“U.S. forces are set to pull out from their last bases in Iraq by Wednesday, a departure celebrated as a victory by Iran and its allies, who now have deep influence in the country where 4,500 Americans died during more than two decades of war. Iraqi security experts say the withdrawal — agreed in 2024 under President Joe Biden and carried out by Donald Trump’s administration even as it wages war against Iran — could give Tehran and its powerful allies free rein, while also allowing other U.S. enemies to stage a comeback, including Islamic State. … While the eventual departure of U.S. forces is broadly popular among Iraqis, those who worry about the strength of the Iran-backed groups fear the withdrawal is premature.” (09/29/26)
“One iron law of current politics is that nobody who associates themselves with Donald Trump emerges with a shred of credibility. For some, that’s not a big loss — it’s not as if anyone respected Pete Hegseth even before he decided that the key to military success in an age of drones and AI was more testosterone. For others, however, the costs are real. I’m old enough to remember when Marco Rubio was widely considered a reasonable, thoughtful politician. Right now, however, my candidate for the biggest loser is Scott Bessent, the Secretary of the Treasury.” (09/29/26)
Source: Jake Porter’s Analysis & Investigations
by Jake Porter
“Rand Paul told Newsmax on September 23 that he’s considering a 2028 presidential run and will weigh the midterms before deciding. Libertarian leaning Thomas Massie’s name circulates as a potential Republican contender. And the Libertarian Party (LP), which locked in a February 2028 nominating convention in El Paso, Texas, has inadvertently built the perfect scenario for chaos. I know, because I was a delegate in 2008 when we were saved from a similar situation by having a convention in May after most of the primaries were over.” (09/29/26)
“Deposed Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embalo plans to return to the country on October 4 to run for the presidency in an election scheduled for December, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters. Embalo was toppled in a military coup last November, shortly before results from presidential and legislative elections were due to be announced. Senior army officers suspended the electoral process and installed Major-General Horta Inta-a as transitional president. … Embalo’s campaign organisation has not yet been finalised, one source close to Embalo said, adding that the military-led government had assured the former president that he is ‘welcome’ to return. A government spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.” (09/29/26)
“Eric Peters from Eric Peters Autos joins me for our weekly conversation. We talk about the upcoming midterms and explore other issues impacting our ability to live freely. It’s an exciting time to be a free-thinking individual, to put it mildly.” (09/29/26)
“With the increase in the aggregate demand, it is held,the aggregate supply will follow suit. We hold that this is questionable. One has to produce something useful first before demanding things. It is not possible to increase something out of nothing. Without an expanding subsistence fund that enables the enhancement of the infrastructure, it is not possible to increase the supply of goods and services and in turn the demand. The illusion that through the monetary pumping it is possible to keep the economy going is shattered once the subsistence fund begins to decline. Once this happens, the economy starts its downward plunge.” (09/29/26)
“No one would claim that the Iran War has been a political godsend for President Donald Trump and the Republican Party. But some Israel-First conservatives are willing to say—and lately have been incessantly saying—that the Iran War hasn’t been a political scourge. Those Israel-First conservatives are wrong, even if the devil is, at least partly, hidden in the details. The Iran War has damaged Trump’s approval ratings, consumed his presidency, and darkened the GOP’s prospects in the upcoming midterm elections.” (09/29/26)
