Source: Quillette
by Matt Johnson
“Americans who may have ferocious disagreements about the size of government, foreign policy, and a wide range of other issues must find a way to unite around their shared commitment to the liberal idea.” (02/09/26)
Source: CounterPunch
by Rob Okun
“I have a question I never imagined I’d have to ask in the United States. Not, ‘Are you worried about where the country is heading?’ We’re past that. It’s a question I keep asking myself — and now I’m asking you: What has to happen before you actively push back at a government transforming into authoritarian state before our eyes? Will you show up? Will you raise your voice? Will you find a place in the growing resistance movement? Because here’s what haunts me: law, decency, and truth are all buckling — and far too many people are still waiting until they’re personally threatened before they act.” (02/09/26)
https://www.counterpunch.org/2026/02/09/where-is-your-line-hint-silence-is-a-decision/
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Jennifer Kavanagh
“For weeks the question animating the Washington D.C. commentariat has been this: When will President Donald Trump make good on his threat and launch a second round of airstrikes on Iran? So far at least, the answer is ‘not yet.’ Many explanations for Trump’s surprising (but very welcome) restraint have emerged. Among the most troubling, however, is that it is a lack of the necessary munitions, and in particular air defense interceptors, that is giving Trump second thoughts. … Even those who hope Trump chooses to avoid military action in Iran altogether should be taken aback to hear that eight months after the last extended U.S. military campaign ended (the defense of Israel during the 12-day war and Operation Midnight Hammer), American missile defense arsenals could still be in such rough shape.” (02/09/26)
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/missile-defense-iran-attack/
Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone
“They launched a live-streamed genocide in full view of the entire world. They’re openly targeting civilian populations with siege warfare in Iran and Cuba in full view of the entire world. They openly kidnapped the president of a sovereign nation in full view of the entire world. They deliberately provoked a horrific and dangerous proxy war in Ukraine in full view of the entire world. They spent years actively backing Saudi Arabia’s monstrous genocidal atrocities in Yemen in full view of the entire world. They’re plundering and exploiting the resources and labor of the global south in full view of the entire world. They’re killing the biosphere we all depend on for their own enrichment in full view of the entire world.” (02/09/25)
Source: Orange County Register
by Liam Sigaud
“As 2026 begins, the economic story remains the same: The rent is too damn high, and the dream of homeownership feels increasingly out of reach for millions of Americans. New data reveals that the typical age of a first-time home buyer has climbed to an all-time high of 40 years. And although policymakers throughout the country are recognizing the need to turbocharge residential construction, many states – including California – are failing to adopt reforms that could have a meaningful impact on housing prices.” (02/09/26)
Source: Antiwar.com
by Ted Galen Carpenter
“At this point, we cannot be certain if the demonstrations constitute the first stage of a popular rebellion on the part of an aggrieved population finally pushed beyond endurance or is the latest cynical power play by the United States and its favorite ally. It should not come as a surprise if a mounting percentage of Iranians have had their fill of the mullahs and religious tyranny. … However, it also would be naïve to assume that the United States and its allies (especially Israel) would not resort to even the dirtiest tactics to overthrow the clerical regime.” (02/09/26)
https://original.antiwar.com/ted_galen_carpenter/2026/02/08/iran-a-bogus-or-genuine-rebellion/
Source: Popular Information
by Judd Legum
“It is clear what Trump wants, but all migrants in the United States have due process rights under federal law. Specifically, Somali migrants have the right to appear before an immigration judge and seek asylum based on a well-founded fear of persecution based on race, religion, political views, or another protected category. This is a particular risk in Somalia, where al-Shabaab, an Islamist militant group, is responsible for hundreds of thousands of civilian casualties. The Trump administration, however, appears to be manipulating the judicial process to dramatically reduce the chance that Somali immigrants are granted asylum.” (02/09/26)
Source: Underthrow
by Max Borders
“If you peer through the constructal lens, you can set aside partisan binaries and begin to diagnose the West’s decline in terms of physics.” (02/09/26)
Source: Big Head Press
by Scott Bieser
Cartoon. (02/09/26)
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Matthew Williams
“The pricing of prescription drugs is often the subject of debate. Many forget that pharmaceuticals and drug development form a market like any other, but circumstances and the human condition make it admittedly more complicated. Medicine is unique in that it grapples with human life amid unavoidable scarcity. Scarcity forces tough trade-offs and costs, and when lives of our loved ones hang in the balance, emotions can overwhelm rational judgment. Politicians eagerly exploit these situations.” (02/09/26)
https://fee.org/articles/pricing-information-and-risk-in-pharma/