The Fifth Column, 02/10/26
Source: The Fifth Column
“Who’s Afraid of The Big Bad Bunny? (Members Only #300).” (02/10/26)
https://www.wethefifth.com/p/whos-afraid-of-the-big-bad-bunny
Author: Thomas L. Knapp
Madagascar: Junta whines at Eswatini regime for hosting deposed politician
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
“Madagascar’s military government has criticised Eswatini for hosting ousted President Andry Rajoelina last week, describing the visit as a ‘grave infringement of its sovereignty.’ Last Friday, the Eswatini government shared photos of King Mswati III meeting Rajoelina, during which the king called on Madagascar’s military junta to restore constitutional order. In a statement, Madagascar’s military leader Col Michael Randrianirina voiced his ‘strongest condemnation’ of the visit, terming it ‘politically unacceptable.’ Rajoelina was overthrown last October by an elite military following weeks of youth-led protests in the Indian Ocean island.” (02/10/26)
The Daily Blast With Greg Sargent, 02/10/26
Source: The New Republic
“Trump’s Fury at NFL Show Spikes Amid Fresh Signs His Base Is Imploding.” (02/10/26)
https://newrepublic.com/article/206386/trump-fury-nfl-show-spikes-amid-fresh-signs-base-imploding
Will Commodity Sports Last?
Source: EconLog
by James B Bailey
“If you wanted to bet on the Super Bowl this past weekend, you had options. You may have bet with a friend. If you live in a state where it’s legal, you could have gone to a casino or used a casino’s app. Or, starting last year, you could have entered into an event contract using a Designated Contract Market regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). This is the same legal structure you would use to buy derivatives on the prices of traditional commodities like wheat, coffee, or pork bellies, now applied to trades like whether the Patriots will beat the Seahawks and what song will be played first at halftime. … As a bettor, I’m happy to see alternatives to the high-fee monopoly casino. As an economist, though, I worry.” (02/10/26)
https://www.econlib.org/econlog/will-commodifying-sports-last
Senegal: Student Dies as University Protests Over Finances Escalate
Source: US News & World Report
“A student died during protests over unpaid financial aid at Senegal’s top university in Dakar, the government said late on Monday, as weeks of unrest over delayed stipends escalated into clashes with security forces. Unverified videos showed students jumping from upper floors of a burning campus building. The government said the circumstances of the death of Abdoulaye Ba, a second-year dental surgery student at Cheikh Anta Diop University, remain under investigation. The protests reflect mounting pressure from Senegal’s worsening public finances. The administration that took office in April 2024 is grappling with a $13 billion budget hole, one of Africa’s most severe hidden debt crises, and growing public dissatisfaction as bills go unpaid. Demonstrations on campus since early December have descended into confrontations between rock-throwing students and security forces.” (02/10/26)
The Brian Hyde Show, 02/10/26
Source: The Brian Hyde Show
“It’s my weekly visit with fellow freedom aficionado Eric Peters from Eric Peters Autos. Our crazy world has many angles to cover and we do our best to makes sense of it all.” (02/10/26)
Trump is making voters uneasy. Democrats are pushing them away.
Source: Washington Post
by Veronique de Rugy
“After President Donald Trump’s first year back in office — marked by battered institutions, executive overreach and contempt for basic constraints on presidential power — Democrats would be wise to unify around an alternative message rooted in competence, restraint, affordability and institutional repair. There is no shortage of voters uneasy with Trump’s behavior and eager for a credible counterweight. And yet, the party’s loudest message is an aggressive push for confiscation camouflaged by the rhetoric of moral clarity and fiscal responsibility. Democrats may have something to offer to voters caught in the middle, but how many will notice with large states like New York, Virginia and California pushing to punish the wealthy?” (02/10/26)
The Headlines, 02/10/26
Source: New York Times
“Ghislaine Maxwell Refuses to Answer Questions, and Texas Republicans Increase Anti-Muslim Rhetoric.” (02/10/26)
The Delusions and Dangers of the New Mercantilism
Source: Cobden Centre
by Dr. Richard M Ebeling
“Tariffs and other trade barriers hampered the free flow of goods and services and investments across political boundary lines around the world after 1945. However, they almost seem mild and ‘enlightened’ compared to the current crop of protectionist weeds and their policy effects, particularly over the past year during Donald Trump’s second presidency. With autocratic caprice, arrogance, crudeness, and rudeness, Trump has assumed the powers of a near absolute monarch to decide when, why, and against whom he will arbitrarily raise and lower and raise again tariffs on the importation of goods into the United States from all the other countries on the planet.” (02/10/26)
https://www.cobdencentre.org/2026/02/the-delusions-and-dangers-of-the-new-mercantilism/
US FDA moves to ban food additive BHA
Source: NBC News
The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday took steps toward banning BHA, a food additive used in processed foods such as meats and bread. BHA, or butylated hydroxyanisole, has been used in the food supply for decades. The FDA first listed it as ‘generally recognized as safe’ in 1958 and approved it as a food additive in 1961. It’s used to prevent fats and oils in food from spoiling and can show up in products such as frozen meals, breakfast cereals, cookies, ice cream and some meat products. The agency said it’s launching a new safety review of the chemical, pointing to long-standing concerns that the food additive might cause cancer in humans.” (02/10/26)