06/30 -- Monaco: Ukrainian construction tycoon, family injured in bomb blast; The KIDS Act would put Washington in charge of how we can communicate online
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Thomas L. Knapp
Jun 30, 2026, 6:10:18 AM (7 days ago) Jun 30
to Freedom News Daily
Freedom News Daily, 06/30/26
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Today's Freedom News:
1) Monaco: Ukrainian construction tycoon, family injured in bomb blast
2) Trump sends envoys to Qatar despite Iranian regime ruling out peace talks
3) SCOTUS restricts use of geofence warrants
4) Syria: Israeli invasion troops face resistance from residents
5) CO: High court tosses re-gerrymandering ballot measures
6) Martin Marietta to buy Lhoist North America in $13.5 billion deal
7) Poland: Regime orders Swedish submarines to bulk up navy
8) SCOTUS upholds grace period for late-arriving mail-in ballots
9) DC Regime Will Pay $50,000 to Man Abducted While Protesting Guard Patrol With ‘Star Wars’ Song
10) Spain: Nearly one million “unauthorized” migrants apply for “legal” status
11) SCOTUS lets landmark journalist protection stand
12) Australian, Vanuatuan regimes sign deal to block foreign military bases
13) SCOTUS blocks Trump’s attempt to fire Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook
14) Trump bought millions in company’s stock shortly before ICE sought $220 million deal with it
15) Venezuelans search more earthquake ruins as aftershock rattles rescuers in disaster zone
16) Turkey: Regime thugs abduct dozens at LGBT+ Pride event in Istanbul
17) Ford rehires human engineers after AI fails to match quality checks
18) NY: Regime launches new welfare program for farmers to offset tariffs
19) SCOTUS to weigh Trump-backed Republican appeal to enforce Arizona voting laws
20) Australia: Regime doubles maximum penalty for defying its Internet censorship scheme
Today's Freedom Commentary:
21) The KIDS Act would put Washington in charge of how we can communicate online
22) Über Socialist: ChatGPT on Economic Freedom in Nazi Germany
23) Is Taiwan’s President Playing With Political Fire?
24) The Fallacy of Economic Predicting
25) The Poisonous Fruit Has Ripened
26) I went to Trump’s Great American State Fair so you don’t have to
27) On July 4, Will You be Celebrating the Founders or the Status Quo?
28) Trump wanted to break the system. The system is breaking him instead.
29) They’re Still Pushing The Ethnic Cleansing Of Gaza
30) For a Liberal Pessimism
31) America’s Universal Aspiration at 250
32) The Fiat Money Maestro
33) Mutual Aid and the Governance We Are Already Practicing
34) The Kill Western Civilization Caucus
35) Critics of lifting Iran sanctions can’t offer a viable alternative
36) Thomas Paine’s Challenge to a Complacent America
37) A Kingdom Divided Against Itself Cannot Stand
38) In Bad Faith
39) America’s Promise and Achievement
40) How to Spend It
41) Anti-Monopoly Bill Hits Make-or-Break Moment in California
42) The 250th Anniversary Of…What, Exactly?
43) Will the GOP Let Trump Get Back on Track?
44) Local Officials Vow To Shield the Public from Virginia’s Authoritarian New Gun Laws
45) Founding Fathers didn’t just make liberty a democratic claim, they expected we would continue their argument
46) Stonewall Pride: In Voice and Song
47) How the Democrats Betrayed the Legacy of FDR
48) My Confrontation with Rainbow Capitalism and the Pride Industrial Complex
49) FBI Files Counter Government Argument in Texas “Antifa” Trial
50) How the Constitution failed America
Today's Freedom Podcast and Video:
51) Reason Interview: Marjorie Taylor Greene
52) Rising, 06/29/26
53) Caleb O. Brown discusses tax reform and solutions to Kentucky’s housing crisis on Kentucky’s Voice
54) Ron Paul Liberty Report, 06/29/26
55) EconTalk, 06/29/26
56) The Remnant with Jonah Goldberg, 06/29/26
57) The Kyle Anzalone Show, 06/28/26
58) Pink Flame of Liberty, 06/28/26
59) Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 06/28/26
60) Fountainhead Forum, episode 465
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_____ Today's Freedom News _____
1) Monaco: Ukrainian construction tycoon, family injured in bomb blast
Source: AOL
“An explosion at a residential building in Monaco has left three people injured, including Ukrainian oligarch Vadym Yermolaiev, in an incident that the authorities say was almost certainly an attack targeting the tycoon. Mr Yermolaiev and his wife were fighting for their lives in critical condition after the explosion, according to reports, while a 13-year-old child was also badly injured. … Mr Yermolaiev is a major real estate developer in Dnipro. … He left Ukraine several years ago, renounced his Ukrainian citizenship in 2019 and became a citizen of Cyprus. In 2023, he was placed under Ukrainian sanctions by president Volodymyr Zelensky, who imposed a 10-year sanctions package over allegations tied to his alcohol business operations in Russia-occupied [sic] Crimea.” (06/30/26)
https://www.aol.com/articles/ukrainian-construction-tycoon-vadym-yermolaiev-063511000.html?guccounter=1
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2) Trump sends envoys to Qatar despite Iranian regime ruling out peace talks
Source: Independent [UK]
“US envoys are flying into Doha for high-level peace talks amid a renewed spate of strikes, despite claims from Tehran that no such talks have been arranged. Secretary of state Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to represent the US, a White House official said. ‘IRAN HAS REQUESTED A MEETING. IT WILL TAKE PLACE TOMORROW IN DOHA,’ Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social. However, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, said no talks between Iran and the US were scheduled in the coming days.” (06/30/26)
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/iran-us-war-live-trump-qatar-peace-talks-hormuz-strikes-b3005529.html
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3) SCOTUS restricts use of geofence warrants
Source: Engadget
“The US Supreme Court just issued a ruling that limits geofence searches by law enforcement agencies, which could have major ramifications for privacy rights across the country. For the uninitiated, this is a relatively recent law enforcement technique in which police tap into the databases of tech companies to see who was near the scene of a crime. In the 6-3 ruling, the country’s top court said that ‘an individual has a reasonable expectation of privacy in his cell-phone location information.’ Justice Elena Kagan said that geofence warrants violate the Fourth Amendment’s prohibition against unreasonable searches. Moving forward, law enforcement will have to obtain an actual search warrant to force a tech company into handing over geofence location data. Search warrants require probable cause, which geofence warrants do not.” (06/29/26)
https://www.engadget.com/2204298/the-us-supreme-court-restricts-use-of-geofence-warrants/
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4) Syria: Israeli invasion troops face resistance from residents
Source: Oskaloosa Herald
“As Israeli troops and vehicles entered the town of Abdin in southern Syria, residents blocked the roads with rocks, and some young men and boys threw stones to push back the military patrol. Tensions in this part of the country created by a buffer zone occupied by Israeli forces have flared into violence in recent days, leaving residents anxious that more escalation is coming. Residents of Abdin, located near a U.N.-patrolled buffer zone now controlled by Israeli troops, tried to resist against a military incursion Sunday. Residents said Israeli troops fired warnings shots at walls and between the angry protesters, before firing artillery rounds at the village. … Israel seized control of a U.N.-patrolled buffer zone in southern Syria in December 2024, following the ouster of former Syrian President Bashar Assad in an insurgent offensive.” (06/29/26)
https://www.oskaloosa.com/news/national_news/israeli-troops-face-resistance-from-residents-as-they-push-into-a-town-in-syria/article_7ca2b3aa-1694-5a9b-be30-32b80c2638e8.html
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5) CO: High court tosses re-gerrymandering ballot measures
Source: The Hill
“The Colorado Supreme Court on Monday tossed out two cases involving new redistricting ballot measures that would have favored Democrats. One ruling said the redistricting measure violated the state constitution’s ‘single subject’ requirement that calls for measures proposed by petition to focus on one issue for inclusion on the ballot. The Democratic aligned group, Coloradans for a Level Playing Field, were seeking ballot initiatives that approved mid-decade redistricting and new congressional district maps for the 2028 and 2030 election cycles.” (06/29/26)
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/5946166-democrats-redistricting-measures-rejected/
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6) Martin Marietta to buy Lhoist North America in $13.5 billion deal
Source: Reuters
“Martin Marietta Materials said on Monday it would merge with limestone supplier Lhoist North America in a cash-and-stock deal worth $13.5 billion, as the building materials firm looks to tap growing demand for lime products. Shares of the Raleigh, North Carolina-based company were down 5% in morning trade. … Lhoist North America makes hi-calcium lime, dolomitic lime and industrial mineral products used in domestic steel manufacturing, infrastructure and heavy non-residential construction across North America.” (06/29/26)
https://www.reuters.com/legal/transactional/martin-marietta-combine-with-lhoist-north-america-135-billion-deal-wsj-reports-2026-06-29/
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7) Poland: Regime orders Swedish submarines to bulk up navy
Source: Deutsche Welle [German state media]
“Poland and Sweden on Monday signed a €4.2 billion ($4.8 billion) arms deal at a ceremony in the Polish seaport of Gdynia on the Baltic Sea. In the deal, Poland’s State Treasury Armaments Agency ordered the purchase of three new submarines from Swedish aerospace and defense contractor Saab. A Monday press release from Saab outlined the sale, saying the company would begin delivering the vessels in 2030, with the final sub delivered in 2038. … Currently, Poland only has one submarine, an aging Russian vessel. To bridge the gap between now and 2030, Warsaw’s navy will be given use of the Swedish submarine HMS Södermanland.” (06/29/26)
https://www.dw.com/en/poland-orders-swedish-submarines-to-bulk-up-navy/a-77758193
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8) SCOTUS upholds grace period for late-arriving mail-in ballots
Source: Axios
“The Supreme Court upheld a Mississippi law Monday that allows mailed ballots to be counted if they were postmarked by Election Day and received within five business days. The justices’ ruling could protect voting in states with similar laws this November and is sure to feed President Trump’s frequent criticism of voting by mail. The Trump administration backed the law’s challengers, arguing that allowing states to count ballots received after Election Day undermines the integrity of federal elections. The court ruled 5-4 to uphold Mississippi’s law, with Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh dissenting.” (06/29/26)
https://archive.is/bOqTy
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9) DC Regime Will Pay $50,000 to Man Abducted While Protesting Guard Patrol With ‘Star Wars’ Song
Source: US News & World Report
“The District of Columbia has agreed to pay $50,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by a resident who [correctly] accused police officers of illegally [abducting] him for following an Ohio National Guard patrol while playing Darth Vader’s theme song from ‘Star Wars’ on his cellphone, according to a document released Monday. The plaintiff, Sam O’Hara, sued the district, four Metropolitan Police Department officers and a guard member from Ohio over what he says was his act of protest against President Donald Trump’s federal law enforcement surge in Washington, D.C. … O’Hara’s settlement with the district doesn’t resolve his related claims against an Ohio National Guard member, Sgt. Devon Beck, who has asked a judge to dismiss O’Hara’s claims against him.” (06/29/26)
https://www.usnews.com/news/entertainment/articles/2026-06-29/dc-will-pay-50-000-to-man-detained-while-protesting-guard-patrol-with-star-wars-song-record-says
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10) Spain: Nearly one million “unauthorized” migrants apply for “legal” status
Source: Politico
“Spain’s unauthorized migrant population is rushing to apply for legal status under the country’s expansive regularization program before Tuesday’s deadline. Although the Spanish government originally expected around 500,000 people to apply for the program — which provides renewable residence permits to all applicants who have been living in Spain for at least five months and have a clean criminal record — over 900,000 had applied by mid-June, according to Spanish authorities.” (06/29/26)
https://www.politico.eu/article/spain-migration-regularization-eu-tightens-screws/
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11) SCOTUS lets landmark journalist protection stand
Source: USA Today
“The Supreme Court on June 29 declined to revisit a landmark decision about press freedom that limited when a public figure can sue for libel or defamation. Alan Dershowitz, a professor emeritus at Harvard Law School who alleges he was defamed by CNN when he was defending President Donald Trump from impeachment, unsuccessfully asked the court to consider overturning or modifying that 1964 decision. In New York Times v. Sullivan, the court ruled that the newspaper couldn’t be sued for damages unless the journalists knew they were printing false information about a public official or were reckless about not checking it.” (06/29/26)
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/06/29/supreme-court-press-freedom-dershowitz-cnn/90298532007/
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12) Australian, Vanuatuan regimes sign deal to block foreign military bases
Source: Al Jazeera [Qatari state media]
“Australia and Vanuatu have signed a economic and security deal that prevents foreign military bases from being built on the Pacific island. The Nakamal Agreement was signed by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his Vanuatu counterpart, Jotham Napat, in Canberra on Monday. … Australia has committed to increased economic support for Vanuatu, which will bar the establishment of foreign military bases or infrastructure on the island and consult Australia on any third-party investment in critical infrastructure.” (06/29/26)
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/6/29/australia-and-vanuatu-sign-deal-to-block-foreign-military-bases
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13) SCOTUS blocks Trump’s attempt to fire Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook
Source: BBC News [UK State Media]
“The US Supreme Court has blocked President Donald Trump’s attempt to fire a governor of the US central bank, in a ruling seen as affirming the Federal Reserve’s independence. In a 5-4 decision, justices from the country’s top court said the administration had not provided Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook sufficient ‘due process’ for her to contest her removal. The decision sends the matter back to lower courts, where the administration will have to prove its allegations that Cook has committed mortgage fraud if it wishes to proceed with the firing and where Cook would have a chance to challenge the accusation. Cook has denied the allegations, which Fed defenders say are a pretext to allow Trump to assert more control over the bank.” (06/29/26)
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy4wwy0nkeno
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14) Trump bought millions in company’s stock shortly before ICE sought $220 million deal with it
Source: CNBC
“President Donald Trump disclosed buying between $1 million and $5 million in Axon Enterprise stock on Feb. 10. Two weeks later, ICE posted a notice seeking a five-year, $220 million Taser contract for about 17,800 devices, along with unlimited cartridges and training — enough to more than quadruple its current inventory. The ICE notice does not name Axon, but procurement reviewers and policing experts told CNBC the specifications appear to match only Axon products. The contract has so far not been awarded. There is no evidence Trump was involved in or had knowledge of the procurement process or that Axon knew about his stock purchase. But ethics experts said the timing alone raises red flags, even as the White House has said Trump’s assets are in a trust managed by his children, that a third party made the trades and that ‘there are no conflicts of interest.'” (06/29/26)
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/06/29/trump-axon-stock-ice-taser-immigration-enforcement.html
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15) Venezuelans search more earthquake ruins as aftershock rattles rescuers in disaster zone
Source: SFGate
“With the window for finding survivors shrinking fast, Venezuelans combed Monday through more ruins of buildings toppled by last week’s powerful back-to-back earthquakes, and a 4.6 magnitude aftershock rumbled through the disaster zone in the northern state of La Guaira. Relief organizations say the first 72 hours after a natural disaster is the most crucial time period for rescues, though survival can be extended if people have access to food and water. Five days after the twin quakes struck northern Venezuela, attention turned to the humanitarian crisis that was taking shape in devastated regions. The death toll stood at more than 1,700 people, according to the government. Major questions loomed about whether the cash-strapped government under acting President Delcy Rodríguez — who came to power in January after the Trump administration seized former President Nicolás Maduro — will be able to coordinate the effort needed to care for thousands of people who have been left homeless.” (06/29/26)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/a-strong-aftershock-rattles-venezuela-as-rescue-22324868.php
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16) Turkey: Regime thugs abduct dozens at LGBT+ Pride event in Istanbul
Source: France 24 [French state media]
“Turkish police on Sunday detained at least 50 people, including a journalist, during a Gay Pride event in Istanbul that went ahead despite a ban by local authorities and the lockdown of the city’s main gathering point, organisers said. Police stepped up security around Istanbul’s iconic Taksim Square, erecting iron barriers, while local officials banned demonstrations in key rallying areas, including the Asian-side district of Kadikoy. The governor’s office also restricted subway transport in several central locations. … LGBT+ protesters, who gathered in several neighbourhoods across the city, vowed to continue their demonstrations.” (06/28/26)
https://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20260628-turkey-police-detain-dozens-at-lgbt-pride-event-in-istanbul
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17) Ford rehires human engineers after AI fails to match quality checks
Source: BBC News [UK State Media]
“Ford says it has hired back some human engineers after AI failed to match their skills and experience. In a bid to reap the benefits of the tech, which developers claim can cut costs and boost productivity, the US carmaker adopted it across some parts of its operations including for quality checks. But, according to Bloomberg, its executives said the firm has rehired more than 300 “veteran” quality inspectors in recent years to make up for the pitfalls of automated systems. ‘Artificial intelligence is a fantastic tool, but it’s only as good as the information you use to train it,’ Charles Poon, vice president of vehicle hardware engineering, told reporters. ‘Over prior years, we didn’t pay as much attention as we should have to the experience of our most knowledgeable engineers that have been with us through many product cycles,’ he added.” (06/29/26)
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgrkd41n2v9o
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18) NY: Regime launches new welfare program for farmers to offset tariffs
Source: US News & World Report
“New York farmers can start submitting applications for up to $25,000 in relief from the state as part of a $30 million aid effort aimed at easing the hit to farmers from Republican U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs, Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul said on Monday. Over the last year, Trump has imposed an array of tariffs, including a global 10% tariff and retaliatory tariffs on China, which led Beijing to levy its own tariffs on U.S. soybean exports. … The program, which will be funded by a $30 million allocation in the state budget, will grant direct payments starting at $1,000 to eligible agricultural producers, including dairy farmers and those working with livestock, specialty crops and aquaculture.” (06/29/26)
https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2026-06-29/new-york-launches-tariff-relief-program-for-farmers
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19) SCOTUS to weigh Trump-backed Republican appeal to enforce Arizona voting laws
Source: SFGate
“The Supreme Court said Monday it will consider a Republican push to enforce strict Arizona voting laws passed in the swing state after the 2020 election. The high court has allowed some similar rules to take effect as lawsuits play out, including Arizona’s proof-of-citizenship requirement for state and local elections and a Virginia purge of voter rolls that the state said was aimed at keeping noncitizens from voting. The appeal was filed by the Republican National Committee after lower courts found the measures violated federal voting laws, and it was joined by GOP President Donald Trump’s administration. ‘The RNC is proud to lead this effort, and we will keep fighting nationwide to defend election integrity and ensure only eligible citizens cast a ballot’, said Chairman Joe Gruters. The high court is expected to hear arguments in the fall and likely hand down an opinion after the midterm elections.” (06/29/26)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/politics/article/supreme-court-will-weigh-trump-backed-republican-22324997.php
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20) Australia: Regime doubles maximum penalty for defying its Internet censorship scheme
Source: Engadget
“After becoming the first in the world to implement a social media ban for those under 16, Australia isn’t doubling down. In a press release, the Australian government announced that it will double the maximum penalty for any social media companies breaking its minimum age law, from 49.5 million to 99 million AUD, or more than $68 million. … Along with the new penalty threshold, the Australian government is granting its eSafety [sic] Commissioner, Julie Grant, more enforcement power. Now, the commissioner can demand social media companies provide evidence of how they’re stopping children under 16 years old from starting an account. Notably, the Australian agency can gather evidence regarding compliance with the ban from third parties, like from age verification or app store providers, according to the press release.” (06/28/26)
https://www.engadget.com/2203358/australia-doubles-maximum-penalty-social-media-ban/
_____ Today's Freedom Commentary _____
21) The KIDS Act would put Washington in charge of how we can communicate online
Source: Expression
by Carolyn Iodice & John Coleman
“For decades, Americans have enjoyed broad freedom to build tools to communicate with each other on the internet. From the smallest message board to the biggest social media platform, the First Amendment protects our right to freely design and use platforms to talk and share content with each other online. The government can go after wrongdoers that use online platforms for illegal activity, but it does not get to decide how a platform is designed and operated in the first place. The KIDS Act would fundamentally overturn this status quo by allowing the government to decide how platforms can be built and imposing restrictions that will censor the speech of adults and minors alike.” (06/29/26)
https://expression.fire.org/p/the-kids-act-would-put-washington
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22) Über Socialist: ChatGPT on Economic Freedom in Nazi Germany
Source: Bet On It
by Bryan Caplan
“Qualitative history lends itself to confirmation bias. Even when you have some quantitative measures of economic policy, it’s easy to put extra weight on the measures that deliver the answer you’re looking for. I’m not immune to motivated reasoning. I loathe and despise both socialism and Nazism, so it’s pleasant for me to equate them. I freely admit it. What to do? I could spend a year reading more about this topic. I could even spend a few years getting to the research frontier so I could credibly publish on the question, ‘How socialist was Germany under National Socialism?’ But while this is a fascinating issue, the opportunity cost of seriously deepening my understanding is just too high. Or to be more precise, the opportunity cost was too high. AI has drastically slashed the costs of quantification — and simultaneously drastically increased the credibility of quick quantification.” (06/29/26)
https://www.betonit.ai/p/uber-socialist-chatgpt-on-economic
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23) Is Taiwan’s President Playing With Political Fire?
Source: Antiwar.com
by Ted Galen Carpenter
“Taiwan President Lai Ching-te (William Lai) appears to be missing signs from multiple sources that he lacks both international and domestic support for pursuing a more assertive policy regarding the island’s de facto independence. Taipei heavily depends on two protectors, Japan and the United States, for firm political support against Beijing’s periodic bullying tactics. In the event of a military crisis, Taiwan would be even more reliant on those two powers for armed defense. However, Tokyo and Washington seem to be moving in opposite directions with respect to their longstanding, albeit informal, security commitment to Taipei.” (06/29/26)
https://original.antiwar.com/ted_galen_carpenter/2026/06/28/is-taiwans-president-playing-with-political-fire/
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24) The Fallacy of Economic Predicting
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
by Angelo Monaco
“I recently submitted an article to The Future of Freedom Foundation that predicted a recession at the end of 2026. It was rejected because FFF’s editor, Jacob Hornberger, said ‘One of my beefs with economists is that they love making predictions but most often the predictions don’t pan out.’ I should have been incensed with the fact that after my decades of education and training as an economist and careful research and review of historical and present-day data, my forecast could be so easily dismissed. However, I remained basically un-phased. I suppose the reason I did not get angry is because I knew that he was right. Economists’ predictions are often wrong and any of their predictions that involve a glimpse too far into the future are statistically very close to being always wrong.” (06/29/26)
https://www.fff.org/explore-freedom/article/the-fallacy-of-economic-predicting/
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25) The Poisonous Fruit Has Ripened
Source: Underthrow
by Max Borders
“Recent democratic socialist victories in New York are a harbinger. Like an invasive species sent from the unproductive activist class, they have infiltrated politics at the highest levels of government. As if the creatures who have been ruling us weren’t bad enough, a fifty-year period of permitting socialist activists to take comfort in the academy is now yielding poisonous fruit. And as we celebrate the 250th birthday of America, the democratic socialists openly wipe their asses with America’s founding documents. That is, until election season, when the wolves don sheep’s clothing.” [editor’s note: The difference between a “democratic socialist” and a “mainstream American politician circa 2026” is that the former openly admit they’re socialists – TLK] (06/29/26)
https://underthrow.substack.com/p/the-poisonous-fruit-has-ripened/comments
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26) I went to Trump’s Great American State Fair so you don’t have to
Source: The New Republic
by Malcolm Ferguson
“The opening weekend of the Great American State Fair in Washington, D.C., was, to put it simply, miserable. It was extremely muggy, with rain pouring down seemingly every hour. A child rolled around in the grass, crying and screaming, ‘I. WANT. TO. GO. HOME!!!’ Creed’s ‘Higher’ blared over the loudspeakers, and a sparse crowd milled about the various exhibitions. The bare-bones setup (flimsy, fake two-dimensional columns that looked like something Wile E. Coyote would run into while chasing the Road Runner) left much to be desired, as America’s 250th anniversary was celebrated with kitsch and ennui rather than grandeur and appreciation. More than anything, the event lacked energy—and people. There wasn’t any line or wait to get in. The vibe was more conference-like than celebratory, and the state exhibits varied wildly in effort and presentation.” (06/29/26)
https://newrepublic.com/article/212455/trump-great-american-state-fair-review
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27) On July 4, Will You be Celebrating the Founders or the Status Quo?
Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by George Ford Smith
“Ideologically, Americans went from Blackstone, to Coke, to Otis, to Paine, to the Declaration, to winning the war for independence (the latter two with Paine’s help). The undoing of this unprecedented victory for human liberty began in 1786 with the exploitation of a government-caused revolt called Shay’s Rebellion. Liberty has taken the hit ever since.” (06/29/26)
https://mises.org/mises-wire/july-4-will-you-be-celebrating-founders-or-status-quo
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28) Trump wanted to break the system. The system is breaking him instead.
Source: Washington Post
by Ramesh Ponnuru
“Trump acted as though voters chose him in 2024 because they loved everything about him, rather than because they hated inflation. Since winning, he has taken a few steps that place upward pressure on prices — warring with Iran, imposing tariffs, trying to push interest rates down by intimidating the Federal Reserve — and done little to foster the impression that he cares about the public’s top concern. In Trump’s popularity decline, we are also seeing the interaction of our constitutional system and a president who is neither interested in nor adept at working through it. A determined president can make the Justice Department issue frivolous indictments. He can’t make the courts respect them.” (06/29/26)
https://archive.is/tnnkY
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29) They’re Still Pushing The Ethnic Cleansing Of Gaza
Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone
“Israel is still pushing for the ethnic cleansing of Gaza. They keep trying different angles and rebranding it under different names, but the end goal has remained the same since October 2023: the removal of all Palestinians from the Gaza Strip. From the early months of the Gaza holocaust, Israel apologists had been referring to the ethnic cleansing agenda as a plan for the ‘voluntary migration’ of Gaza’s inhabitants. This framing conveniently ignored the fact that you cannot destroy a populated area and deliberately make it uninhabitable and then say the inhabitants of that area are leaving ‘voluntarily’. According to a Haaretz report that was published last week, Israel’s new National Security Council chief convened a meeting of top national security officials to discuss the issue of ‘encouraging the voluntary emigration’ of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.” (06/29/26)
https://caitlinjohnstone.com.au/2026/06/29/theyre-still-pushing-the-ethnic-cleansing-of-gaza/
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30) For a Liberal Pessimism
Source: Liberal Currents
by Alan Kahan
“There are good reasons for liberal pessimism. Every liberal knows the sad arc of world history since 1992, the sudden vertiginous rise of liberal hopes, the long, bumpy descent into the grim present and its populism. There are, however, older and deeper reasons for liberal pessimism which are less evident. Liberals have been far too optimistic for far too long, leaving them ripe for disappointment. In particular, they have been too optimistic about the political fruits of education and the political consequences of a growing middle class. Properly understood, however, a more pessimistic view of the world might be grounds for optimism.” (06/29/26)
https://www.liberalcurrents.com/for-a-liberal-pessimism/
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31) America’s Universal Aspiration at 250
Source: American Greatness
by Stephen Soukup
“A couple of weeks ago, at the dedication ceremony for his presidential library, Barack Obama made a speech in which he addressed the Founding Fathers. ‘In forming our union,’ he said, ‘the founders fell terribly short of the Declaration’s promise, leaving slavery intact, allowing states to restrict the franchise to white men who owned property.’ Fortunately for us, however, ‘in drafting a Constitution and a Bill of Rights, they did have the foresight, the genius, to provide us with a framework that allows each generation to make our union more perfect.’ Needless to say, not everyone was thrilled with Obama’s comments. Conservatives on Twitter/X thought he had insulted or taken a ‘swipe’ at the Founders. Fox News said that he had ‘knocked’ them, noting the supposed irony of the statement coming ‘just days before America celebrates its 250th anniversary on the 4th of July.'” (06/29/26)
https://amgreatness.com/2026/06/29/americas-universal-aspiration-at-250/
-----
32) The Fiat Money Maestro
Source: Ron Paul Liberty Report
by Ron Paul
“Ironically, a good explanation of why fiat currency is the enemy of liberty and gold is the friend of liberty is provided in ‘Gold and Economic Freedom’ written by none other than Alan Greenspan and published in Ayn Rand’s The Objectivist newsletter in 1966. In that essay Greenspan wrote ‘Deficit spending is simply a scheme for the ‘hidden’ confiscation of wealth. Gold stands in the way of this insidious process. It stands as a protector of property rights.’ Those seeking the path to prosperity and liberty should embrace the wisdom Greenspan showed before he became the fiat money maestro.” (06/29/26)
http://www.ronpaullibertyreport.com/archives/the-fiat-money-maestro
-----
33) Mutual Aid and the Governance We Are Already Practicing
Source: Common Dreams
by Supriya Lopez Pillai & Nwamaka Agbo
“Governance is how we hold power responsibly and equitably. Government is just one way we organize it—and what is abundantly clear is that good governance is not always done by a government. Since congressional Republicans passed the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’, 3.5 million people have lost benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). That includes more than 800,000 children who are now at risk of going hungry. It is just one of many ways in which the current administration has either actively harmed or abdicated responsibility for families and communities. This is a precarious moment, but it is not a moment for despair. In communities long abandoned by the public sector, mutual aid networks have emerged as models of resilience that show how people can govern effectively when love and care, rather than hate and scarcity, are placed at the center of how community members care for each other.” (06/29/26)
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/mutual-aid-and-governance
-----
34) The Kill Western Civilization Caucus
Source: Common Sense
by Paul Jacob
“November’s General Election being a mere formality in the Big Apple, the trio will undoubtedly be joining the next Congress. All three — State Assemblywoman Claire Valdez (NY-7), former City Comptroller Brad Lander (NY-10), and professional ‘left-wing activist’ Darializa Avila Chevalier (NY-13) — were endorsed and assisted by Mayor Zohran Mamdani. They’ll be just three out of 435 members of Congress, while the mayor is in a position to do more harm. Still, sprinkling a few Stalinists into Washington’s brew won’t help. Darializa Avila Chevalier worries me the most. Before launching her political campaign, CNN reports that she deleted ‘thousands of posts and reposts expressing support for abolishing police, prisons and borders, as well as seizing private property and nationalizing major industries and calling into question Israel’s right to exist.'” (06/29/26)
https://thisiscommonsense.org/2026/06/29/kill-western-civilization/
-----
35) Critics of lifting Iran sanctions can’t offer a viable alternative
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Sina Toossi
“Washington’s Iran hawks — including some Democrats and former Biden administration officials — are denouncing the Trump administration for agreeing to upfront sanctions relief and other confidence-building measures in its preliminary deal, or memorandum of understanding (MoU), with Tehran. But their criticism leaves one obvious question unanswered: what is their alternative other than another round of war? Trump did not arrive at these concessions because he suddenly discovered the virtues of diplomacy. He tried war first. … It is precisely because the military option failed to force political change in Iran — and because the closure of the Strait of Hormuz imposed mounting costs on Washington and the global economy — that the Trump administration was left with little choice but to return to serious diplomacy. And serious diplomacy was always going to require upfront concessions from the United States.” (06/29/26)
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/iran-sanctions-relief-critics/
-----
36) Thomas Paine’s Challenge to a Complacent America
Source: The Daily Economy
by Barry Brownstein
“Paine warned that complacency endangers liberty, and that only when freedom is threatened do people discover whether they are willing to defend it.” (06/29/26)
https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/thomas-paines-challenge-to-a-complacent-america/
-----
37) A Kingdom Divided Against Itself Cannot Stand
Source: Town Hall
by Mark Lewis
“The failure of America’s education system has been one of the greatest disasters, maybe the greatest, in the nation’s history. We handed most educational institutions over to the government, which means they would be run by politicians, who care for nothing but their own power and self-aggrandizement and control of others. Freedom is not what government wants; indeed, it is the very antithesis thereof. America’s Founders recognized that some government is necessary to protect our rights against monsters who would try to take them from us. Thus, government, which is, by definition, the collectivization (or nationalization) of force to secure us against evil, has a purpose to play in a nation. But since the government largely controls the power, it is very dangerous to liberty. Our Founders understood that, which is why they tried to limit the power and role of government in American society.” (06/29/26)
https://townhall.com/columnists/marklewis/2026/06/29/a-kingdom-divided-against-itself-cannot-stand-n2678452
-----
38) In Bad Faith
Source: Quillette
by Graham Daseler
“The US vice president’s new memoir leaves an unflattering impression of its author.” (06/29/26)
https://quillette.com/2026/06/29/in-bad-faith-communion-finding-my-way-back-to-faith-jd-vance-review/
-----
39) America’s Promise and Achievement
Source: Law & Liberty
by Leonidas Zelmanovitz
“When I first arrived in the United States, I loved an idealized image of the country. Today, I love a more complicated reality.” (06/29/26)
https://lawliberty.org/americas-promise-and-achievement/
-----
40) How to Spend It
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Mark Nayler
“Every seven years, the EU approves a new budget, known as a Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). The next MFF will cover the period 2028–34, and has been described by European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen as ‘the most ambitious ever proposed.’ It has to be approved unanimously by the end of 2027, but with general elections due in almost a third of the bloc’s 27 countries next year (France, Italy, Poland, Spain, Greece, Estonia, Finland, and Slovakia), the pressure is on to have negotiations wrapped up by Christmas. After a two-day summit in Brussels on June 18 and 19, however, only one point of agreement had been reached: to bring new funding ideas to the next brainstorming session in October.” (06/29/26)
https://fee.org/articles/how-to-spend-it/
-----
41) Anti-Monopoly Bill Hits Make-or-Break Moment in California
Source: The American Prospect
by David Dayen
“A bill to update the antitrust laws in the nation’s most populous state faces a critical legislative hearing this week. At a time when California is among the states being relied upon as a substitute for proper antitrust enforcement, which is moribund at the federal level thanks to Trump administration corruption, advocates say the state must have a full suite of tools to succeed. Monied interests are working diligently to stop the bill, but it gained important momentum late last week when a key senator signed on. The office of state Sen. Ben Allen, who is running for statewide office to become California’s insurance commissioner, told the Prospect that ‘the Senator is very likely going to be supporting the bill.’ Allen was one of a handful of Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats whose position on the bill was uncertain as of last week.” (06/29/26)
https://prospect.org/2026/06/29/anti-monopoly-bill-hits-make-or-break-moment-in-california/
-----
42) The 250th Anniversary Of…What, Exactly?
Source: Libertarian Institute
by Tom Mullen
“In a few days, Americans will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. There will be fireworks, concerts, speeches, and millions of backyard barbecues. But what precisely are we celebrating?” (06/29/26)
https://libertarianinstitute.org/articles/the-250th-anniversary-of-what-exactly
-----
43) Will the GOP Let Trump Get Back on Track?
Source: The American Conservative
by W James Antle III
“The voters who put Trump over the top and gave Republicans control of the Senate in 2024 were not casting their ballots for higher inflation and more foreign wars. Nor was that what Trump delivered in his first term, despite taking a hard line against the ayatollahs, shredding Barack Obama’s version of an Iran nuclear deal, applying maximum pressure, and striking Qasem Soleimani. Trump left office with inflation at 1.4 percent, below the Fed’s long-term target, and leaving no new wars to his successor in Iran or elsewhere. … Vance’s intraparty detractors should realize that if voters are still talking about the war in Iran rather than domestic issues in November, much less 2028, Democrats are going to have to nominate the world’s most crazed Marxists for Republicans to have a chance.” (06/29/26)
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/will-the-gop-let-trump-get-back-on-track/
-----
44) Local Officials Vow To Shield the Public from Virginia’s Authoritarian New Gun Laws
Source: Reason
by JD Tuccille
“Everybody loves local control when they run towns and counties and their opponents hold federal or state offices. It works in reverse, too, with presidents and governors denouncing rebellious officials who won’t follow dictates from the state or federal capital. So it is in Virginia, where Democrats who dominate the state government are upset that local prosecutors and police decline to enforce new restrictive gun laws they justifiably view as unconstitutional and dangerous to their constituents’ liberty. … Unsurprisingly, the politicians who pushed for the restrictive new laws that are set to take effect next month are unhappy that so many local officials disdain their legislative efforts.” (06/29/26)
https://reason.com/2026/06/29/local-officials-vow-to-shield-the-public-from-virginias-authoritarian-new-gun-laws/
-----
45) Founding Fathers didn’t just make liberty a democratic claim, they expected we would continue their argument
Source: New York Post
by Ken Burns
“There’s a moment in our film ‘The American Revolution’ when the historian Jane Kamensky, now president of Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello, reflects on the lasting meaning of the war: ‘Everybody, on every side, including people denied even the ownership of themselves, had the sense of possibility worth fighting for.’ That line captures something essential about the Revolution that can get lost beneath the familiar portraits and marble monuments. The Revolution was not only a war for independence but also an argument about possibility — who counted, who belonged, and whether so-called ordinary people could claim ownership over their own lives and their own future. In 1776, citizenship itself was a radical idea. Most human beings in history had been subjects.” (06/29/26)
https://nypost.com/2026/06/29/us-news/founding-fathers-expected-we-would-continue-their-argument/
-----
46) Stonewall Pride: In Voice and Song
Source: Notablog
by Chris Matthew Sciabarra
“On this date in 1969, a rebellion began that unfolded over six days, a landmark in the battle for human freedom and personal autonomy & authenticity. In the wee hours of June 28, 1969, the Stonewall Inn, a Mafia-owned gay bar in the heart of New York City’s Greenwich Village, was raided by police for the umpteenth time. One might say that the mob had a keen business sense in catering to a marginalized population, while paying off the police to turn a blind eye. But on this night, the illegal collusions didn’t seem to matter. The patrons had had enough with routine police brutality. And they fought back.” (06/28/26)
https://notablog.net/2026/06/28/stonewall-pride-in-voice-and-song/
-----
47) How the Democrats Betrayed the Legacy of FDR
Source: The Realist Review
by James W Carden
“For much of the eighty years following the end of the Second World War, there existed a healthy, sometimes fierce competition among Democrats regarding the US and its role in the world: On one side, there were what I call the Rooseveltians; on the other side, the Achesonians. The competition between the two camps shaped US foreign policy throughout the Cold War. It was only with the arrival of the post-Cold War era that the competition dried up—and turned into a rout in which the Achesonians triumphed. The dueling camps take their names from, of course, President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945) and Secretary of State Dean Acheson (1893–1971).” (06/28/26)
https://therealistreview.substack.com/p/a-legacy-betrayed
-----
48) My Confrontation with Rainbow Capitalism and the Pride Industrial Complex
Source: exile in happy valley
by Nicky Reid
“This! Dearest motherfuckers! Is the Pride Industrial Complex! A network of once-benevolent LGBTQ+ organizations, operated by rich old white lesbians, spending most of their time and millions of your donation dollars on throwing parades just so they can raise enough money to throw more goddamn parades, all of which serve little other purpose than to offer diabolical corporations and two-timing politicians’ platforms to celebrate themselves celebrating diversity while they murder entire populations behind the rainbow flag. What more can I say without literally smashing things? Big money does hideous things to beautiful people and beautiful things for hideous operations.” (06/28/26)
https://exileinhappyvalley.blogspot.com/2026/06/my-confrontation-with-rainbow.html
-----
49) FBI Files Counter Government Argument in Texas “Antifa” Trial
Source: In These Times
by Adam Federman
“On the last day of testimony in the federal ’Prairieland’ trial — wherein nine activists faced charges related to a protest outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center — the government called its star witness back to the stand. Kyle Shideler, director of counterterrorism research at the right-wing think tank Center for Security Policy, had been key to the prosecution’s case that ‘antifa’ is a violent, criminal organization bent on overthrowing the U.S. government. Shideler, an imposing figure with a cleanly shaven head and full beard, had attended nearly the entire trial, even sitting in the overflow room during jury selection. At the stand, Shideler read aloud the government’s definition of antifa, as well as an excerpt from President Donald Trump’s executive order declaring antifa a domestic terrorist organization — issued in September, less than two weeks after the assassination of right-wing pundit and activist Charlie Kirk.” (06/26/26)
https://inthesetimes.com/article/prairieland-antifa-trial-protest-repression-fbi
-----
50) How the Constitution failed America
Source: UnHerd
by Michael Lind
“Next month, Americans mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence from the British Empire. Although the present US Constitution was written in 1787, ratified in 1788, and first implemented in 1789, during the anniversary celebrations this summer we can expect to hear widespread encomia to the genius of the Constitution as well as of the eloquence of Thomas Jefferson’s preamble to the declaration. Don’t believe it. While it was a milestone for its era, the US Constitution is deeply flawed. The most successful contemporary democracies have learned from America’s mistakes in designing their own, more recent national constitutions. Pious American patriots sometimes say that ‘the Founders built better than they knew.’ In reality, the Founders botched the job.” (06/28/26)
https://archive.is/6KSRQ
_____ Today's Freedom Podcast and Video _____
51) Reason Interview: Marjorie Taylor Greene
Source: Reason
“Marjorie Taylor Greene discusses the future of the Republican Party, the resurgence of democratic socialism, and why the political establishment always wins.” (06/29/26)
https://reason.com/podcast/2026/06/29/marjorie-taylor-greene-youre-not-being-represented/
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52) Rising, 06/29/26
Source: The Hill
“Robby Soave gives his radar on a group of protesters harassing California State Senator Scott Wiener over his stance on Gaza.” (06/29/26)
https://thehill.com/hilltv/5942759-rising-june-29-2026/
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53) Caleb O. Brown discusses tax reform and solutions to Kentucky’s housing crisis on Kentucky’s Voice
Source: Bluegrass Institute
“Tom Fawbush of Kentucky’s Voice interviews Caleb O. Brown on housing reform, tax reform, and educational freedom in Kentucky.” (06/29/26)
https://www.bluegrassinstitute.org/caleb-o-brown-discusses-tax-reform-and-solutions-to-kentuckys-housing-crisis-on-kentuckys-voice/
-----
54) Ron Paul Liberty Report, 06/29/26
Source: Ron Paul Liberty Report
“The Most Unpopular War In History.” (06/29/26)
https://x.com/i/broadcasts/1dxYllOgYevJX
-----
55) EconTalk, 06/29/26
Source: EconTalk
“Do Less, Heal More: The Case for Medical Conservatism (with John Mandrola).” (06/29/26)
https://www.econtalk.org/do-less-heal-more-the-case-for-medical-conservatism-with-john-mandrola/
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56) The Remnant with Jonah Goldberg, 06/29/26
Source: The Dispatch
“The Rise and Fall of the Nation State | Interview: Rana Dasgupta.” (06/29/26)
https://thedispatch.com/podcast/remnant/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-nation-state-interview-rana-dasgupta/
-----
57) The Kyle Anzalone Show, 06/28/26
Source: Libertarian Institute
“Will Iran Force the US Out of the Middle East?” (06/29/26)
https://libertarianinstitute.org/news/the-kyle-anzalone-show-will-iran-force-the-us-out-of-the-middle-east/
-----
58) Pink Flame of Liberty, 06/28/26
Source: Pink Flame of Liberty
“Case for Christian Nationalism Discussion: Wolfe Projects His Kinks.” (06/28/26)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxmEhtZEhjc
-----
59) Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 06/28/26
Source: Antiwar.com
“US and Iran Exchange Rounds of Attacks, Iran and Hezbollah Reject Lebanon Deal, and More.” (06/28/26)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOtLfn_zeq4
-----
60) Fountainhead Forum, episode 465
Source: Fountainhead Forum
“Walter Block on the life and career of Alan Greenspan, along with a clip of Norm Macdonald.” (06/28/26)
https://rumble.com/v7byi5m-ff-465-walter-block-on-the-life-and-career-of-alan-greenspan-along-with-a-c.html
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Today's Freedom News:
1) Monaco: Ukrainian construction tycoon, family injured in bomb blast
2) Trump sends envoys to Qatar despite Iranian regime ruling out peace talks
3) SCOTUS restricts use of geofence warrants
4) Syria: Israeli invasion troops face resistance from residents
5) CO: High court tosses re-gerrymandering ballot measures
6) Martin Marietta to buy Lhoist North America in $13.5 billion deal
7) Poland: Regime orders Swedish submarines to bulk up navy
8) SCOTUS upholds grace period for late-arriving mail-in ballots
9) DC Regime Will Pay $50,000 to Man Abducted While Protesting Guard Patrol With ‘Star Wars’ Song
10) Spain: Nearly one million “unauthorized” migrants apply for “legal” status
11) SCOTUS lets landmark journalist protection stand
12) Australian, Vanuatuan regimes sign deal to block foreign military bases
13) SCOTUS blocks Trump’s attempt to fire Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook
14) Trump bought millions in company’s stock shortly before ICE sought $220 million deal with it
15) Venezuelans search more earthquake ruins as aftershock rattles rescuers in disaster zone
16) Turkey: Regime thugs abduct dozens at LGBT+ Pride event in Istanbul
17) Ford rehires human engineers after AI fails to match quality checks
18) NY: Regime launches new welfare program for farmers to offset tariffs
19) SCOTUS to weigh Trump-backed Republican appeal to enforce Arizona voting laws
20) Australia: Regime doubles maximum penalty for defying its Internet censorship scheme
Today's Freedom Commentary:
21) The KIDS Act would put Washington in charge of how we can communicate online
22) Über Socialist: ChatGPT on Economic Freedom in Nazi Germany
23) Is Taiwan’s President Playing With Political Fire?
24) The Fallacy of Economic Predicting
25) The Poisonous Fruit Has Ripened
26) I went to Trump’s Great American State Fair so you don’t have to
27) On July 4, Will You be Celebrating the Founders or the Status Quo?
28) Trump wanted to break the system. The system is breaking him instead.
29) They’re Still Pushing The Ethnic Cleansing Of Gaza
30) For a Liberal Pessimism
31) America’s Universal Aspiration at 250
32) The Fiat Money Maestro
33) Mutual Aid and the Governance We Are Already Practicing
34) The Kill Western Civilization Caucus
35) Critics of lifting Iran sanctions can’t offer a viable alternative
36) Thomas Paine’s Challenge to a Complacent America
37) A Kingdom Divided Against Itself Cannot Stand
38) In Bad Faith
39) America’s Promise and Achievement
40) How to Spend It
41) Anti-Monopoly Bill Hits Make-or-Break Moment in California
42) The 250th Anniversary Of…What, Exactly?
43) Will the GOP Let Trump Get Back on Track?
44) Local Officials Vow To Shield the Public from Virginia’s Authoritarian New Gun Laws
45) Founding Fathers didn’t just make liberty a democratic claim, they expected we would continue their argument
46) Stonewall Pride: In Voice and Song
47) How the Democrats Betrayed the Legacy of FDR
48) My Confrontation with Rainbow Capitalism and the Pride Industrial Complex
49) FBI Files Counter Government Argument in Texas “Antifa” Trial
50) How the Constitution failed America
Today's Freedom Podcast and Video:
51) Reason Interview: Marjorie Taylor Greene
52) Rising, 06/29/26
53) Caleb O. Brown discusses tax reform and solutions to Kentucky’s housing crisis on Kentucky’s Voice
54) Ron Paul Liberty Report, 06/29/26
55) EconTalk, 06/29/26
56) The Remnant with Jonah Goldberg, 06/29/26
57) The Kyle Anzalone Show, 06/28/26
58) Pink Flame of Liberty, 06/28/26
59) Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 06/28/26
60) Fountainhead Forum, episode 465
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_____ Today's Freedom News _____
1) Monaco: Ukrainian construction tycoon, family injured in bomb blast
Source: AOL
“An explosion at a residential building in Monaco has left three people injured, including Ukrainian oligarch Vadym Yermolaiev, in an incident that the authorities say was almost certainly an attack targeting the tycoon. Mr Yermolaiev and his wife were fighting for their lives in critical condition after the explosion, according to reports, while a 13-year-old child was also badly injured. … Mr Yermolaiev is a major real estate developer in Dnipro. … He left Ukraine several years ago, renounced his Ukrainian citizenship in 2019 and became a citizen of Cyprus. In 2023, he was placed under Ukrainian sanctions by president Volodymyr Zelensky, who imposed a 10-year sanctions package over allegations tied to his alcohol business operations in Russia-occupied [sic] Crimea.” (06/30/26)
https://www.aol.com/articles/ukrainian-construction-tycoon-vadym-yermolaiev-063511000.html?guccounter=1
-----
2) Trump sends envoys to Qatar despite Iranian regime ruling out peace talks
Source: Independent [UK]
“US envoys are flying into Doha for high-level peace talks amid a renewed spate of strikes, despite claims from Tehran that no such talks have been arranged. Secretary of state Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to represent the US, a White House official said. ‘IRAN HAS REQUESTED A MEETING. IT WILL TAKE PLACE TOMORROW IN DOHA,’ Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social. However, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, said no talks between Iran and the US were scheduled in the coming days.” (06/30/26)
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/iran-us-war-live-trump-qatar-peace-talks-hormuz-strikes-b3005529.html
-----
3) SCOTUS restricts use of geofence warrants
Source: Engadget
“The US Supreme Court just issued a ruling that limits geofence searches by law enforcement agencies, which could have major ramifications for privacy rights across the country. For the uninitiated, this is a relatively recent law enforcement technique in which police tap into the databases of tech companies to see who was near the scene of a crime. In the 6-3 ruling, the country’s top court said that ‘an individual has a reasonable expectation of privacy in his cell-phone location information.’ Justice Elena Kagan said that geofence warrants violate the Fourth Amendment’s prohibition against unreasonable searches. Moving forward, law enforcement will have to obtain an actual search warrant to force a tech company into handing over geofence location data. Search warrants require probable cause, which geofence warrants do not.” (06/29/26)
https://www.engadget.com/2204298/the-us-supreme-court-restricts-use-of-geofence-warrants/
-----
4) Syria: Israeli invasion troops face resistance from residents
Source: Oskaloosa Herald
“As Israeli troops and vehicles entered the town of Abdin in southern Syria, residents blocked the roads with rocks, and some young men and boys threw stones to push back the military patrol. Tensions in this part of the country created by a buffer zone occupied by Israeli forces have flared into violence in recent days, leaving residents anxious that more escalation is coming. Residents of Abdin, located near a U.N.-patrolled buffer zone now controlled by Israeli troops, tried to resist against a military incursion Sunday. Residents said Israeli troops fired warnings shots at walls and between the angry protesters, before firing artillery rounds at the village. … Israel seized control of a U.N.-patrolled buffer zone in southern Syria in December 2024, following the ouster of former Syrian President Bashar Assad in an insurgent offensive.” (06/29/26)
https://www.oskaloosa.com/news/national_news/israeli-troops-face-resistance-from-residents-as-they-push-into-a-town-in-syria/article_7ca2b3aa-1694-5a9b-be30-32b80c2638e8.html
-----
5) CO: High court tosses re-gerrymandering ballot measures
Source: The Hill
“The Colorado Supreme Court on Monday tossed out two cases involving new redistricting ballot measures that would have favored Democrats. One ruling said the redistricting measure violated the state constitution’s ‘single subject’ requirement that calls for measures proposed by petition to focus on one issue for inclusion on the ballot. The Democratic aligned group, Coloradans for a Level Playing Field, were seeking ballot initiatives that approved mid-decade redistricting and new congressional district maps for the 2028 and 2030 election cycles.” (06/29/26)
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/5946166-democrats-redistricting-measures-rejected/
-----
6) Martin Marietta to buy Lhoist North America in $13.5 billion deal
Source: Reuters
“Martin Marietta Materials said on Monday it would merge with limestone supplier Lhoist North America in a cash-and-stock deal worth $13.5 billion, as the building materials firm looks to tap growing demand for lime products. Shares of the Raleigh, North Carolina-based company were down 5% in morning trade. … Lhoist North America makes hi-calcium lime, dolomitic lime and industrial mineral products used in domestic steel manufacturing, infrastructure and heavy non-residential construction across North America.” (06/29/26)
https://www.reuters.com/legal/transactional/martin-marietta-combine-with-lhoist-north-america-135-billion-deal-wsj-reports-2026-06-29/
-----
7) Poland: Regime orders Swedish submarines to bulk up navy
Source: Deutsche Welle [German state media]
“Poland and Sweden on Monday signed a €4.2 billion ($4.8 billion) arms deal at a ceremony in the Polish seaport of Gdynia on the Baltic Sea. In the deal, Poland’s State Treasury Armaments Agency ordered the purchase of three new submarines from Swedish aerospace and defense contractor Saab. A Monday press release from Saab outlined the sale, saying the company would begin delivering the vessels in 2030, with the final sub delivered in 2038. … Currently, Poland only has one submarine, an aging Russian vessel. To bridge the gap between now and 2030, Warsaw’s navy will be given use of the Swedish submarine HMS Södermanland.” (06/29/26)
https://www.dw.com/en/poland-orders-swedish-submarines-to-bulk-up-navy/a-77758193
-----
8) SCOTUS upholds grace period for late-arriving mail-in ballots
Source: Axios
“The Supreme Court upheld a Mississippi law Monday that allows mailed ballots to be counted if they were postmarked by Election Day and received within five business days. The justices’ ruling could protect voting in states with similar laws this November and is sure to feed President Trump’s frequent criticism of voting by mail. The Trump administration backed the law’s challengers, arguing that allowing states to count ballots received after Election Day undermines the integrity of federal elections. The court ruled 5-4 to uphold Mississippi’s law, with Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh dissenting.” (06/29/26)
https://archive.is/bOqTy
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9) DC Regime Will Pay $50,000 to Man Abducted While Protesting Guard Patrol With ‘Star Wars’ Song
Source: US News & World Report
“The District of Columbia has agreed to pay $50,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by a resident who [correctly] accused police officers of illegally [abducting] him for following an Ohio National Guard patrol while playing Darth Vader’s theme song from ‘Star Wars’ on his cellphone, according to a document released Monday. The plaintiff, Sam O’Hara, sued the district, four Metropolitan Police Department officers and a guard member from Ohio over what he says was his act of protest against President Donald Trump’s federal law enforcement surge in Washington, D.C. … O’Hara’s settlement with the district doesn’t resolve his related claims against an Ohio National Guard member, Sgt. Devon Beck, who has asked a judge to dismiss O’Hara’s claims against him.” (06/29/26)
https://www.usnews.com/news/entertainment/articles/2026-06-29/dc-will-pay-50-000-to-man-detained-while-protesting-guard-patrol-with-star-wars-song-record-says
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10) Spain: Nearly one million “unauthorized” migrants apply for “legal” status
Source: Politico
“Spain’s unauthorized migrant population is rushing to apply for legal status under the country’s expansive regularization program before Tuesday’s deadline. Although the Spanish government originally expected around 500,000 people to apply for the program — which provides renewable residence permits to all applicants who have been living in Spain for at least five months and have a clean criminal record — over 900,000 had applied by mid-June, according to Spanish authorities.” (06/29/26)
https://www.politico.eu/article/spain-migration-regularization-eu-tightens-screws/
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11) SCOTUS lets landmark journalist protection stand
Source: USA Today
“The Supreme Court on June 29 declined to revisit a landmark decision about press freedom that limited when a public figure can sue for libel or defamation. Alan Dershowitz, a professor emeritus at Harvard Law School who alleges he was defamed by CNN when he was defending President Donald Trump from impeachment, unsuccessfully asked the court to consider overturning or modifying that 1964 decision. In New York Times v. Sullivan, the court ruled that the newspaper couldn’t be sued for damages unless the journalists knew they were printing false information about a public official or were reckless about not checking it.” (06/29/26)
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/06/29/supreme-court-press-freedom-dershowitz-cnn/90298532007/
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12) Australian, Vanuatuan regimes sign deal to block foreign military bases
Source: Al Jazeera [Qatari state media]
“Australia and Vanuatu have signed a economic and security deal that prevents foreign military bases from being built on the Pacific island. The Nakamal Agreement was signed by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his Vanuatu counterpart, Jotham Napat, in Canberra on Monday. … Australia has committed to increased economic support for Vanuatu, which will bar the establishment of foreign military bases or infrastructure on the island and consult Australia on any third-party investment in critical infrastructure.” (06/29/26)
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/6/29/australia-and-vanuatu-sign-deal-to-block-foreign-military-bases
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13) SCOTUS blocks Trump’s attempt to fire Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook
Source: BBC News [UK State Media]
“The US Supreme Court has blocked President Donald Trump’s attempt to fire a governor of the US central bank, in a ruling seen as affirming the Federal Reserve’s independence. In a 5-4 decision, justices from the country’s top court said the administration had not provided Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook sufficient ‘due process’ for her to contest her removal. The decision sends the matter back to lower courts, where the administration will have to prove its allegations that Cook has committed mortgage fraud if it wishes to proceed with the firing and where Cook would have a chance to challenge the accusation. Cook has denied the allegations, which Fed defenders say are a pretext to allow Trump to assert more control over the bank.” (06/29/26)
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy4wwy0nkeno
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14) Trump bought millions in company’s stock shortly before ICE sought $220 million deal with it
Source: CNBC
“President Donald Trump disclosed buying between $1 million and $5 million in Axon Enterprise stock on Feb. 10. Two weeks later, ICE posted a notice seeking a five-year, $220 million Taser contract for about 17,800 devices, along with unlimited cartridges and training — enough to more than quadruple its current inventory. The ICE notice does not name Axon, but procurement reviewers and policing experts told CNBC the specifications appear to match only Axon products. The contract has so far not been awarded. There is no evidence Trump was involved in or had knowledge of the procurement process or that Axon knew about his stock purchase. But ethics experts said the timing alone raises red flags, even as the White House has said Trump’s assets are in a trust managed by his children, that a third party made the trades and that ‘there are no conflicts of interest.'” (06/29/26)
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/06/29/trump-axon-stock-ice-taser-immigration-enforcement.html
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15) Venezuelans search more earthquake ruins as aftershock rattles rescuers in disaster zone
Source: SFGate
“With the window for finding survivors shrinking fast, Venezuelans combed Monday through more ruins of buildings toppled by last week’s powerful back-to-back earthquakes, and a 4.6 magnitude aftershock rumbled through the disaster zone in the northern state of La Guaira. Relief organizations say the first 72 hours after a natural disaster is the most crucial time period for rescues, though survival can be extended if people have access to food and water. Five days after the twin quakes struck northern Venezuela, attention turned to the humanitarian crisis that was taking shape in devastated regions. The death toll stood at more than 1,700 people, according to the government. Major questions loomed about whether the cash-strapped government under acting President Delcy Rodríguez — who came to power in January after the Trump administration seized former President Nicolás Maduro — will be able to coordinate the effort needed to care for thousands of people who have been left homeless.” (06/29/26)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/a-strong-aftershock-rattles-venezuela-as-rescue-22324868.php
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16) Turkey: Regime thugs abduct dozens at LGBT+ Pride event in Istanbul
Source: France 24 [French state media]
“Turkish police on Sunday detained at least 50 people, including a journalist, during a Gay Pride event in Istanbul that went ahead despite a ban by local authorities and the lockdown of the city’s main gathering point, organisers said. Police stepped up security around Istanbul’s iconic Taksim Square, erecting iron barriers, while local officials banned demonstrations in key rallying areas, including the Asian-side district of Kadikoy. The governor’s office also restricted subway transport in several central locations. … LGBT+ protesters, who gathered in several neighbourhoods across the city, vowed to continue their demonstrations.” (06/28/26)
https://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20260628-turkey-police-detain-dozens-at-lgbt-pride-event-in-istanbul
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17) Ford rehires human engineers after AI fails to match quality checks
Source: BBC News [UK State Media]
“Ford says it has hired back some human engineers after AI failed to match their skills and experience. In a bid to reap the benefits of the tech, which developers claim can cut costs and boost productivity, the US carmaker adopted it across some parts of its operations including for quality checks. But, according to Bloomberg, its executives said the firm has rehired more than 300 “veteran” quality inspectors in recent years to make up for the pitfalls of automated systems. ‘Artificial intelligence is a fantastic tool, but it’s only as good as the information you use to train it,’ Charles Poon, vice president of vehicle hardware engineering, told reporters. ‘Over prior years, we didn’t pay as much attention as we should have to the experience of our most knowledgeable engineers that have been with us through many product cycles,’ he added.” (06/29/26)
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgrkd41n2v9o
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18) NY: Regime launches new welfare program for farmers to offset tariffs
Source: US News & World Report
“New York farmers can start submitting applications for up to $25,000 in relief from the state as part of a $30 million aid effort aimed at easing the hit to farmers from Republican U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs, Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul said on Monday. Over the last year, Trump has imposed an array of tariffs, including a global 10% tariff and retaliatory tariffs on China, which led Beijing to levy its own tariffs on U.S. soybean exports. … The program, which will be funded by a $30 million allocation in the state budget, will grant direct payments starting at $1,000 to eligible agricultural producers, including dairy farmers and those working with livestock, specialty crops and aquaculture.” (06/29/26)
https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2026-06-29/new-york-launches-tariff-relief-program-for-farmers
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19) SCOTUS to weigh Trump-backed Republican appeal to enforce Arizona voting laws
Source: SFGate
“The Supreme Court said Monday it will consider a Republican push to enforce strict Arizona voting laws passed in the swing state after the 2020 election. The high court has allowed some similar rules to take effect as lawsuits play out, including Arizona’s proof-of-citizenship requirement for state and local elections and a Virginia purge of voter rolls that the state said was aimed at keeping noncitizens from voting. The appeal was filed by the Republican National Committee after lower courts found the measures violated federal voting laws, and it was joined by GOP President Donald Trump’s administration. ‘The RNC is proud to lead this effort, and we will keep fighting nationwide to defend election integrity and ensure only eligible citizens cast a ballot’, said Chairman Joe Gruters. The high court is expected to hear arguments in the fall and likely hand down an opinion after the midterm elections.” (06/29/26)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/politics/article/supreme-court-will-weigh-trump-backed-republican-22324997.php
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20) Australia: Regime doubles maximum penalty for defying its Internet censorship scheme
Source: Engadget
“After becoming the first in the world to implement a social media ban for those under 16, Australia isn’t doubling down. In a press release, the Australian government announced that it will double the maximum penalty for any social media companies breaking its minimum age law, from 49.5 million to 99 million AUD, or more than $68 million. … Along with the new penalty threshold, the Australian government is granting its eSafety [sic] Commissioner, Julie Grant, more enforcement power. Now, the commissioner can demand social media companies provide evidence of how they’re stopping children under 16 years old from starting an account. Notably, the Australian agency can gather evidence regarding compliance with the ban from third parties, like from age verification or app store providers, according to the press release.” (06/28/26)
https://www.engadget.com/2203358/australia-doubles-maximum-penalty-social-media-ban/
_____ Today's Freedom Commentary _____
21) The KIDS Act would put Washington in charge of how we can communicate online
Source: Expression
by Carolyn Iodice & John Coleman
“For decades, Americans have enjoyed broad freedom to build tools to communicate with each other on the internet. From the smallest message board to the biggest social media platform, the First Amendment protects our right to freely design and use platforms to talk and share content with each other online. The government can go after wrongdoers that use online platforms for illegal activity, but it does not get to decide how a platform is designed and operated in the first place. The KIDS Act would fundamentally overturn this status quo by allowing the government to decide how platforms can be built and imposing restrictions that will censor the speech of adults and minors alike.” (06/29/26)
https://expression.fire.org/p/the-kids-act-would-put-washington
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22) Über Socialist: ChatGPT on Economic Freedom in Nazi Germany
Source: Bet On It
by Bryan Caplan
“Qualitative history lends itself to confirmation bias. Even when you have some quantitative measures of economic policy, it’s easy to put extra weight on the measures that deliver the answer you’re looking for. I’m not immune to motivated reasoning. I loathe and despise both socialism and Nazism, so it’s pleasant for me to equate them. I freely admit it. What to do? I could spend a year reading more about this topic. I could even spend a few years getting to the research frontier so I could credibly publish on the question, ‘How socialist was Germany under National Socialism?’ But while this is a fascinating issue, the opportunity cost of seriously deepening my understanding is just too high. Or to be more precise, the opportunity cost was too high. AI has drastically slashed the costs of quantification — and simultaneously drastically increased the credibility of quick quantification.” (06/29/26)
https://www.betonit.ai/p/uber-socialist-chatgpt-on-economic
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23) Is Taiwan’s President Playing With Political Fire?
Source: Antiwar.com
by Ted Galen Carpenter
“Taiwan President Lai Ching-te (William Lai) appears to be missing signs from multiple sources that he lacks both international and domestic support for pursuing a more assertive policy regarding the island’s de facto independence. Taipei heavily depends on two protectors, Japan and the United States, for firm political support against Beijing’s periodic bullying tactics. In the event of a military crisis, Taiwan would be even more reliant on those two powers for armed defense. However, Tokyo and Washington seem to be moving in opposite directions with respect to their longstanding, albeit informal, security commitment to Taipei.” (06/29/26)
https://original.antiwar.com/ted_galen_carpenter/2026/06/28/is-taiwans-president-playing-with-political-fire/
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24) The Fallacy of Economic Predicting
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
by Angelo Monaco
“I recently submitted an article to The Future of Freedom Foundation that predicted a recession at the end of 2026. It was rejected because FFF’s editor, Jacob Hornberger, said ‘One of my beefs with economists is that they love making predictions but most often the predictions don’t pan out.’ I should have been incensed with the fact that after my decades of education and training as an economist and careful research and review of historical and present-day data, my forecast could be so easily dismissed. However, I remained basically un-phased. I suppose the reason I did not get angry is because I knew that he was right. Economists’ predictions are often wrong and any of their predictions that involve a glimpse too far into the future are statistically very close to being always wrong.” (06/29/26)
https://www.fff.org/explore-freedom/article/the-fallacy-of-economic-predicting/
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25) The Poisonous Fruit Has Ripened
Source: Underthrow
by Max Borders
“Recent democratic socialist victories in New York are a harbinger. Like an invasive species sent from the unproductive activist class, they have infiltrated politics at the highest levels of government. As if the creatures who have been ruling us weren’t bad enough, a fifty-year period of permitting socialist activists to take comfort in the academy is now yielding poisonous fruit. And as we celebrate the 250th birthday of America, the democratic socialists openly wipe their asses with America’s founding documents. That is, until election season, when the wolves don sheep’s clothing.” [editor’s note: The difference between a “democratic socialist” and a “mainstream American politician circa 2026” is that the former openly admit they’re socialists – TLK] (06/29/26)
https://underthrow.substack.com/p/the-poisonous-fruit-has-ripened/comments
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26) I went to Trump’s Great American State Fair so you don’t have to
Source: The New Republic
by Malcolm Ferguson
“The opening weekend of the Great American State Fair in Washington, D.C., was, to put it simply, miserable. It was extremely muggy, with rain pouring down seemingly every hour. A child rolled around in the grass, crying and screaming, ‘I. WANT. TO. GO. HOME!!!’ Creed’s ‘Higher’ blared over the loudspeakers, and a sparse crowd milled about the various exhibitions. The bare-bones setup (flimsy, fake two-dimensional columns that looked like something Wile E. Coyote would run into while chasing the Road Runner) left much to be desired, as America’s 250th anniversary was celebrated with kitsch and ennui rather than grandeur and appreciation. More than anything, the event lacked energy—and people. There wasn’t any line or wait to get in. The vibe was more conference-like than celebratory, and the state exhibits varied wildly in effort and presentation.” (06/29/26)
https://newrepublic.com/article/212455/trump-great-american-state-fair-review
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27) On July 4, Will You be Celebrating the Founders or the Status Quo?
Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by George Ford Smith
“Ideologically, Americans went from Blackstone, to Coke, to Otis, to Paine, to the Declaration, to winning the war for independence (the latter two with Paine’s help). The undoing of this unprecedented victory for human liberty began in 1786 with the exploitation of a government-caused revolt called Shay’s Rebellion. Liberty has taken the hit ever since.” (06/29/26)
https://mises.org/mises-wire/july-4-will-you-be-celebrating-founders-or-status-quo
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28) Trump wanted to break the system. The system is breaking him instead.
Source: Washington Post
by Ramesh Ponnuru
“Trump acted as though voters chose him in 2024 because they loved everything about him, rather than because they hated inflation. Since winning, he has taken a few steps that place upward pressure on prices — warring with Iran, imposing tariffs, trying to push interest rates down by intimidating the Federal Reserve — and done little to foster the impression that he cares about the public’s top concern. In Trump’s popularity decline, we are also seeing the interaction of our constitutional system and a president who is neither interested in nor adept at working through it. A determined president can make the Justice Department issue frivolous indictments. He can’t make the courts respect them.” (06/29/26)
https://archive.is/tnnkY
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29) They’re Still Pushing The Ethnic Cleansing Of Gaza
Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone
“Israel is still pushing for the ethnic cleansing of Gaza. They keep trying different angles and rebranding it under different names, but the end goal has remained the same since October 2023: the removal of all Palestinians from the Gaza Strip. From the early months of the Gaza holocaust, Israel apologists had been referring to the ethnic cleansing agenda as a plan for the ‘voluntary migration’ of Gaza’s inhabitants. This framing conveniently ignored the fact that you cannot destroy a populated area and deliberately make it uninhabitable and then say the inhabitants of that area are leaving ‘voluntarily’. According to a Haaretz report that was published last week, Israel’s new National Security Council chief convened a meeting of top national security officials to discuss the issue of ‘encouraging the voluntary emigration’ of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.” (06/29/26)
https://caitlinjohnstone.com.au/2026/06/29/theyre-still-pushing-the-ethnic-cleansing-of-gaza/
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30) For a Liberal Pessimism
Source: Liberal Currents
by Alan Kahan
“There are good reasons for liberal pessimism. Every liberal knows the sad arc of world history since 1992, the sudden vertiginous rise of liberal hopes, the long, bumpy descent into the grim present and its populism. There are, however, older and deeper reasons for liberal pessimism which are less evident. Liberals have been far too optimistic for far too long, leaving them ripe for disappointment. In particular, they have been too optimistic about the political fruits of education and the political consequences of a growing middle class. Properly understood, however, a more pessimistic view of the world might be grounds for optimism.” (06/29/26)
https://www.liberalcurrents.com/for-a-liberal-pessimism/
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31) America’s Universal Aspiration at 250
Source: American Greatness
by Stephen Soukup
“A couple of weeks ago, at the dedication ceremony for his presidential library, Barack Obama made a speech in which he addressed the Founding Fathers. ‘In forming our union,’ he said, ‘the founders fell terribly short of the Declaration’s promise, leaving slavery intact, allowing states to restrict the franchise to white men who owned property.’ Fortunately for us, however, ‘in drafting a Constitution and a Bill of Rights, they did have the foresight, the genius, to provide us with a framework that allows each generation to make our union more perfect.’ Needless to say, not everyone was thrilled with Obama’s comments. Conservatives on Twitter/X thought he had insulted or taken a ‘swipe’ at the Founders. Fox News said that he had ‘knocked’ them, noting the supposed irony of the statement coming ‘just days before America celebrates its 250th anniversary on the 4th of July.'” (06/29/26)
https://amgreatness.com/2026/06/29/americas-universal-aspiration-at-250/
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32) The Fiat Money Maestro
Source: Ron Paul Liberty Report
by Ron Paul
“Ironically, a good explanation of why fiat currency is the enemy of liberty and gold is the friend of liberty is provided in ‘Gold and Economic Freedom’ written by none other than Alan Greenspan and published in Ayn Rand’s The Objectivist newsletter in 1966. In that essay Greenspan wrote ‘Deficit spending is simply a scheme for the ‘hidden’ confiscation of wealth. Gold stands in the way of this insidious process. It stands as a protector of property rights.’ Those seeking the path to prosperity and liberty should embrace the wisdom Greenspan showed before he became the fiat money maestro.” (06/29/26)
http://www.ronpaullibertyreport.com/archives/the-fiat-money-maestro
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33) Mutual Aid and the Governance We Are Already Practicing
Source: Common Dreams
by Supriya Lopez Pillai & Nwamaka Agbo
“Governance is how we hold power responsibly and equitably. Government is just one way we organize it—and what is abundantly clear is that good governance is not always done by a government. Since congressional Republicans passed the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’, 3.5 million people have lost benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). That includes more than 800,000 children who are now at risk of going hungry. It is just one of many ways in which the current administration has either actively harmed or abdicated responsibility for families and communities. This is a precarious moment, but it is not a moment for despair. In communities long abandoned by the public sector, mutual aid networks have emerged as models of resilience that show how people can govern effectively when love and care, rather than hate and scarcity, are placed at the center of how community members care for each other.” (06/29/26)
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/mutual-aid-and-governance
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34) The Kill Western Civilization Caucus
Source: Common Sense
by Paul Jacob
“November’s General Election being a mere formality in the Big Apple, the trio will undoubtedly be joining the next Congress. All three — State Assemblywoman Claire Valdez (NY-7), former City Comptroller Brad Lander (NY-10), and professional ‘left-wing activist’ Darializa Avila Chevalier (NY-13) — were endorsed and assisted by Mayor Zohran Mamdani. They’ll be just three out of 435 members of Congress, while the mayor is in a position to do more harm. Still, sprinkling a few Stalinists into Washington’s brew won’t help. Darializa Avila Chevalier worries me the most. Before launching her political campaign, CNN reports that she deleted ‘thousands of posts and reposts expressing support for abolishing police, prisons and borders, as well as seizing private property and nationalizing major industries and calling into question Israel’s right to exist.'” (06/29/26)
https://thisiscommonsense.org/2026/06/29/kill-western-civilization/
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35) Critics of lifting Iran sanctions can’t offer a viable alternative
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Sina Toossi
“Washington’s Iran hawks — including some Democrats and former Biden administration officials — are denouncing the Trump administration for agreeing to upfront sanctions relief and other confidence-building measures in its preliminary deal, or memorandum of understanding (MoU), with Tehran. But their criticism leaves one obvious question unanswered: what is their alternative other than another round of war? Trump did not arrive at these concessions because he suddenly discovered the virtues of diplomacy. He tried war first. … It is precisely because the military option failed to force political change in Iran — and because the closure of the Strait of Hormuz imposed mounting costs on Washington and the global economy — that the Trump administration was left with little choice but to return to serious diplomacy. And serious diplomacy was always going to require upfront concessions from the United States.” (06/29/26)
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/iran-sanctions-relief-critics/
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36) Thomas Paine’s Challenge to a Complacent America
Source: The Daily Economy
by Barry Brownstein
“Paine warned that complacency endangers liberty, and that only when freedom is threatened do people discover whether they are willing to defend it.” (06/29/26)
https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/thomas-paines-challenge-to-a-complacent-america/
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37) A Kingdom Divided Against Itself Cannot Stand
Source: Town Hall
by Mark Lewis
“The failure of America’s education system has been one of the greatest disasters, maybe the greatest, in the nation’s history. We handed most educational institutions over to the government, which means they would be run by politicians, who care for nothing but their own power and self-aggrandizement and control of others. Freedom is not what government wants; indeed, it is the very antithesis thereof. America’s Founders recognized that some government is necessary to protect our rights against monsters who would try to take them from us. Thus, government, which is, by definition, the collectivization (or nationalization) of force to secure us against evil, has a purpose to play in a nation. But since the government largely controls the power, it is very dangerous to liberty. Our Founders understood that, which is why they tried to limit the power and role of government in American society.” (06/29/26)
https://townhall.com/columnists/marklewis/2026/06/29/a-kingdom-divided-against-itself-cannot-stand-n2678452
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38) In Bad Faith
Source: Quillette
by Graham Daseler
“The US vice president’s new memoir leaves an unflattering impression of its author.” (06/29/26)
https://quillette.com/2026/06/29/in-bad-faith-communion-finding-my-way-back-to-faith-jd-vance-review/
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39) America’s Promise and Achievement
Source: Law & Liberty
by Leonidas Zelmanovitz
“When I first arrived in the United States, I loved an idealized image of the country. Today, I love a more complicated reality.” (06/29/26)
https://lawliberty.org/americas-promise-and-achievement/
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40) How to Spend It
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Mark Nayler
“Every seven years, the EU approves a new budget, known as a Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). The next MFF will cover the period 2028–34, and has been described by European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen as ‘the most ambitious ever proposed.’ It has to be approved unanimously by the end of 2027, but with general elections due in almost a third of the bloc’s 27 countries next year (France, Italy, Poland, Spain, Greece, Estonia, Finland, and Slovakia), the pressure is on to have negotiations wrapped up by Christmas. After a two-day summit in Brussels on June 18 and 19, however, only one point of agreement had been reached: to bring new funding ideas to the next brainstorming session in October.” (06/29/26)
https://fee.org/articles/how-to-spend-it/
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41) Anti-Monopoly Bill Hits Make-or-Break Moment in California
Source: The American Prospect
by David Dayen
“A bill to update the antitrust laws in the nation’s most populous state faces a critical legislative hearing this week. At a time when California is among the states being relied upon as a substitute for proper antitrust enforcement, which is moribund at the federal level thanks to Trump administration corruption, advocates say the state must have a full suite of tools to succeed. Monied interests are working diligently to stop the bill, but it gained important momentum late last week when a key senator signed on. The office of state Sen. Ben Allen, who is running for statewide office to become California’s insurance commissioner, told the Prospect that ‘the Senator is very likely going to be supporting the bill.’ Allen was one of a handful of Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats whose position on the bill was uncertain as of last week.” (06/29/26)
https://prospect.org/2026/06/29/anti-monopoly-bill-hits-make-or-break-moment-in-california/
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42) The 250th Anniversary Of…What, Exactly?
Source: Libertarian Institute
by Tom Mullen
“In a few days, Americans will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. There will be fireworks, concerts, speeches, and millions of backyard barbecues. But what precisely are we celebrating?” (06/29/26)
https://libertarianinstitute.org/articles/the-250th-anniversary-of-what-exactly
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43) Will the GOP Let Trump Get Back on Track?
Source: The American Conservative
by W James Antle III
“The voters who put Trump over the top and gave Republicans control of the Senate in 2024 were not casting their ballots for higher inflation and more foreign wars. Nor was that what Trump delivered in his first term, despite taking a hard line against the ayatollahs, shredding Barack Obama’s version of an Iran nuclear deal, applying maximum pressure, and striking Qasem Soleimani. Trump left office with inflation at 1.4 percent, below the Fed’s long-term target, and leaving no new wars to his successor in Iran or elsewhere. … Vance’s intraparty detractors should realize that if voters are still talking about the war in Iran rather than domestic issues in November, much less 2028, Democrats are going to have to nominate the world’s most crazed Marxists for Republicans to have a chance.” (06/29/26)
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/will-the-gop-let-trump-get-back-on-track/
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44) Local Officials Vow To Shield the Public from Virginia’s Authoritarian New Gun Laws
Source: Reason
by JD Tuccille
“Everybody loves local control when they run towns and counties and their opponents hold federal or state offices. It works in reverse, too, with presidents and governors denouncing rebellious officials who won’t follow dictates from the state or federal capital. So it is in Virginia, where Democrats who dominate the state government are upset that local prosecutors and police decline to enforce new restrictive gun laws they justifiably view as unconstitutional and dangerous to their constituents’ liberty. … Unsurprisingly, the politicians who pushed for the restrictive new laws that are set to take effect next month are unhappy that so many local officials disdain their legislative efforts.” (06/29/26)
https://reason.com/2026/06/29/local-officials-vow-to-shield-the-public-from-virginias-authoritarian-new-gun-laws/
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45) Founding Fathers didn’t just make liberty a democratic claim, they expected we would continue their argument
Source: New York Post
by Ken Burns
“There’s a moment in our film ‘The American Revolution’ when the historian Jane Kamensky, now president of Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello, reflects on the lasting meaning of the war: ‘Everybody, on every side, including people denied even the ownership of themselves, had the sense of possibility worth fighting for.’ That line captures something essential about the Revolution that can get lost beneath the familiar portraits and marble monuments. The Revolution was not only a war for independence but also an argument about possibility — who counted, who belonged, and whether so-called ordinary people could claim ownership over their own lives and their own future. In 1776, citizenship itself was a radical idea. Most human beings in history had been subjects.” (06/29/26)
https://nypost.com/2026/06/29/us-news/founding-fathers-expected-we-would-continue-their-argument/
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46) Stonewall Pride: In Voice and Song
Source: Notablog
by Chris Matthew Sciabarra
“On this date in 1969, a rebellion began that unfolded over six days, a landmark in the battle for human freedom and personal autonomy & authenticity. In the wee hours of June 28, 1969, the Stonewall Inn, a Mafia-owned gay bar in the heart of New York City’s Greenwich Village, was raided by police for the umpteenth time. One might say that the mob had a keen business sense in catering to a marginalized population, while paying off the police to turn a blind eye. But on this night, the illegal collusions didn’t seem to matter. The patrons had had enough with routine police brutality. And they fought back.” (06/28/26)
https://notablog.net/2026/06/28/stonewall-pride-in-voice-and-song/
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47) How the Democrats Betrayed the Legacy of FDR
Source: The Realist Review
by James W Carden
“For much of the eighty years following the end of the Second World War, there existed a healthy, sometimes fierce competition among Democrats regarding the US and its role in the world: On one side, there were what I call the Rooseveltians; on the other side, the Achesonians. The competition between the two camps shaped US foreign policy throughout the Cold War. It was only with the arrival of the post-Cold War era that the competition dried up—and turned into a rout in which the Achesonians triumphed. The dueling camps take their names from, of course, President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945) and Secretary of State Dean Acheson (1893–1971).” (06/28/26)
https://therealistreview.substack.com/p/a-legacy-betrayed
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48) My Confrontation with Rainbow Capitalism and the Pride Industrial Complex
Source: exile in happy valley
by Nicky Reid
“This! Dearest motherfuckers! Is the Pride Industrial Complex! A network of once-benevolent LGBTQ+ organizations, operated by rich old white lesbians, spending most of their time and millions of your donation dollars on throwing parades just so they can raise enough money to throw more goddamn parades, all of which serve little other purpose than to offer diabolical corporations and two-timing politicians’ platforms to celebrate themselves celebrating diversity while they murder entire populations behind the rainbow flag. What more can I say without literally smashing things? Big money does hideous things to beautiful people and beautiful things for hideous operations.” (06/28/26)
https://exileinhappyvalley.blogspot.com/2026/06/my-confrontation-with-rainbow.html
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49) FBI Files Counter Government Argument in Texas “Antifa” Trial
Source: In These Times
by Adam Federman
“On the last day of testimony in the federal ’Prairieland’ trial — wherein nine activists faced charges related to a protest outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center — the government called its star witness back to the stand. Kyle Shideler, director of counterterrorism research at the right-wing think tank Center for Security Policy, had been key to the prosecution’s case that ‘antifa’ is a violent, criminal organization bent on overthrowing the U.S. government. Shideler, an imposing figure with a cleanly shaven head and full beard, had attended nearly the entire trial, even sitting in the overflow room during jury selection. At the stand, Shideler read aloud the government’s definition of antifa, as well as an excerpt from President Donald Trump’s executive order declaring antifa a domestic terrorist organization — issued in September, less than two weeks after the assassination of right-wing pundit and activist Charlie Kirk.” (06/26/26)
https://inthesetimes.com/article/prairieland-antifa-trial-protest-repression-fbi
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50) How the Constitution failed America
Source: UnHerd
by Michael Lind
“Next month, Americans mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence from the British Empire. Although the present US Constitution was written in 1787, ratified in 1788, and first implemented in 1789, during the anniversary celebrations this summer we can expect to hear widespread encomia to the genius of the Constitution as well as of the eloquence of Thomas Jefferson’s preamble to the declaration. Don’t believe it. While it was a milestone for its era, the US Constitution is deeply flawed. The most successful contemporary democracies have learned from America’s mistakes in designing their own, more recent national constitutions. Pious American patriots sometimes say that ‘the Founders built better than they knew.’ In reality, the Founders botched the job.” (06/28/26)
https://archive.is/6KSRQ
_____ Today's Freedom Podcast and Video _____
51) Reason Interview: Marjorie Taylor Greene
Source: Reason
“Marjorie Taylor Greene discusses the future of the Republican Party, the resurgence of democratic socialism, and why the political establishment always wins.” (06/29/26)
https://reason.com/podcast/2026/06/29/marjorie-taylor-greene-youre-not-being-represented/
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52) Rising, 06/29/26
Source: The Hill
“Robby Soave gives his radar on a group of protesters harassing California State Senator Scott Wiener over his stance on Gaza.” (06/29/26)
https://thehill.com/hilltv/5942759-rising-june-29-2026/
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53) Caleb O. Brown discusses tax reform and solutions to Kentucky’s housing crisis on Kentucky’s Voice
Source: Bluegrass Institute
“Tom Fawbush of Kentucky’s Voice interviews Caleb O. Brown on housing reform, tax reform, and educational freedom in Kentucky.” (06/29/26)
https://www.bluegrassinstitute.org/caleb-o-brown-discusses-tax-reform-and-solutions-to-kentuckys-housing-crisis-on-kentuckys-voice/
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54) Ron Paul Liberty Report, 06/29/26
Source: Ron Paul Liberty Report
“The Most Unpopular War In History.” (06/29/26)
https://x.com/i/broadcasts/1dxYllOgYevJX
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55) EconTalk, 06/29/26
Source: EconTalk
“Do Less, Heal More: The Case for Medical Conservatism (with John Mandrola).” (06/29/26)
https://www.econtalk.org/do-less-heal-more-the-case-for-medical-conservatism-with-john-mandrola/
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56) The Remnant with Jonah Goldberg, 06/29/26
Source: The Dispatch
“The Rise and Fall of the Nation State | Interview: Rana Dasgupta.” (06/29/26)
https://thedispatch.com/podcast/remnant/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-nation-state-interview-rana-dasgupta/
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57) The Kyle Anzalone Show, 06/28/26
Source: Libertarian Institute
“Will Iran Force the US Out of the Middle East?” (06/29/26)
https://libertarianinstitute.org/news/the-kyle-anzalone-show-will-iran-force-the-us-out-of-the-middle-east/
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58) Pink Flame of Liberty, 06/28/26
Source: Pink Flame of Liberty
“Case for Christian Nationalism Discussion: Wolfe Projects His Kinks.” (06/28/26)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxmEhtZEhjc
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59) Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 06/28/26
Source: Antiwar.com
“US and Iran Exchange Rounds of Attacks, Iran and Hezbollah Reject Lebanon Deal, and More.” (06/28/26)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOtLfn_zeq4
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60) Fountainhead Forum, episode 465
Source: Fountainhead Forum
“Walter Block on the life and career of Alan Greenspan, along with a clip of Norm Macdonald.” (06/28/26)
https://rumble.com/v7byi5m-ff-465-walter-block-on-the-life-and-career-of-alan-greenspan-along-with-a-c.html
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