“Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed a bill Friday that aims to police the use of bathrooms and other private spaces in government buildings. It would also revoke driver’s licenses that reflect transgender Kansans’ identities. Kelly used her veto message to denounce SB 244 as ‘poorly drafted legislation’ that would have ‘numerous and significant consequences’ beyond limiting trans people’s ability to ‘use the appropriate bathroom.’ ‘Under this bill: if your grandfather is in a nursing home in a shared room, as a granddaughter, you would not be able to visit him,’ Kelly said. ‘If your wife is in a shared hospital room, as a husband, you would not be able to visit her,’ she continued, adding that college dorm rooms and government-owned sports facilities would also fall under the bill.” (02/14/26)
“Last fall during the opening of the United Nations in New York City, I recognized the face of a federal officer from his days working in law enforcement in New Jersey and mine as a trial judge. We chatted and I asked him what he was doing. He told me he worked for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE. I asked what ICE has to do with the U.N., and he told me that soon ICE will be everywhere. When I asked if ICE has become a paramilitary force, answerable to the White House, he just smiled, as if to say, ‘Don’t quote me.’ When I asked him why he was carrying two handguns and an AK-47 automatic rifle, he laughed and said, ‘I have more than you can see, judge!'” (02/13/26)
“Former CNN anchor Don Lemon pleaded not guilty on Friday in a criminal case stemming from his coverage of a protest at a Minnesota church against President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. Lemon entered the courthouse in St. Paul on Friday afternoon wearing a black suit. On his way in, he clapped his hands and waved to supporters, but did not respond to questions from reporters. … Lemon, now an independent journalist, livestreamed a protest against Trump’s deployment of thousands of armed immigration agents into Democratic-governed Minnesota’s biggest cities. The protest disrupted a January 18 service at Cities Church in St. Paul. He was charged with conspiring to deprive others of their civil rights and violating a law that has been used to crack down on demonstrations at abortion clinics but also forbids obstructing access to houses of worship.” (02/13/26)
“The ripple effect of the most recent release of the Epstein files has traveled across the water, causing high-profile resignations and even criminal charges everywhere, except where they’re needed most: the White House.” (02/13/26)
Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by George S Giles
“Just how much oil does the world have? The American Petroleum Institute (API) is considered the world leader in petroleum statistics and they set the standards the worldwide industry uses. Those good old boys from Texas have created the incredible technology that brings high quality gasoline to your neighborhood each and every day. … The proven reserves of petroleum now stands at 1.7 trillion barrels of oil, up significantly from 1.3 trillion barrels in 2009. During this 17-year interlude, some 100 million barrels per day have been consumed by the world. This is clearly a paradox for the Hubbert Peak Oil believers.” (02/13/26)
Source: Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression
by Carolyn Iodice
“Core among the rights protected by the First Amendment is the right to demonstrate. No matter what our message is, whether other people are delighted or outraged by it, we get to march down the street and say our piece. This right is currently under attack in Albany. A pair of proposals, one by members of the legislature and one by Gov. Kathy Hochul, would criminalize demonstrating at many locations across the state. Here’s a deep dive into the details of these bills: what they cover, how they muzzle protesters, and why they’re unconstitutional.” (02/13/26)
“Ah yes, those famous Trump family values: money, power, rape. And once the money landed in the Trump crypto accounts, of course, government policy changed. Trump gave the UAE rare and advanced AI chips, brought the UAE into the US Stargate AI project — along with an ownership slice of TikTok — and pardoned the sleazy billionaire felon, Changpeng Zhao, who had helped seal the deal with WLF. Not just corruption, but possibly at the expense of our national security, if those UAE chips make it to the CCP. This is the real Epstein class: utterly amoral networkers and nepotists with no loyalties to anything but their absurd bank balances and party invitations. And this is their administration.” (02/13/26)
