“Everyone is right to expect a big blue wave—maybe a tsunami—in the midterms this fall. Even with all of the gerrymandering, the odds of Democrats winning control of the House are strong. The Senate, which Republicans now control 53-47, is much closer, which makes it more likely to be the locus of a constitutional crisis. Donald Trump is a chaos agent, and his fear of impeachment and a Senate trial are making him desperate and more dangerous. He can’t cancel the midterms, but he will use the enormous powers of his office to try to invalidate the election of Democrats, even where the margins aren’t close. It’s easy to miss that a slow-motion rolling coup attempt is already underway, staged by Stephen Miller and, of course, Trump himself.” (06/19/26)
“Starmer’s growing unpopularity (he is now tied with Liz Truss for least popular prime minister ever) invited a series of challenges over the last few months, especially following a disastrous result for Labour in May’s local elections. But none of his opponents, including the ambitious health secretary Wes Streeting, managed to get sufficient backing from other Labour MPs to launch a challenge. The amateurish plotters resigned from the cabinet without drawing blood. But all along, the real threat to Starmer was far from Westminster. Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Manchester since 2017, has long been gunning for the top job.” (06/19/26)
“[W]hile the rest of the Gulf countries went one way, toward restraint and staying out of a war they were trying to end, the United Arab Emirates went another. The UAE urged the other Gulf countries to take a more aggressive posture in their defense and to join the United States. They alone said they would be willing to join a U.S.-led international effort to ‘secure navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.’ And on the very day the Gulf Cooperation Council opened its recent summit, the Emirati government announced it was leaving the Saudi-led OPEC group of oil-producing nations. But then the more sensational revelations came. In an extraordinary first, Israel sent an Iron Dome battery, interceptors, and dozens of IDF operators to the UAE, to help intercept Iranian missiles fired at the UAE.” (06/20/26)
“US-listed spot Bitcoin ETFs experienced a record outflow of $6.4 billion over the past 30 days, as Bitcoin’s price dropped by 17%. This significant withdrawal indicates a decline in institutional confidence during a period marked by heightened volatility and price pressure in the broader cryptocurrency market. With Bitcoin in the mid to low $60,000 range, the market reaction suggests that the outflow is consistent with a broader reduction in risk appetite among investors. The considerable sell-off in Bitcoin ETFs highlights the ongoing challenges within the crypto sector, as market participants adjust in response to market conditions.” (06/21/26)
“Asked about the latest Consumer Price Index report showing inflation hitting 4.2 percent, a three-year high, President Trump gave an answer that deserves to run on a loop in attack ads from now until November: ‘You know what I really love?’ he said. ‘I love the inflation.’ The war with Iran, he explained, is the only thing propping up prices, so once it ends, inflation is ‘going to come down like a rock.’ If the president genuinely loves inflation, then he is in luck, because we are about to get a great deal more of it. No peace deal can change that. The war’s inflationary effects cannot be simply switched off at a signing ceremony.” (06/20/26)
“Arguing to uphold the ban, the government had to argue that marijuana users were more dangerous than the general population. Yet as the Court pointed out, marijuana is legal in most States. And Congress has constricted Department of Justice funding for enforcement of federal marijuana laws. Moreover, the Executive branch has moved some marijuana from Schedule I (outlawed) to Schedule III (regulated). In short, Hemani rests on foundations that both originalists and a non-originalists can find compelling.” (06/19/26)
