Trump’s boat strikes are illegal. Does it matter?

Source: The Hill
by Jeffrey Stein

“From the beginning, the boat strikes campaign has been widely condemned as lawless. Contrary to President Trump’s absurd claims, the U.S. is not and cannot be in a formal armed conflict with the unnamed drug cartels supposedly targeted in these attacks. The boat strikes are therefore nothing more than premeditated killings of civilians. A chorus of elected officials, governments and international bodies have thus denounced the strikes as ‘illegal.’ But why focus on the strikes’ illegality in the first place? After all, one could just as easily condemn the strikes for their cruelty. The strikes have torn apart families from across Latin America, depriving them — forever — of husbands, fathers, brothers and sons. ” (09/02/26)

https://thehill.com/opinion/judiciary/6064098-aclu-lawsuit-wrongful-deaths/

Germany: Explosion near train station injures two

Source: CBC News [Canadian state media]

“An explosion near a German train station followed by the discovery of a suspicious object caused police to temporarily close the transport hub in the southern city of Augsburg on Wednesday morning. Later in the morning, police said the suspicious object had been identified as harmless and that the train station was reopened again at 10 a.m. and trains starting running again. … An unidentified object exploded in a passageway near the station at around 3:15 a.m. local time, according to officials, causing minor injuries to two people. The people injured were a 17-year-old girl and an 18-year-old man, both of whom are Ukrainian citizens, the German news agency dpa reported.” (09/02/26)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/explosion-germany-train-station-9.7329026

MacIntyre’s Common Good

Source: Law & Liberty
by Rachel Lu

“Alasdair MacIntyre was a political animal, or so one naturally assumes. He was at any rate an Aristotelian, and since Aristotle declared man to be the zoon politikon (‘political animal’), it seems safe to say that MacIntyre thought of himself as one such. Nevertheless, for much of his life he was deeply reluctant to enter into political discourse. In youth, he was (in)famously a Marxist. Eventually he broke with the socialists and made his way to Aristotelian Thomism. He spent decades writing on the incoherence of modern moral theory, giving considerable attention along the way to action theory, the virtues, and the history of philosophy. But he largely eschewed political discourse, to the frustration of political theorists who hoped to enlist him as an ally.” (09/02/26)

https://lawliberty.org/macintyres-common-good/

The Texas Trotsky? Talarico Declares Capitalism an “Oppressive System” that “Must Be Dismantled”

Source: Jonathan Turley
by Jonathan Turley

“Senate Democrat nominee James Talarico appears ready to bring a touch of Trotsky to Texas. In a video from a climate forum, Talarico is shown declaring capitalism an ‘oppressive system’ linked with white supremacy and that it must be ‘dismantled’ to achieve a better world. It is reminiscent of Leon Trotsky, who denounced the ‘fundamental evil of the capitalist system’ and called on citizens to free themselves from its oppression. The Democratic Socialists of America and radical sites have long called ‘to dismantle the capitalist state’. As a state representative, Talarico addressed the 2020 climate conference by the Austin chapter of the Sierra Club [and] roused the crowd with an attack on capitalism: ‘I’m so thankful that you asked this question and also thankful that young activists have really drawn the link between climate change and White supremacy and capitalism in our country.'” (09/02/26)

https://jonathanturley.org/2026/09/02/the-texas-trotsky-talarico-declares-capitalism-an-oppressive-system-that-must-be-dismantled/

Chevron expanding in Venezuela as Trump deal claims more oil reserves

Source: SFGate

“Oil giant Chevron confirmed that it will expand its operations in Venezuela, just days after President Donald Trump announced an ambitious deal to develop the nation’s oil reserves and give the Pentagon a stake in the profits. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told the Trump administration Tuesday to ‘stop doing memes, stop throwing shade and stop trying to be tough,’ as he pushed back against a fresh wave of taunts from Washington. Carney said U.S.-Canada trade talks could resume if Washington becomes serious about negotiations. And a record percentage of Americans — about 9 in 10 — 89% — believe there’s widespread corruption in the U.S. government, according to a new Gallup poll released Wednesday. That’s up 10 percentage points from last year.” (09/02/26)

https://www.sfgate.com/news/politics/article/the-latest-canadian-prime-minister-carney-tells-22414063.php

Study: Even Well-Intentioned Regulators Do More Harm Than Good

Source: Reason
by JD Tuccille

“It’s both common and accurate to point out that many people who go into government are control freaks motivated by the desire to exercise power over others, or else driven by self-interest to profit from control of the reins of government. But a new study points out that even when government officials are sincere and intend to make the world a better place, they often cause more harm than good.” (09/02/26)

https://reason.com/2026/09/02/study-even-well-intentioned-regulators-do-more-harm-than-good/

Ironic Inheritance: How Andrew Carnegie’s Millions Still Underwrite the Academy

Source: The Daily Economy
by Daniel J Smith

“Academics may distrust concentrated private wealth, but their retirement system owes its origins to one of history’s great industrial fortunes.” (09/02/26)

https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/ironic-inheritance-how-andrew-carnegies-millions-still-underwrite-the-academy/

Hegseth removes six Army officers from promotion list

Source: WAVY 10 News

“Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth spiked the names of at least six Army officers from a list for promotions to two-star generals, a person familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told The Hill Tuesday. The removals come just days after the Pentagon chief blocked promotions of four Army officers selected to ascend to one-star rank …. Earlier this year, the defense secretary similarly pulled four Army officers, two women and two [b]lack men, from a one-star general promotion list — to the displeasure of Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and other top officials. Driscoll handed his resignation to the White House on Monday and is set to depart the Trump administration after a months-long turf war with Hegseth, a move that further signals the defense secretary’s aim to impose his will on the service branch.” (09/02/26)

https://www.wavy.com/news/national/hegseth-removes-6-army-officers-from-promotion-list/