Source: Liberal Currents
by Paul Henry Rosenberg
“American democracy is facing its most serious crisis since the Civil War, but we have no coherent effort to do anything about it, not even to try to make sense of what’s wrong. That’s not the case in Nordic countries, such as Denmark — which has the world’s best liberal democracy, according to V-DEM’s last three annual Democracy Reports. There, the Danish parliament has launched a multi-year ‘Power and Democracy study’ to analyze how Denmark’s democracy is functioning, what challenges it faces, and what can be done to improve it.” (02/17/26)
https://www.liberalcurrents.com/america-if-youre-listening-denmarks-example-for-fixing-liberal-democracy/
Source: JimBovard.com
by James Bovard
“If you get stopped at an airport security checkpoint with $100 or more in cash, Transportation Security Administration agents can fleece you. TSA has stripped more than 10,000 travelers of their money since 2014, but the supposed ‘criminals’ are almost never charged after their cash is taken. A class-action federal court case could finally end this outrage.” (02/17/26)
https://jimbovard.com/blog/2026/02/17/n-y-post-your-bucks-stop-with-the-tsa/
Source: Independent Institute
by Francis Crescia
“How a pivot toward ‘middle power’ diplomacy could jeopardize Canada’s most vital trade relationship.” (02/17/26)
https://www.independent.org/article/2026/02/17/economic-risk-carney-davos-strategy/
Source: National Public Radio [US state media]
“What’s the main thing in Maine’s Senate race?” (02/17/26)
https://www.npr.org/2026/02/17/nx-s1-5716219/whats-the-main-thing-in-maines-senate-race
Source: Gracearchy with Jim Babka
“ChiComs Attack Gracearchy.” (02/17/26)
https://rumble.com/v75ufzq-chicoms-attack-gracearchy-instant-grace-with-jim-babka-ig45.html
Source: Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression
by Graham Piro
“Texas Tech leaders have somehow convinced themselves that race and gender are not legitimate topics to discuss in a psychology class. That’s absurd on its face: You can’t teach human behavior while treating basic dimensions of human identity as off-limits. Will Crescioni, a lecturer in Texas Tech’s Department of Psychological Sciences, submitted his course materials for his honors-level psychology course the same day the Texas Tech system issued a memo ordering universities to review courses and ensure faculty do not ‘promote or otherwise inculcate’ certain ideas related to race and gender. Just over a month later — and only two days before the semester began — his course was scrapped. His offense? Refusing to alter his course content.” (02/17/26)
https://www.thefire.org/news/he-refused-censor-his-syllabus-so-texas-tech-cancelled-his-class
Source: Commentary
by Seth Mandel
“The author Arundhati Roy is boycotting the Berlinale film festival because organizers have suggested that artists should not be compelled to talk about politics. This would seem to be unobjectionable: free speech should also apply to artists who don’t want to let reporters troll them into a political controversy …. A group of 81 actors and other festival participants — among them Tilda Swinton and Javier Bardem — signed an open letter hitting back at the Berlinale and making clear what this fight is really about: ‘Berlinale has so far not even met the demands of its community to issue a statement that affirms the Palestinian’ narrative of the war, the statement complained. More to the point, the letter warned: ‘The tide is changing across the international film world. Many international film festivals have endorsed the cultural boycott of apartheid Israel.’ Ah, there we are. Actors want an anti-Jewish blacklist. In the name of free speech and anti-fascism.” (02/17/26)
https://www.commentary.org/seth-mandel/the-free-speech-advocates-who-love-blacklists/
Source: SFGate
“Some Republican legislators are looking to restrict their states’ ability to set environmental regulations, a move that comes as President Donald Trump’s administration pushes to roll back environmental rules on power plants, water and greenhouse gases. The Alabama Legislature on Tuesday approved legislation backed by business groups that would prevent state agencies from setting restrictions on pollutants and hazardous substances exceeding those set by the federal government. In areas where no federal standard exists, the state could adopt new rules only if there is ‘a direct causal link’ between exposure to harmful emissions and ‘manifest bodily harm’ to humans. Supporters said the Alabama measure would ground standards in ‘sound science’ and prevent regulatory overreach. Environmental groups said it would cripple the state’s ability to respond to environmental or health risks, including a group of chemicals known as PFAS, or forever chemicals, that has contaminated swaths of the South.” (02/18/26)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/politics/article/following-trump-s-lead-some-gop-states-seek-to-21360310.php
Source: San Diego Union-Tribune
“U.S. Capitol Police in Washington, D.C., arrested an 18-year-old man Tuesday after he ran from his vehicle toward the west side of the Capitol Building armed with a shotgun. Capital Police Chief Michael Sullivan said the man, identified as Carter Camacho of Smyrna, Georgia, was arrested after he parked a Mercedes SUV near the Capitol, got out and ran ‘several hundred yards’ toward the building with a shotgun before officers intercepted him and ordered him to put down the firearm and get on the ground. Speaking at a press conference following the arrest, Sullivan said Camacho was wearing a tactical vest and gloves and had a Kevlar helmet and gas mask in the vehicle.” (02/17/26)
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2026/02/17/dc-capitol-arrest/
Source: Liberal Currents
“Trent and Caitlin boogie with friend-of-the-program, journalist Jonathan M. Katz of The Racket. They talk Super Bowl, Bad Bunny, the TPUSA halftime safe space show, and immigration detention.” (02/17/26)
https://www.liberalcurrents.com/bad-bunnys-super-bowl-halftime-show-warehouse-prisons-the-el-paso-laser-fiasco-half-the-answer-65-with-jonathan-katz/
