“Graham Platner seems not to like taking no for an answer. The head of the Maine Democratic Party accused the embattled Senate candidate and alleged rapist late Tuesday of trying to put his ‘thumb on the scale’ as the party scrambles to find a replacement ahead of the November election. … ‘We have repeatedly reiterated to Graham Platner’s team that they have no role in determining our next Democratic nominee for the US Senate, nor in determining what this process looks like,’ [MDP Executive Director Devon Murphy-Anderson said]. ‘We have also reiterated that Graham Platner must drop out of this race, so that Democrats in Maine can focus on defeating Susan Collins this November. ‘We look forward to making this process public as soon as Graham Platner formally withdraws from this race.'” (07/08/26)
“The phrase’s apparent origins in Nazi Germany—and its grim use during the 1930s and 1940s—highlight a basic truth: prioritizing guns over butter ultimately imposes the cost of lower living standards on ordinary citizens.” (07/08/26)
“A year since the dust settled on the Singapore general election, leadership resignations in two small opposition parties signal a period of post-poll recalibration after disappointing results. The once-promising Progress Singapore Party (PSP), led by ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) defector Tan Cheng Bock, was dealt an ‘existential blow’ on Monday, analysts say, following the resignations of two central executive committee members. … Also on Monday, People’s Power Party (PPP) announced its secretary general, Goh Meng Seng, had been replaced by William Lim Lian Chin. Goh had said he would step down after his team’s dismal showing in the four-way contest in the Tampines constituency.” (07/08/26)
“An appeals court on Wednesday denied President Trump’s bid to pause the removal of his name from the Kennedy Center while he challenges a lower court ruling. A three-judge panel determined the administration’s lawyers did not prove the president or the performing arts center would suffer irreparable harm if his name was removed from the venue as ordered. … Judge Gregory Katsas, a Trump appointee, and Judges Patricia Millett and Robert Wilkins, both Obama appointees, denied the Trump administration’s motion for a stay pending appeal.” (07/08/26)
“Last week, far-left Democrat Melat Kiros won her Denver, Colorado, U.S. House primary against 15-term incumbent Rep. Diana DeGette, making the 29-year-old the latest in a slew of democratic socialists to have defeated establishment Democrats in this midterm election cycle. … Kiros in particular has come under fire, particularly from some conservatives, for depicting Islamic terrorism as blowback from American and Israeli policies. … The neocons used to insinuate the same about Pat Buchanan, a cofounder of this magazine, because he too explained terrorist attacks by reference to U.S. and Israeli policies.” (07/08/26)
“Restrictive patent eligibility has pushed investment in key technologies overseas, weakening one of America’s historic competitive advantages. Congress can still reverse course.” (07/08/26)
“Nigeria’s president has ordered a corruption investigation into allegations that a fictitious government agency was set up within his own office, complete with public funding worth $950,000 (£700,000). According to the presidency, the letter from the president’s chief of staff creating the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) had been forged. The police have launched a manhunt for Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, who had been presenting himself as the ‘PFIPC director general’, on suspicion of forgery, impersonation and related offences. Before going into hiding, Adeyemi told local media that he was innocent and now feared for his life. He also promised to show up in court to clear his name, saying the body was lawfully established. He accused senior government officials of demanding bribes during the process of his appointment and later attempting to take control of the council’s funds.” (07/08/26)
Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Connor O’Keeffe
“Despite the surface-level rhetoric used by all sides, the growing popularity of ‘socialism’ or ‘populism’ is primarily a non-ideological phenomenon. That becomes obvious if we look back in time. Because there was a period in the early twentieth century when the intellectual battle between advocates of socialism and capitalism was as rigorous and intellectual as many like to pretend it still is.” (07/08/26)
