Source: The Volokh Conspiracy
by Ilya Somin
“The plan violates multiple constituitonal provisions and goes against Supreme Court precedent. If somehow allowed to stand, it would gravely imperil federalism and the separation of powers.” (01/15/26)
Source: Semafor
by Andy Browne
“Just days before US special forces grabbed Nicolás Maduro, the Venezuelan strongman, China rehearsed a ‘decapitation’ strike against its own nemesis, Taiwan’s leader Lai Ching-te. The drill was part of an intensifying military pressure campaign to intimidate the Taiwanese leadership, demoralize the population, and wear down the island’s resistance to unification with the mainland. The PLA Daily claimed that Lai, aware of the drills, had ‘outwardly feigned composure, but inwardly felt extremely fearful.’ Could Lai be the next Maduro? Many US commentators and analysts see heightened risks of just that: In their telling, the Trump administration’s defiance of international law and diplomatic norms to seize Maduro has set a precedent for Beijing, or that President Donald Trump’s claims to US dominance of the Western Hemisphere — the ‘Donroe’ doctrine — implicitly offers Chinese leader Xi Jinping a freer hand in his own backyard. These concerns sound plausible — but are mostly wrong-headed.” (01/15/26)
https://www.semafor.com/article/01/15/2026/the-flaws-in-the-venezuela-taiwan-worldview
Source: CounterPunch
by Robert Harris
“The partisan charade boils down to a question of appearances. For Democrats, Trump is not guilty of war crimes so much as bad manners, crassly admitting that he is after the oil. Better to put lipstick on the pig and claim the empire is ‘promoting democracy.’ All the whining is about Congress being left out of the action.” (01/15/26)
Source: Common Dreams
by Rainer Ebert
“Just a week after Donald Trump first took office as president, he signed Executive Order 13769—his first travel ban. It halted refugee admissions and suspended entry into the US for citizens of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. All of these countries have a Muslim majority. Because of that, and also because Trump had previously said that he intends to ban Muslims from the US, critics referred to the order as a ‘Muslim ban’. The backlash was immediate and broad, coming from Republicans and Democrats alike, as well as US diplomats, business leaders, universities, faith groups, and international organizations such as the United Nations and Amnesty International. Protests erupted in airports and cities across the US. A friend and I (both of us immigrants to the US ourselves) spontaneously drove to the international airport in Houston to express our outrage, along with hundreds of other protesters. I remember I felt hopeful.” (01/15/25)
Source: Adam Smith Institute
by Madsen Pirie
“Exposure of BBC left-wing bias has made recent headlines, especially since Panorama spliced the speeches of President trump to fit their own agenda at the expense of the truth. But this is not new. Over 50 years ago, the presenter of their ‘World at One’ was William Hardcastle, a man they said ‘left his hatred of the Tory Party at the door of Broadcasting House.’ Of course, he did no such thing. The selection of stories and the slant put upon them was just as biased then as it is now. … There was one big difference between then and now. Fifty-odd years ago, all people could do was to fume and rage and throw books at the TV because there was no right of reply. Now they can answer back.” (01/15/26)
Source: Independent Institute
by John C Goodman & Pete Sessions
“Congress is deeply divided over what to do about the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance exchanges. Democrats are understandably concerned about potential premium increases, especially for older workers. Republicans want to empower people and give them more choices. We think the goals of both parties can be met if Congress takes a bolder approach to reform. Before you can fix a problem, however, you must acknowledge a problem exists.” (01/15/26)
Source: Quillette
by Renie Anjeh
“The UK’s Labour government is in a parlous state. Following a collapse in popularity that was unprecedented in both speed and extent, Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s days in office seem to be numbered. For this to befall a government after less than sixteen months in power is astounding. The Labour Party will be faced with a debate about its future within the next year. Strategy, policies, and ideas will — or should — dominate the upcoming debate.” (01/15/26)
https://quillette.com/2026/01/15/the-alliance-keir-starmer-needs-labour-lib-dems/
Source: Bluegrass Institute
by Caleb O Brown & Reeve T Bull
“Kentucky’s businesses and lawmakers are often operating in the dark when it comes to regulation. Regulation is the code that governs the most basic operations of Kentucky businesses. It sometimes exists in books that sit in drawers across multiple government boards and agencies. The register has been posted online, but finding the complete and coherent set of rules that govern the voluntary sector of our economy is a substantial challenge.” (01/15/26)
https://www.bluegrassinstitute.org/regulatory-transparency-now/
Source: Reason
by Jacob Sullum
“It is hard to see how, since that question hinges on what happened the morning that an ICE agent shot her.” (01/14/26)
Source: Washington Post
by the editorial board
“The Justice Department’s decision to send FBI agents to raid a Washington Post reporter’s home Wednesday was an aggressive attack on the press freedom of all journalists. Yet anyone who believes the raid will deter reporters from doing their jobs is sorely mistaken.” (01/14/26)