Source: Reuters
“Russian drones and missiles pounded the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and other cities early on Tuesday. At least 11 people were killed and more than 100 wounded in the assault which also hit Dnipro and Kharkiv, authorities said. Last week, the Kremlin warned that it intended ‘systematic strikes’ on targets in Kyiv in response to a drone attack on a dormitory in Ukraine’s Russian-held region of Luhansk, which killed 21. Ukraine denied the attack. … Russian regions also came under attack. The Ilsky oil refinery, in the southern Russian region of Krasnodar, caught fire after a drone attack, local authorities said on Telegram on Tuesday.” (06/02/26)
https://www.reuters.com/world/ukraine-war-live-major-new-russian-attacks-hit-kyiv-other-cities-2026-06-02/
Source: The UnPopulist
by David J Bier
“The Supreme Court will soon rule in a case that will decide the future of birthright citizenship. The case has become more significant than ever because some officials are now openly advocating for ethnic cleansin — —mass removals of tens of millions of U.S.-born Americans based on their ancestry. In barely a year, the right has moved from the already controversial mass deportation of all undocumented immigrants to mass deportation of Americans. The 14th Amendment, drafted in part to prevent ethnic cleansing, should stop it. Whether it will is now up to the Supreme Court.” (06/01/26)
https://www.theunpopulist.net/p/trump-isnt-just-after-undocumented
Source: Reason
“Why Socialism Won’t Deliver Government Efficiency.” (06/01/26)
https://reason.com/podcast/2026/06/01/why-socialism-wont-deliver-government-efficiency/
Source: Axios
“President Trump on Monday hit the brakes on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to bomb Hezbollah targets in Beirut after Iran threatened to abandon its negotiations with the U.S. over Israel’s actions in Lebanon. An Israeli official told Axios the planned strikes on Beirut would not be happening. … Iranian officials told the semi-official Tasnim News Agency that no talks with the U.S. would take place until Israel stopped its attacks in Lebanon, and threatened retaliation in the Strait of Hormuz and possibly ‘other fronts.’ Hours later, Trump spoke with Netanyahu. He released a Truth Social post afterward claiming Israel and Hezbollah would stop attacking each other.” (06/01/26)
https://www.axios.com/2026/06/01/trump-netanyahu-lebanon-israel-bomb-beirut
Source: Reason
by Tosin Akintola
“On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the Great American Cotton Plan, a protectionist initiative to subsidize American cotton farmers. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins says the plan is necessary to help domestic growers who are being ‘crushed by rising costs, unfair foreign competition, and a flood of cheap synthetic products.’ … Given the government’s penchant for propping up struggling sectors, it’s no surprise that the industry is receiving this bailout. But it’s not ‘unfair foreign competition’ or ‘trade distortions’ that are causing America’s cotton industry to falter. Over the past decade, 84 percent of domestically produced cotton has been exported on average, which suggests that trade is going well for farmers. Instead, it’s the president’s own policies.” (06/01/26)
https://reason.com/2026/06/01/trumps-cotton-bailout-is-another-sign-his-tariffs-arent-working/
Source: The Hindu [India]
“The U.K. Government released a vast trove of documents relating to Peter Mandelson’s appointment as U.S. Ambassador, in a move that threatens to cause fresh damage to Keir Starmer’s faltering premiership. More than 1,500 pages of documentation were published on the British government’s website just after 2 p.m. local time. They include emails, text messages and other exchanges between government ministers, aides and Mr. Mandelson in the run-up to his appointment as U.S. Envoy, a post he held from February to September 2025. The release resurfaces a saga that has weakened and embarrassed Mr. Starmer over the nine months since Bloomberg News exposed the extent of Mr. Mandelson’s ties with the late pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.” (06/01/26)
https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/peter-mandelson-epstein-siles-appointment-us-ambassador-keir-starmer-june-1-2026/article71048868.ece
Source: Cato Institute
by Nicholas Anthony
“Most Americans have felt the pain of inflation in recent years. However, what they don’t often see is that inflation also erodes financial privacy. The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) adjusts its penalties for inflation, but it does not adjust reporting thresholds. In the most egregious case, the $10,000 reporting threshold now used for currency transaction reports (CTRs) has not been changed since the number was first established in 1945 by an executive order. That’s equal to around $180,000 today. When the Bank Secrecy Act was ultimately passed in 1970, you could buy two new Corvettes for $10,000. Today, you could spend all of that on just the engine. In practice, that means the Bank Secrecy Act regime is swallowing up more transactions every year as inflation decreases the value of the dollar. No bills are passed; no regulations are open to the public. Yet, the wheel is turning, and financial surveillance increases without any checks or balances.” (06/01/26)
https://www.cato.org/blog/financial-surveillance-expanding-our-eyes
Source: Al Jazeera [Qatari state media]
“A United States court of appeals has ruled that a policy under President Donald Trump to expel transgender troops from the military was a violation of the Constitution. But Monday’s decision was a split one among the three-judge panel of the US appeals court for the District of Columbia. One judge, Robert Wilkins, an appointee of former Democratic President Barack Obama, upheld a lower court ruling rejecting the Trump administration’s policy as it pertains to already enlisted service members. A second judge – Judith Rogers, who was picked by former Democratic President Bill Clinton – agreed with his opinion, but only in part. She felt it should extend to those who seek to enlist, too. And the third judge, Trump pick Justin Walker, issued a dissent questioning the court’s ability to second-guess US military policy.” (06/01/26)
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/6/1/us-court-upholds-injunction-against-trump-policy-banning-transgender-troops
Source: Quillette
by Dave Thompson
“Love them or hate them, lists are now firmly established — along with cats and porn — among the apex predators of the modern internet.” (06/01/26)
https://quillette.com/2026/06/01/lists-damn-lists-and-critical-correctness-rolling-stone-punk-rock-list/
Source: ABC News
“The Justice Department issued a statement Monday saying it will abide by a district judge’s ruling last week that ordered the temporary freezing of the Trump administration’s $1.8 billion ‘Anti-Weaponization Fund.’ The statement came amid reports that the administration was backing away from the controversial fund. … Both Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Monday that they not only want the White House to drop the fund, but also provide assurances that it won’t be revived later. … The judge in the Eastern District of Virginia had only ordered the department to temporarily freeze the fund, and barred it from making any payments while the judge considered legal arguments in a lawsuit brought against the fund. President Donald Trump, speaking with ABC News'[s] Jonathan Karl on Monday, said he will respect the court’s ruling.” (06/01/26)
https://abcnews.com/US/doj-abide-court-ruling-temporarily-paused-anti-weaponization/story?id=133493215
