Source: Brownstone Institute
by Steven Kritz
“In recent months, there’s been a torrent of document releases that prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, the scope of the atrocities committed in the name of the Covid response by the public health establishment. As someone who has been submitting articles to Brownstone Journal covering this subject for more than 3 years (20 have been published), it has been suggested that I once again bring my perspective into the arena regarding these recent revelations. Frankly, I have felt no such calling. Why is that? For me, it’s a matter of been there; done that! … I’ve reached the point where the only thing I care about is accountability. Without it, these atrocities will keep happening.” (10/21/26)
https://brownstone.org/articles/accountability-is-all-that-matters-now/
Source: New York Post
by Betsy McCaughey
“The civil case against seven Cornell fraternity men was a media spectacle from Day 1, thanks to the shrewd actions of the accuser’s attorneys — and the circus is only getting crazier. That means a near-zero chance of fairness for the accused when the case goes to trial, unless the court shuts down the theatrics pronto. The lawsuit springing from the actions of eight college kids boasts an all-star cast of legal titans: Thomas Giuffra, who’s lawyering for the female accuser, has raked in millions representing women who accused Harvey Weinstein and Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs of sexual assault. Mark Geragos, who has represented Combs, NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick and Hunter Biden, is appearing on TMZ, acting as what Giuffra calls a ‘shadow member’ of Doe’s team. These big-shot lawyers are on the case because deep-pocketed Cornell University is also one of the defendants.” (10/20/26)
https://nypost.com/2026/10/20/opinion/cornell-7-legal-circus-reveals-metoos-unjust-double-standards/
Source: SFGate
“The Department of Justice’s inspector general has declined to investigate the handling of the criminal case against a former Olympian cleared of accusations that he intentionally damaged the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, according to a letter Wednesday from the man’s lawyers. The internal watchdog told David Hearn’s lawyers that the allegations of professional misconduct that they made fall outside its jurisdiction and are instead within the purview of the department’s Office of Professional Responsibility, according to the letter, which urges Inspector General Don R. Berthiaume to reconsider the decision. ‘Given the substantial public attention devoted to this matter, and the significant questions raised concerning the conduct of federal officials, declining independent review would risk undermining public confidence in the Department’s ability to police its own conduct. Such a result would be inconsistent with the purposes for which Congress established the OIG and would be a betrayal of its mission,’ the letter says.” (10/21/26)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/justice-department-watchdog-declines-to-22486976.php
Source: Politics Politics Politics
“WILD Midterm Ads! Libertarian Votes and the Mistresses of JFK (with Andrew Heaton and Laurence Leamer).” (10/20/26)
https://www.politicspoliticspolitics.com/p/wild-midterm-ads-libertarian-votes
Source: Property and Environment Research Center
by staff
“A newly proposed federal rule changes how grizzly bears are managed under the Endangered Species Act and creates a smarter path for long-term recovery. The proposed tiered 4(d) rule rewards conservation success with greater state management flexibility, while keeping federal protections in place if populations decline. It’s a practical, science-driven approach that recognizes what recovery looks like on the ground.” (10/20/26)
https://www.perc.org/grizzly-bear-4d-rule/
Source: Astral Codex Ten
by Scott Alexander
“The latest bugbear is ‘AI successionism’, the belief that AIs should succeed humans as rulers of Earth. But some critiques fail to distinguish between two different ideas. True successionism says that AIs should take over, killing humans or steamrolling over their interests. This is very bad: a compact description of the thing that AI safety is against. Handoverism says that humans should prioritize their own interests, but that those interests may be well-served by having aligned AIs in positions of control. Some people in AI safety, including me, find this latter position plausible.” (10/20/26)
https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/against-against-handover
Source: Liberal Currents
by Samantha Hancox-Li
‘People who believe their choices don’t matter choose poorly.” (10/21/26)
https://www.liberalcurrents.com/disordered-institutions-make-disordered-publics/
Source: Al Jazeera [Qatari state media]
“Australian independent lawmaker Helen Haines has had both of her legs amputated after being rammed by a car outside her electoral office, her husband said, as the suspected attacker appeared in court. Doctors amputated the MP’s left leg after an attacker hit her twice with his car in Wangaratta, northeast of Melbourne, on Monday, Phil Haines said. They tried to save her right leg but failed to do so, he told a news conference on Wednesday. … The suspect in the attack, revealed to be a 43-year-old man called Brendan Nugent, made a brief court appearance on Wednesday. … The suspect’s lawyer said he has a rare neurological condition called idiopathic transverse myelitis and is also recovering from a concussion, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.” (10/21/26)
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/21/australian-mp-loses-both-legs-in-vehicle-attack-as-suspect-appears-in-court
Source: Yascha Mounk
“James Marriott on the End of Reading.” (10/20/26)
https://writing.yaschamounk.com/p/james-marriott
Source: Reason
by Tosin Akintola
“On Monday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it would ‘make $8 billion available for one-time payments to American farmers this harvest season to provide relief during temporary market disruptions and increased input costs.’ … The $8 billion program is part of a windfall of taxpayer money the Trump administration has sent to farmers as relief for harms caused by the president’s actions. Last December, the USDA sent $11 billion in one-time bridge payments to more than half a million farmers nationwide. Earlier this month, the USDA announced it would provide a record $13.8 billion in gross payments to agricultural producers to cover revenue losses.” (10/20/26)
https://reason.com/2026/10/20/trumps-8-billion-diesel-bailout-pays-farmers-for-a-problem-he-created/