“Kansas City just spent over $100 million per mile for its Main Street streetcar extension, making it the most expensive system per mile in the United States. Last year, Randall O’Toole estimated that the average streetcar cost per mile is around $91 million. It’s worth looking at some recent examples to see if that number is accurate. Looking at recently opened systems (see table below), the cost per mile seems to be lower, at about $61.6 million.” (09/08/26)
“U.S. Internet behemoth Google announced plans Wednesday to invest at least $15.1 billion into artificial intelligence infrastructure in Finland, its largest single investment in Europe to date. The funds are to be invested over the next two years, including new data centers and other supporting infrastructure, as well as partnerships in the Finnish cities and municipalities of Hamina, Kajaani, Muhos and Vaala, it said. Data centers will be constructed in Kajaani, Muhos and Vaala, while Google’s existing data center in Hamina will be expanded.” (09/09/26)
“The United States has attacked five Iranian oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman and near Kharg Island after accusing Tehran of launching ballistic missiles at a US warship twice in two days. Iran responded to Tuesday’s attacks by firing missiles at US forces stationed at the Al Azraq base in Jordan. It also claimed additional strikes on at least two US vessels and eight tankers in the region, saying the assaults caused ‘great damage’.” (09/09/26)
“As of September 8, Forbes reports, more than 100,000 people have signed a petition asking organizers of New York City’s 9/11 Commemoration Ceremony to ‘carefully consider whether [New York City mayor Zohran] Mamdani’s participation would align with the intention of the ceremony and the expectations of the families most directly affected by the tragedy.’ Coming from family members of people who died in the 9/11 attacks, the petition deserves a respectful hearing, whether the claims about Mamdani’s sentiments, sympathies and past actions ring true or not. They’re the people who lost loved ones. The ceremony is, or should be, for them. Unfortunately, some less deserving people compulsively run to the front of parades that aren’t about them. One such person is former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani.” (09/08/26)
“President Trump said the U.S. would ban Canadian alcohol, some dairy products and large motorcycles, sharply escalating a trade war largely fought with tariffs. The measures deepen the economic rift between countries that have spent decades interlinking commerce, threatening disruption for businesses and consumers on both sides of the border. The import bans take effect Sept. 29, effectively cutting off U.S. market access for the targeted Canadian goods rather than simply making them more expensive. … Trade tensions have ratcheted up swiftly since U.S.-Canada talks collapsed last month. The U.S. imposed 50% tariffs on [American buyers of] roughly $20 billion of Canadian goods. Canada hit back with tariffs of up to 50% on ][Canadian buyers of] a similar amount of U.S. goods, a measure that took effect earlier Tuesday.” (09/08/26)
Source: Rutherford Institute
by John & Nisha Whitehead
“Twenty-five years after 9/11, one has to ask: has the nightmare ever really ended? For a quarter-century, Americans have been governed by fear: fear of terrorists and foreign enemies, fear of domestic extremists and political opponents, fear of the next attack, the next crisis, the next emergency.That fear has given us endless war, mass surveillance, militarized police, secret courts, indefinite detention, government watchlists, domestic military deployments and an imperial presidency armed with powers that would have been unthinkable before 9/11. Now the man entrusted with the imperial powers of the modern-day presidency is publicly imagining himself enthroned over robotic armies, raining destruction on his enemies and promising nightmares. The imagery may be unhinged from reality, but the powers of the presidency are not.” (09/08/26)
“Russian drones hit a border crossing between Ukraine and Moldova in the southern region of Odesa, killing two people, and attacked the country’s capital Kyiv overnight, Ukrainian authorities said on Wednesday. Two civilians near the Starokozache crossing were killed and three others injured in the attack, Governor Oleh Kiper said on Telegram. Passengers and vehicle traffic was temporarily halted across the border after the attack, which caused a major fire, officials said. Russia also attacked Kyiv overnight, causing fires but no casualties, emergency services said in a Telegram post.” (09/09/26)
