Source: Cobden Centre
by Dr. Frank Shostak
“According to the leader of the monetarists school Milton Friedman our knowledge of the world of economics is elusive. Consequently, it does not really matter what the underlying assumptions of a theory employed to ascertain the facts of reality are. In fact, anything goes, as long as the theory can yield good predictions. Again, on this way of thinking any theory that is applied on historical data could be valid as long as it could produce accurate predictions. … Experience of economic history is always the experience of complex phenomena. It can never convey knowledge of the kind the experimenter abstracts from a laboratory experiment. Moreover, It is vain to search for coefficients of correlation if one does not start from a theoretical insight acquired beforehand.” (01/13/26)
https://www.cobdencentre.org/2026/01/theory-and-historical-data/
Source: Foreign Policy
by Keith Johnson
“The U.S. economy, after a tumultuous year of tariffs and trade wars, appears to have performed better than feared earlier in the year, with annual GDP growth through the third quarter of about 2 percent, including a surprisingly healthy bump in the last reported quarter. But that, contrary to what U.S. President Donald Trump says, is not because of tariffs but in spite of them. And 2026 looks set to be an even rockier year on the trade front, with further negative implications for U.S. economic performance.” (01/13/26)
https://archive.is/ZOK5Y
Source: Wired
by Vittoria Elliott
“For the second Trump administration, the world of online conspiracies is shaping real-world policies like never before.” (01/13/26)
https://archive.is/dArmc
Source: US News & World Report
“Bulgaria’s second-largest parliamentary grouping, the reformist PP-DB, declined a request on Wednesday from the president to try to form a new government, increasing the likelihood of a snap election in the European Union’s poorest member state. Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov’s coalition government, backed by GERB-SDS, resigned last month after weeks of street protests against state corruption and a new budget that would have increased some taxes. In line with the constitution, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev on Monday had formally asked the conservative GERB-SDS to form the government which they rejected. On Wednesday PP-DB, which seeks closer relations with the European Union, also rejected the mandate, BTA agency reported. Radev is now expected to offer a chance to govern to another party and then if they refuse he will have to call a snap vote, Bulgaria’s eighth in just four years.” (01/24/26)
https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2026-01-14/snap-election-likely-in-bulgaria-after-reformist-group-rejects-bid-for-government
Source: Lions of Liberty
“Scott Adams & the Golden Globes Die in Same Week.” (01/13/26)
https://www.lionsofliberty.com/episodes/madd-scott-adams-amp-the-golden-globes-die-in-same-week
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Mark Nayler
“On January 1, Spain and Portugal celebrated their 40-year anniversaries of joining the EU. In 1986, as both Iberian nations transitioned to democracy after decades of stifling dictatorship, membership of the European Economic Community (EEC), as it was then called, was seen as essential to modernizing their economies and integrating with the international community. And though Eurosceptic parties have recently gained prominence in both countries, in general Spain and Portugal remain strongly pro-European: 73% of Spaniards believe that joining the EU has been positive for Spain, rising to above 90% in the neighboring nation. The leaders of both countries share this belief.” (01/13/26)
https://fee.org/articles/iberia-and-brussels/
Source: Orange County Register
by Ken Calvert
“These days, the cost of healthcare is on everyone’s mind. Since the passage of Obamacare in 2010, the cost of health insurance on the individual marketplace has increased nearly 170%, placing a significant financial strain on families and businesses. Despite advancements in medical technology and treatment, many people are finding it increasingly difficult to afford the care they need. This trend is particularly troubling as it disproportionately affects the most vulnerable populations, including the elderly, low-income individuals, and those with chronic conditions. However, rather than lower healthcare costs for Americans, Democrats want to simply extend a COVID-era Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidy, rife with fraud, to the tune of $400 billion over the next ten years.” (01/13/26)
https://archive.is/L4cGM
Source: spiked
by Frank Furedi
“We’re constantly told that the world is entering a new phase of Realpolitik. This view has been reinforced by the Trump administration’s foreign-policy approach to Ukraine, the Middle East and now Latin America, not to mention the provocative statements made by members of Trump’s team about international affairs. … It should be clear by now that Realpolitik is conspicuous by its absence in the current era. Instead of serious diplomacy, we have public spectacles. Politicians use foreign policy, often at countless international conferences and summits, to play-act as world statesmen in front of the cameras. Instead of focussing on clearly defined objectives, their attention drifts quickly from Gaza to Greenland to Ukraine to saving the planet. Both the Trump administration and his European counterparts are just as guilty of this.” (01/13/26)
https://archive.is/WIafj
Source: France 24 [French state media]
“French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu’s government on Wednesday survived a second vote of no confidence in the National Assembly that had been called in protest against the EU-Mercosur trade deal. The motion, filed by the far-right National Rally (RN) party, was backed by 142 members of parliament’s lower house. 288 votes were needed for the motion to pass. An earlier no-confidence motion filed by the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) on the same matter had also failed. Despite French opposition, EU member states last week approved the signing of the long-debated deal with Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. French farmers have been protesting for months against the deal they say threatens local agriculture by creating unfair competition with cheaper South American imports.” (01/14/26)
https://www.france24.com/en/france/20260114-france-government-survives-two-no-confidence-votes-over-mercosur-deal
Source: Washington Monthly
“How the Supreme Court could end super PACs | Lawrence Lessig.” (01/13/26)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13iH-3lpE1s
