Author: Thomas L. Knapp

Source: Drop Site
by Ryan Grim & Murtaza Hussain

“Since Jeffrey Epstein’s second arrest in 2019, the Clintons have spent considerable effort distancing themselves from the enigmatic financier, and they are currently fending off House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, who threatened contempt proceedings after the political power couple refused to testify this week regarding their relationship to Epstein. … Yet as Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign ramped up, it was Epstein looking to duck the Clintons. Epstein was facing increasingly dire legal consequences in South Florida, stemming from his years-long sexual exploitation of young women and girls. The glare of a presidential campaign risked unraveling what Epstein and his friend and ally Ghislaine Maxwell had so effectively constructed over the years, as they were increasingly associated with the spectacle of ‘Clintonworld.'” (12/19/25)

https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/jeffrey-epstein-hillary-bill-clinton-ghislaine-maxwell

Source: Persuasion
by Sam Kahn

“On the decline of America’s premier magazine.” (12/19/25)

https://www.persuasion.community/p/how-the-new-yorker-lost-its-soul

Source: Washington Post
by Keith B Richburg

“Signing a ceasefire deal before the cameras is usually just the beginning. Changing the realities on the ground — and getting combatants to lay down their weapons — requires a more sustained level of follow-through and commitment. It’s a lesson to keep in mind as Trump aims for what would be the grandest peace deal of all: an agreement between Russia and Ukraine to end the war about to enter its fourth bloody year. The Ukraine war is itself the product of entering into flimsy peace agreements and not following through.” (12/19/25)

https://archive.is/UJcfQ

Source: Independent Institute
by Matthew B Crawford

“However, the ownership of Warner Bros. shakes out, it is worth thinking about the intuitions that caused people in the film and television business to freak out about the prospect of Netflix taking over a major studio. Last Thursday, a group of top film producers and other industry players sent a joint letter to congressional representatives, urging them to block the deal. It was published anonymously for fear of retaliation by Netflix and expressed skepticism that films produced under Netflix would continue to be released in theatres, despite Netflix’s assurances. The film industry group pointed out that Netflix’s incentives are such that they do not want people sitting in theatres, as this represents time not spent on the platform. The industry letter suggests the whole ecosystem of Hollywood would be put at risk with this deal, and the survival of an art form would be put in doubt.” (12/19/25)

https://www.independent.org/article/2025/12/19/netflixs-ownership-warner-bros-filmmaking-incentives/

Source: The Daily Economy
by Peter C Earle

“Eye-catching statistics about executive compensation tell us nothing about fairness, and distract from the real drivers of wage growth and worker prosperity.” (12/19/25)

https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/stop-fixating-on-ceo-pay-ratios-and-start-fixing-labor-markets/

Source: Show-Me Institute
by Elias Tsapelas

“Over the past several months, I’ve written about the many changes coming to Missouri’s welfare programs as a result of the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB). One of the most impactful changes involves the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). In short, if Missouri doesn’t get its SNAP payment error rate below 6%, state taxpayers will start paying for a portion of the program’s benefit costs (the federal government currently covers 100% of benefits), which could potentially increase the state taxpayer cost to $400 million per year. A similar change is coming to Medicaid.” (12/19/25)

https://showmeinstitute.org/blog/health-care/medicaids-wake-up-call/