Free Talk Live, 07/05/26

Source: Free Talk Live

“Bonnie’s expired license so we talked about how the DMV sucks :: Always ebe more rude to government workers than real workers :: Uncle Sham :: Is AI a ‘false pretender’? :: Rent A Human website to be paid for tasks as a human by AI :: Turd wants to make industry plants :: Gold heist may uncover CIA secrets :: Dopamine hit websites :: 2026-07-05 Host: Bonnie, Kahuna :: Rich E Rich.” (07/05/26)

https://soundcloud.com/freetalklive/ftl2026-07-05

Gerrymandering battles: The Colorado front

Source: The Price of Liberty
by MA Rothman

“This is the Democrat playbook when they can’t win outright: rewrite the rules, rig the maps, and push through structural changes designed to make their electoral advantages permanent. In Colorado — a state they’ve already been winning — that wasn’t enough. They needed to lock it in forever. The delegation stays 4R-4D, and 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝 before they could be installed. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 — 𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐬.” (07/05/26)

https://thepriceofliberty.org/2026/07/05/gerrymandering-battles-the-colorado-front/

Ukraine: At least 11 killed in second Russian strike on Kyiv in a week

Source: BBC News [UK state media]

“At least 11 people have been killed in Kyiv following a second night of Russian strikes on the Ukrainian capital in a week, the city’s top military administrator has said. Some 46 people have been injured, including five children, Timur Tkachenko added. Three more people were killed in the wider Kyiv region, emergency officials said. Rescue efforts are continuing at more than 20 locations, Tkachenko posted on Telegram, adding that residential high-rise buildings were hit in two districts. The strikes come on the eve of the Nato summit in Turkey, where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to hold talks with President Trump.” (07/06/26)

https://archive.is/gZYzE

From America 200 to America 250: A Personal Journey

Source: Chris’s Substack
by Chris Matthew Sciabarra

“My journey from America 200 to America 250 encompassed a fifty-year period of deep losses and incredible triumphs. To have survived two emergency surgeries in October 2025, I count my blessings that I am even here to mark the two-hundred-and-fiftieth anniversary of American independence. Quite frankly, given life-long health problems, it was almost inconceivable for 16-year-old Chris to project the possibility of 66-year-old Chris. But these fifty years of living, writing, and thinking about America and its founding document have illuminated a recurring motif in my work. What unites the 16-year-old and the 66-year-old is not merely an appreciation of ideas, but a commitment to understanding how ideas evolve alongside changing contexts.” (07/04/26)

https://chrismatthewsciabarra.substack.com/p/from-america-200-to-america-250-a

Bitcoin pops to $63,900, then reverses, as week begins

Source: CoinDesk

“Bitcoin touched $63,882 overnight before retreating to around $62,900, per CoinDesk data. The 24-hour high of $63,900 held briefly before sellers pushed it back down. Thursday’s U.S. jobs report came in weaker than expected, giving liquidity-sensitive assets a lift heading into the weekend.” (07/06/26)

https://www.coindesk.com/tech/2026/07/06/live-markets-bitcoin-pops-to-usd63-900-then-reverses-as-week-begins

The Beauty Of Online Anonymity

Source: Independent Institute
by Scott Beyer

“Social media platforms are full of ‘anon’ accounts these days. Particularly with Elon Musk’s purchase of X (formerly Twitter) and the de-censorship of that platform, many such accounts are dropping explosive ideas—about race, gender, immigration, etc.—from behind the safety of their screens. Some say this is harmful for society—free speech gone too far—while others mock the accounts for being cowardly. But anonymous communication is a time-worn American tradition, providing a useful check to government power while normalizing ideas that needed to be stated and debated all along.” (07/03/26)

https://www.independent.org/article/2026/07/03/the-beauty-of-online-anonymity/

China: Regime Test Fires Missile in the Pacific for the First Time Since 2024

Source: New York Times

“China test fired an intercontinental ballistic missile with a dummy warhead in the Pacific Ocean on Monday, the first such launch in two years. The missile was launched from a Chinese nuclear-powered submarine and sent a ‘mock warhead’ into the Pacific Ocean, according to a report from Xinhua, China’s official news agency. … The launch came as the leaders of Australia and Fiji announced a mutual defense treaty and a regional security alliance, the latest in a string of agreements Canberra has been striking in with Pacific Island nations widely viewed as efforts to push back against China’s encroachment in the region. Governments in the region were warned of the launch shortly beforehand.” (07/06/26)

https://archive.is/fmT3O

The Great American Betrayal

Source: The Hill
by John Mac Ghlionn

“It wasn’t long ago that a losing candidate would give a dignified, mildly depressing concession speech, lick his wounds and try again in four years. That gentleman’s agreement is dead. Now, losing an election is treated as definitive proof of a deep-state conspiracy, while winning is celebrated as a mandate to crush the opposition. Elections in the U.S. now function less as democratic transfers of power and more like weaponized custody disputes. Supercharging this collective psychological break is the tech industry, which realized early on that rage drives engagement far better than nuance. The algorithms don’t want us to get along. Peace is bad for profit margins. Instead, citizens are all trapped in bespoke digital echo chambers designed to confirm their worst fears.” (07/04/26)

https://thehill.com/opinion/congress-blog/politics/5952390-america-250-years-crisis/

Iran: Regime confirms new service fees for Strait of Hormuz, promises special treatment for allies

Source: Firstpost [India]

“Iran has announced plans to introduce new service fees for commercial ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, while indicating that countries which supported Tehran during the recent conflict could receive preferential treatment. The announcement was made by Iran’s Ambassador to China, Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, during the World Peace Forum in Beijing on Saturday. He said Iran was working with Oman on a new framework to manage traffic through one of the world’s most important maritime routes. The proposal comes after a temporary arrangement between Iran and the US under which commercial vessels were allowed to use the Hormuz without charge for 60 days following a ceasefire. It remains unclear when the new system will take effect.” (07/05/26)

https://www.firstpost.com/world/iran-plans-new-service-fees-for-strait-of-hormuz-promises-special-treatment-for-allies-14028982.html