“The Department of Homeland Security’s decision to raid U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar’s residence is continuous with President Donald Trump’s birther politics and immigration obsessions, but it also touches on elemental constitutional issues—similar to the issues that once sparked the English Civil War. And what does it mean for the imminent U.S. elections? Samantha Hancox-Li is joined by Adam Gurri, publisher of Liberal Currents.” (10/18/26)
Source: Independent Institute
by Stephen P Halbrook
“The pattern was consistent: where the government required citizens to disarm, it supplied the protection itself. At other times, the government required citizens to arm themselves, such as in colonial times when going to church. ‘Sensitive places’ was never meant to be a blank check. … If the government takes no steps to prevent armed aggressors from entering a place, calling it a ‘sensitive’ location is meaningless and reckless joke.” (10/19/26)
“China’s economic growth accelerated to 4.5% in the third quarter from a year earlier, as robust foreign demand for the country’s technological goods largely offset drags from a deepening property slump and sluggish consumer demand. Third-quarter growth beat Reuters-polled economists’ expectation of a 4.4% expansion, and was also higher than the three-year low of 4.3% in the second quarter.” (10/19/26)
“What are we to make of Allen Ginsberg, and of Howl, on the 70th anniversary of its publication? The poem seems to belong more to popular culture than high culture, closer to Elvis or Easy Rider or ‘Like a Rolling Stone’ than Elizabeth Bishop or John Berryman. … Ginsberg’s magnum opus is brash, insistent, and unsubtle. It has never attracted the kind of critical scrutiny that other 20th-century poetry has …. Changing sexual mores have done to the Beats in this century what sniffy articles in National Review and Partisan Review failed to do in the last one: made them uncool, cringey, Bad Boyfriend Literature. … But Howl endures, and part of what keeps it alive these seven decades on is its pure musical quality. … it is perhaps the best-sounding American poem of the century.” (10/19/26)
“Elon Musk said Monday he’d give one of his shares in SpaceX to every ‘kid’ in America next year. … Per the Census Bureau, there are just over 72 million people under 18 in the U.S. If each got one SpaceX share, at Friday’s closing price of $146.03, that’d be a market value of a little over $10.5 billion. …Musk’s announcement comes one day after Anthropic said it was setting up a new public benefit fund with 5% of the company’s equity, an entity potentially worth $100 billion or more. Musk responded to Anthropic’s news by saying ‘I recommend giving the shares directly to the public,’ later adding ‘This is what I will be doing.'” (10/19/26)
“Elon Musk debuts ‘flying car’ :: ‘Irregular’: the company behind the rouge AI attacks :: Sarah in NM calls about the poor, unsalaried state reps 🙁 :: Tim in FL calls about the Jehovah’s Witnesses buying a data center :: Skeeter calls and makes false claims :: DST debate :: Houthis use Claude AI to develop missile guidance :: Tom in NH :: three reptilian beings allegedly killed near area 51 :: black market delivery for In-N-Out burger :: 2026-10-18 :: Hosts: Stu, Riley O’Bill, Rich E. Rich.” (10/18/26)
“In battleground races across the country, Republicans have lost access to one of the president’s most salient — and longstanding — campaign slogans.” (10/19/26)
