Force, Direct and “Indirect”

Source: Free Association
by Sheldon Richman

“In ‘The Right and Wrong of Compulsion by the State’ (1885), British liberal Auberon Herbert replied to those who objected to his call for complete individual liberty, that is, respect for the rights of all. For example, he took on big-government advocates who claimed that they also wanted to ‘diminish the use of force in the world.’ Herbert wasn’t buying it.” (06/12/26)

https://sheldonrichman.substack.com/p/tgif-force-direct-and-indirect

FDA Allows New Sunscreen, but Consumers Are Still Being Burned by Cronyism

Source: Independent Institute
by Raymond J March

“Last week, the FDA approved bemotrizinol as a new active ingredient in over-the-counter sunscreens—the first such approval in more than twenty years. CBS News called it a milestone after ‘years of delay.’ The FDA itself touted it as proof the agency is ‘modernizing its processes.’ It is progress, to a point. But a closer look reveals the celebration is premature. The same regulatory culture that caused the delay remains firmly in charge.” (06/12/26)

https://www.independent.org/article/2026/06/12/fda-new-sunscreen/

English Channel: UK-based pirates board, steal tanker

Source: Al Jazeera [Qatari state media]

“British [pirates] have seized a Russian shadow-fleet oil tanker that was trying to transit the English Channel, Prime Minister Keir Starmer says. ‘This successful operation ⁠⁠delivers yet another ⁠⁠blow to Russia and reminds those fuelling ⁠[Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s war in ⁠⁠Ukraine that ⁠⁠we will not let them hide,’ Starmer said ‌‌in a post on X on Sunday. The United Kingdom Ministry of Defence also confirmed the early Sunday seizure of the vessel Smyrtos. It said the tanker, sailing under a Cameroon flag, was boarded by Royal Marine Commandos and National Crime Agency officials with support from Chinook helicopters and other aircraft, a frigate and a minehunter.” (06/14/26)

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/6/14/uk-boards-and-seizes-russian-shadow-fleet-tanker-in-english-channel

Declare Your Independence with Ernest Hancock, 06/12/26

Source: Freedom’s Phoenix

“Susan DeGennaro (software engineer and technical trainer specializing in Machine Learning and Generative Artificial Intelligence) comes on the show to discuss AI.” (06/12/26)

https://www.freedomsphoenix.com/Media/397012-2026-06-10-2026-06-12-ernest-hancock-interviews-susan-degennaro-mp3-4.htm

Trump, Not Netanyahu, Has the Cards. He Should Play Them

Source: The American Conservative
by Josh Paul

“The U.S.-Israel relationship has never been less popular in America, but at the same time that support for Israel is cratering in American public opinion, Congress appears to be fast-tracking an effort to entrench the relationship and give Israel enduring access to both our most sensitive technologies and our most sensitive intelligence — in exchange for nothing more, it seems, than a thank you note from Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. … Given the challenges posed by the Israeli leader, a common complaint on both the right and the left of American politics is that Israel exerts far too much power in U.S. politics. But a closer look at the facts demonstrates that Netanyahu is actually in an incredibly weak position — or would be, if the administration was willing to assess and deal with the entire U.S.-Israel portfolio holistically.” (06/12/26)

https://www.theamericanconservative.com/trump-not-netanyahu-has-the-cards-he-should-play-them/

Let’s Have a Serious Conversation About Race

Source: Town Hall
by Derek Hunter

“‘What the hell is wrong with these people?’ I heard someone ask as a clip of Jasmine Crockett played on the television at the restaurant bar the other day. What was Crockett talking about? Her sympathy for the murderer named Karmelo Anthony because he’s black. Yes, that’s why she cares, or at least pretends to care, about the fate of the man who’ll spend at least the next 17.5 years of his life in prison in Texas. How could anyone, real or not, go on camera and express sympathy for a murderer, at the expense of the murder victim and his family, no less? There’s really only one possibility: the cancerous cultural rot Democrats have forced and enforced on the black community. … How do you address a problem if you aren’t willing to talk about it honestly?” (06/14/26)

https://townhall.com/columnists/derekhunter/2026/06/14/lets-have-a-serious-conversation-about-race-n2677727

Trump’s name is gone from the Kennedy Center’s facade after court rulings

Source: SFGate

“The curtain may have come down for President Donald Trump at the Kennedy Center but the tarp stays up for now. Matt Floca, executive director and chief operating officer of the performing arts venue, told a federal court Saturday that the institution had complied with an order to remove Trump’s name from the facade. … But for onlookers who have gathered on the plaza in front of the center over the past day hoping to witness a dramatic moment symbolizing the limits of Trump’s power, it was virtually impossible to see whether the signage was gone. A tarp hung over the scaffolding constructed for workers to perform that task. It was unclear when the tarp might be removed to reveal the original lettering that had endured for decades: ‘The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.'” (06/13/26)

https://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/trump-s-name-is-still-on-the-kennedy-center-22303721.php

Is ‘Ethical’ Coffee Morally Superior? Information Problems Haunt Conscious Consumers

Source: The Daily Economy
by Kimberlee Josephson

“Fair trade, organic, reef-safe, rainforest friendly, cruelty-free: are ethical labels useful signals, or simply morality as marketing?” (06/12/26)

https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/is-ethical-coffee-morally-superior-information-problems-haunt-conscious-consumers/

Gene Shalit, 1926-2026

Source: Washington Post

“Gene Shalit, a movie critic and arts reporter for the ‘Today’ show over four decades who was known for his puffy hair, oversized handlebar mustache and affection for groan-inducing puns, has died. He was 100. Shalit’s family announced the death Friday to NBC News, saying in a statement that he ‘passed away peacefully today after 100 years of an amazing life.'” (06/12/26)

https://archive.is/WUFGK