Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone
“It pisses me off whenever I see someone claiming that ‘AI music’ is about to make normal music obsolete. There is no such thing as ‘AI music’ or ‘AI art’. AI cannot make music. It cannot create the experience of an artist using skill and intention to transport something from inside them into an audience through vibrations in the air. It can only mimic the noises of that encounter. It’s like someone going ‘There’s no need to converse with anyone anymore because they’ve invented a machine which makes noises that sound like human speech!’ You’d want to tell them ‘Hey, that’s not the same thing mate. You’re talking about a completely different experience which in no way satisfies what people are looking for in a conversation.'” (09/30/26)
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
by Angelo Monaco
“By aggressively restricting imports and guaranteeing artificially high domestic prices, protectionist architecture installed by the state acts as a hidden tax on American families, quietly inflating the cost of everyday food products to subsidize politically connected producers. Far from stabilizing the agricultural sector, these interventions distort supply chains, destroy downstream manufacturing jobs, and insulate domestic producers from the competitive realities of the global market. It is a textbook institutional design failure: an artificial regime that enriches a favored few while forcing consumers and the broader economy to foot the structural bill.” (09/30/26)
“A newly proposed bill in Congress could make a meaningful difference in the fight to restore free speech protections in higher education. The Restoring Civil Rights Attorney’s Fees Act of 2026 would address a practical problem for civil rights and free speech groups suing public universities for the denial of free speech. When universities lose at the preliminary injunction stage, advocates cannot recoup costs and fees. The bill would allow that recovery and, as a result, level the playing field with universities, which can tap public funds to litigate these cases. We have discussed many cases where universities spend millions in public funds to support anti-free speech policies and actions. A relatively small group of public interest groups have waged these battles with a collection of individual attorneys.” (09/30/26)
Source: American Institute for Economic Research
by Bryan Cutsinger
“By looking at the money that the Fed sends to the US Treasury each year, this explainer demonstrates how much these funds distort the perceived success or failure of American businesses.” (09/30/26)
“I took it for granted that he would do whatever Trump wanted, no matter how outrageous or illegal it might be, and he has proved to be even more horrible than I expected.” (09/30/26)
“On September 24, the Senate rejected a resolution directing the president to remove US forces from hostilities with Iran. In American politics, the end of military operations does not necessarily end a war’s political consequences. Some wars enter a decisive phase when the public judges their costs. Missiles may fall silent, troops return to their bases, and governments announce agreements or claim victory, but questions remain: Who decided? Why was war necessary? How transparent was the decision? What did it cost taxpayers, soldiers, allies, and America’s credibility? Who should answer for it? Elections do more than transfer power between parties. They are among the few institutional channels through which Americans can translate dissatisfaction with foreign policy into political action. A vote need not express partisan loyalty or simple opposition to a president. It can demand answers for decisions whose consequences outlast any administration.” (09/30/26)
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Nima Sanandaji & Klas Tikkanen
“Since 2017, the geography of knowledge-intensive employment in Europe has been closely studied by examining the share of adults in 34 European countries and 244 regions who are employed in highly knowledge-intensive technology jobs—in other terms, roles that rely heavily on expertise, technology, and research as well as advanced information processing and cognitive skills. The results are very clear: countries in Europe with lower taxes have a higher concentration of knowledge-intensive jobs and are also where new knowledge-intensive jobs are growing.” (09/30/26)
“Trump had the most zealous followers of anyone this side of Osama bin Laden, and in his first term, he did a certain amount of fan service. He cracked down on illegal (and legal) immigration, made gestures toward building a wall on the southern border, cut taxes, withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal and the Paris Climate Accords, and insulted and belittled everyone from Hillary Clinton to John Lewis. Was there profiteering as well? Sure. … But it was all pretty low-key compared with the sequel. In his second term, Trump has been a caricature of a plutocrat, gilding the Oval Office, grinding the White House East Wing into dust to build his garish ballroom, plastering his name on everything in his line of sight, issuing commemorative coins with his face on them, and vacuuming up wealth for himself and his family on a scale that has never been seen in American history.” (09/30/26)
Source: David Friedman’s Substack
by David Friedman
“Looking into the controversy over Ritalin and related drugs for controlling ADHD I was struck by a puzzle. Currently, about twelve percent of children are diagnosed with ADHD; those so diagnosed are widely claimed to be unable to function in a classroom without medication. The number is twice what it was thirty years ago.” (09/30/26)
