Radio Atlantic, 07/02/26
Sourc: The Atlantic
“American History as Rorschach Test.” (07/02/26)
https://www.theatlantic.com/podcasts/2026/07/american-history-rorschach-test/687768
Author: Thomas L. Knapp
Surprise, Surprise. Government Capital Stock Is Deteriorating
Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by William L Anderson
“Federal IRS workers at the Chamblee Building are often greeted by rats struggling to free themselves from glue traps set about the workplace. Workers at the Veterans Affairs building in Hilo, Hawaii, are having to deal with dangerous infestations of mold. Federal employees in several places, including the Food and Drug Administration building in Washington, DC, are being exposed to Legionella, the bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease. In Washington, DC, forty percent of the headquarters of the General Services Administration have been declared unsafe, which means the GSA has had to relocate many of its employees. And the list goes on and on.” (07/02/26)
https://mises.org/mises-wire/surprise-surprise-government-capital-stock-deteriorating
Amazon has enough satellites to launch its Starlink competitor
Source: The Verge
“Amazon says it now has enough satellites operating in low-Earth orbit to light up its Starlink internet competitor. With last night’s launch, Amazon Leo has 396 satellites deployed, which is “enough to support continuous service across initial latitudes,” according to Chris Weber, VP heading up business and product for Amazon Leo. That puts the company on track to meet its “mid-2026” target for commercial availability. Just don’t expect miracles on day one. SpaceX went live with its ‘Better than nothing beta’ back in 2020 when it had almost 900 satellites operating in low-Earth orbit.” (07/02/26)
https://www.theverge.com/science/960563/amazon-leo-service-tipping-point
Ron Paul Liberty Report, 07/02/26
Source: Ron Paul Liberty Report
“Communism Or Corporatism: What’s The Biggest Threat?” (07/02/26)
How Trumpism Betrays the Declaration of Independence
Source: The Bulwark
by Laura K Field
“Cherry-picking Lincoln, the MAGA New Right tries to rewrite—or discard altogether—the promise of human equality.” (07/02/26)
https://www.thebulwark.com/p/how-trumpism-betrays-the-declaration-of-independence
The Supreme Court failed the test posed by Trump
Source: Los Angeles Times
by Jackie Calmes
“Even when the Supreme Court disfavored Trump, it showed its ideological and incoherent colors. Though it allowed him to fire independent agency officials without cause, it made an exception for the Federal Reserve in a separate case. Upsetting consumers is OK apparently, but not Wall Street. And the court should have settled the birthright citizenship case against Trump long ago, as many lower-court judges sought to do. His first-day executive order repealing birthright citizenship plainly violated the Constitution, federal law and court precedent — and yet the justices strung out the case and only this week decided on the constitutionality of birthright citizenship by just a 5-4 vote. A counterreaction to Trump and the Supreme Court is coming, I believe. By laws and lawsuits, Congress must begin taking back its constitutional powers over spending, war-making, appointments and more.” (07/02/26)
The War in Ukraine Arrives at a Crucial Juncture
Source: Antiwar.com
by James Carden
“Though relegated to the sidelines thanks to President Donald Trump’s decision to launch an illegal and unjustified war on Iran at the behest of the Israeli warfare state, the war in Ukraine grows more dangerous with each passing day. In fact, recent reports indicate a perilous increase in attacks on energy and civilian infrastructure from both Moscow and Kiev.” (07/02/26)
Report: OpenAI proposes 5% nationalization to bribe Trump
Source: CNBC
“OpenAI has proposed handing the U.S. government a 5% stake in the company, the Financial Times reported Thursday, as the artificial intelligence startup seeks to defuse mounting political pressure in Washington. A 5% holding would be worth roughly $42.6 billion, after the AI lab closed a record-breaking funding round in March at a post-money valuation of $852 billion. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman argued that giving the public a financial interest in the company is the best way to share the upside of AI, the FT reported, citing two people familiar with the talks. Altman suggested a stake of that size in early discussions with the Trump administration, as part of a broader arrangement under which Washington would hold 5% of each of the leading U.S. AI developers via a government vehicle, according to the report.” (07/02/26)
The Daily Blast With Greg Sargent, 07/02/26
Source: The New Republic
“Trump Blurts Out Vile Scheme to Rig Midterms as Polls Take Brutal Turn.” (07/02/26)
https://newrepublic.com/article/212652/trump-blurts-vile-scheme-rig-midterms-polls-take-brutal-turn
The death of the American Dream is highly exaggerated
Source: Washington Post
by Gonzalo Schwarz
“As America turns 250 years old, many people say the American Dream is at risk. Last month, an Associated Press-NORC poll found that only one-third of Americans believe the American Dream still exists. A CNBC poll the same month found that a majority of people consider the American Dream out of reach. But most public polling captures what people believe about the accessibility of the American Dream for others. In their own life, they are far more optimistic.” (07/02/26)