“State and local policymakers urgently need to know how well pro-housing policies are achieving their underlying goals. Have they resulted in higher quantities of new construction, especially in targeted locations and structure types? Have development timelines been shortened, yielding cost savings for new homes? Are there spillover effects on the rents and prices of existing homes, or other changes in key housing market outcomes, such as vacancy rates?” (02/05/26)
“The original vision for Bitcoin was simple: peer-to-peer digital cash, free from banks and government. However, the document argues that this vision was deliberately ‘hijacked,’ as Bitcoin is now pushed as ‘digital gold,’ a scarce asset for Wall Street, with slow and expensive transactions for everyday use. This shift began with the 2015-2017 Block Size Fight, where a group won the argument to keep transaction blocks small, making the main network costly. The promoted ‘fix,’ the Lightning Network, is a faster system but relies on middlemen (hubs), fundamentally changing it from true P2P cash. The funding for this change is linked to Jeffrey Epstein.” (02/05/26)
Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone
“There are, broadly speaking, two different types of people who are calling attention to the Epstein files right now: (A) those who hope the revelations lead to high-level prosecutions and major institutional changes in the US government, and (B) those who know this will never happen but hope the revelations will help radicalize people toward truly revolutionary politics. Those in category (A) believe the system is broken and needs to be fixed. Those in category (B) understand that the system is working exactly as intended and needs to be destroyed.” (02/05/25)
“What’s Tulsi Gabbard’s big, bad secret? Our current Director of National Intelligence-meets-birthday party Cruella De Vil is the subject of a whistleblower complaint reportedly so explosive that the file itself requires Mission: Impossible-like security. Even teasing its nature would provoke such ‘grave damage,’ in the words of Gabbard’s own office, that it’s probably better for all parties concerned to just pretend it doesn’t exist at all, right? Well … no. What charge could possibly be so damning in an administration whose leader has already been credibly accused of any number of high crimes and dank depravities? It can’t be that she works for the Russians because (1) we already suspected that and (2) half the administration (allegedly) works for the Russians, including the aforementioned President. Well, maybe it can — let’s circle back to that.” (02/05/26)
Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Ryan McMaken
“Whenever a new US president is sworn in, media pundits and court historians gush about the supposed ‘peaceful transfer of power’ that is taking place. This has become a key tenet of the mythology and ideology surrounding democracy — that governing elites willfully abandon their control over the machinery of the state in response to election outcomes. Indeed, this narrative about democracy is absolutely foundational to the perceived legitimacy of democracy. The contention that elections lead to a ‘peaceful transfer of power’ reinforces the idea that the governing elites are determined by elections, and therefore by the ‘will of the people.’ If ‘we the people’ vote for a new group of rulers, then the old leaders will step aside a new group will take over. At least, that’s how the story goes.” (02/05/26)
“Anyone reading the briefs and transcript of oral argument in the recent Slaughter case involving the president’s power to remove members of independent regulatory agencies can only be amazed at the lack of historical perspective of all the major actors, including counsel. All treat Article II of the Constitution as a perfect model of executive unity, the only issue being how far its powers extend. In truth, the drafting and history of Article II show that there have always been reservations with and limits to the unitary character of the executive branch.” (02/05/26)
Source: Common Dreams
by Cabinet of the Progressive International
“We will not mince words. The ‘policy’ of the Trump administration is a total siege: a modern mechanism for collective punishment designed to strangle life itself by cutting off fuel for hospitals, schools, water, transport, and food distribution. Cuba already faces severe fuel shortages, with blackouts stretching daily and essential services collapsing under the weight of sanctions and depleted imports. Cuba’s remaining oil stocks could run out in mere weeks, threatening the lives of millions who have done nothing to justify this escalation. This is the culmination of a long-standing strategy articulated in US law — from the expansive embargo codified by the Helms–Burton Act in the 1990s to the Cuban Assets Control Regulations first enforced in the 1960s — that openly sought to apply ‘maximum pressure’ to force political transformation in Havana and defeat a vanguard in the struggle against the US’s hemispheric domination.” (02/05/25)
“Democrats are buzzing over the surprise victory of Taylor Rehmet in a Texas state senate race. Rehmet won by 14 points in a Fort Worth-area district Donald Trump carried by 17 points in 2024. That outcome inspired a piece by Republican strategist Karl Rove titled “Midterms Are Dems’ to Lose — and They May.” Rove doesn’t gloss over Republicans’ weak spots — the president’s dismal approval ratings, falling consumer confidence and the daily churn of Trump-fueled chaos. But he also notes the Democrats’ penchant for nominating far-left activists in moderate districts, candidates who inevitably lose the general. Rove is right about it all, which leads to a question for Democrats: Have they internalized that a Democratic Socialist who wins New York City would be dead on arrival most everywhere else?” (02/05/26)
