Trump Made Progressivism Great Again

Source: The Contrarian
by Jennifer Rubin

“Donald Trump and his MAGA lackeys have done a bang-up job making progressive positions and policies more popular than ever. It’s human nature to take well-entrenched conditions for granted (e.g., the Department of Justice’s commitment to justice, access to cutting-edge medical research, an available supply of dependable farm and construction workers, predictable foreign policy). It is only when those things are dramatically snuffed out by a hyper-extreme and entirely inept regime that people come to appreciate what they once assumed were permanent features of American society and politics. Trump’s evisceration of popular programs and eradication of freedoms we used to enjoy have made Americans cling ever more tightly to those programs and freedoms.” (04/29/26)

https://www.contrariannews.org/p/trump-made-progressivism-great-again

Thomas L. Knapp

The Case Against the “Free Bankers”

Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Joseph Solis-Mullen

“With regard to the long-running debate between Rothbardians and modern free bankers, most prominently Lawrence White and George Selgin, the question is less a matter of technical disagreements than one regarding fundamentally divergent conceptions of money, law, and the nature of banking itself. At stake is not merely the historical interpretation of Scottish or British banking, but the deeper question of whether fractional-reserve banking can ever be reconciled with a genuinely free and non-fraudulent market order. … As Rothbard illustrated in his comprehensive review of White’s book at the time, the narrative advanced by White rests on two claims that can be shown to be false: first, that Scottish banking operated as a genuinely free system, independent of central banking influence; and second, that this system exhibited superior stability and performance. Both propositions collapse under closer scrutiny.” (04/29/26)

https://mises.org/mises-wire/case-against-free-bankers

Thomas L. Knapp

Our Rulers Take So Very Much And Give Us So Very Little

Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone

“Sure plutocrats are killing our biosphere, but hey, at least they’re creating technology that lets you avoid the cognitive discomfort of writing your own words and thinking your own thoughts. Sure the empire is butchering human beings at horrifying scale around the world, but on the bright side it’s creating refugees who will move to your country and bring you treats that you can order from an app on your phone. Sure imperialist extraction is robbing the resources and exploiting the workers of the global south at extortionate fees, but on the other hand you get to wear a new outfit every day because the clothes you ordered online are dirt cheap thanks to transcontinental slave labor.” (04/30/26)

https://caitlinjohnstone.com.au/2026/04/30/our-rulers-take-so-very-much-and-give-us-so-very-little/

Steve Trinward

VA: Supreme Court leaves order temporarily blocking redistricting certification in place

Source: The Hill

“The Virginia Supreme Court will allow a lower court order temporarily blocking the commonwealth from certifying the results of a redistricting referendum to remain in place, dealing a blow to Democrats who sought to challenge the ruling. The high court on Tuesday denied a motion by Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones (D) to appeal last week’s ruling from a Tazewell County circuit court judge that found the referendum unconstitutional. Judge Jack Hurley Jr. sided with the Republican National Committee (RNC) in February in a lawsuit seeking to block the April 21 referendum, arguing against its timing and the phrasing of the ballot question. But the state Supreme Court stepped in and allowed it to continue, stating last month that while there were issues of ‘grave concern’ regarding the process undertaken by the Virginia General Assembly, it declined to offer an opinion on the matter.” (04/29/26)

https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/5854983-virginia-supreme-court-redistricting/

Thomas L. Knapp

Europe’s Shrinking Feeling

Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Jake Scott

“Europe’s current situation cannot be attributed entirely to events in the Middle East, either: while these have acted as a catalyst, they have exposed underlying problems with the European Union’s energy policies, and the disjointed nature of the member nations’ own energy sectors. The green transition, spearheaded by the European Green Deal and pursued with regulatory intensity and considerable haste, systematically dismantled the continent’s baseload capacity for energy provision and production long before replacement infrastructure was ready.” (04/29/26)

https://fee.org/articles/europes-shrinking-feeling/

Thomas L. Knapp

Trump survived the dinner — the free press may not survive his attacks

Source: The Hill
by Kim Wehle

“Saturday night’s harrowing incident at the White House correspondents’ dinner has prompted predictable coverage of the newsy basics: the shooter’s identity, his possible motives, the Secret Service’s evacuation of the Trumps, JD Vance, and other officials. The coverage also included President Trump’s subsequent remarks, including his telling reporters, ‘I’m not a basket case. I really take it as it is. I do it for the country,’ and calling CBS News’[s] Norah O’Donnell ‘a disgrace’ and ‘horrible people’ for asking him about the suspect’s writings. The fact that nobody was physically hurt is obviously a good thing. But the body blows to the First Amendment might never heal.” (04/29/26)

https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/5852601-trump-press-freedom-threats/

Thomas L. Knapp