“Labour is to stop cooperating with the Green party in 11 councils across England following an ultimatum for Greens in local government to disown a new policy stating that ‘Zionism is racism’. A statement from Labour said coalitions or other deals with Greens would stop in all local authorities where they had refused to condemn the policy motion passed at their party conference last month, which also called for a single Palestinian state in place of Israel.” (11/02/26)
“2026 will be the most expensive midterm election ever, with nearly $11 billion spent just on political advertising. Americans don’t like the scale of the spending and fear that big-money contributors will buy elections or legislation. Notwithstanding these concerns, campaign finance reformers have been unable to stem the flow of lucre into our politics, especially with courts repeatedly siding with the campaign spenders. But perhaps we are focused on the wrong harms from money in politics and, as a result, losing sight of the reforms that can really make a difference. ” (11/02/26)
“On a cursory glance, the latest controversy over French soccer star Kylian Mbappé’s remark about Mao Zedong, and the string of obsequious apologies that followed it, might seem like just that: an ideological controversy, a fight over claims of offensive speech, or an absurd blip in the endless string of culture wars. But treating this as another eye-roll-inducing dustup would be a mistake. That’s because the fallout from Mbappé’s mild comment offers an insightful window into one of the most effective and widespread censorship campaigns today: the pervasive influence over how anyone, anywhere talks about China’s sensitive political issues. Authoritarians control how they are spoken about in life. And, apparently, even in death.” (11/02/26)
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
by Jacob G Hornberger
“I have the utmost respect for law professor Jonathan Turley. My admiration for him is reflected by the fact that he has been a speaker at at least two Future of Freedom Foundation conferences. However, I completely disagree with his critique of the concept of jury nullification, which he presented in an article this week entitled, ‘You Have This Superpower,’ which appeared on Turley’s website Res Ipsa Loquitur. Turley maintains that jury nullification constitutes an ‘assault on the integrity of our courts … a direct assault on the very foundation of the American court system.’ Nothing could be further from the truth. In actuality, as the British people and our American ancestors understood so well, jury nullification, which is an inherent part of the jury system, is a protection against the tyranny of one’s own government.” (11/02/26)
“Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SPCX, Financials), the rocket and satellite business, is apparently in discussions to purchase Boost Mobile from EchoStar or have access to its wireless network.The talks are part of SpaceX’s drive to build out a wider mobile service through Starlink Mobile. A partnership may offer SpaceX access to terrestrial infrastructure that complements its satellite constellation, creating a hybrid network that can compete more directly with AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile.Today, Boost Mobile has a network agreement with AT&T and T-Mobile, which might be a valuable stepping stone for SpaceX as it grows beyond satellite communication.” (11/02/26)
“My own hopes for what Democrats will (and will not) do after Tuesday undoubtedly differ greatly from those of most progressives—who, it should be noted, have not ‘taken over’ the party nearly as much as alarming narratives on the right suggest. But on the election itself, I join both progressives and liberals in wishing for a decisive result. I’m glad to note that some very strong critics of the left share that wish as well—from Andrew Sullivan (‘vote for anyone other than a Republican. … We need to send a deafening message’) to Peggy Noonan (‘Let it be a clear and obvious rebuke—a rejection, a rebellion, a rout’).” (11/02/26)
“How do we know how much a nation values athleticism? Spectacle? Hate for the college down the road and its insufferable student body? For the free-marketeer, the answer might be ‘profit.’ Whatever universities can charge for tickets, broadcast rights, merchandise, stadium beer, and more, balanced by what athletes are willing to play for and fans to pay, yields what college sports is worth. But college athletics might involve goods that transcend profit and loss: thrill of victory and agony of defeat, ‘nonrevenue’ sports we often overlook but love during the Olympics, amateurism, and more. We are also far from a free market in college sports because government is deeply involved, including through state universities and antitrust law.” (11/02/26)
