Source: Niskanen Center
by Jonathan Wolfson, Lawson Mansell, & Katherine Hall

“Over one-third of U.S. states have created alternative licensing pathways for internationally trained physicians (ITPs) to address the worsening physician shortage. Medical boards play a crucial role in the success of these new laws and should honor the legislative intent of a true alternative pathway by removing unnecessary barriers and providing consistent guidance to employers and doctors. States should ensure these licensing pathways enable ITPs to find sponsors, get hired, and practice fully to maximize workforce impact and patients’ access to quality medical care.” (12/11/25)

https://www.niskanencenter.org/implementing-new-licening-pathways-that-work-for-international-doctors-and-american-patients/

Source: Gideon’s Substack
by Noah Millman

“[W]hile the conservative majority on the Court could in fact allow limitations on birthright citizenship without patently shredding the plain meaning of the 14th Amendment, it could still do so without actually affirming Trump’s executive order. It could say that the order doesn’t violate the plain meaning of the constitutional text, but does violate the understanding of that text embedded in numerous pieces of legislation, acts of Congress that implicitly or explicitly endorse the established interpretation of the clause. Therefore, it would require an act of Congress to affirmatively change that interpretation by enacting restrictions on birthright citizenship through legislation.” [editor’s note: But why would SCOTUS lie and pretend that the order doesn’t violate the plain meaning of the constitutional text? – TLK] (12/11/25)

https://gideons.substack.com/p/populism-democracy-and-choosing-the

Source: Bluegrass Institute
by Jimmy Higdon

“Kentucky’s hemp sector has become a national model, built on bipartisan cooperation and guided by regulatory oversight from the Department of Agriculture. This provision puts all of that at risk.” (12/11/25)

https://www.bluegrassinstitute.org/congress-must-fix-hemp-ban-that-threatens-kentucky-farmers/

Source: TomDispatch
by Liz Theoharis

“As more of the Epstein files are released, reminding us of Donald Trump’s close association with Jeffrey Epstein and the young people he abused and trafficked, as well as the president’s ongoing array of misogynist insults and actions (like calling journalist Catherine Lucey ‘piggy’ and name-calling Marjorie Taylor Greene to the point where she jumped ship), what keeps coming to my mind are the sexual exploits of authoritarians throughout history. As a scholar of the New Testament and the origins of Christianity, I have a special interest in the lives of the Roman emperors — in particular, the notorious Emperor Nero. According to historians of antiquity (trigger warning here!), Emperor Nero was known to use and abuse many people, especially women, allegedly murdering two of his wives and his aunt while sleeping with a Vestal Virgin and — yes! his mother before he killed her.” (12/11/25)

https://tomdispatch.com/is-trump-the-new-nero/