Source: Liberalism.org
by Siri Terjesen
“How a voluntary, bottom-up answer to an information problem became a federally enforced cartel, and why prying it loose is a cause every liberal should own.” (07/01/26)
https://www.liberalism.org/p/the-academy-s-captured-gatekeepers
Source: Common Sense
by Paul Jacob
“We need a constitutional amendment to set the number of justices. Leaving to Congress the option of remaking the Court every time partisan control changes in Washington is … corrupting.” (07/01/26)
https://thisiscommonsense.org/2026/07/01/unpacking-the-court/
Source: Garrison Center
by Thomas L Knapp
“The colonists declared independence from Britain. … Today’s America is built on dependence, not independence. The average American is born in a government-regulated hospital, issued a government birth certificate, assigned a government identification number, shipped off as early as possible to government-regulated schools, graciously allowed by government to work in government-regulated businesses (if his or her government papers are found to be in order), retires on a government pension, and is eventually buried or cremated in accordance with government regulations. And, of course, every Fourth of July, he or she dutifully waves a piece of cloth representing that government, cries tears of gratitude for the brave government employees who defend his or her ‘freedom,’ and perhaps — if, and only if, the government allows it — enjoys some fireworks.” (07/01/26)
Source: Cato Institute
by Scott Lincicome & Chad Smitson
“Today (July 1) marks the official deadline for renewing the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement — and the US is expected to miss it. As I argued in my latest Bloomberg column, the missed deadline won’t be entirely costless but also won’t be as consequential as many headlines suggest. For starters, a missed deadline today simply means the deal will revert to annual reviews until it’s either extended for 16 more years or expires in 2036—ten years away. This will inject uncertainty into North American supply chains, likely hampering investment on the margins. But in terms of day-to-day trade among the three nations, it’ll be unnoticeable. Trump could, of course, try to withdraw from the deal—any party can for any reason, with six months’ notice—and he’s threatened as much. But, as I explain in my column, it’s a safe bet he’s bluffing.” (07/01/26)
https://www.cato.org/blog/missed-usmca-deadline-doesnt-mean-deal-dead
Source: Eastern New Mexico News
by Kent McManigal
“Politics – and specifically political opinions – can turn people into monsters. It’s almost guaranteed. No one is ever a better person because of their political opinions or because they’re involved in politics. In his story, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson was writing a morality tale about the good and evil within each individual and the dangers of drug abuse, but it could apply just as well to politics. Politics is a powerful drug, and it brings the evil within each individual to the surface. Someone may be a decent person, but add some political opinions and they can turn into beasts who want people robbed, caged, or killed because they don’t have a compatible political opinion. The more I see it happen, the less I want politics near me.” (07/01/26)
Source: JimBovard.com
by James Bovard
“Former FBI director Robert Mueller was a twenty-first century version of J. Edgar Hoover, trampling the Constitution and seizing new power on any pretext. When Mueller died in March, the New York Times eulogized him as a ‘button-down, lockjawed, rock-ribbed exemplar of a vanishing caste.’ Media tributes poured in as if Mueller was the law-enforcement version of Mother Theresa. But tell that to the Liberty City Seven, victims in a landmark case in the war on terror that should have defined Mueller’s legacy far more than his photo ops at congressional hearings. The FBI completely fabricated the Liberty City plot in Miami. But Mueller lied, telling America that the arrestees — mostly Haitian-Americans — a ‘homegrown terrorist cell … self-recruited, self-trained, and self-executing.'” (07/01/26)
https://jimbovard.com/blog/2026/07/01/fbi-boss-robert-mueller-conned-america-to-ravage-our-rights/
Source: The Daily Economy
by Lawrence W Reed
“Both the American and French Revolutions promised ‘power to the people.’ One delivered it; the other descended into bloodshed and chaos. Why?” (07/01/26)
Source: Mother Jones
by Amy Hawkins
“China has emerged as the sole winner in Asia from the strait of Hormuz crisis, according to a report published on Tuesday. The report by the geopolitical consulting firm Asia Group concluded that China had weathered the storm of the global commodities crisis resulting from the closure of the Middle Eastern waterway, and also stood to gain from the economic and geopolitical trends sparked by the wider conflict. … China’s electric vehicle exports soared by more than 110 percent in May compared with the previous year, while solar shipments in April increased by 60 percent.” (07/01/26)
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/07/trump-iran-war-middle-east-winner-china-clean-energy/
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
by Jacob G Hornberger
“Among the silliest arguments employed by proponents of America’s socialist (i.e., central planning) system of immigration controls — and the deadly and ruthless immigration police state that comes with it — is the assimilation argument. Immigration statists say that under a free-market immigration system — that is, one based on open borders — there is a risk that immigrants won’t ‘assimilate’ into the general population. Therefore, immigration statists argue, it is necessary that the federal government be in charge of the movements of people into the United States so that it will accept only those who will be likely to ‘assimilate.’ Really? For one thing, what does ‘assimilate’ mean?” (07/01/26)
https://www.fff.org/2026/07/01/lets-reject-assimilation-nonsense/
Source: Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression
by Angel Eduardo
“The First Amendment was ratified in 1791, guaranteeing that Congress shall make no law abridging our freedom to speak, publish, assemble, worship, and petition the government. But as anyone with a passing knowledge of our history knows, the fight was far from over then. In fact, it was only just beginning — and Philadelphia was ground zero for much of it.” (07/01/26)
https://expression.fire.org/p/250-years-later-free-speech-is-still