Source: Law & Liberty
by Helen Dale
“‘Always bet on self-interest, it’s the only horse that’s trying,’ is one of my late dad’s lines, and I first heard it from him aged six or so. By that logic, Nigel Farage (leader of Reform UK) and Ed Davey (leader of the Liberal Democrats) are the only triers — respectively leading and running third in the horserace of UK politics — and the only two ponies gaining ground.” (06/02/25)
Source: Independent Political Report
“The Libertarian National Committee declined to consider a motion on Sunday that would have censured its Colorado and New Hampshire state affiliates and invited the New Hampshire party to voluntarily disaffiliate. A vote to consider would have required two-thirds support from the committee. … [LNC treasurer Bil] Redpath had originally submitted the two resolutions to the committee’s public Business List last month. In them, he argued that both affiliates had engaged in online behavior that ‘reasonable people would consider to have racist meanings,’ casting a negative light on the national organization. He also accused the Colorado party of using a ‘blatantly antisemitic image with an origin in white supremacist circles,’ and the New Hampshire affiliate of violating party bylaws by endorsing Donald Trump during the 2024 election cycle.” (06/02/25)
Source: The New Republic
“Trump Arrest of Immigrant Triggers Shock and Regret in Small MAGA Town.” (06/02/25)
https://newrepublic.com/article/195952/trump-arrest-immigrant-triggers-shock-regret-small-maga-town
Source: Common Sense
by Paul Jacob
“Things aren’t working out for Michael Mann. The infamous ‘climate scientist’ has been pursuing a years-long vendetta against critics of his methods and conclusions, and it’s been a bumpy ride. Mark Steyn and Rand Simberg accused him of manipulating data ‘in the service of politicized science.’ Instead of answering the criticism, Mann treated it as actionably defamatory.” (06/02/25)
https://thisiscommonsense.org/2025/06/02/a-million-from-michael-mann/
Source: The American Conservative
by Alex Madajian
“President Donald Trump met earlier this month with Ahmed al-Sharaa, the de-facto leader of Syria, and signaled that he’s open to normalizing relations, including by lifting the crippling Assad-era sanctions. Regardless of what diplomatic arrangement is reached, the White House should formulate a plan to allow all American military members to safely leave Syria. The longer we keep American personnel in a rapidly changing part of the world where no vital U.S. interest is at stake, the more difficult it will be to prevent an unnecessary loss of life if the situation falls apart.” (06/02/25)
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/assad-and-iran-are-out-of-syria-the-u-s-should-be-too/
Source: Seattle Times
“Trading resumed on the Damascus Securities Exchange Monday after a six-month closure, as Syria’s new leaders attempt to shore up the country’s battered economy and begin rebuilding after nearly 14 years of civil war. The stock exchange had closed during the chaotic days leading up to the ouster of former President Bashar Assad in a lightning rebel offensive. Syrian Finance Minister Mohammed Yisr Barnieh, who attended the reopening, said that it signals that the country’s economy is beginning to recover and that the stock exchange ‘will operate as a private company and serve as a genuine hub for Syria’s economic development, with a strong focus on digital,’ state-run news agency SANA reported.” (06/02/25)
Source: TechTank
“Big Tech monopoly maintenance: Is a ‘go and sin no more’ remedy sufficient?” (06/02/25)
Source: The UnPopulist
by Matt Zwolinski
“Blogger Noah Smith’s praise for libertarianism comes at an odd time but offers an opportunity to clarify the side that has contributed to human freedom and flourishing.” (06/01/25)
https://www.theunpopulist.net/p/to-fight-authoritarianism-libertarians
Source: exile in happy valley
by Nicky Reid
“[L]ast month was widely celebrated as Mental Health Awareness Month, and this all sounds just charming but the voices in my head still feel compelled to ask just what exactly we are being made aware of. As kind and understanding as all these corporate sponsored allies’ sound, they all seem to be part of a chorus singing the same narrative and that narrative generally goes that if you’re sad you’re sick and if you’re sick there is no shame in seeking help from any federally vetted agent of America’s Byzantinesque healthcare establishment. There are a number of problems with this narrative, the chief one amongst them being that it relies almost entirely on the biological illness model of mental health; the contrived but commonly accepted notion that any form of mental distress or neurodivergence is the result of some kind of chemical imbalance.” (06/01/25)
https://exileinhappyvalley.blogspot.com/2025/06/what-mental-illness-has-taught-me-about.html
Source: Axios
“Apple filed an appeal to the European Commission’s specifications around how the company complies with its interoperability requirements, which compel it to share user information with outside developers as part of the Digital Markets Act, per a source familiar with the situation. … The interoperability requirements are meant to give other device manufacturers and app developers access to Apple features that are normally exclusive to Apple products, including WiFi pairing and notifications on non-Apple smartwatches and headsets.” (06/02/25)
https://www.axios.com/2025/06/02/apple-eu-dma-appeal-antitrust-penalties