Source: The New Republic
“A Dem Senator’s Harsh Takedown of Trump Hits Home: ‘Breaking Point.'” (01/27/26)
https://newrepublic.com/article/205723/dem-senator-harsh-new-takedown-trump-hits-home-breaking-point
Source: Niskanen Center
by Neil Miller
“Where should you look for concrete boats? At the bottom of Olympic-sized rule pools. If you’d like to check out the rule pool for yourself, dive into the Department of Veterans Affairs’ recent request for proposals for a software system to send text messages. After two paragraphs of background, a potential vendor gets a handy list of 88 ‘Applicable Documents’ that they must comply with. This includes, in its entirety, The Privacy Act of 1974; six separate policy documents about ID badges; and a 2001 executive order titled Energy Efficient Standby Power Devices.” (01/27/26)
Source: Independent Institute
by Stephen P Halbrook
“In a recent article in Scotusblog.com, Akhil and Vikram Amar attempt to answer four concerns raised in the Justices’ questioning in oral argument in Wolford v. Lopez. However, at each turn in their defense of the Hawaii law, their answers fall flat. First, the Amars address the concern that Hawaii treats the Second Amendment as a second-class right. The Justices probed Neal Katyal’s position, questioning whether the government could presumptively ban speech on private property without the property owner’s express approval. The Amars respond that the First and Second Amendments are simply different. They state that violent felons may be stripped of Second Amendment rights, but they retain their First Amendment rights. But this answer ignores the fact that after Bruen, any difference between the First and Second Amendments must be rooted in history. While disarming violent felons may have that pedigree, Hawaii’s law does not.” (01/26/26)
https://www.independent.org/article/2026/01/26/four-points-wolford-argument/
Source: Freedom’s Phoenix
“Doug Casey (International Man) on economic and market conditions, precious metals, silver and gold skyrocket, world news, predictions, etc.” (01/27/26)
Source: New York Post
“Asian countries are on high alert after cases of the deadly Nipah virus were detected in West Bengal, India. The zoonotic virus can spread between animals and people, mostly fruit bats and pigs, with mild to severe symptoms from fevers to brain infection and death, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Five people have contracted the Nipah virus, the Thai government confirmed. … Countries in the region have been put on alert, with health officials implementing tracking and prevention rules similar to those implemented during the COVID pandemic.” (01/26/26)
Source: The Corbett Report
“Starving the Data Centre Beast.” (01/27/26)
Source: France 24 [French state media]
“A French court Tuesday found a former senator guilty of drugging a woman lawmaker with ecstasy with intent to sexually assault her, and sentenced him to four years in prison, of which 18 months must be behind bars. The high-profile trial of former senator Joel Guerriau comes months after France was stunned by a case that saw Frenchman Dominique Pelicot jailed for 20 years for repeatedly drugging his then-wife so he and dozens of strangers could rape her. Guerriau, 68, has been on trial since Monday for allegedly using a synthetic drug known as MDMA or ecstasy to spike a glass of champagne that National Assembly MP Sandrine Josso was drinking in November 2023.” (01/27/26)
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Wenjing Wang
“While China tends to act assertively in what it regards as core sovereignty and security issues, including Taiwan and the South China Sea, it has reasons to be more reserved on issues beyond Asia. On the one hand, China’s reservation could be attributed to the simple fact that it has few benefits to gain from intervening, despite having signed strategic partnerships with countries like Venezuela and Iran. … And, besides its economic strength and so-called grey zone tactics, China does not possess military parity with the United States, ruling out the option of military operations to police the world. China neither wants to, nor can, take a greater responsibility for issues beyond its interests.” (01/27/26)
Source: New York Post
“A Los Angeles homeowner opened fire on a pair of burglars as they were trying to break into the resident’s $2.4 million home overnight, leaving a 16-year-old suspect injured. The shooting happened at the Laurelcrest Drive home in Studio City around 4 a.m. Tuesday, when the suspects allegedly forced their way into the home – but were met by the gun-toting owner, NBC Los Angeles reported. The Los Angeles Police Department told the outlet that one of the suspects was shot at before both fled in a black Chevy Traverse. Police said that a vehicle matching the suspects’ description dropped off a 16-year-old with gunshot wounds at a hospital. It remains unknown if the homeowner will face any charges for discharging the weapon.” (01/27/26)
https://nypost.com/2026/01/27/us-news/homeowner-shoots-teen-burglary-suspect-at-luxury-la-home/
Source: Common Dreams
by Les Leopold
“There’s a fable about how Bear Bryant, the legendary coach of the University of Alabama, found the toughest players. He would, supposedly, drive through dusty Alabama towns with a dead dog tied behind his car. He’d then stop his car where the high school boys hung out and wait. The kid who came over and kicked that dead dog would get a scholarship. JD Vance aspires to be the captain of the MAGA team when Trump moves on. The way to get there, he seems to believe, is to kick the dog, whichever one is most helpless (and not being eaten by Haitians), and show that he’s even meaner than Trump.” (01/26/26)
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/cruella-de-vance-dog-kicker