“New York’s attorney general sued Coinbase Financial Markets and Gemini Titan on Tuesday, claiming their prediction markets violate state laws against illegal gambling. In complaints filed in a state court in Manhattan, Attorney General Letitia James said Coinbase and Gemini failed to obtain New York State Gaming Commission licenses to operate their markets, where people trade based on the predicted outcomes of events such as sports and elections. James said Coinbase’s and Gemini’s so-called event contracts are ‘quintessentially gambling’ because event outcomes are outside bettors’ control or amount to games of chance. She also objected to Coinbase and Gemini letting 18- to 20-year-olds use their platforms, despite a state law setting a minimum age of 21 for mobile sports betting.” (04/21/26)
“Robby Soave gives his radar on Amir Makled, a progressive who’s been accused of antisemitism, winning an election to be on the University of Michigan’s Board of Regents.” (04/21/26)
Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Marcos Giansante
“In well-ordered legal traditions, disagreement about outcomes is expected. Disagreement about methods is tolerable. But the abandonment of method altogether marks a deeper rupture, one that transforms law from a system of constraint into an instrument of will. Contemporary Brazilian jurisprudence increasingly reveals such a rupture. The problem is often framed as a conflict between legal theories, or as the natural evolution of constitutional interpretation. Yet this framing misidentifies the phenomenon. What is at stake is not the triumph of one doctrine over another, but the quiet dissolution of the very structures that once constrained judicial power.” (04/21/26)
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Rachel Chiu
“The Confrontation Clause bars certain out-of-court statements when the witness does not testify at trial and there is no opportunity for cross-examination. Although there are many situations in which different forms of out-of-court statements may be admissible, the circumstances triggering the Confrontation Clause often involve evidence that is high-stakes and accusatory. In these specific cases, a defendant’s freedom is on the line, and the statements in question can have a disproportionate and decisive impact in the absence of cross-examination. Compared to other criminal justice topics such as qualified immunity and civil asset forfeiture, this issue receives far less attention, even though the risk to a defendant’s life, personal liberty, and property is great. The erosion of the Confrontation Clause deserves scrutiny, and the Supreme Court has recently signaled possible intervention to address the problem.” (04/21/26)
“The Iranian analyst Hassan Ahmadian speaks with Jeremy Scahill about Iran’s strategy, a potential deal, and how decisions are being made in Tehran.” (04/21/26)
Source: The American Spectator
by Lloyd Billingsley
“With support from President Trump, Congress passed a bill to extend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) through April 30. The president seems to have forgotten FISA’s power to harm innocents, override the judiciary, and even threaten the executive branch. That invites a look back at how it all started.” (04/21/26)
“Nigerian authorities have charged six people, including a retired major general and a serving police inspector, with terrorism and treason, over an alleged plot to overthrow President Bola Tinubu, according to a charge sheet seen by The Associated Press on Tuesday. The six were all in custody. A seventh suspect, former Bayelsa state Gov. Timpre Sylva, is accused of helping to conceal the plot and is still at large. … The Nigerian government first said it had foiled a coup attempt in January, when it announced that several military officers would stand trial.” (04/21/26)
