The $3.44 Walmart Pillow vs. Local Monopoly Power

Source: Bet On It
by Bryan Caplan

“I need six pillows to sleep comfortably. Two under my side, two between my legs, one against my back, and one to hug. That’s too many pillows to pack …. Fortunately, Walmart doesn’t just make obtaining pillows convenient throughout the United States. It makes it dirt cheap. Every Walmart I’ve visited has the same $3.44 pillow for sale, so I routinely buy them wherever I go, and just abandon them when I leave. I’ve done this over and over, yet only on my last trip to Wyoming did I reach a profound economic epiphany. I have bought Walmart pillows in dense urban areas. I have bought them in suburbs. I have bought them in rural areas. And the price is always $3.44… plus tax. … Which has a shocking implication: The degree of local competition has absolutely no effect on the price of the pillow.” (10/29/26)

https://www.betonit.ai/p/the-344-walmart-pillow-vs-local-monopoly

South Korea: Prosecutor seeks death penalty for former president

Source: ABC News

“A South Korean special prosecutor on Thursday demanded the death penalty for ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol, ahead of an appeals court verdict on rebellion charges over his brief imposition of martial law in December 2024. The Seoul High Court has yet to set a date for a verdict on Yoon’s appeal of a life sentence handed down in February by the Seoul Central District Court. The court found that he illegally mobilized troops and police to seize the legislature, arrest political opponents and establish unchecked rule for a ‘considerable time.’ Investigators led by Special Prosecutor Cho Eun-suk also appealed the ruling, arguing Yoon deserves the death penalty because his actions posed a grave threat to the country’s democracy. An execution would be unlikely. South Korea has not executed anyone since 1997, effectively maintaining a moratorium on capital punishment following calls for its abolition.” (10/29/26)

https://abcnews.com/International/wireStory/south-korean-prosecutor-seeks-death-penalty-president-yoon-137665535

AIPAC Isn’t Retreating. Here’s How It’s Already Shaping the Next Congress.

Source: The Intercept
by Akela Lacy

“A new project by The Intercept reveals the hundreds of candidates still taking the pro-Israel lobby’s cash, and how AIPAC is obscuring its spending.” (10/29/26)

https://theintercept.com/2026/10/29/aipac-israel-midterms-spending-elections-congress/

Reports: Hegseth removes top general amid sweeping Pentagon overhaul

Source: United Press International

“Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has removed a top general from his post, according to reports, the latest exit of a senior military official amid a sweeping overhaul of the Pentagon. Hegseth fired Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia, director for Strategy, Plans and Policy, J-5, Joint Staff, CNN reported, citing a spokesman for Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine. According to ABC News, citing two sources familiar with the situation, the firing occurred earlier this week, and with his removal, Sylvia has retired.” (10/29/26)

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2026/10/29/Hegseth-fires-Brett-Sylvia/3321793253301/

There is no opposition leader. The American people are standing against Trump

Source: Los Angeles Times
by Jackie Calmes

“Obama and Clinton, for their parts, have waited until midterm elections voting has begun and the outcome — a potential blue wave — seems clear. The likelihood of an electoral repudiation of Trump and his party is thanks not to their efforts, but to the voters themselves. Organically, a leaderless protest movement of sorts has taken shape, uniting Democrats, independents and a good number of repelled Republicans. Trump calls MAGA a movement, and it is. But he’s the unwitting organizer of this countermovement as well, thanks to his sorry record of self-aggrandizement, cruelty and a needless war that broke both his no-wars campaign promise and the one about bringing down Americans’ cost of living. (Moody’s Analytics recently reported that the Iran war has cost the average U.S. family more than $2,000.)” (10/29/260

https://archive.is/ozFqp

The Two Faces of Gadi Eisenkot, Who Could Be Israel’s PM

Source: Antiwar.com
by Dan Steinbock

“In international media, PM Netanyahu’s adversary Gadi Eizenkot has been portrayed as a centrist voice. That’s part of his track-record. But he is also the architect of the Obliteration Doctrine that decimated Gaza.” (10/29/26)

https://original.antiwar.com/dan_steinbock/2026/10/28/the-two-faces-of-gadi-eisenkot-who-could-be-israels-pm/