Source: The American Prospect
by Robert Kuttner

“In the latest twist in the saga of President Trump’s efforts to get the U.S. Postal Service to restrict or condition mail-in voting, a federal judge once again has enjoined the Postal Service from moving ahead with its plan. District Court Judge Indira Talwani’s order yesterday came after the Supreme Court had admonished her on Monday, overturning her earlier injunction on the grounds that the Postal Service had not finalized any changes; thus the suit and injunction were supposedly premature. But as Judge Talwani wrote in her latest order, the Postal Service had actually gone ahead and issued a final rule providing that unless a state provides voter information to the USPS and meets other arbitrary conditions, the Postal Service will not deliver mail-in ballots.” (08/28/26)

https://prospect.org/2026/08/28/battle-over-mail-ballots-trump-supreme-court/

Source: Free Association
by Sheldon Richman

“Between 1876 and 1896, the individualist, pro-capitalist Victorian polymath and evolutionary sociologist, Herbert Spencer (1820-1903), published his massive three-volume The Principles of Sociology. Part five he titled ‘Political Institutions.’ In it he described mankind’s move from what he called the primitive ‘militant type of society’ to the modern ‘industrial type of society.’ His narrative is detailed and fascinating. Spencer’s general point was that the obsolete militant type was characterized by force, slavery, regimentation, and centralized power. In contrast, the beneficent industrial type was grounded in individuality, freedom, contract, interdependence, and decentralized power.” (08/28/26)

https://sheldonrichman.substack.com/p/tgif-spencer-on-the-industrial-society

Source: Independent Institute
by Pierre Lemieux

“The trade war between the United States and Canada—or, more exactly, between Donald Trump, who declared it, and Canadian politicians, who try to limit the damage though using the same logic as Trump’s—provides a good opportunity to reflect on how trade and freedom work. It is not a brilliant idea for the Canadian government to impose a tariff on Canadians who purchase American appliances, for example, in order to retaliate against the American ruler who has imposed a tariff on Americans importing Canadian whisky. … Instead of retaliation—imposing a border tax on Canadians because Trump has imposed one on Americans—[prime minister Mark Carney] could make a declaration of unilateral free trade along the following lines …” (08/27/26)

https://www.independent.org/article/2026/08/27/the-trade-declaration-carney-should-make/

Source: The American Conservative
by Doug Bandow

“For the Trump administration to complain about foreign interference in America’s war of choice is manifestly absurd. No country interferes in the affairs of other nations more often. No government is more presumptuous in its demands. No nation more frequently uses force against other states. Russian and Chinese intervention in the Iran war is unfortunate—Americans likely have died and certainly have been injured as a result. Yet the administration shares responsibility for the resulting harm. … American policymakers long have viewed themselves as virtuous vestal virgins, entitled, even required, to purify the terrible world around them. Alas, no one else views the solons of Washington in such terms, and for good reason: They have repeatedly failed, often disastrously.” (08/27/26)

https://www.theamericanconservative.com/how-to-stop-chinese-russian-support-for-irans-war-efforts/