The Fifth Column, episode 560
Source: The Fifth Column
“Populism for Morons, Journalism for Martyrs.” (06/03/26)
https://www.wethefifth.com/p/populism-for-morons-journalism-for
Russia’s Warnings Signal Danger of Widening War
Source: The American Conservative
by Ted Snider
“he United States and Russia have agreed on little in the war in Ukraine. The one thing they have agreed on is the existential necessity of avoiding a direct war between NATO and Russia, which could become a third world war or even a nuclear war. … The possibility of that caution failing is now at perhaps the highest level it has been at any time of the war. One flashpoint for a wider war is the Baltic states, while another is actually inside Ukraine, in the capital Kiev, which hosts American and European diplomats and military officers.” (06/03/26)
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/russias-warnings-signal-danger-of-widening-war/
Kennedy Center ruling gets Trump’s name right but repairs badly wrong
Source: Fox News
by Jonathan Turley
“In a ruling Friday, District Judge Christopher Cooper ordered the cessation of all repair plans for the Kennedy Center and the removal of Trump’s name from the building within two weeks. It is a detailed and comprehensive opinion, but I believe Judge Cooper is wrong about halting the repairs. I previously expressed skepticism over the claim that the board could order such a change unilaterally. At that time, I raised the very issues that Judge Cooper cited in his rejection of the right to rename the center without congressional approval. I agree with the court on its standing decision, which is hardly a surprise given my past writings in favor of broader standing. However, the opinion becomes more challengeable when the court addresses the decision to close the center for two years to carry out major renovations.” (06/03/26)
Trump acknowledges calling Netanyahu “crazy” and says Israel is complicating peace talks with Iran
Source: SFGate
“President Donald Trump acknowledged criticizing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as ‘crazy’ in a phone call that involved expletives, saying he was ‘a little bit perturbed’ that Israel’s fighting with Hezbollah militants in Lebanon was holding back peace talks with Iran. But even as the U.S. president conceded the tensions in an interview released Wednesday, he insisted that his relationship with Netanyahu was solid and that they connected, in part, because they are both ‘wartime’ leaders. … The president’s comments about the Monday call offered a sign of the growing pressure he faces to resolve the Iran war as higher energy prices and economic uncertainty threaten Republican prospects in the midterm elections and hamper global commerce.” (06/03/26)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/israel-strikes-just-south-of-beirut-ahead-of-22289143.php
Politico Playbook Audio Briefing, 06/03/26
Source: Politico
“Trump’s endorsement in Iowa loses and Bill Pulte is now Acting DNI?.” (06/03/26)
Warsh’s Concerning Interest in Redefining “Inflation”
Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
Connor O’Keeffe
“As Kevin Warsh takes over as chair of the Federal Reserve, investors and financial media outlets are looking closely for any hints at how his appointment will impact monetary policy. One series of comments Warsh made while testifying to Congress back in April as a nominee has been getting more attention in recent weeks, following some high inflation reports. Essentially, Warsh signaled that he believed in focusing primarily on inflation data from core or even trimmed price indexes. To understand what that means or why it matters, it’s important to note that, originally, ‘inflation’ was a term that simply meant the act of increasing, or inflating, the money supply.” (06/03/26)
https://mises.org/mises-wire/warshs-concerning-interest-redefining-inflation
Source: Santos reported to prosecutors over suspicious Kalshi trades
Source: Associated Press
“A prediction market reported U.S. Rep. George Santos to federal prosecutors after he boasted he’d be going to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address, then bet against his own attendance, according to a person familiar with the investigation. Kalshi, the online prediction marketplace, referred Santos to the Department of Justice after detecting suspicious trades made by the former congressman ahead of Trump’s Feb. 24 speech, the person said. The person spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss the matter publicly. Kalshi also reported the trades to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, a federal regulatory body that has vowed to crack down on insider trading in prediction marketplaces.” (06/03/26)
https://apnews.com/article/george-santos-kalshi-2ea925949a0f3f72ec46411b41344858
The Corbett Report, episode 502
Source: The Corbett Report
“James goes to Osaka for an informal book launch, speaks to the book’s translator, and pays respects to a dearly departed Corbett Report member. And he even encounters some facial recognition gates along the way!” (06/03/26)
Charles Augustus Leale, Abraham Lincoln, and the Physician We Are Slowly Losing
Source: Brownstone Institute
by Joseph Varon
“Doctor Charles Augustus Leale was just 23 years of age when he walked into Ford’s Theatre on April 14, 1865. He had finished medical school only weeks before and was assigned to the theater because the President would be there. By the end of that night, his name was forever linked to one of America’s most tragic events. … Leale had no protocol to follow that evening. No committee advised him. No administrator stood nearby explaining liability concerns. No electronic medical record demanded documentation. There was no legal department, no compliance office, no billing specialist, and no corporate structure surrounding him. There was simply a physician, a dying patient, and a sense of duty. Medicine today feels very different.” (06/03/26)
How Trump Left Himself With No Good Solutions on Iran
Source: The Dispatch
by Jonah Goldberg
“The Trump administration is stuck in a word cloud of probabilities of Donald Trump’s own making. The war is over. The war is on. The war isn’t a war. We have a deal, but we don’t have a deal, but we’re about to have a deal. We destroyed Iran’s military. No, we left it intact. We want regime change. No, we don’t. We already accomplished it. We ‘obliterated’ Iran’s nuclear program a year ago. We had to go to war in February to prevent nuclear war. The Strait of Hormuz is open, closed, or something in between. No deal without ‘unconditional surrender.’ Let’s make a deal!” (06/03/26)
https://thedispatch.com/article/trump-iran-strait-of-hormuz-boxed-in/