Source: BBC News [UK State Media]
“The US has been holding regular negotiations with Denmark to expand its military presence in Greenland, according to multiple officials familiar with the discussions, with talks between both sides progressing in recent months. US officials are seeking to open three new bases in the south of the territory, a semi-autonomous part of Denmark, as they work to resolve a diplomatic crisis sparked by President Donald Trump when he threatened to seize Greenland by force. Trump said in January that the US should ‘own’ Greenland to prevent Russia or China from taking it. He said this could happen ‘the easy way or the hard way.’ The White House confirmed the administration was engaged in high-level talks with Greenland and Denmark, but declined to comment on details of the negotiations.” (05/12/26)
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx21669452lo
Source: New York Times
“How Iran’s Internet Blackout Is Crippling Its Economy, and the Fight Over Fruit-Flavored Vapes.” (05/11/26)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsrvvMOBFG8
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
by Jacob G Hornberger
“Amidst soaring gasoline prices and significant economic damage for the American people arising from President Trump’s war on Iran, we must never forget the most important factor in America’s never-ending foreign wars: the destruction of our liberty here at home. In this regard, it’s helpful to recall the wise and insightful words of James Madison, the father of our nation’s Constitution: ‘Of all the enemies to public liberty war is, perhaps, the most to be dreaded, because it comprises and develops the germ of every other.'” (05/11/26)
https://www.fff.org/2026/05/12/lets-not-forget-what-madison-said-about-war/
Source: Libertarian Institute
by Thomas Karat
“At 6:49 a.m. on Monday, March 23, the oil futures market was quiet. Pre-dawn Mondays are always quiet. There was no scheduled data release, no Federal Reserve speech, no obvious catalyst for any significant market activity. Then, in the span of 27 seconds, roughly 6,200 Brent and West Texas Intermediate futures contracts were sold — a notional value of approximately $580 million …. Simultaneously, approximately 6,000 S&P 500 e-Mini futures contracts were purchased, representing more than $2 billion in notional value. Sell oil. Buy stocks. A perfectly paired bet that would only make sense if you knew — if you were certain — that the geopolitical picture was about to improve dramatically. At 7:05 a.m., sixteen minutes later, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that the United States and Iran had been engaged in ‘productive conversations’ to end the war.” (05/11/26)
https://libertarianinstitute.org/articles/how-a-probable-situation-room-leak-made-someone-580-million-in-60-seconds/
Source: CounterPunch
by Dean Baker
“Many of the Trump crew seem to be delusional about Trump accounts. They claim to believe that they will replace Social Security. It shouldn’t be a surprise to us that many supporters of Trump are out of touch with reality, but that is not a reason for the rest of us to take their nonsense seriously. Let’s keep our eyes on the ball. This is not 3-dimensional chess; it is an account for newborn kids in which the government deposits $1,000.” (05/11/26)
https://www.counterpunch.org/2026/05/12/trump-accounts-are-a-sick-joke-not-a-threat-to-social-security/
Source: CBC News [Canadian state media]
“British Prime Minister Keir Starmer defied calls to resign on Tuesday, telling ministers he would ‘get on with governing’ despite a ‘destabilizing’ 48 hours of growing calls to set out a timetable for his departure after an election drubbing. At a meeting of his cabinet team of ministers, Starmer, in the top job for less than two years, repeated that while he took responsibility for one of his Labour Party’s worst election defeats, there had been no official move to trigger a leadership contest. … Starmer’s defiance was in marked contrast to the feelings of many in his Labour Party. On Tuesday, a junior minister resigned after a handful of ministerial aides also left the government. Housing, communities and local government minister Miatta Fahnbulleh stepped down and urged Starmer ‘to do the right thing for the country.'” (05/11/26)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/starmer-uk-resign-cabinet-9.7196157
Source: The New Republic
“Trump Sunsetting Visibly Worsens as Aides Go Full Cult All Around Him.” (05/11/26)
https://newrepublic.com/article/210287/trump-sunsetting-visibly-worsens-aides-go-full-cult-around
Source: The Daily Economy
by Mohamed Moutii
“Over the past decade, Europe has played a leading role in shaping global climate policy, highlighted by the launch of the European Green Deal in 2019 — Ursula von der Leyen described it as a ‘man on the moon moment.’ The initiative aims to make Europe the world’s first climate-neutral continent by 2050 while fostering innovation and strengthening its industrial base. Yet several years later, the results are deeply disappointing. Instead of meeting its goals, the Green Deal is increasingly associated with higher energy costs, weakened competitiveness, and growing political backlash.” (05/11/26)
https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/europes-green-deal-is-unraveling/
Source: Law & Liberty
by Constanza Mazzina
“The decades after Argentina’s founding are a testament to the promise of Smithian economic and political thought.” (05/11/26)
https://lawliberty.org/adam-smiths-legacy-in-alberdis-argentina/
Source: BBC News [UK State Media]
“A leading people smuggler, whose network is believed to be responsible for the majority of illegal cross-Channel journeys in recent years, has been unmasked by a BBC investigation. The 28-year-old Iraqi Kurd has evaded arrest for several years by operating under the alias ‘Kardo Ranya.’ He has kept his real name a closely guarded secret, which has frustrated law enforcement agencies in their efforts to issue an international warrant for his arrest. … using contacts in the smuggling world, my colleague Rob Lawrie and I were able to follow a trail from migrant camps on the northern French coast, all the way to Iraqi Kurdistan, obtaining Kardo Ranya’s real identity and details, and ultimately confronting him.” (05/12/26)
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp3pl5093wpo
