“Perhaps more so than in other parts of the world, Africa has been jolted by global trade shocks, epidemics, and climate uncertainties in recent years. At the same time, foreign aid has slowed to a trickle. Yet, amid all this, the continent’s one bright spot has been agriculture, which is evolving from subsistence farming into sustainable livelihoods. Investors from the Middle East, Asia, and Europe are putting money into African agriculture, seeding the ability of farmers there to intensify and diversify their crops and livestock with an eye toward processing raw materials for export. These investments signal a shift from resource exploitation by outside interests to an approach that recognizes African countries as reliable producers and trade partners.” (08/04/26)
“The wave of anti-Semitic violence, threats, and harassment that swept US campuses immediately after the barbaric Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, should have constituted a wake-up call to all Americans. It revealed the cowardly character of the country’s academic leaders, especially those directing our most prestigious universities. Over 1,200 Israeli civilians were murdered; another 250 were kidnapped and taken to Gaza; no attack of this scale had been perpetrated against Jews since the Holocaust. Yet, even as Israeli authorities began to respond, American campuses were filled with demonstrators denouncing Israel as a ‘genocidal’ state, calling to ‘Globalize the Intifada’ (that is, the waves of Islamist terror that struck Israel, killing thousands of civilians over two decades ago).” [editor’s note: How many Palestinian civilians have been murdered, both before and after that single day, by Israeli forces? As Ayn Rand would say, “blank out” – TLK] (08/05/26)
“Thin-skinned and heavy-handed, the Trump administration apparently feels like it is being singled out by those who dissent from its policies. As a result, Trump appointees are taking drastic ‘McCarthy’ tactics to stop dissent. In less than one month, alleging that dissent and protests are part of attempts of other governments ‘to overthrow the government of the United States’, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has sponsored two major initiatives to frighten those who oppose the Trump administration’s policies. The first salvo was orchestrating a conference with 60 countries participating over ‘Threats From Left-Wing Terrorists’. The second was the report on Cuba that alleged virtually every group that has ever visited Cuba is paid by the Cuban government.” (08/05/26)
“Many studies show how valuable telemedicine is, especially in underserved areas and critical care settings where specialists are scarce. I welcome these innovations and use many of them daily. I am convinced that artificial intelligence (AI) will become one of the most important tools doctors have ever had. Recent reviews also suggest that AI will help doctors make decisions, not replace them. Still, no matter how advanced our tools get, they should help us do our jobs better, not change what our jobs are about.” (08/05/26)
“Not getting married and not having kids has never been a more universally available or attractive option for women than it is today. Men either need to make marriage and childbearing more attractive for women or be ready to use more state violence against women. Men can either increase their contribution to the household domestic labor and care work or force women at gunpoint into marrying them and having their kids.” (08/05/26)
Source: Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression
by Daniel Burnett
“How far can a university stretch the definition of harassment? Far enough to investigate a professor over the phrase ‘word salad,’ apparently. Just ask Richard Himelfarb, a political science professor at Hofstra University. During a Nov. 3, 2025, faculty meeting, Himelfarb thought his colleague, Jewish Studies Chair Santiago Slabodsky, has proposed a Jewish Studies course that contained too little Jewish content. So, during the meeting, Himelfarb described the proposal as rambling ‘word salad.’ In response, Slabodsky filed a harassment complaint, alleging the phrase ‘word salad’ is discriminatory against his accent and Latino identity. But instead of opening a dialogue, the university opened a harassment investigation.” (08/05/26)
“Despite being subjected to one of the most intensive bombing campaigns in modern history, the Islamic Republic of Iran has thus far failed to yield to any of the United States’ demands. There has been no regime change; no compromise on enrichment or the nuclear issue more broadly; no acceptance of conventional disarmament or an end to the so-called ‘axis of resistance;’ and no let-up of Iran’s chokehold over the Strait of Hormuz. … Unfortunately, there are few signs this is winding down.” (08/05/26)
“In an era of political gridlock, at least one clear area of bipartisan common ground continues to exist — the desire for real healthcare price transparency. In fact, a 2025 poll showed 96% of Americans across the political spectrum are in favor of the commonsense idea that you deserve to know the price of healthcare before receiving it. And finally, tangible progress is being made in both chambers of Congress to build upon numerous executive orders and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) rules and make healthcare price transparency the law of the land. … It allows for better, more accurate price signals, empowering patients with key information that allows them to shop for non-emergent healthcare goods and services. It also puts public pressure on care providers to justify prices, which may or may not be reasonable.” (08/05/26)
