Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
by Jacob G Hornberger
“The recriminations and second-guessing are flying from all directions with respect to the flame-out of Democrat candidate Graham Platner’s U.S. Senate campaign in Maine. Most everyone’s commentaries are revolving out of the ramifications of the sex-abuse allegations, including rape, from old girlfriends of Platner. Some of the critics are pointing to other disturbing aspects of Platner’s life, such as a Nazi-like tattoo on his chest and crude and offensive remarks in Reddit posts. What the critics and commentators don’t do, however, is point to the core reason why this man got so screwed-up emotionally and psychologically: his four military deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. It is those four deployments that are at the core of Platner’s dysfunctional behavior and abusive relationships with women.” (07/09/26)
“Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, said her Democratic Senate primary race was ‘a racist race’ in an interview published Wednesday and argued she didn’t need to campaign with her former opponent and the party’s nominee, James Talarico. Crockett said at the Essence Festival alongside the hosts of the ‘Native Land’ podcast that the best thing she could do for former primary foe Talarico was to endorse Black candidates down ballot so more Black voters turn out in November. ‘The best thing that I can do is take down-ballot candidates who no one’s ever heard of and do my best to uplift them and increase the voter participation in a way that we did in Texas,’ she said.” [editor’s note: Okay, so this loser in a “racist race” is going to support other candidates based SOLELY on the color of their skin, not the content of their character. – SAT] (07/09/26)
“[Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Arizona)] sent his daughter to a private school. The senator’s own background includes public schooling, but the choice he made for his child stands in contrast to the opposition he now leads to making similar options available for more families. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York) graduated from the private Emma Willard School and sent both of her sons to a private school in Washington. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) sent one of her two children to private schools — and then said she did not in 2019 at an event during her presidential campaign. … The pattern is consistent. Lawmakers who benefited from private schooling or chose it for their children now work to keep these doors closed for other families.” (07/09/26)
“The party of Me Too has shown its true face in the rolling Graham Platner scandal. Now that a liberal woman has credibly accused him of rape, the rats have deserted the sinking ship and the Democrat-endorsed US Senate candidate for Maine has dropped out. But it’s ‘Me Too’ late to save face. Conservatives always knew the left’s effort to assert moral superiority on matters of sex, race and ideology were play-acting but now it’s undeniable for even their most blinkered supporters. The Democratic Party’s defense of Platner to the bitter end against an avalanche of rape and sexual abuse allegations, not to mention his Nazi tattoo, has left them exposed as hypocrites.” [editor’s note: Gotta agree — Democrats ARE just like Republicans – TLK] (07/08/26)
“People didn’t HAVE to read, they GOT to read. They did it ostentatiously and with zeal. And this habit lasted, in one form or another, until recently when reading for enjoyment started to tank. Blame the Internet and social media and our fractured attention span. Blame Oprah, who in her quest to ‘get people reading’ promoted one title and focused every English-speaking woman’s attention on it, to the exclusion of every other book on the planet. But the real culprit, if you ask me, is politics.” [editor’s note: Are people really “reading less?” Or are they just reading on screens instead of from books, just like people started reading from books instead of scrolls and scrolls instead of clay tablets? – TLK] (07/09/26)
“The right to support and elect candidates for political office is a distinguishing feature of democracy. It can also be a profoundly challenging privilege, as political parties and the voting public weigh information and perceptions around candidates’ policies and personal appeal, their competence and character. Around the world, voters want ability and integrity from their politicians. Increasingly, they also want authenticity, a sense that those running for office understand ‘regular’ people and their daily lives and struggles. Three candidacies in the news this week underscore the civic tension among these needs and demands: the nomination for a United States Senate seat, a local council election in the United Kingdom, and a presidential run in France. Graham Platner in the U.S., Nigel Farage in the U.K., and Marine Le Pen in France all seem to have tapped into voters’ everyday concerns – and their yearning for recognition.” (07/08/26)
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Jake Scott
“The average Dutch gamer has lost €130 ($148). At least, that is a claim being made in the Hague by a foundation. On June 11, the Stichting Consumenten Competition Claims (SCCC), acting under the banner GameClaim on behalf of every Dutch personal computer (PC) gamer, filed a €220 million ($250 million) claim against the Valve Corporation, the business that operates the Steam gaming platform. The SCCC claims that roughly 2 million accounts have lost collectively those €220 million on the basis that the Valve Corporation commands some 85% of the market, and defends that position through Most-Favored-Nation clauses—terms that forbid developers from undercutting their Steam price on rival storefronts such as Epic Games Store (EGS).” (07/a09/26)
“Reuters published a photograph taken during the weekend of America’s 250th birthday celebration. It depicted a young black woman seated by herself on a packed D.C. Metro train. Standing and sitting around her were white men wearing white masks. They belong to a white nationalist organization called Patriot Front, a group involved in the violent 2017 Charlottesville, Virginia, rally that resulted in the death of a woman. The intimidating-looking men reportedly said nothing to the woman and never threatened her, and she remained composed. The photo quickly went viral and was hailed by many journalists and commentators as a microcosm of America in this era of President Donald Trump. ” (07/09/26)
