Source: Eunomia
by Daniel Larison
“Quitting a failed war is wiser and cheaper than prolonging it. It is the war in Iran that has so destabilized and endangered other countries in the region. Ending that war won’t solve other problems in the region, but it will at least mean that the U.S. is not exacerbating them as much as it was.” (10/26/26)
https://daniellarison.substack.com/p/ending-the-war-is-the-only-sane-option
Source: New York Times
“The French government announced on Monday that it would phase out an unpopular online university admissions platform, a significant concession to high school students who have led a protest movement that has mushroomed into weeks of nationwide unrest. The measure, one of several announced by the education ministry, did not mollify the students. Leaders of high school and university student groups called on them to protest again on Oct. 31 and Nov. 5, even after meeting with Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu and hearing the proposals.” (10/26/26)
Source: Bet On It
by Bryan Caplan
“In my immigration debate last May with Garett Jones, he presented a memorable and compelling slogan, which he attributed to Papa John’s: ‘My theory of why institutions differ is called the Papa John’s theory of institutions. Better ingredients make better pizza. Choose your ingredients wisely.’ By implication, to get the best pizza, you should only choose the best ingredients. Indeed, the original draft of the Papa John’s slogan was ‘The Better the Ingredients, the Better the Pizza,’ and its founder John Schnatter once actually said, ‘We would make the best pizza with the best ingredients even though it cost us more.’ While humanitarians might demur, how could anyone disagree with this as the most prudent way to advance a nation’s welfare? My answer: Anyone who grasps Econ 1 should abjure these slogans as utter nonsense.” (10/26/26)
Source: Al Jazeera [Qatari state media]
“Voters in Israel are heading to the polls to elect 120 members of parliament, or the Knesset, in the first general vote since the October 2023 start of the genocidal war against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s Likud Party and the far-right coalition it leads are facing off against an opposition bloc that includes the Yashar party, led by former army chief Gadi Eisenkot.” (10/27/26)
Source: The Daily Economy
by Jason Sorens
“The more power presidents claim, the more responsibility they bear when things go wrong. Tariffs and the Iran War show why constitutional limits can be a political advantage.” (10/26/26)
https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/presidents-should-want-limits-on-their-power/
Source: Deutsche Welle [German state media]
“The US Justice Department has launched a third attempt to prosecute former FBI Director James Comey, accusing him of illegally disclosing national defense information in 2016. … The Justice Department filed a legal document known as a ‘criminal information’ in early October, shortly before the 10-year deadline for prosecuting the alleged offense. Unlike an indictment, a criminal information does not require approval from a grand jury or judge. Prosecutors say the filing allows them to extend the statute of limitations, which determines how long authorities have to bring criminal charges. Comey’s lawyers dispute that interpretation. They argue that federal law explicitly requires an indictment within 10 years and that the government’s filing does not meet that requirement. They have asked a judge to dismiss the case. A ruling is still pending.” (10/26/26)
https://www.dw.com/en/james-comey-usa-donald-trump/a-79771256
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
by Jacob G Hornberger
“I recently received an email asking me to sign a petition that would put ‘biblical lessons’ back in public schools. The petition was sent out by an organization named Brave for Good, whose mission is to ‘equip families with stories, experiences, and community gatherings that nurture imagination, strengthen biblical values, and help raise a generation grounded in truth, courage, and character.’ … notice what that petition purports to do: It is based on forcing parents to send their children to a state institution to receive what amounts to religious indoctrination from government officials. How in the world can such a law be reconciled with the principles of a free society? It can’t be.” (10/26/26)
https://www.fff.org/2026/10/26/christian-support-for-biblical-educational-coercion/
Source: The Hill
“Anthropic publicly filed for an initial public offering (IPO) on Monday morning in what is expected to be a historic stock market debut. The S-1 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) brings the Claude maker a step closer to becoming the first large frontier AI lab to go public. It is expected to be a major test for investors’ interest in the technology. The stock will trade under the ticker ANT on the Nasdaq exchange, according to the filing, and could happen as soon as November. The filing showed Anthropic’s revenue has drastically jumped in the past year, yet the company reported a net loss of $80.7 billion in the first half of this year. The company was valued earlier this year at $965 billion by private investors, The Associated Press reported.” (10/26/26)
https://thehill.com/policy/technology/6171816-anthropic-files-for-ai-ipo/
Source: Ron Paul Liberty Report
“Obama Comes Out Swinging On Iran.” (10/26/26)
Source: Asia Times
by Nouroz Khan Bijarani
“Eight months into the Iran war, Washington has neither broken Tehran’s resolve nor found a clear path out. The president’s own remarks point to a narrowing set of options. Trump told Time magazine he does not believe peace with Iran is ever possible, a striking admission from the leader still expected to negotiate one. … The Gulf states have reached the same conclusion. They are hedging accordingly against an American policy they no longer trust to last. The UAE joined the campaign against Iran in February, yet they opened a back channel with Iranians lately after the realization that it is better to deal directly instead of relying on the US.” (10/26/26)
https://asiatimes.com/2026/10/why-the-middle-east-is-already-waiting-out-trumps-presidency/