“A bishop in the influential Armenian Apostolic Church has been charged with coercing citizens into taking part in public gatherings in the latest in a series of arrests against critics of the country’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Bishop Mkrtich Proshyan is also accused of using his office to commit large-scale theft and obstruct electoral rights, Armenia’s Investigative Committee said Wednesday. The Armenian Apostolic Church, whose leaders largely oppose Pashinyan, condemned the arrest as part of a systematic campaign against it. ‘There is obvious malicious intent to hinder the normal activities of the church,’ it said on social media. Twelve other clergymen from the same diocese were detained with Proshyan, the church said. It did not specify if they were still being held.” (10/16/25)
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Nathan Mayo
“Since the launch of the War on Poverty in the 1960s, the rate of those living in poverty, as defined by the US government, has stubbornly persisted. Yet before that, the American poverty rate was dropping fast. It was around 32% in 1950, but postwar prosperity and a booming job market lifted thousands out of destitution, bringing it to 12.8% by the time the War’s programs took effect in 1968. Yet in the intervening half-century, it has never dropped below 10%. This is not for lack of effort. Per capita government spending on the poor has gone from $2,701 at the outset to $29,214 today (adjusted for inflation).” (10/16/25)
“Federal immigration officers in the Chicago area will be required to wear body cameras, a judge said Thursday after seeing tear gas and other aggressive steps used against protesters. U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis said she was a ‘little startled’ after seeing TV images of c lashes between agents and the public during President Donald Trump’s administration’s immigration crackdown. … Ellis last week said agents in the area must wear badges, and she banned them from using certain riot control techniques against peaceful protesters and journalists.” (10/16/25)
Source: Cobden Centre
by Elias Sanchez & Ritvik Verma
“Our engagement with Britain’s so-called ‘productivity puzzle’ began not in a seminar room, but while listening to a podcast from LBC in which a stream of callers voiced their frustrations about the economy and the political system. What struck us in that moment was not only the palpable sense of disillusionment, but also the absence of any conceptual or theoretical vocabulary through which these citizens could situate their concerns. Despite the frequency of debates on Britain’s economic stagnation, the public discourse remains largely detached from a framework that might defend the real processes of wealth creation and highlight the centrality of entrepreneurship in political culture.” (10/16/25)
Source: Electronic Frontier Foundation
by Lisa Femia
“Should you have to think twice before posting a protest flyer to your Instagram story? Or feel pressure to delete that bald JD Vance meme that you shared? Now imagine that you could get kicked out of the country — potentially losing your job or education — based on the Trump administration’s dislike of your views on social media.” (10/16/25)
“A drone attack hit the prosecutor’s office in the Mexican border city of Tijuana, a key hub for drug trafficking, authorities said Wednesday without identifying the suspected assailants. Baja California state prosecutor Maria Elena Andrade told reporters that the attack with three explosive-laden drones caused some damage but resulted in no casualties. The prosecutor’s office said on Facebook that the attack hit the anti-kidnapping unit of the state attorney general’s office.” (10/16/25)
