How to Bring Free Inquiry Back to Campus—And Restore Trust

Source: The Dispatch
by Jonathan Farber

“he typical politically active professor teaching at Harvard, Yale, Georgetown, and America’s other leading universities sits in the same ideological neighborhood as Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the three most progressive members of Congress. The bigger issue, however, is that many campuses lack the intellectual range for anyone to seriously challenge those professors’ views. That is the central finding of a new study commissioned by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) and conducted by University of Rochester political scientist David Primo.” (06/09/26)

https://thedispatch.com/article/faculty-left-wing-political-donations/

Judge blocks $100k H-1B visa fee imposed by Trump

Source: United Press International

“A federal judge ruled Monday that a $100,000 visa fee for U.S.companies seeking highly skilled workers from other countries is illegal. This voids the requirement set by President Donald Trump by a presidential proclamation in September. Judge Leo Sorokin said the policy violated the U.S. Constitution and the federal Administrative Procedure Act and that only Congress has the authority to change federal immigration policy to require the fee. The Trump administration says it will appeal the ruling.” (06/08/26)

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2026/06/08/judge-ends-trump-visa-fee/1001780961521/

The War in Iran Is Coming for Insulin Markets

Source: Independent Institute
by Raymond J March

“Gas prices have increased 50% since the war began. Food prices have followed. The Consumer Price Index jumped 3.3% this April. Grocery bills jumped 0.7% in April. Such figures have not been seen since the peak of post-pandemic inflation. While it’s hard to ignore these costs, many Americans are not noticing the warning signs that higher prices and shortages for vital medications they rely on may soon be next, especially insulin. Supply chain experts at Stanford Health Care have flagged insulin syringes, generic drugs, and petroleum-based medical supplies as products at risk as oil prices rise and shipping costs climb. One logistics firm warned that consumers could see drug costs affected within four to six weeks of sustained disruption — a window that has already opened.” (06/08/26)

https://www.independent.org/article/2026/06/08/war-iran-insulin-markets/

Public Schools Are in a Downward Spiral

Source: American Greatness
by Larry Sand

“After decades of steady growth, attendance in U.S. K–12 public schools has shifted drastically. Over the past five years, registration has fallen by 2.3 percent, or 1.18 million students, and schools show no signs of rebounding. Lower birth rates are the primary driver of the downturn. The number of births in the U.S. has decreased steadily in recent years, with 690,000 fewer children born in 2024 than in 2007. California lost nearly 75,000 TK–12 students as of the 2025–26 school year, a slide more than twice as steep as the previous year’s. Since 2017–18, the Golden State has seen a 10 percent decline. New York City has also been hard hit. As of the 2025–26 school year, 793,300 students are enrolled in K–12 schools, down nearly 10 percent since 2020. The loss of enrolled students has prompted some desperate measures.” (06/09/26)

https://amgreatness.com/2026/06/09/public-schools-are-in-a-downward-spiral/

Despite Republican revolt, SAVE America Act shows signs of life in Senate

Source: Fox News

“Senate Republicans have struggled to move the ball on President Donald Trump’s voter ID and citizenship verification bill, but a late-night vote in the upper chamber breathed some life into an issue once thought dead. During the Senate’s marathon ‘vote-a-rama’ to advance the GOP’s $70 billion immigration enforcement package, Republicans tried twice to attach the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act to the massive bill. They failed both times, with a cohort of Republicans joining Senate Democrats to stymie the effort, which was destined to fail either way given that the amendments from Sen. Lindsey Graham [R-SC] and Mike Lee [R-UT] had to break through the filibuster.” (06/09/26)

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trumps-save-america-act-shows-signs-life-senate-despite-republican-revolt

Talk of Canceling Elections Shows Trump Is Unfit for Office

Source: The Bulwark
by Robert Dallek

“In a conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last August, President Donald Trump noted that Ukraine hadn’t held elections since the Russian invasion, asking whether elections are called off during a war. Before Zelensky could respond, Trump added: ‘Oh, that’s a good thing.’ Five months later, Trump mused apophatically about canceling elections out of disdain for Democrats. Just days after that, in an interview with Reuters, Trump reflected with his typical braggadocio that, given his great success as president, ‘we shouldn’t even have an election’ this November. The sheer number of times Trump brought up canceling elections forced White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt to clarify that the president was only joking. But in light of Trump’s repeated affronts to democracy—including January 6th and his sustained lies about the results of the 2020 election—we are forced to take these remarks seriously.” (06/09/26)

https://www.thebulwark.com/p/talk-of-canceling-elections-shows-trump-is-unfit-for-office

Spotting “concrete boats”: Why solicitation sins doom contracts to struggle

Source: Niskanen Center
by Neil Miller

“Long-term planning can be admirable. Some contracts — say, for construction — will genuinely take five or more years to finish up. Or when vendors need to make huge upfront investments, a long payoff timeline can entice qualified competition. Locking in five-year tech contracts, however, just allows the solicitation sins of the father to be visited upon their children a decade later: Between now and 2031 (or 2033), needs will change, technology will advance, and the project budgets will rise and fall.” (06/08/26)

https://www.niskanencenter.org/spotting-concrete-boats-why-solicitation-sins-doom-contracts-to-struggle-2/