“A federal judge issued an order late Tuesday blocking the Trump administration from banning CNN, Politico and MS NOW from the White House complex while the organizations’ lawsuit over access proceeds. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly of Washington, D.C., issued the preliminary injunction in the wake of a hearing Thursday at which the administration contended it imposed the ban in part because of national security concerns; media organizations said it was because of ‘viewpoint discrimination.’ Kelly sided with the news outlets, noting that Trump used national security as a reason for the ban after their press passes had already been revoked and ruling that it also likely violated reporters’ freedom of speech and due process rights.” (10/14/26)
“The other day, my wife made me a sandwich, and I ate it. Who benefitted from this transaction? I enjoyed the good, but my wife did all the work. I like to think I benefitted from the transaction. It’s in the enjoyment of a good that’s the benefit of the good. The labor in creating the good is necessary, and often troublesome, but it’s not the benefit of the good. But President Donald Trump and defenders of economic protectionism who despise trade deficits think my wife cheated me because she had the privilege of doing all the work. Or, at least that’s the implication protectionists make in their public pronouncements on U.S. trade policy with the world. I now have a sandwich trade deficit with my wife, according to them.” (10/13/26)
Source: Chris’s Substack
by Chris Matthew Sciabarra
“Since having published my essay on how ‘The Russian Radical Eludes Ayn Rand’s Critics,’ I have been catching up on several shows. I am just getting to Season 13 of ‘American Horror Story: 13.’ … The writers of [episode 4] are Ned Martel and Charlie Carver. They are not just mocking criminality here; they are satirizing several polarizing, controversial women. Among ‘Mr. Nas’s favorite bad girls’—those ‘taken before they could reach their full potential’—are such luminaries as Eva Braun, Wallis Simpson, Brigitte Badot, Catherine the Great, Mamie Eisenhower, Elena Ceaușescu, Margaret Thatcher, and … you guessed it, Ayn Rand (portrayed by Mary Bacon). Mars describes her as a ‘selfish writer and welfare queen,’ before the ‘frightened’ Rand goes toppling into the fires of Hell.” (10/13/26)
“President Donald Trump’s ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle, resigned on Tuesday after allegations of improper conduct but insisted she’ll ‘vigorously defend’ herself. Trump’s administration said earlier Tuesday it had asked Guilfoyle to leave her post after she faced severe criticism over allegations she engaged in improper and possibly illegal conduct before and during her tenure in Athens. … In a series of stories dating to late last month, The Wall Street Journal has reported questionable conduct by Guilfoyle, including an alleged threat to a host country official, accepting improper gifts and services and offering to use her influence inside the Republican administration in return for the payment of a large credit card bill.” (10/13/26)
“While there is much noise on the Right about the danger of socialism – and it should not be discounted – what is not discussed enough is the ‘socialism’ for the rich and well-connected. One word for this is ‘corporatism.’ It is the merger – even if temporary – of state power with ‘private’ interests. Rich Greek businessmen are not lavishing gifts on Ambassador Guilfoyle because she is a nice person. They are looking for favors that only those holding the levers of political power can grant. … Corrupt officials abuse their positions because the government is so enormous and invasive that there are endless opportunities for graft and grift.” (10/13/26)
“Argentina asked the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea on Tuesday to order Britain to halt the Sea Lion oil project near the Falkland Islands, two weeks after President Javier Milei’s government gave London a deadline to stop the activities. The project, led by Britain’s Rockhopper Exploration and Israel’s Navitas Petroleum, is located in the North Falkland Basin. Argentina claims rights to the area’s natural resources as part of its longstanding sovereignty dispute with Britain over the islands, which are administered by Britain and known in Argentina as the Malvinas.” (10/13/26)
“The latest example of Flock’s censorial methods occurred last month when it targeted Joshua Michael, a cybersecurity researcher who founded Nexanet, with a trademark complaint and a cease-and-desist letter. In November 2025, Michael discovered a vulnerability in Flock’s website that he says allowed him to retrieve extensive information about the company’s nationwide surveillance network without detection. After discovering the flaw, Michael reported it to Flock, telling the company the data was publicly available and could be found without any hacking. A few days later, after Michael followed up twice, Flock responded: ‘Thank you for the findings. We are internally triaging them and will reach back out with next steps soon.’ Michael never heard from Flock again until he made his findings known. On Sept. 23, Michael published the Flock Surveillance Map. … On Sept. 24, Doppel, Flock’s brand protection vendor, requested ‘the immediate removal’ of Michael’s ‘infringing site.'” (10/13/26)
“The French navy boarded a vessel suspected of illegally smuggling oil in an operation off the Indian Ocean island of La Réunion, President Emmanuel Macron said Monday, October 12. Macron vowed no let-up in the struggle against the ‘shadow fleet’ – a term used for the clandestine network of ships used by Russia to circumvent Western embargoes since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. … The DF Peak flies a Benin flag and is among the 700 ships on the EU’s sanctions list. Prior to 2024, it was called Kaliningrad. New measures permit European Union members to sell the oil or any other cargo seized from the ships. Moscow has bristled at the moves, with Russian President Vladimir Putin [noticing that it is] ‘piracy and banditry.'” (10/13/26)
“President Donald Trump and his Republican Party have embraced the goal of lowering voter turnout to prevent Democrats from winning elections. History contradicts that claim. From 1980 to 2024, in the 12 presidential elections, more than 50% of the voting-eligible population (EVP) voted. Only four exceeded 60%, with wins split evenly between two Democrats and two Republicans. Among races with EVP turnout between 55% and 60%, Republicans won three and Democrats won two. In other words, getting more people to vote doesn’t guarantee the Democrats will win. Surprisingly, Republicans have done better! … Voters ages 65 and older were most likely to vote by mail. Mailed ballots accounted for almost 40% of votes cast by this group in 2024 and 44% in 2022. In 2020, exit polls showed that an overwhelming 56 percent of voters ages 50-64 voted for Trump, while 43 percent voted for Harris.” (10/13/26)
