Ron Paul Liberty Report, 02/05/26
Source: Ron Paul Liberty Report
“Showdown? US/Iran Talks Set For Tomorrow.” (02/05/26)
Author: Thomas L. Knapp
The Presidency as Protection Racket
Source: The Dispatch
by Dan Greenberg
“Making threats is risky. Threats strain relationships and often result in retaliation, which is why threats from operators of protection rackets often rely on ambiguity. Such threats are sometimes euphemistic, but when stripped of the veneer of plausible deniability, their message ultimately translates to, ‘Give me what I want, and I won’t hurt you.’ Protection rackets are especially dangerous when conjoined with government power, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish Donald Trump’s efforts to force the governor of Colorado to pardon Tina Peters from a protection racket.” (02/05/26)
Senators should ask Trump’s Fed nominee these tough questions
Source: Washington Post
by Ramesh Ponnuru
“Before confirming him to one of the most critical jobs in government — chairman of the Federal Reserve — senators should ask Kevin Warsh, President Donald Trump’s nominee, these questions …” (02/05/26)
Is the Really Senate Up for Grabs?
Source: Exiled Policy
by Jason Pye
“A narrative that’s quickly forming for the 2026 midterm is that control of the Senate may be in play. This narrative is forming because Trump’s approval ratings have been on a downward trajectory for months, and little his administration has done to reverse course appears to be working. It’s entirely possible for Democrats to take the Senate, but a lot has to go right for them.” (02/05/26)
https://exiledpolicy.substack.com/p/is-the-really-senate-up-for-grabs
Mike Johnson Wants To Spare ICE the Hassle of Getting the Right Warrant Before Forcibly Entering a Home
Source: Reason
by Damon Root
“‘Imagine if we had to go through the process of getting a judicial warrant.’ Those are the complaining words of Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R–La.), who was voicing his support for the actions of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which now claims that its agents have the right to forcibly enter private homes without first obtaining a warrant signed by a judge. … ‘Imagine if we had to go through the process of guaranteeing freedom of speech.’ ‘Imagine if we had to go through the process of respecting the right to keep and bear arms.’ ‘Imagine if we had to go through the process of paying just compensation when private property is taken for a public use.’ You get the idea.” (02/05/26)
Palestine: Israeli security service chief’s brother is accused of smuggling cigarettes into Gaza
Source: Seattle Times
“An Israeli court on Thursday indicted a brother of the chief of Israel’s security service for smuggling tens of thousands of dollars worth of cigarettes into war-ravaged Gaza Strip at a time when getting aid into the territory was difficult and many Palestinians were going hungry. The indictment of Bezalel Zini is the latest in a burgeoning scandal implicating more than a dozen people, many of them Israeli reserve soldiers, of personally profiting from the Israel-Hamas war and delivering goods into Gaza that could potentially benefit the militant group. His brother, Shin Bet chief David Zini, has not been implicated in the scandal.” (02/05/26)
Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 02/05/26
Source: Antiwar.com
“US and Russia ‘No Longer Bound’ by New START, Israel Kills 23 in Gaza, Including 7 Kids, and More.” (02/05/26)
A deal that Cuba (and Trump) cannot refuse?
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Lee Schlenker
“The US president wants to talk and so does Havana. They both have things the other needs and we all want to avoid a hostile overthrow.” (02/05/26)
Starbucks Wins Dismissal of Missouri Regime’s Lawsuit Over DEI Policies
Source: US News & World Report
“A federal judge in Missouri on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit by the Republican-led state accusing Starbucks of using its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion as a pretext to systematically discriminate based on race, gender and sexual orientation. U.S. District Judge John Ross in St. Louis said the state’s case failed to prove that Starbucks actually discriminated against ‘even a single Missouri resident’ who worked at Starbucks or applied for a job there. Ross was appointed by then-President Barack Obama, a Democrat. The office of Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway, a Republican, alleged that Starbucks had unlawfully tied executive pay to the company’s achieving racial and gender-based hiring quotas. The lawsuit was filed by Hanaway’s predecessor, Andrew Bailey, before he joined the Trump administration as co-deputy director of the FBI.” (02/05/26)
How Big Is MAGA, Really?
Source: The Bulwark
by Mona Charen
“Trump is governing like he has a huge mandate. The numbers disagree.” (02/05/26)
https://www.thebulwark.com/p/how-big-is-maga-really-more-in-common-economist-pew-poll-trump-approval