“United States Vice President JD Vance says the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein had unspecified connections to Israeli intelligence. In a lengthy interview with podcaster Joe Rogan, released on Wednesday, Vance was asked about theories that Epstein may have had ties to Israel’s Mossad spy agency. ‘He clearly had connections to the upper, the highest levels of American intelligence. He clearly had connections to the highest levels of Israeli intelligence,’ he said. The vice president also claimed that Epstein’s connections in Israel appeared to have a left-of-centre ideological bent. … During the interview, Vance also conceded that the Trump administration ‘absolutely’ mishandled the communications surrounding the Epstein files.” (07/16/26)
“There were multiple times in history when men have attempted to create and sustain limited government. We submit that this is little more than tolerating something that is inherently intolerable. Many ways have been sought and tried to limit the power of government, to prevent the rise of the all-powerful state. However, humans are perversely ingenious and are inventive when it comes to enslaving their fellows. And usually in convincing the slaves that they are still free.” (07/15/26)
Source: Property and Environment Research Center
by staff
“A coalition of sportsmen’s and other conservation organizations today celebrated the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s proposed rule for grizzly bear management, calling the bear’s recovery one of the most significant wildlife recovery achievements in the history of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the Service’s proposal a model for adjusting policy as conservation progresses. The proposal recognizes the extraordinary recovery of the grizzly bear, including in the Greater Yellowstone area, where bears have grown from 136 animals in 1975 to more than 1,000 today—a success built through five decades of cooperation by states, landowners, sportsmen, and conservation groups. Under the proposed rule, states are provided a path to managing areas that exceed local recovery objectives while the grizzly remains federally listed.” (07/15/26)
“The United States attacked Iran on Wednesday, and Iran struck U.S. assets across the region into Thursday morning, marking the fifth straight day of strikes between the two nations as they fight over the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. Central Command launched two waves of attacks seeking to degrade Iran’s ability to threaten vessels transiting the vital chokepoint between Iran and Oman. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said early Thursday that it was conducting missile and drone strikes targeting U.S. assets at Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait. … The IRGC-aligned Fars News Agency reported early Thursday that U.S. bases and facilities in Bahrain, as well as in Kuwait, were being struck. It separately said it was attacking U.S. assets at the Al-Azraq Base in Jordan.” (07/16/26)
Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Connor O’Keeffe
“[I]t’s easy to understand why many have increasingly come to consider the United States to be a gerontocracy, or a society ruled by old people. As with just about anything online, there are sophisticated and unsophisticated versions of this observation. The unsophisticated version simply points to the multitude of examples of politicians remaining in office long after most people would have retired from just about any line of work and concludes that the prevalence of exceptionally elderly politicians is hampering the government’s ability to function properly. … The more sophisticated version of the ‘America is a gerontocracy’ narrative focuses less on the politicians themselves and more on what the government is doing. … government programs are actively transferring vast amounts of wealth from younger generations to older generations who are, on average, much wealthier.” (07/15/26)
“In economics, Phil Magness is probably most famous for his synthetic control paper (with Michael Makovi) showing that Marx only became a socialist superstar after his fanatical followers conquered Russia. In this conversation, Phil and I discuss my recent pieces on ‘How socialist was Nazism?'” (07/15/26)
“Top Russian energy companies have approached Indian refiners for more gasoline after Ukrainian strikes knocked out a significant portion of Russia’s refining capacity, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Wednesday. India is the biggest buyer of Russian seaborne crude oil, making Moscow’s bid to secure Indian gasoline an unusual reversal in the countries’ energy trade relationship, highlighting the extent of the disruption caused by the Ukrainian attacks. Moscow is witnessing its worst gasoline crisis. At least one cargo of Indian gasoline has already sailed to Russia and more are expected, with nearly 40% of Russia’s refining capacity unlikely to return for at least two months if there are no further attacks, one of the sources with knowledge of the matter said.” (07/15/26)
“You’re relaxing with a cup of tea, winding down from your day, and thinking about tomorrow’s errands. And then you hear a ring at the doorbell. Followed quickly by another. And another. When you finally open the door, you’re shocked to see not a neighbor or a delivery driver, but a federal agent. He knows what you said about the government on Instagram, and he’s here giving you notice to shut up. A chilling encounter like this might dissuade even the most dogged critic from speaking their mind. In the United States, home of the First Amendment—a uniquely robust protection against censorship compared with other democracies’ rules—this kind of incursion should be unimaginable. These days, it isn’t, as a new lawsuit against Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials makes painfully clear.” (07/15/26)
