Source: Libertarian Institute
by Roman Gelperin

“In early 2024, Rick Doblin — the man whose work launched one of the biggest social and cultural movements of our time, ‘the Psychedelic Renaissance’ — was expecting to see the crowning achievement of his life’s mission. The non-profit he led and founded, the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), had recently published the second of its Phase 3 clinical trials of the psychedelic drug MDMA, investigating its efficacy in the treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The results seemed incontestable. … And then, in August 2024, ‘the FDA decision was worse than any of us [had] anticipated,’ said Doblin. It outright rejected the New Drug Application for MDMA, demanding that MAPS conduct a third Phase 3 study to gather more information, a process that would require at least three more years.” (01/07/26)

https://libertarianinstitute.org/articles/the-psychedelic-renaissance-continues

Source: The American Conservative
by Justin Logan

“Presidents are drawn to foreign policy in part because courts and Congress won’t constrain them as they do on domestic policy. Presidential historians love ambitious foreign policies, and rank war presidents higher than peace presidents. So it’s understandable that presidents often look to make their legacies through foreign policy. In the postwar era, though, for every Reagan, there is an LBJ, a Bush, or a Carter. The lure of foreign policy is that it promises national greatness; the peril is that the foreigners get a vote, and things may be sketchier than people tell you. To use a Trumpian metaphor, what can seem like a clear shot to the fairway can wind up in thick rough.” (01/07/26)

https://www.theamericanconservative.com/will-venezuela-define-the-second-trump-administration/

Source: The UnPopulist
by Gabriel Schoenfeld

“Opposite errors have appeared after each of Trump’s two presidential victories. Following his surprise win in 2016, many dismissed Trumpism as an anomaly — a cultural spasm that would fade — when we were actually embarking on a genuine political realignment. After 2024, perhaps the inverse mistake was made: many assumed his second presidential victory reflected MAGA’s enduring cultural resonance, when it may instead represent the final surge of an unstable ideological coalition that has already crested. If initially there was an underestimation of Trump’s ability to tap into deep cultural currents, now there may be an overestimation of his coalition’s capacity to outlast the man himself.” (01/06/26)

https://www.theunpopulist.net/p/maga-may-have-finally-entered-the

Source: Fox News
by Jonathan Turley

“‘Are You Not Entertained?’ With the country’s economy improving and other issues losing traction with the public, Democrats are increasingly turning to the one thing lacking in Washington: impeachment. As they work to take back the House in the midterms, Democrats are again promising voters the equivalent of the Roman Games by restarting impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump. For many liberal voters, impeachment has become the thrilling cage match of lawfare. Facing a challenger on the left in New York, Rep. Dan Goldman [D-NY] was the latest to dangle impeachment before his constituents. He insisted that Trump can be removed for the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. The same people who introduced what I called an abusive ‘snap impeachment’ against Trump are now suggesting that he can be impeached for an act that was previously upheld as lawful in the courts.” (01/07/25)

https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/jonathan-turley-impeachment-obsession-returns-democrats-recycle-lawfare-fire-up-base

Source: The Intercept
by Natasha Lennard

“‘NO ROOM AT THE INN!’ The U.S. Department of Homeland Security posted on its official X account on Monday. ‘HiltonHotels has launched a coordinated campaign in Minneapolis to REFUSE service to DHS law enforcement. When officers attempted to book rooms using official government emails and rates, Hilton Hotels maliciously CANCELLED their reservations.’ Leaving aside for a second the obscene comparison of gestapo-style immigration troops to Mary and Joseph searching for lodging in the Nativity story, the post made an extraordinary and unlikely claim: One of the largest hotel chains in the world was taking an organized stand against the Trump administration’s deportation machine. It was, like so many administration claims, a lie.” (01/06/26)

https://theintercept.com/2026/01/06/hilton-ban-ice-minneapolis-workers/