Author: Thomas L. Knapp

Source: The Intercept
by Alain Stephens

“The echoes of Iraq are everywhere: the moral certainty, the insistence on a narrow mission, laws stretched to accommodate force, the journalist class nudging readers toward the idea of escalation. The Times leans on that posture — the intellectual confidence that if a dictator is cruel enough, if his country is chaotic enough, then U.S. firepower is not only justified but prudent and even moral. … This is not law enforcement. It is coercive statecraft backed by military power. And when the press uncritically repeats the administration’s framing, the escalation becomes easier to swallow.” (11/18/25)

https://theintercept.com/2025/11/18/venezuela-iraq-war-new-york-times/

Source: Niskanen Center
by Cecilia Ignatio

“Immigration policy has become a critical tool for labor and economic strategy. But as governments around the world compete for valuable workplace talent, the United States has gone in the opposite direction by adding new restrictions on legal immigration for high-skilled workers, explicitly targeting the H-1B visa program through a $100,000 fee. … The administration has said the amount will encourage companies to hire American workers instead of relying on foreign talent. However, in practice, the policy has created confusion among employers regarding the extent of its implementation.” (11/18/25)

https://www.niskanencenter.org/the-global-race-for-talent

Source: Gideon’s Substack
by Noah Millman

“As some of you probably know, Pope Leo XIV spoke to group of film industry professionals this past Saturday, urging them not to give up on the movies. … Movies, the pontiff declared, are a uniquely popular art, accessible to all and yet at their best capable of sustaining long contemplation and analysis, and of touching the depths of the human soul. Unlike much of the video that clogs our screen-sodden lives these days, cinema is narrative art. It takes us on a journey and, inasmuch as life is also a journey, reminds us thereby that we are alive. … I agree!” (11/18/25)

https://gideons.substack.com/p/does-the-pope-go-to-the-movies

Source: Drop Site
by Ryan Grim and Murtaza Hussain

“With an avalanche of new documents released by the House Oversight Committee, and looming legislation mandating further disclosures, the press has renewed its relentless coverage of the life and times of Jeffrey Epstein. Yet, with some notable exceptions, a major part of his life’s work has remained outside the media’s gaze, his relationship with the state of Israel and his prominent role in helping advance the Israeli cyberweapons industry.” (11/18/25)

https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/jeffrey-epstein-ariane-de-rothschild-ehud-barak-swiss-bank-israeli-cyberweapons

Source: Reason
by Jared Dillian

“Ultra-long mortgages create the illusion of affordability but lock borrowers into decades of extra interest because leaders won’t fix the supply crunch.” (11/18/25)

https://reason.com/2025/11/18/a-50-year-mortgage-wont-make-homes-affordable/