The Daily, 08/07/25
Source: New York Times
“Trump Said Family Separations Would End. They’re Happening Again.” (08/07/25)
Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 08/07/25
Source: Antiwar.com
“Israel Plans Ethnic Cleansing of Gaza City, Trump and Putin May Meet Next Week, and More.” (08/07/25)
To aid the economy, Trump must restore confidence in institutions
Source: Orange County Register
by Veronique de Rugy
“The Trump administration stands on the cusp of something potentially transformative. If President Donald Trump succeeds in unleashing a new era of energy abundance and securing America’s leadership in artificial intelligence, the economic gains will be profound. Lower energy costs, faster innovation and greater industrial dynamism would provide a powerful tailwind to American productivity and growth. But if the president continues to treat disagreement as disloyalty — especially from vital, independent agencies such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Congressional Budget Office — then Trump’s second term could leave a dark mark on the country.” (08/07/25)
Tariff Updates: Random Number Generation, Cronyism, and Premature Optimism
Source: Coyote Blog
by Warren Meyer
“I challenge any human being to decipher any sort of rational (even an irrational but consistent) algorithm behind Trump’s tariffs. Every day it is another random number superseding the prior random number. It is economic policy by whim. Today Trump slapped a 100% tariff … on semiconductor imports. It is difficult to comprehend a worse policy for the American economy had the President been dedicated to crashing things here on purpose. … Apple seems headed for the first exemption, which they also received in Trump’s first term and his tariffs then. Why Apple? One could argue that Apple has some of the highest gross margins of any manufacturer in the US and is perhaps most able to bear the tariffs. But this has nothing to do with fairness, it has to do with cronyism and political pull.” (08/06/25)
Political Theater, 08/07/25
Source: Roll Call
“How Democrats hope to flip the script on energy as a campaign issue.” (08/07/25)
https://chrt.fm/track/D3F8DG/traffic.megaphone.fm/FISCAL8721700057.mp3
On the Politics of University Autonomy
Source: The Volokh Conspiracy
by Keith E Whittington
“Public and private universities are currently being scrutinized by politicians and political activists in ways that they have not been in many years. Moreover, government officials at both the state and federal level are intervening in the internal affairs of universities in ways that are nearly unprecedented. These political interventions were predictable (indeed, I was among those predicting them), but they pose extraordinary challenges to traditional ways in which universities have operated and to the future of higher education in America. The normative and public policy questions surrounding greater political supervision of universities are difficult and real.” (08/06/25)
https://reason.com/volokh/2025/08/06/on-the-politics-of-university-autonomy/
Nearly a million more deaths than births in Japan last year
Source: BBC News [UK State Media]
“Almost a million more deaths than births were recorded in Japan last year, representing the steepest annual population decline since government surveys began in 1968. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has described the demographic crisis of Japan’s ageing population as a ‘quiet emergency,’ pledging family-friendly policies such as free childcare and more flexible work hours. But efforts to reverse the perennially low birth rates among Japanese women have so far made little impact. New data released on Wednesday by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications showed the number of Japanese nationals fell by 908,574 in 2024. Japan recorded 686,061 births — the lowest number since records began in 1899 — while nearly 1.6 million people died, meaning for every baby born, more than two people died. It marks the 16th consecutive year of population decline with the squeeze being felt by the nation’s pension and healthcare systems.” (08/07/25)
Politico Playbook Audio Briefing, 08/07/25
Source: Politico
“Dems’ new dividing line.” (08/07/25)
https://traffic.megaphone.fm/POLL3177340968.mp3?updated=1754543207
Hester Peirce Is Right: It’s Time to Restore Americans’ Financial Privacy Rights
Source: Cato Institute
by Norbert Michel
“Americans will never realize the full potential of crypto-based technologies until Congress restores the Constitutional rights they infringed on with the BSA..” (08/07/25)
US Pressure is Firming Up a Multipolar World
Source: Antiwar.com
by Ted Snider
“U.S. tariffs wear the cloak of financial policy to address trade imbalances, but they mask deeper geopolitical ambitions. That strategy may backfire. The pressure of U.S. tariffs is firming up the multipolar world it is meant to prevent.” (08/07/25)
https://original.antiwar.com/ted_snider/2025/08/06/u-s-pressure-is-firming-up-a-multipolar-world/