Source: The Guardian [UK]
“A Russian artist critical of Vladimir Putin and the Chechen leader, Ramzan Kadyrov, has been shot and killed in the eastern Polish town of Biała Podlaska, a prosecutor has said. Five shots were fired at the victim, including one to the head, in the attack on Monday, said Marcin Kozak, a spokesperson for the district prosecutor in Lublin. Two Belarusians have been detained but not charged in connection with the case, he added. Local media identified the victim as Robert Kuzovkov, who was also known by his artistic pseudonym Semyon Skrepetsky, a Russian artist and performer known for his criticism of the Russian leader.” (06/16/26)
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jun/16/russia-artist-putin-critic-robert-kuzovkov-shot-dead-poland
Source: Cato Institute
“The Retirement System That Works Against You.” (06/16/26)
https://www.cato.org/multimedia/cato-podcast/retirement-system-works-against-you
Source: USA Today
by Chris Brennan
“Trump insisted the FISA 702 renewal must be linked to his top priority, the SAVE America Act, a clearly unconstitutional federalization of elections designed to make it harder for Americans to vote.” [editor’s note: Don’t pass either of them — “problem” solved – TLK] (06/16/26)
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2026/06/16/trump-fisa-save-act-republicans-midterms/90559535007/
Source: California Post
by staff
“As former British Prime Minister Tony Blair aptly said: A good way to measure a country is how many people want to get in, and how many want to get out. The same can be said of a state. And when it comes to California, people are increasingly opting for ‘out.’ The state is unaffordable, with a declining quality of life, a long list of crises and a failed yet arrogant governing class. It’s against this backdrop that Kamala Harris and Gavin Newsom remain the front-runners for the 2028 presidential nomination, according to a Center Square Voters’ Voice poll. Per the early-June survey, 27% of registered Democratic and left-leaning independent voters favor Harris, followed by ‘not sure’ at 17% and Newsom at 14%. California voters might ask themselves: If a train-wreck (2024) presidential candidate and a plastic, egocentric governor are the best this state can offer, then what exactly are we doing here?” (06/15/26)
https://nypost.com/2026/06/15/opinion/poll-on-gavin-newsom-kamala-harris-should-raise-alarm/
Source: CNBC
“Yum Brands on Tuesday announced it is selling Pizza Hut to private equity firm LongRange Capital for roughly $1.5 billion. The deal excludes the pizza chain’s locations in mainland China; Yum China will acquire those in a separate transaction for about $1.2 billion. The deals cap off years of struggles for Pizza Hut, which has weighed on Yum’s overall financial performance. In the U.S., the pizza chain has transitioned from the sit-down format and salad bars of yore to focus on delivery and carryout — far behind the curve. … The deal severs Pizza Hut’s decades-long ties to Taco Bell and KFC, its sister brands in Yum’s portfolio.” (06/16/26)
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/06/16/yum-brands-sells-pizza-hut-to-private-equity-firm-longrange-capital-for-2point7-billion.html
Source: Brownstone Institute
by David Bell
“If you had a heart attack in the 1960s, you got some morphine for pain and a firm mattress, a bit of nitroglycerin under the tongue or some basic drugs to steady an erratic heartbeat. Now you will be rushed into a maze of tubes and monitors, clot-dissolving drugs and pacing wires, multiple modes of imaging followed perhaps by rapid surgery to remove a persisting blockage. Far fewer people die; it’s all good and considered worth the money. The world of infectious diseases is very different. It faces an intrinsic market failure. While an increasingly old and fat population ensures a growing cardiac disease market, infectious diseases are on an inexorable decline.” (06/16/26)
https://brownstone.org/articles/the-infectious-disease-frenzy/
Source: Fox News
by Corey Brooks
“The Obama Presidential Center will open soon to the public in Jackson Park, Illinois, an $850 million gleaming monument to one man’s legacy. Yet for the families of Woodlawn, South Shore and the rest of Chicago’s South Side, there are many unhappy faces and concerns. Some of us wonder how this will better our neighborhood. Ever since the monument was announced, the local residents have dealt with unfulfilled promises, rising rents, displacement fears and continued violence. We have a right to be skeptical. After all, it’s common sense. For many of us, the varnish that Barack Obama once had as the first Black president of the United States has worn off. Many of us remember how Obama first came to these streets as a community organizer. What lasting impact did he leave? Very little.” (06/16/26)
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/obamas-legacy-project-offers-little-hope-chicagos-south-side-residents
Source: Firstpost [India]
“Ukraine and Moldova took a major step towards joining the European Union on Monday as the bloc formally launched the accession process for both countries, opening negotiations that will require years of political and institutional reforms. For Kyiv, the move comes as it continues to fight Russia’s invasion and pursues EU membership as both a security guarantee and a pathway towards deeper integration with the West. The launch of the process was marked by an intergovernmental conference in Luxembourg attended by Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Taras Kachka.” (06/16/26)
https://www.firstpost.com/world/eu-formally-launches-accession-talks-with-ukraine-and-moldova-14022919.html
Source: National Review
“Concentration of Power and Elon Musk’s Trillion-Dollar Net Worth.” (06/16/26)
https://www.nationalreview.com/podcasts/capital-record/concentration-of-power-and-elon-musks-trillion-dollar-net-worth/
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Jennifer Kavanagh
“When Donald Trump arrived in the White House in January 2025, securing a quick end to the war in Ukraine was near the top of his foreign policy agenda. Despite political backlash, he pushed ahead with this objective early in his second term by resuming dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin and initiating parallel diplomatic tracks with Kyiv and Moscow. Eighteen months later, however, peace talks have stalled and the war has only escalated. U.S. distraction in the Middle East is to blame for the most recent setback, but the failure of Trump’s initiative has deeper roots. Simply put, Trump’s efforts in Ukraine to this point have been counterproductive, pushing peace further off rather than bringing it closer.” (06/16/26)
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/trump-russia-ukraine-negotiations/
