“In his essays on French history, John Stuart Mill (1806–73) praised François Guizot (1787–1874) as one of Europe’s preeminent historians. Guizot’s writings would become ‘immortal,’ Mill expected. Because of his great ‘historical impartiality,’ future generations would surely ‘forgive [Guizot] the grave faults of his political career.’ For all of Mill’s confidence, his predictions about the Frenchman’s reputation did not exactly come to pass. If we remember Guizot today, it is likely as prime minister of the July Monarchy, the bourgeois government overthrown by the Revolution of 1848. Yet, in the first half of the nineteenth century, Guizot was renowned as a teacher of history.” (01/29/26)
“When Maher Tarabishi got a phone call from his family on January 23, he expected an update on his son’s health. Tarabishi had been held for three months at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Bluebonnet Detention Center in Anson, Texas, and his 30-year-old son Wael’s health had been on the decline. Still, Tarabishi was hoping for a full recovery. The news, though, was not good: Wael had passed away. Maher Tarabishi was in disbelief, breaking down on the phone, according to an account of the call from his daughter-in-law Shahd Arnaout.” (01/28/26)
“As a veteran of the war on terror, I have spent the past year watching Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers expand their operations across the country on a heretofore unprecedented scale and with a new faux-military bearing. From equipment to weapons to tactics, ICE and other immigration enforcement bodies want to be seen as combat forces carrying out their missions. Witness on Thursday, when White House border czar Tom Homan talked about Minneapolis as a ‘theater’ for his agents. Overlooking that ICE is not, in fact, part of the armed services of the US — it’s a civilian law enforcement agency — it is useful to break down their operations through a military lens to find the strategic implications. Because if an agency wants to cosplay as a military force, it deserves to be evaluated as one.” (01/29/26)
“The price of gold has been surging in recent years. On Monday, it broke through a new milestone of $5,000 per ounce, just three months after the yellow metal hit $4,000 per ounce. For perspective, two years ago, the price of gold was only $2,000 per ounce. Indeed, since the start of this decade, the price of gold has delivered a better return than the Nasdaq 100 – an index of large, mostly tech, US companies. This isn’t normal.” (01/28/26)
Source: Niskanen Center
by Michele Evermore & Will Raderman
“When it comes to better understanding present labor market trends or catching unemployment benefit fraudsters, the devil is in the details. States collect quarterly unemployment insurance (UI) wage records from employers that can be applied for these analyses. However, most states do not request key categories of information — such as occupational details, work location, or hours worked — to make more comprehensive assessments possible. This dynamic is starting to change. A growing number of states are beginning to collect or expand use of enhanced wage records (EWRs), which include additional categories of data as part of employers’ quarterly UI wage record submissions.” (01/29/26)
“Why, oh why, is the city’s political elite obsessed with micromanaging food-delivery apps? So much so that it waxes indignant even when it’s simply reversing its own diktats to the (minor) industry. A new law now going into effect forces the apps to put the ‘option’ to tip your deliveryman before checkout. At least two main apps — UberEats and DoorDash — presented the gratuity screen after you got your food, a practice they adopted to comply with previous guidance from City Hall. (Not to mention: Tipping the delivery guy when he delivers worked just fine for decades.) And of course this follows years of City Council laws imposing a hefty minimum wage on this casual work.” (01/28/27)
Source: Orange County Register
by Cristine Soto DeBerry
“Federal agents have tear gassed peaceful protestors, detained individuals – including U.S. citizens – in horrific conditions, arrested children, assaulted the elderly, and threatened bystanders exercising basic First Amendment rights. According to recent reports, some ICE agents were even being trained to forcibly enter homes without warrants signed by judges – a blatant violation of the Fourth Amendment. If it feels like some of these federal agents act like the Constitution doesn’t apply to them, it’s because, in most cases, it doesn’t – at least not in a way that allows victims meaningful recourse. We’re fighting to fix that dangerous loophole in California by passing the No Kings Act (Senate Bill 747), authored by State Senator Scott Wiener.” (01/29/26)
“Gold is up at record highs and now silver is starting to make strides too. This is great. But just keep in mind that the government will try to control it as much as possible, especially in an economic ‘dollar crisis.'” (01/28/26)
Source: Orange County Register
by Jody Agius Vallejo
“Immigration has become a fundamental test of our democracy — of whether constitutional rights still limit government power to violate our civil liberties, and of whether that power can be turned inward against the very people it is meant to serve. When federal immigration authority is used to justify secrecy, militarization, and violence in everyday life, the question is whether our constitutional protections still hold at all. Recent events in Minneapolis make this painfully clear. … What is happening in Minneapolis matters because it reflects a broader pattern. It shows what it looks like when military-style federal power is turned inward.” (01/28/26)
