“A Sudanese paramilitary force targeted the country’s capital and its main airport on Thursday with drones, just a day after the first passenger flight in two years landed in the city, according to military officials and local media. The attack by the Rapid Support Forces came as the group seeks to maintain pressure against Sudan’s military while the deadlocked conflict grinds on. The Sudanese military intercepted the drones, which caused no damage, said a military official who spoke on condition of anonymity since he was not authorized to speak to journalists. The RSF and the military did not immediately acknowledge the attack.” (10/23/25)
Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by William L Anderson
“Socialists and critics of the market claim that one of the evils of capitalism is that it promotes ‘planned obsolescence,’ which, according to the AFP news site, ‘is a widely criticized commercial practice in which manufacturers build in the expiry of their products so that consumers will be forced to replace them.’ The idea behind it is simple, logical – and mostly wrong.” (10/23/25)
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Jake Scott
“The IMF’s October 2025 update to its World Economic Outlook delivers a modest upward revision, but lurking behind this seemingly optimistic shift are deeper currents shifting global growth and capital flows. The Fund, originally forecasting in July that global growth would sit at 3% in 2025, now projects 3.2% for 2025, and 3.1% in 2026. A small upgrade on the face of it, yet it is worth remembering that the global economy exceeds $100 trillion, meaning even a fraction of a percent represents significant value. More importantly, the slight upgrade in percentage reflects two contrasting forces: the flip side of higher trade tensions under President Trump’s tariff policy, and a (perhaps temporary) surge in private-sector investment around artificial intelligence.” (10/23/25)
“The union representing Broadway’s musicians reached a tentative labor agreement with commercial producers on Thursday, averting a potentially crippling strike that would have silenced nearly two dozen musicals. The American Federation of Musicians Local 802 — which represents 1,200 musicians — had threatened to strike if they didn’t have a new contract by the morning, after going into mediation Wednesday. Early Thursday, the union said it had struck a tentative deal that includes wage increases and contribution increases to the health fund.” (10/23/25)
“President Donald Trump finds himself in the middle of two dizzying news cycles — one abroad and one back home. The White House has leveled new sanctions against Russia, with the goal of ending the war in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Trump is demolishing the East Wing of the White House to build his grandiose ballroom as he reshapes Washington in his own image. Playbook’s Jack Blanchard and White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns discuss how each of these moves underlines the extent of Trump’s unique position and power during his second presidency.” (10/23/25)
“Now that President Donald Trump is demolishing the entire East Wing of the White House – always the ugliest of the two wings, in my opinion – I hope he continues his aggressive historic de-preservation effort and launches a full-on American remodel. We’ve now learned the giant ballroom Trump is building on the White House grounds, which he promised would be near the East Wing ‘but not touching it,’ is actually going to replace the East Wing, which construction crews continued demolishing Oct. 22. It should be fully smashed to ruins by the weekend. That’s perfect, because who can afford an East AND a West Wing in this economy?” (10/23/25)
“The Club refused to serve my friend liver cooked pink, even though that is what most chefs recommend. There are quite a few examples where official food-safety regulations or government advice have conflicted with culinary preference or tradition. For decades, UK government advice (after the 1988 salmonella scare) was to fully cook eggs until both white and yolk were solid. This meant no soft-boiled eggs, hollandaise, mayonnaise made with raw yolks, etc. No dipping bread soldiers into runny egg yolks. Only after the introduction of the British Lion mark scheme in the 1990s, and updated guidance in 2017, did the FSA relax the advice for most people. … Officialdom wastes a great deal of paper and huge sums of official salaries to prevent us having our food the way we like it. I know the risks, and I don’t need prodnoses to insist on spoiling it for me.” (10/23/25)
“Nearly five centuries after King Henry VIII of England broke with the Catholic Church so he could divorce and marry again (and again and again), another divorced and remarried English king prayed with the pope on Thursday in an ecumenical service inside the Sistine Chapel. The service, conducted in the same chamber where Pope Leo XIV was recently selected as head of the Roman Catholic Church, was the first time in modern history that a pontiff and a British monarch, the nominal head of the Church of England, have publicly prayed together. The service was a sign of markedly improved relations between the Anglican and Catholic denominations as well as the eagerness of King Charles III to be viewed as an ecumenical leader.” (10/23/25)
