Source: Karl Dickey’s Freedom Vanguard
by Karl Dickey
“As Ryan Bourne at the Cato Institute points out, consumer prices rose roughly 30-40% over the last six years. This price inflation is directly related to government money printing and excessive federal spending. Politicians argue about delivery apps to distract voters from bad monetary policy. The bottom line is that sound money and minimal state interference protect our bank accounts and keep inflation at bay.” (08/08/26)
“As we look ahead to Missouri’s 2027 legislative session, literacy reform is likely to be one of the top education issues. States like Mississippi and Louisiana have surged past Missouri on national reading assessments, particularly in the early grades. While these states have adopted several important reforms, two have been central to their success: improving literacy instruction and requiring students to demonstrate reading proficiency before advancing beyond the third grade.” (08/07/26)
“Burger King has overtaken Wendy’s as the second-largest burger chain in the U.S. by systemwide sales, retaking its crown six years after losing it to the rival chain. The change in positions follows the two companies’ diverging results over the past two years. Wendy’s has reported shrinking U.S. same-store sales for six straight quarters. Its domestic same-store sales slipped 7% in its latest quarter, the company reported on Friday. Meanwhile, Burger King has been embarking on a turnaround and has seen its domestic same-store sales rise over the past five quarters; the Restaurant Brands International chain on Thursday reported U.S. same-store sales growth of 8.5% for its second quarter. McDonald’s holds onto its spot as the number one burger chain, with a significant lead.” (08/07/26)
“What America may lack in munitions, we presently make up for in chunks of failed Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool liner. The coatings sprayed on the nearly 70,000 square feet of the pool’s surface are called Rhino 406 and Pipeliner 5000, which sound tough, though apparently not tough enough to withstand water, as the coatings swiftly began to come apart after the pool was refilled. Regardless, I wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of a hunk of Rhino 406 or Pipeliner 5000 fired from naval artillery or dropped from a B-52 bomber. It’s possible that discarded pool liner warfare is the thing that will break Iran.” (08/07/26)
Source: Independent Institute
by Daniel Sánchez-Piñol
“In a film that runs nearly three hours, perhaps its most important political lesson is delivered in just a few minutes. Before sailing past the island of the Sirens, Odysseus learns that their irresistible song is not a gift of wisdom but a deadly trap. Sailors who succumb to its enchanting melody steer their ships toward the rocks, where they meet their destruction. Odysseus wants to hear the legendary song without falling victim to it. To accomplish this seemingly impossible task, he devises what economists recognize as an ingenious plan. He orders his crew to plug their ears with beeswax so they cannot hear the Sirens’ voices. He then commands them to tie him securely to the ship’s mast and not to release him under any circumstances until the danger has passed.” (08/07/26)
“A proposal to limit ‘vertical drinking,’ a bureaucratic euphemism for having a pint while standing, has turned into a political headache for one local government council in London. Politicians from Prime Minister Andy Burnham to London Mayor Sadiq Khan have piled in to decry the idea from Westminster City Council, which is responsible for licensing pubs and restaurants in the West End, a nightlife hub popular with tourists and locals. A feature of many of those pubs is the crowd of drinkers who mill around sharing drinks with friends, often spilling out into the street on warm spring and summer evenings. … Council leader Paul Swaddle issued a press release stressing that the proposal was part of a draft policy that is still open for public comment.” (08/07/26)
Source: The Daily Economy
by Harshit Singh & Sarika Kumari
“Auniversity degree once distinguished its holder precisely because few people had one. As degrees spread, employers began demanding them as a baseline, and today many jobs that historically required a high-school education demand a bachelor’s degree, not because the work grew more complex, but because the signal became an entry fee. Everyone pays more; nobody stands out. That sentence describes far more of modern life than credentials.” (08/07/26)
“The captain of the boat that capsized in New York Harbor late Saturday — killing a baby and a 27-year-old woman — was hit with more than a dozen charges for driving it while dangerously overloaded, according to sources. The operator, who has not been publicly identified, faces 13 charges of reckless endangerment after the motorboat he was steering flipped over off the coast of Liberty Island just before 10:30 p.m. Saturday. The vessel, a 22-foot bowrider motorboat, was overloaded with 14 people on board, NYPD sources told The Post. Two passengers are confirmed to have died, including a 5-month-old baby and a 27-year-old woman. Neither has been identified pending family notification, the NYPD said.” (08/09/26)
