“Donald Trump and his chief attack dog Stephen Miller have bitten off more than they can chew. Their invasion of American cities is based on obvious lies (e.g., ‘war ravaged Portland’), has antagonized voters, outraged judges, and triggered public opposition from two Republican governors — a rare act of defiance that may trigger more defections. A strong majority of Americans do not approve of deploying military troops at home. ‘Some 58% of Americans — including seven in 10 Democrats and half of Republicans — think the president should send armed troops only to face external threats,’ according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll. …In addition to public opposition and courts’ stinging rebukes, Republican governors have begun to slam Trump publicly, a rare sign of dissention within the GOP.” (10/13/25)
“A small plane crashed in a fireball on I-195 during rush hour in Massachusetts early Monday — killing both people on board and injuring a passing commuter in a near-totaled car. The plane careened toward the highway in Dartmouth around 8:15 a.m., forcing motorists to slam on their brakes or try to speed out of the way as it fell. … As the plane hit the ground, a silver sedan was thrown from the road and ended up in the median grass with its right side crumpled.” (10/13/25)
“To apply reason, truth, and history to every stupid meme that comes your way is to tilt at windmills. Yet generations of zombie hordes are being educated by their smartphones. Or is it that their smartphones are turning them into zombies?” (10/13/25)
“Prominent Cuban dissident José Daniel Ferrer left the island Monday for exile in the U.S. at the request of the U.S. government, Cuban and U.S. authorities confirmed. … Ferrer gained international acclaim as part of a group of 75 opposition figures imprisoned and put on trial in 2003. Negotiations with the Catholic Church, Spain and then-president Raúl Castro led to their freedom between 2010 and 2011 — on the condition of leaving the island. Ferrer refused and instead founded the Patriotic Union of Cuba, a leading political opposition organization not legally recognized by the government. When thousands took to the streets in 2021 to protest food shortages and power outages and call for the end of the Communist government, he was imprisoned once again even though he was already on house arrest at the time.” (10/13/25)
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Jake Scott
“Global investors are turning their interest toward Asia, amid a wider realignment of foreign direct investment (FDI), trade flows, and investor confidence. A quiet but profound reorientation of global capital is underway, as Goldman Sachs’s global wealth division estimates investors have poured more than $100 billion into Asian assets this year. The region’s markets are attracting inflows once dominated by the United States and Europe. This is not the cyclical rush of hot money that typically follows rising yields or a commodity boom; it reflects a strategic diversification away from Western concentration and the recognition that Asia’s capital markets — especially in Japan, India, and Southeast Asia — are becoming the structural center of gravity for global investment.” (10/13/25)
Source: Independent Institute
by Stephen P Halbrook
“My last post discussed how the Second Circuit in Antonyuk v. James (2024) relied on a fake North Carolina citation to a non-existent law as the supposed Founding-era analogue to uphold New York’s ‘sensitive place’ restrictions where firearms may not be possessed. (It also cited a 1786 Virginia law as an analogue, but admitted that it had a ‘terror’ element.) On September 10, in Koons v. Attorney General New Jersey, the Third Circuit followed the Second Circuit off the cliff by making the same error. The fake ‘law’ cited was the ‘N.C. Statute of Northampton (1792),’ which was actually nothing but a privately published Collection of English statutes that one François-Xavier Martin thought applied in North Carolina.” (10/13/25)
“We begin with the Trump administration’s decision to provide a $20 billion ‘swap line’ (currency exchanges between central banks) with the government of Argentina. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessemer is the point man for the White House on this financial and political issue. The Latin American country is in financial distress over its issuance of foreign bonds since President Javier Milei slashed public spending to spur economic growth. … In the meantime, the Milei government cut the export tax on soybeans. Chinese buyers jumped at this opportunity, reportedly purchasing some 20 shiploads of soybeans from Argentina. … What will the White House do to relieve the pain from the decline of demand from China for American agricultural products? Well, the president is considering a $10-$15 billion bailout for agriculture commodity producers.” (10/13/25)
“Former NFL quarterback and sports analyst Mark Sanchez was released from custody Sunday, about a week after police said he was stabbed during a fight with a truck driver outside an Indiana hotel. The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department confirmed Sanchez’s release. He faces a felony battery charge, along with several misdemeanor charges, for what prosecutors have said was a fight over parking.” (10/13/25)
