We Have Not Properly Reckoned with the Economic Insanity of 2020

Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Connor O’Keeffe

“Even when the pandemic is brought up and re-examined, the focus is usually on the necessity and nature of the government measures put in place to control the spread of the virus or the public’s level of compliance. That is, to be sure, a worthwhile debate. But the government’s economic response is often left out, which can give the impression that — as controversial as the lockdowns or vaccine mandates might have been — the quick and extensive mobilization of the government’s considerable fiscal and monetary powers was one uncontroversial success story of the covid years. It wasn’t, and the lack of controversy surrounding it is disturbing.” (10/22/25)

https://mises.org/mises-wire/we-have-not-properly-reckoned-economic-insanity-2020

Permit to Harass, Interrupted

Source: Common Sense
by Paul Jacob

“Minnesota’s permit to harass has been interrupted — not halted, because a federal court has granted only a preliminary injunction. Nancy Brasel, the district judge, has for now blocked Minnesota’s law requiring grassroots advocacy groups to publicly disclose the names and addresses of their vendors because she expects that this requirement will indeed be ultimately thrown out. Violating, as it does, freedom of speech.” (10/22/25)

https://thisiscommonsense.org/2025/10/22/permit-to-harass-interrupted/

House Republicans refer Obama CIA Chief Brennan to DOJ

Source: Axios

“John Brennan, who was CIA director under Obama, was referred to the Justice Department Tuesday by House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), who accused him of lying to Congress about the Steele dossier. The recommendation is a high-profile effort by House Republicans to prosecute a former intelligence official, aligning with President Trump’s broader goals to legally target his political enemies. The Steele dossier, a widely discredited set of memos compiled in 2016 by former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele, alleged ties between Russia and Trump. … Brennan was reportedly under prior investigation by the current DOJ for allegedly lying about Russia’s involvement, and he has denied any wrongdoing.” (10/21/25)

https://archive.is/qf1Jt

The many paths to a refundable child tax credit for states

Source: Niskanen Center
by Joshua McCabe

“State policymakers have powerful tools at their disposal to support families with the cost of raising children and caring for disabled or elderly relatives. The key is knowing how to maximize their impact through fiscally responsible reforms that expand the scope, generosity, and simplicity of family tax benefits in their states. As we noted in a previous report, there is broad interest among policymakers in rethinking their approaches to supporting families through state tax codes. Here, we focus on the use of refundable child tax credits (CTCs).” (10/21/25)

https://www.niskanencenter.org/the-many-paths-to-a-refundable-child-tax-credit-for-states