon. (02/02/26)
https://www.quantumvibe.com/strip?page=2573
-----
44) Affordability fact check: Trump can’t hide from higher prices
Source: JimBovard.com
by James Bovard
“During his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump continually promised to make life more ‘affordable’ for Americans battered by Bidenflation. But in Iowa, Trump scoffed that Democrats ‘come up with this word ‘affordability.’’ ‘First time you heard about it was like a few months ago,’ he said. ‘You’re not hearing it so much anymore … because the prices are coming down so much.’ Yet on Nov. 29, Trump proclaimed on Truth Social: ‘I AM THE AFFORDABILITY PRESIDENT.’ Six weeks later, he sneered in Detroit that affordability is a ‘fake word by Democrats.’ For Donald Trump, the affordability issue conveniently appears and vanishes like the Cheshire Cat in ‘Alice in Wonderland.'” (02/01/26)
https://jimbovard.com/blog/2026/02/01/n-y-post-affordability-fact-check-trump-cant-hide-from-higher-prices/
-----
45) “Melania” serves as a dainty middle finger to Trump’s media tormenters (who were wrong about everything)
Source: New York Post
by Miranda Devine
“In a big blow to the Trump-deranged community, Melania Trump’s eponymous movie knocked the lights out on its opening weekend. It came in at No. 3 overall, and its $7 million box office take in three days is almost unheard of for a documentary. ‘Melania’ is crushing it on Rotten Tomatoes, too, with a 99% audience score on the ‘popcornometer’ easily besting the sneering critics’ 10% on the Tomatometer ratings. Like everything to do with Donald Trump’s two presidencies, whatever the leftist media’s opinion, the American public thinks the opposite. The inverse media-ometer is one of the most reliable gauges of public sentiment in this country.” (02/01/25)
https://nypost.com/2026/02/01/opinion/miranda-devine-melania-serves-as-a-dainty-middle-finger-to-trumps-media-tormenters-who-were-wrong-about-everything/
-----
46) We All Need to Have a Serious Conversation About Revolution
Source: exile in happy valley
by Nicky Reid
“A pretty good portion of humanity clearly seems to recognize that we are gazing into the abyss at the moment but how exactly do we turn this ship around from the brink of oblivion? … At some point somebody has to say the word ‘revolution’ and I’m not talking about some commie-scented air-freshener for a champaign socialist candidacy in SOHO. I am talking in no uncertain terms about all of us putting our partisan tribalism aside and doing what I think we all know needs to be done. I am talking about having a serious and ongoing conversation about overthrowing the government of the United States of America.” (02/01/26)
https://exileinhappyvalley.blogspot.com/2026/02/we-all-need-to-have-serious.html
-----
47) Ammon Bundy Is All Alone
Source: The Atlantic
by Jacob Stern
“Not so long ago, Ammon Bundy was the most famous right-wing militia leader in America. His two armed standoffs with federal agents had made him the face of the Patriot Movement: a loose assemblage of anti-government extremists, Second Amendment maximalists, and more than a few white nationalists. Even some mainstream elements of the Republican Party embraced him as a modern folk hero. But Bundy’s criticism of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown now threatens to make him a pariah within his own community.” (02/01/26)
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/02/ammon-bundy-trump-ice/685849/
-----
48) Trump’s lawless DHS is tearing America apart
Source: Orange County Register
by Dave Min
“The murders of Alex Pretti and Renee Good by masked federal agents earlier this month shocked our consciences. But it is important to understand these killings were the inevitable result of a culture of violence and lawlessness at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in which masked DHS agents have been routinely engaging in brazenly criminal acts across the country for months with no accountability or oversight. To be clear, punching someone in the face because you don’t like the sign they are holding is a crime. Same with pulling a gun on or spraying bear mace at a peaceful bystander. And yet we have seen literally thousands of clearly documented crimes like these committed by DHS agents over the past year with no consequences or even investigations. This is part of a broader culture of lawlessness and contempt for accountability that permeates DHS and ICE.” (02/01/26)
https://www.ocregister.com/2026/02/01/dave-min-trumps-lawless-dhs-is-tearing-america-apart/
-----
49) The Permanent Overclass
Source: The American Prospect
by Rodger Sherman
“Football taught me rich people could be stupid. Even as a kid, I’d seen plenty of movies and TV shows where rich people were greedy, cruel, vain, and unlikable. But stupid? Obviously, rich people are smart! Otherwise, how did they become rich? But as any NFL fan knows, some franchises are just always bad. Superstars wilt when traded to these teams; top draft picks fail to live up to their billing. No coach can fix their problems. And when you look under the microscope at these teams, to understand why they never win or get their act together, there’s often a common answer: a billionaire, convinced of his own brilliance, swerving the team into a ditch over and over again.” (02/02/25)
https://prospect.org/2026/02/02/feb-2026-magazine-sports-permanent-overclass-nfl-owners-ny-jets-woody-johnson-cowboys-jerry-jones/
-----
50) Where It Ends
Source: The Reframe
by AR Moxon
“The so-called Justice Department issued another tranche of emails from the Jeffery Epstein trove known colloquially as ‘The Epstein Files.’ I imagine that, like previous emissions, Justice has redacted most of the references to the best friend of the infamous serial child-rapist and sex trafficker (who is our current and temporary president Don Trump, in case you didn’t know). And I imagine that, like before, a bit of the tip of Trump’s culpability iceberg will manage to break through to the surface, because when you’re dealing with an iceberg of such magnitude there’s only so much hiding you can do.” (02/01/26)
https://www.the-reframe.com/where-it-ends/
_____ Today's Freedom Podcast and Video _____
51) Reason Roundtable, 02/02/26
Source: Reason
"Democrats Are Flipping Trump Districts in Texas?!" (02/02/26)
https://reason.com/podcast/2026/02/02/democrats-are-flipping-trump-districts-in-texas/
-----
52) So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast, 02/02/26
Source: Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression
“Free speech in Trump 2.0.” (02/02/26)
https://www.thefire.org/news/podcasts/so-speak-free-speech-podcast/free-speech-trump-20
-----
53) Show-Me Institute Podcast, 02/02/26
Source: Show-Me Institute
“The Six Words Driving the Education Debate in 2026 With Mike McShane.” (02/02/26)
https://showmeinstitute.org/article/education/the-six-words-driving-the-education-debate-in-2026-with-mike-mcshane/
-----
54) Rising, 02/02/26
Source: The Hill
“Robby Soave delivers radar on Independent Journalist Don Lemon being arrested and charged in connection with his decision to join a group of anti-ICE protesters who entered a church in St. Paul Minnesota.” (02/02/26)
https://thehill.com/hilltv/rising/5718235-rising-february-2-2026/
-----
55) The Climate Realism Show, episode 188
Source: Heartland Institute
“Winter Misery.” (02/02/26)
https://heartland.org/podcasts/winter-misery-the-climate-realism-show-188/
-----
56) EconTalk, 02/02/26
Source: EconTalk
“How to Flourish (with Daniel Coyle).” (02/02/26)
https://www.econtalk.org/how-to-flourish-with-daniel-coyle/
-----
57) The Daily Blast With Greg Sargent, 02/02/26
Source: The New Republic
“Trump Tirade over Protests Goes Off Rails as Crushing Fox Poll Hits.” (02/02/26)
https://newrepublic.com/article/205997/trump-tirade-protests-goes-off-rails-crushing-fox-poll-hits
-----
58) Capitals Uncovered, episode 33
Source: The Realist Review
“An interview with TRR editor James W. Carden.” (02/02/26)
https://therealistreview.substack.com/p/podcast-peace-is-lonely
-----
59) TechTank, season 5, episode 36
Source: Brookings Institution
“Tech outlooks for 2026.” (02/02/26)
https://shows.acast.com/tech-tank/episodes/tech-outlooks-for-2026
-----
60) Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 02/02/26
Source: Antiwar.com
“Khamenei Warns US Attack Will Bring ‘Regional War,’ US Bombed Somalia 25 Times in January, and More.” (02/02/26)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-5CCkXMSJ8
-----
61) The Brian Nichols Show, 02/01/26
Source: Lions of Liberty
“AI Slop DESTROYS Reality | 2026 WARNING.” (02/01/26)
https://www.lionsofliberty.com/episodes/tbns-ai-slop-destroys-reality-2026-warning
-----
62) Fountainhead Forum, episode 415
Source: Fountainhead Forum
“Alu Axelman on surviving a false accusation of inappropriate behavior with a minor.” (02/01/26)
https://rumble.com/v755py8-ff-415-alu-axelman-on-surviving-a-false-accusation-of-inappropriate-behavio.html
-----
63) Gordon Hahn on The Scott Horton Show
Source: The Scott Horton
“Gordon Hahn on the Impediments to Peace in Ukraine.” (02/01/26)
https://scotthorton.org/interviews/1-30-26-gordon-hahn-on-the-impediments-to-peace-in-ukraine/
-----
64) Pink Flame of Liberty, 02/01/26
Source: Pink Flame of Liberty
“Wolff v. Trump: Melania moves to DISMISS.” (02/01/26)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfxWvpmXTL8
-----
65) Free Talk Live, 02/01/26
Source: Free Talk Live
“Hawaii’s 9th circuit approved gun ban is impossible to follow :: New idea to limit government’s gun grabbing- only if it was implemented in the 1790’s :: NH red flag laws hidden in the restraining order statutes :: Bonnie’s story that ended in a restraining order :: The judge ordered Bonnie gets a stranger’s pets :: Dave Ridley’s new call series on NH freedom movement OG activism :: Derrick J’s Victimless Crime Spree ::Important to support activists you agree with :: The US developing weapons that may be illegal in international law :: How is Venezuela doing now? :: Turd is disappointed by Silent Hill 2 :: US capitol police claim jurisdiction outside of DC :: Are pensions communist? :: Hidden taxes :: The government union busting :: Social security is a pyramid scheme :: The UK age verifying VPNs 2026-02-01 :: Bonnie, Mr.Penguin, Angelo.” (02/01/26)
https://soundcloud.com/freetalklive/ftl2026-02-01
----------------------------------------------------------------------
FND is published every weekday except on holidays. Forward freely.
To subscribe or unsubscribe, visit:
http://groups.google.com/group/freedom-news-daily
Support the Liberty International (tax deductible)
https://liberty-intl.org/join-the-movement/
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages