America’s quiet socialist takeover spreading from town halls to classrooms

Source: Fox News
by Rosemary Becchi

“The socialist experiment in America is no longer confined to Washington or deep-blue national politics. It is coming to city halls and school boards across the country, where low-turnout elections can transform ambitious ideology into binding budgets and classroom policy. Local government often affects Americans’ everyday lives more directly than Washington, shaping taxes, municipal services, schools, policing and housing. Americans should therefore pay close attention to the DSA’s steady advance into local government, where ideological commitments can collide with fiscal limits, practical administration and community preferences.” [editor’s note: The MAGA version isn’t as quiet, but it’s just as socialist – TLK] (09/03/26)

https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/americas-quiet-socialist-takeover-spreading-town-halls-classrooms

Steve Trinward

MO: Candidate charged with trying to plant cocaine on his political rival

Source: SFGate

“A candidate for the Missouri House made an initial court appearance Thursday on a federal drug charge accusing him of trying to plant cocaine and Adderall on his Republican primary opponent. Thomas Ross, 37, is charged with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. He’s accused of asking a campaign manager to plant a small amount of cocaine and a prescription amphetamine pill on his opponent, Louise Secker, in the weeks leading up to the Aug. 4 primary, according to court documents. Ross, of Joplin, defeated Secker by only a few dozen votes. Ross did not respond to a Thursday message seeking comment about the charge, which was filed Wednesday. The federal public defender’s office assigned to his case didn’t immediately reply to a message asking how Ross plans to plead. Missouri’s Republican Party chairman, Peter Kinder, called on Ross to drop out of the race, describing the circumstances of his arrest as ‘serious and deeply troubling’.” (09/03/26)

https://www.sfgate.com/news/politics/article/missouri-candidate-charged-with-trying-to-plant-22416327.php

Steve Trinward

Making Sense of Failures in US Defense Funding

Source: Cato Institute
by Benjamin Giltner

“Congress and the Trump administration are not at blame for investing too little in America’s military; they are at fault for taking on too many national security projects. To quote a favorite line from the Rolling Stones, ‘You can’t always get what you want.'” (09/03/26)

https://www.cato.org/blog/squaring-defense-budget

Thomas L. Knapp

Gloria Steinem, 1934-2026

Source: Reuters

“Gloria Steinem, the American writer, lecturer, activist and organizer who fought for gender equality and women’s civil and reproductive rights for more than five decades, has died, her foundation said. She was 92 years old. The co-founder and consulting editor of Ms. Magazine championed the feminist movement from the late 1960s onwards and inspired generations of women. … Steinem founded the National Women’s Political Caucus in 1971 with former U.S. Representatives Bella Abzug and ​Shirley Chisholm and writer Betty Friedan, whose 1963 book ‘The Feminine Mystique’ ushered in the second wave of feminism. Among other groups, she also created the Coalition of Labor ⁠Union Women, the Women’s Media Center, Voters for Choice, and the Ms. Foundation for Women.” (09/03/26)

https://www.reuters.com/world/feminist-activist-gloria-steinem-dies-age-92-2026-09-03/

Thomas L. Knapp

Saving Lives Should Not Require Permission

Source: Brownstone Institute
by Joseph Varon

“When did saving a life start to feel like breaking the rules? When did the doctor at the bedside become less trusted than the people making decisions from far away, such as administrators, regulators, or distant experts who have never met the patient? And how did a profession built on judgment, uncertainty, and moral responsibility end up rewarding people for just following orders? These aren’t just abstract questions. They decide who can act when someone is dying, and who gets blamed if the official plan fails.” (09/03/26)

https://brownstone.org/articles/saving-lives-should-not-require-permission/

Thomas L. Knapp