“On April 30, 2026, Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse and Jack Reed (D-R.I.) entered a statement into the Congressional Record by 36 physicians — including neurologists, psychiatrists, and specialists in cognitive disorders from Harvard, Tufts, Columbia, and George Washington University. These doctors warned of President Trump’s ‘rapidly worsening, reality-untethered, increasingly dangerous decline.’ They called him ‘mentally unfit’ and said he must be removed ‘with the greatest urgency,’ citing his ‘grandiose and delusional beliefs,’ ‘reckless threats of violence,’ ‘seemingly compulsive, manic-like late-night communications,’ and ‘fixation on perceived enemies.’ Citing his access to nuclear codes, they called for use of the 25th Amendment. But the chances now seem more remote than ever. Unlike during Trump’s first term, when the possibility of invoking the Constitution’s 25th Amendment was at least openly debated, no one in Trump’s close orbit will now speak truth to power.” (06/10/26)
“Hollywood directors on Tuesday reached a four-year tentative contract agreement with studios and streaming services. The deal struck between the Directors Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers came four weeks after talks began. The talks were the first under new DGA President Christopher Nolan, who took the job in September. Along with similar four-year deals — longer than the industry three — ratified in recent weeks by unions representing writers and actors, the DGA agreement adds to the likelihood of long-term labor peace despite many other industry upheavals. The collective bargaining agreement must still be approved by the guild’s national board, and no details on the terms will be released until then, the DGA said in a statement. It then must be ratified by the guild membership.” (06/10/26)
“To address our civic disintegration, we must reprioritize a civics of reflective patriotism: grateful for America, while perpetually questioning and arguing.” (06/10/26)
“India has summoned a senior US diplomat after US forces fired on a Palau-flagged vessel with 24 Indian sailors on board off the coast of Oman, leaving three Indian seafarers missing. India’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed to Al Jazeera on Wednesday that it had summoned Jason Meeks, the US Embassy’s deputy chief of mission in New Delhi. The US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) said it carried out a ‘precision’ strike on a vessel, the Settebello, as it transited the Gulf of Oman transporting Iranian oil on Tuesday evening, claiming the crew failed to comply with instructions from US forces.” (06/10/26)
Source: ProSocial Libertarians
by Andrew Jason Cohen
“I’ve been thinking a lot about the definition and telos of the university so thought I’d think a bit about what universities are like now. Perhaps this will help those who are not in universities to understand what they are. Perhaps others will offer me different views regarding how they are now (and how they should be). I will call universities as they are ETCUs — Early 21st Century Universities. In part, that’s unfair. Universities didn’t suddenly become something new in 2000 or 2001. I’d say universities were already on a downward path in the 1980s; I suspect it goes back further.” (06/10/26)
“The Trump administration’s export controls, sanctions and tariffs are hurting American firms in China without achieving their policy goals of blocking critical technology or reviving US manufacturing, according to a new business survey. … The report said that nearly half of the 175 respondents to the survey were affected by US export controls and sanctions, with around 61 per cent of those firms losing sales to Chinese competitors – a rise of five percentage points from 2025. Over 72 per cent of the surveyed companies were also hit by the tit-for-tat tariffs unleashed by both countries, with close to 40 per cent of the affected businesses losing sales as a result of the US duties. The report said that these losses had not forced American companies to onshore manufacturing – only 14 per cent of respondents expanded production at home while 36 per cent increased production in third countries.” (06/10/26)
“Why couldn’t Steyer pull this off? What did his 12 years as a ‘donor-doer’ leave behind for his party? Quite a lot, mostly related to the ballot measures he funded before getting more tied to national politics. But as he grew more ambitious, Steyer embodied the Democratic Party’s problems.” (06/10/26)
