Source: Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression
by Katie Ratke & Shloka Mehta
“Nearly 250 years ago, mere steps from the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, a group of men locked in sweltering rooms debated the blueprint for a new nation, conceived in liberty. First among the freedoms they secured was the right to speak one’s mind, free from the chill of government meddling or the heat of mob intimidation. Today, the floor echoes in the National Constitution Center. The walls are lined with powerful quotes. Along the gentle curve of the tall, marble ceilings hang the flags of all 50 states. And normally, these rooms are relatively still. But this July, the Center came alive when over 100 students from 70 universities across the country gathered there, not to write a constitution, but to figure out how to keep its promises alive.” (07/30/25)
Source: Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression
by Tyler Tone
“[T]he Paramount settlement provides only a small window into a larger attempt — on the part of the president and his administration — to transform the relationship between the government and America’s media industry, powered by the machinery of the FCC. It’s an extortion regime much bigger than any one-time cash grab, enveloping the media industry in a cloud of weaponized uncertainty created by lawsuits, selective regulatory investigations, and slow-walked merger approvals. The ultimate aim? Getting some of America’s largest media companies to bend the knee and do the administration’s bidding. Call it the extortion-industrial complex, and Paramount has been just one victim of it.” (07/30/25)
“So much for the prophecies of Trumponomics doom: Not only did the US economy grow at a 3% rate in the second quarter, the growth was all in the private sector as the government portion shrank. Meanwhile, ADP reports that private-sector employment rose by 104,000 jobs in July, with annual wages jumping 4.4% — well above the rate of inflation, which also remains markedly lower than the conventional-wisdom crew predicted. That is, growth was half again the consensus forecast for April-June, while July looks like a huge boon for American workers — all as many of President Donald Trump’s policies have only begun to kick in. Trump’s tariffs have neither crashed the economy nor kicked off fresh inflation — though of course those predictions largely came from ‘experts’ who never expected the bane of Bidenflation.” (07/30/25)
“Over the last few months, internecine battles between abundance and antitrust advocates have been fought across book reviews, podcasts, and social media. Yet if the two camps were to put together a list of proposed policies, there would be a surprising amount of mutual compatibility, certainly enough for both factions to camp under the same tent in American politics in 2025. This is most true when it comes to healthcare.” (07/30/25)
Source: Cato Institute
by Patrick G Eddington & Jeffrey A Singer
“Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), law enforcement usually needs a warrant, court order or subpoena to access a patient’s medical records. However, ICE has taken advantage of a legal loophole by obtaining insurance claims data from third-party clearinghouses and data brokers. By accessing these alternative channels, federal agents can avoid legal protections designed to safeguard patient privacy. … ICE’s use of these databases serves as a stark reminder that tools designed for legitimate purposes, such as detecting insurance fraud, can be quietly turned into instruments of surveillance. ICE’s misuse of medical claims data not only threatens undocumented migrants but also, by eroding trust in the public health system, endangers all Americans.” (07/30/25)
“I’ve highlighted the progress St. Louis has made in reducing crime in recent blog posts. The improving data are positive news, and city leaders have taken several steps in the right direction to make this possible. While St. Louis still experiences high levels of crime well above the national average, things are trending in the right direction with homicide rates at the lowest in a decade However, even though crime is declining, that doesn’t mean that citizens’ perception of crime is changing.. Even if this trend of lower crime continues, it likely won’t significantly impact how safe people in the city feel. People don’t tend to make judgements of safety based on numbers alone.” (07/30/25)
Source: Property and Environment Research Center
by Manuela Caldas
“Paradise Valley, with its open plains, mountain views, and proximity to Yellowstone National Park, is one of the most stunning places to ranch. But sharing space with the wild comes at a cost. This land isn’t just home to ranchers. It’s part of a much larger, living system that supports migrating elk, roaming grizzlies, and countless other species that move in and out of Yellowstone. These animals don’t recognize property lines. They follow ancient paths that now cut through private ranches like the Durgans’. For generations, families here have welcomed wildlife. They’ve made room. But sharing space comes with a cost.” (07/31/25)
“The restraint movement’s attachment to Trump has compromised its ability to offer a credible alternative to American foreign policy orthodoxy.” (07/30/25)
“The Covid era cut through traditional ideological paradigms like knives on tissue. Nothing behaved as we might have expected. The civil libertarians were nowhere in sight. The courts did not work. Big business and media fully cooperated. The major religions caved. The national security state thrived, while both parties let it all happen. The population was mercilessly propagandized and pillaged with no resistance from the commanding heights. … The state did not save us from large corporations and the top layers in commercial society did not save us from the state. They worked together to strangle the liberty of everyone else.” (07/30/25)
“When I was a cub reporter at the New Yorker in the early 1980s, New York City was actually a somewhat seedy and dangerous (if fascinating) place (sort of fitting the image currently assigned it by MAGA ideologues who have ignored its almost complete makeover into a remarkably safe enclave). In those days, anyone wandering the Times Square neighborhood where I worked could count on seeing a three-card monte game on every block, with fast-talking card sharps hustling the tourists. It wasn’t very sophisticated, but it must have worked because they were out there every day. The grift playing out this week in the federal government around climate is no more complicated, but it too relies on speed and distraction.” (07/31/25)
