Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
by Jacob G Hornberger
“[W]ho has it right when it came to celebrating genuine freedom on the Fourth of July — Americans in 1875, who lived without income taxation, Social Security, Medicare, welfare, immigration controls and immigration police state, non-interventionism, a national-security state, drug war, public (i.e., government) schooling, and other statist programs — or Americans today, who live under all these statist systems?” (05/08/26)
“Consumer sentiment in the United States has hit another record low as Americans worry about the cost of life as gas prices continue to rise amid the war in Iran. A monthly University of Michigan survey found that consumer sentiment dropped 3.2% in the last month — from 49.8 to 48.2 — and was down 7.7% over the course of the year, the university’s Institute for Social Research said on Friday. Joanne Hsu, director of the university’s Surveys of Consumers, said that consumer sentiment is ‘essentially unchanged’ from April, while the current economic conditions survey dropped 9% because of high prices affecting personal finances and whether people will make major purchases.” (05/08/26)
“‘Thank God for Mississippi’ was something I heard a lot in my younger years, after moving to Arkansas. Friends from Alabama and Louisiana also know the saying well. Back then, Mississippi was ranked 50th in so many categories by which the states were measured against each other that the Magnolia State saved those inhabiting states near the bottom from occupying that un-coveted dead last place. This was still the case in 2005, when Mississippi ranked 50th in fourth-grade reading scores. In 2013, Mississippi students climbed one rung, to 49th. Then things started to change.” (05/08/26)
“Randy Barnett’s memoir of his time as a prosecutor reveals something about the relationship between theory and practice—and gratitude and cynicism.” (05/08/26)
“Australia’s One Nation party has won its first-ever lower-house seat in what is being seen as an important test for the right-wing populist party. With most ballots counted, One Nation candidate David Farley has won a two-candidate preferred vote share of 57% in Farrer, a vast regional constituency in New South Wales. Independent candidate Michelle Milthorpe is far behind. The contest was triggered by the resignation of Sussan Ley, who quit when she was ousted as leader of the opposition conservative Liberal Party. While the result will not affect the Labor government’s large majority, it is a clear sign that voters are moving away from traditional political parties in Australia.” (05/09/26)
“The Trump administration is nearing an agreement with TikTok to resolve an ongoing lawsuit over alleged child privacy violations in exchange for the social media company paying $400 million that the administration plans to use to fund President Donald Trump’s Washington, D.C., ‘beautification’ projects, sources familiar with the discussions told ABC News. … While the Department of Justice regularly reaches settlements with private companies accused of wrongdoing, the proposed TikTok settlement marks a departure from the practice of using the settlement funds to resolve the alleged wrongdoing or compensate victims.” (05/08/26)
