The Headlines, 09/03/26
Source: New York Times
“U.S. Attack Hits Iranian Wedding, and Influencers Are Being Quietly Paid to Talk Politics.” (09/03/26)
Healthcare is more badly broken than political leaders admit
Source: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
by Marj Halperin
“Raise your hand if you have affordable, accessible healthcare. Anyone? Yeah, that’s what I thought. With independent studies showing that close to half of all Americans struggle to afford healthcare, I expect I got the rest of you with the addition of the word ‘accessible.’ That’s because, while rising costs are a barrier for too many, even those who can afford comprehensive health insurance are finding money can’t buy you a timely appointment with most doctors.” (09/03/26)
Estonia: Defense minister resigns after procurement scandal
Source: Politico
“Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur resigned Wednesday evening after national auditors accused his ministry of spending irregularities and a scandal involving undelivered ammunition for Ukraine. The center-right politician, who has served as minister since 2022, said he would step down one day after after reports emerged that his ministry had awarded a €70 million artillery contract to an Indian company with no record of ammunition sales. Estonia took the case to the European Court of Arbitration after the shells were not delivered. … Pevkur faced calls to resign after Estonia’s national audit office last month found ‘serious problems’ in the use of funds and accounting of assets in the defense ministry. The watchdog made similar claims last year.” (09/03/26)
https://www.politico.eu/article/estonian-defense-minister-resigns-after-procurement-scandal/
The Moynihan Report, 09/03/26
Source: The Moynihan Report
“Kiss’s Gene Simmons Just Wanted to Make His Mother Proud.” (09/03/26)
https://www.themoynihan.report/p/kisss-gene-simmons-just-wanted-to
New Delhi’s Strategy Shows Why Protectionism Fails
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Jake Scott
“This month, there will be over 400 Chinese officials in New Delhi—more than double the previous delegation in 2019—to discuss the future of Sino–Indian relations. For China, those relations have never been more favorable; India’s position on the world stage has declined, though not in ways caused by China, making the prospect of resumed and increased trade between the two nations increasingly likely.” (09/03/26)
https://fee.org/articles/new-delhis-strategy-shows-why-protectionism-fails/
America’s quiet socialist takeover spreading from town halls to classrooms
Source: Fox News
by Rosemary Becchi
“The socialist experiment in America is no longer confined to Washington or deep-blue national politics. It is coming to city halls and school boards across the country, where low-turnout elections can transform ambitious ideology into binding budgets and classroom policy. Local government often affects Americans’ everyday lives more directly than Washington, shaping taxes, municipal services, schools, policing and housing. Americans should therefore pay close attention to the DSA’s steady advance into local government, where ideological commitments can collide with fiscal limits, practical administration and community preferences.” [editor’s note: The MAGA version isn’t as quiet, but it’s just as socialist – TLK] (09/03/26)
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/americas-quiet-socialist-takeover-spreading-town-halls-classrooms
MO: Candidate charged with trying to plant cocaine on his political rival
Source: SFGate
“A candidate for the Missouri House made an initial court appearance Thursday on a federal drug charge accusing him of trying to plant cocaine and Adderall on his Republican primary opponent. Thomas Ross, 37, is charged with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. He’s accused of asking a campaign manager to plant a small amount of cocaine and a prescription amphetamine pill on his opponent, Louise Secker, in the weeks leading up to the Aug. 4 primary, according to court documents. Ross, of Joplin, defeated Secker by only a few dozen votes. Ross did not respond to a Thursday message seeking comment about the charge, which was filed Wednesday. The federal public defender’s office assigned to his case didn’t immediately reply to a message asking how Ross plans to plead. Missouri’s Republican Party chairman, Peter Kinder, called on Ross to drop out of the race, describing the circumstances of his arrest as ‘serious and deeply troubling’.” (09/03/26)
Politico Playbook Audio Briefing, 09/03/26
Source: Politico
“Harris’[s] red state blues.” (09/03/26)
Data Center Paradox
Source: Independent Institute
by Alex Tokarev & Kristin Tokarev
“Data centers can lower costs, but states shouldn’t waste tax subsidies on them.” (09/03/26)
https://www.independent.org/article/2026/09/03/data-center-paradox/
Making Sense of Failures in US Defense Funding
Source: Cato Institute
by Benjamin Giltner
“Congress and the Trump administration are not at blame for investing too little in America’s military; they are at fault for taking on too many national security projects. To quote a favorite line from the Rolling Stones, ‘You can’t always get what you want.'” (09/03/26)