Author: Thomas L. Knapp

When Businesspeople Run Government, the Government Doesn’t Become a Business

Source: Reason
by Veronique de Rugy

“Central planning from Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, President Donald Trump, and others reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of what makes private markets work.” (05/14/26)

https://reason.com/2026/05/14/when-businesspeople-run-government-the-government-doesnt-become-a-business/

Thomas L. Knapp

Federal judge blocks US sanctions against UN rapporteur Francesca Albanese

Source: Al Jazeera [Qatari state media]

“A federal judge has temporarily ⁠blocked United States sanctions against Francesca Albanese, a United Nations expert on the occupied Palestinian territory. UN Human Rights Council Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese was sanctioned in July 2025 after she publicly criticised Washington’s policy on Israel’s genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza. Albanese’s husband and daughter filed a lawsuit in February against the Trump administration over the sanctions. It argued that the sanctions were an effort to punish Albanese for bringing attention to Israel’s rights abuses against Palestinians. In his court order on Wednesday, US ⁠District Judge Richard Leon granted a preliminary injunction against the sanctions. He found that the Trump administration sought to regulate ‌her speech because of the ‘idea or message expressed.'” (05/14/26)

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/5/14/federal-judge-blocks-us-sanctions-against-un-rapporteur-francesca-albanese

Thomas L. Knapp

Return of the Next Pandemic Script

Source: Brownstone Institute
by Yaffa Shir-Raz

“On the surface, an international cruise ship experiencing serious illnesses and deaths during a voyage would seem destined to become an immediate global news story. But that did not happen. Only weeks later, on May 1, the story suddenly received intense international coverage. Within a short time, headlines around the world warned of a ‘plague ship’ at sea, passengers from 23 countries under monitoring, quarantine measures, and fears of human-to-human transmission. After the Covid years, and the way the crisis unfolded in early 2020, the sense of déjà vu was almost unavoidable. … This time, the timing is particularly striking. On May 1, three days before the MV Hondius story received widespread international media attention, the World Health Organization announced yet another one-year delay in negotiations over the PABS annex of the Pandemic Agreement.” (05/14/26)

https://brownstone.org/articles/return-of-the-next-pandemic-script/

Thomas L. Knapp

Honda records its first-ever annual loss on a costly EV strategy

Source: Seattle Times

“Honda racked up a 423.9 billion yen ($2.7 billion) loss Thursday, the first-ever full year loss for the Japanese automaker, acknowledging heavy costs for its electric-vehicle plans, stemming from President Donald Trump’s pro-U.S. [sic] policies. The Japanese automaker said losses related to its EV operations are estimated to total 2.5 trillion yen ($16 billion), incurred mostly in the fiscal year just ended and the current fiscal year. Analysts say Honda Motor Co. might have been too ambitious too fast, when many markets weren’t ready. As a result, Honda abandoned many of its plans for EV models, including those in the works in a joint venture with Sony Corp.” (05/14/26)

https://archive.is/G1rl7

Thomas L. Knapp