“What, exactly, counts as an insult? For Montrealers, this is not just a hypothetical question about the limits of civility and good taste. In Canada’s second-most populous metropolis, the city council just banned insults to municipal employees — police officers included — and offending parties could now pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars for saying the wrong thing to the wrong city worker. If that wasn’t bad enough, the new rules don’t even bother to define what is an ‘insult’ or what speech is ‘offensive.'” (09/24/26)
“The governor of Russia’s southern Krasnodar region, a major agricultural producer, has declared a state of emergency over Ukrainian drone attacks that have inhibited the export of grain, a move which allows those affected to receive compensation. Both Russia and Ukraine have stepped up attacks on the other side’s grain vessels in the Black Sea in recent months, sending global prices higher. Regional Governor Veniamin Kondratyev, announcing the state of emergency on Wednesday, said that ‘massive attacks’ on logistics infrastructure had caused the suspension of port operations and disruptions to shipping in the Black Sea, the Interfax news agency reported on Thursday. Agricultural producers, he said, were unable to sell much of their yields, leading to an oversupply on the domestic grain market.” (09/24/26)
“Democrats often complain about infighting on the left and argue the party must widen its tent, but figures like Chevalier and organizations like the DSA actually shrink it: they turn off mainstream voters, undermine the anti-Trump coalition’s claim to uphold liberal values, and shift the conversation away from Trump’s disastrous approval ratings toward a movement that legitimately strikes many Americans as weird and menacing. The Democratic Party is the anti-Trump coalition’s single largest vehicle for beating Trump, and handing MAGA ammunition against it is a huge mistake.” (09/24/26)
“Starbucks announced it will close about 250 underperforming stores in North America, about 1% of its 18,000 locations. The announcement, revealed in a letter to employees from chief operating officer Mike Grams, heralds the second major wave of Starbucks closures since Brian Niccol became CEO two years ago. … The locations to be closed have not yet been specified by the company, but a regulatory filing from the company indicates most of the stores will be shuttered before the end of fiscal 2026.” (09/24/26)
“When Altman and other AI leaders ask for government intervention, the possibility of regulatory capture cannot be dismissed. The companies calling most loudly for AI regulation are also among those best equipped to comply with it. Licensing regimes, mandatory audits, reporting requirements, and expensive safety standards impose fixed costs that established firms such as OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google can absorb more easily than smaller competitors. Altman has urged Congress to consider licensing or registration requirements. That does not mean industry warnings about AI risk are disingenuous, but advocating for regulation does allow these executives to present themselves as responsible stewards of a dangerous technology while also supporting rules that could simultaneously raise barriers to entry and entrench their position in the market.” (09/24/26)
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Alan Hibben
“Britain’s political class loves to talk about ‘reforming welfare,’ but everyone knows the limits of that ambition. Voter Welfare—the £333.7 billion the state is forecast to transfer from taxpayers to households in 2025–26—is politically untouchable. A population brought up on free cake is unlikely to vote for the plate being removed, at least until it stares a debt tragedy square in the face. But there is another kind of welfare that receives far less attention and may actually be fixable: Rent-Seeking Welfare, or what is more bluntly called corporate welfare elsewhere. Unlike pensioners, corporations don’t vote—and British households don’t own many shares directly. In theory, this should make reform easier. In practice, the obstacle is not ideology but something more basic: the Government cannot see what it is trying to reform.” (09/24/26)
