Source: Reason
by JD Tuccille

“Fiscal year 2026 ended last week, and while official figures aren’t out yet, it looks like the federal government spent $2 trillion more than it took in. That’s not quite a record—in dollar terms, the federal government ran a bigger deficit in 2020 when the feds showered money on the country in hopes of offsetting COVID-19 lockdowns (fueling inflation in the process), and the deficit was a bigger share of GDP both that year and during the Great Recession. But given the federal government hasn’t balanced its books in 25 years, a $2 trillion deficit adds to already staggering national debt and looming disaster.” (10/05/26)

https://reason.com/2026/10/05/the-federal-government-ran-up-a-2-trillion-deficit-in-2026/

Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
by Laurence M Vance

“Most cases of choice involve goods that are much more distinguishable than almost identical bottles of ketchup: for example, cars, houses, furniture, shoes, clothes, pets. But choice is not limited to just goods. Sometimes, people choose between and among experiences: for example, cruises, concerts, sporting events, museums, zoos, and amusement parks. The same is true when it comes to the provision of services: for example, pest control, dentistry, hair styling, auto repair, landscaping, tanning. Although every service imaginable is or has been provided by the free market, governments at every level are united in their belief that there is one service that government at some level should provide, fund, regulate, control, and/or mandate that every child should receive: education.” (10/05/26)

https://www.fff.org/explore-freedom/article/education-vouchers-and-school-choice/

Source: Law & Liberty
by Brent Orrell

‘AI in health care promises greater efficiency, but only if it balances the objective knowledge of the physician with the subjective wisdom of the patient.” (10/05/26)

https://lawliberty.org/doctor-patient-and-ai/

Source: Common Dreams
by Timothy Hopper

“On September 29, the Energy Department said it would make up to 40 million barrels of crude from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve available through an exchange intended to stabilize oil supply. The move was a reminder of something easy to miss in debates over the Iran war: Its costs do not stay on the battlefield. American households can start paying them well before voters get a chance to judge the decisions behind them. War is usually pictured through missiles, airstrikes, casualties, and ruined cities. Yet some of the burden can surface thousands of miles from the fighting—in gas prices, shipping costs, grocery bills, and whatever is left in a family’s bank account at the end of the month. The war with Iran has made that connection hard to ignore. When oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz are disrupted, the shock moves through global energy markets and reaches the United States.” (10/05/26)

https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/iran-war-costs

Source: Law & Liberty
by Marc A Levin

“The state should try to give citizens an ‘equal opportunity’ to live in neighborhoods free of violent crime.” (10/05/26)

https://lawliberty.org/socializing-safety/

Source: CounterPunch
by Mickey Huff & Steve Macek

“The forty-fourth annual Banned Books Week (BBW) takes place October 4 through 10 this year, but given the significant, sustained efforts to restrict what young people can read, Banned Books Week should likely be observed every week. We are living in a time of increased attacks on the free press, free speech, academic freedom, and the rights to read and know. This year’s BBW theme, ‘Let Books Be: Protect the Freedom to Read,’ reflects these concerns.” (10/05/26)

https://www.counterpunch.org/2026/10/05/make-america-read-america/