“I could defend open borders by appealing to economics, pointing to trillion dollar bills on the sidewalk. We need immigrants to fill jobs native-born Americans cannot or will no longer perform. Or I could talk about how immigrants contribute to economic growth and contribute more over time to the public fisc than they take out. I could fixate on the terrible plight of refugees, and how it’s a humanitarian imperative to take in the needy stranger. … These are all true, and they are solid reasons to favor liberal immigration. But for my part, we should welcome the foreigner, and embrace them as a friend and potential American for the simple reason that migration is the pursuit of freedom and happiness by one’s own lights.” (02/11/26)
“Hiring grew a little warmer last month after a chilly year in 2025. A report from the Labor Department on Wednesday showed U.S. employers added a better-than-expected 130,000 jobs in January — but an annual update shows hiring last year was much weaker than initially reported. The news comes amid worries that the nation’s jobs engine has been sputtering. Employment gains for November and December were revised down by a total of 17,000 jobs. Once a year, the Labor Department updates its jobs tally with more accurate but less timely information drawn from unemployment tax records. Wednesday’s revision shows there were nearly 900,000 fewer jobs in the economy last March than originally counted.” (02/11/26)
“If you believe the best solution to any problem, real or imagined, is to give government more control, you’re off base. The government-created issue of ‘immigration’ illustrates this perfectly. … Typically, you have people on one side who want government to ignore the Constitution and ‘control immigration’ pitted against people on the other side who want government to import every basket case from every third-world country, and then support them for the rest of their lives on tax money stolen from the productive residents. I want government out of the game altogether. Live where you want; make it on your own.” (02/11/26)
“President Donald Trump’s call to nationalize elections ahead of November has rightfully garnered plenty of opposition from Democrats, with many sounding the alarm for an authoritarian plot aimed at artificially boosting Republicans’ prospects. Democrats are rightly concerned with the federal government administering elections, which are a constitutional responsibility of the states. Thankfully, it won’t likely happen, but the response reveals something about this debate. Trump has wreaked havoc on the separation of powers and abused the power of his office. This is exacerbated by an increasingly powerful federal government and presidency. So I want to ask Democrats, progressives and anyone else to my left who have criticized the conservative views of limited government, federalism and separation of powers for years: Are you convinced yet?” (02/11/26)
“Pope Leo XIV has sent 80 generators and medical supplies to Ukraine to support the country’s civilians as its war against Russia and cold winter weather continue. The aid comes as bishops talked about how Russia’s attacks have put a strain on the country’s energy infrastructure. The deliveries came Monday to the cities of Kyiv and Fastiv, which have seen the brunt of the war. Medical supplies, including thousands of antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, supplements and melatonin, also followed. According to local outlet Kyiv Independent, Vatican officials said melatonin was in high demand because Ukrainians have struggled with sleep deprivation.” (02/11/26)
Source: The Hill
by Kim A Snyder & Audrey Wilson-Youngblood
“Political strategists and commentators are looking at Democrat Taylor Rehmet’s stunning special election victory in Texas state Senate District 9 to forecast electoral shifts ahead of 2026’s midterms. But those trying to understand this election’s surprise outcome also need to consider the local politics at play. Rehmet’s opponent was Republican Leigh Wambsganss, chief communications officer of conservative media company Patriot Mobile. She has been a primary architect behind the movement to populate North Texas school boards with candidates willing to orchestrate an extreme, right-wing takeover of public schools. These school board takeovers resulted in unprecedented book bans and attacks on residents’ right to read.” (02/11/26)
“JVL, Sarah Longwell, and Tim Miller relish Trump’s losing streak—from +6 approval to –14 — and why slipping GOP support could signal a Bush-style collapse. They also get into inflation backlash, the White House’s ‘Don’t Be a Panican’ spin, and the early cracks forming inside MAGA. Is this the start of a 2006-level wave?” (02/10/26)
“Russia will continue to observe the limits set under the recently-expired New START nuclear arms reduction treaty if the United States does the same, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Wednesday. … The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) was signed in 2010 between the U.S. and Russia. It limited the number of strategic nuclear warheads that both countries could have deployed to 1,550, and included verification measures such as on-site inspections and data exchanges designed to ensure compliance. The pact was originally set to expire in February 2021, but it was extended for five years by former President Joe Biden, keeping it in force until February 2026.” (02/11/26)
