Thai, Cambodian regimes begin UN conciliation process over disputed maritime claims

Source: ABC News

“Thailand and Cambodia ’s foreign ministers exchanged opening statements in Singapore on Tuesday at the first meeting to settle a sea border dispute under a U.N. agreement on maritime law for compulsory conciliation. At issue is territory claimed by both that is believed to contain large, exploitable amounts of natural gas and other hydrocarbons. The decision to take the matter to the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, or UNCLOS, was triggered by Cambodia in June after Thailand terminated a 25-year-old memorandum of understanding meant to resolve overlapping maritime claims.” (09/15/26)

https://abcnews.com/International/wireStory/thailand-cambodia-begin-conciliation-process-disputed-maritime-claims-136453110

Why Do Central Bank Economists Listen to Some Countries More Than Others?

Source: Cobden Centre
by Karl-Friedrich Israel

“When central banks make decisions about inflation, interest rates, or financial stability, they rely heavily on economic research. But where does that research come from? And whose ideas end up shaping the global conversation? A new IREF Working Paper by Tom Bugdalle and Moritz Pfeifer takes a fascinating look at these questions by analyzing more than 330,000 economics articles and millions of citations between them. The results reveal a striking hierarchy in the world of economic research.” (09/15/26)

https://www.cobdencentre.org/2026/09/why-do-central-bank-economists-listen-to-some-countries-more-than-others/

The ‘Better and Worse’ of Stephanie Coontz’s Marriage History

Source: The Daily Economy
by Jeffery L Degner

“Stephanie Coontz’s new book succeeds as a thoughtful history of modern marriage but misdiagnoses the economic forces reshaping it.” (09/15/26)

https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/the-better-and-worse-of-stephanie-coontzs-marriage-history/

Colombia: Former foreign minister charged over nanny’s lie detector test

Source: BBC News [UK state media]

“Prosecutors in Colombia have accused former foreign minister Laura Sarabia of abusing her power after she made her nanny take a lie detector test. The scandal erupted in 2023, when Colombian news weekly Semana reported that a woman Sarabia had employed to look after her son had been hooked up to a polygraph and questioned over the alleged disappearance of a case full of cash from Sarabia’s flat.
Sarabia, who was the chief of staff for President Gustavo Petro at the time, resigned in June 2023 but was later appointed as foreign minister and, following her resignation from that post, as Colombia’s ambassador to the United Kingdom. She has denied any wrongdoing. … Prosecutors said Sarabia abused her position as his chief of staff by ordering police to question her nanny, Marelbys Meza, over the alleged disappearance of the cash, which was said to amount to several thousands of dollars.” (09/15/26)

https://archive.is/D2yRm

Even If ‘Operation Economic Outcast’ Works, It Won’t End the War

Source: The American Conservative
by Jude Russo

“I’m in a generous mood. Let’s say the newest scheme works: The latest iteration of attempted economic strangulation causes state collapse in Iran. I remain skeptical, but in my expansive goodwill, I’ll go ahead and grant the premise for the sake of argument. I’ll even grant that it happens on a manageable political timescale, oh, six months or so. What then?” (09/15/26)

https://www.theamericanconservative.com/even-if-operation-economic-outcast-works-it-wont-end-the-war/

Barney Frank’s Last Harsh Warning to the Left

Source: Washington Monthly
by Anne Kim

“Written in the blunt and acerbic style that defined his political persona, The Hard Path to Unity is an unsparing and timely indictment of the ascendant left that all liberals would do well to read—and heed. Left unchallenged, Frank warns, left-wing dominance of the Democratic Party will doom it to political failure, thereby leaving Trumpist populism unchecked. Through its insistence on unrealistic ideals (and its ironic intolerance of differing viewpoints), Frank argues that progressives risk losing everything they purport to champion.” (09/15/26)

https://washingtonmonthly.com/2026/09/15/barney-franks-last-harsh-warning-to-the-left/

Pentagon inspector general says $22.3 billion spent on Iran war munitions has caused “strategic inventory shortfalls”

Source: CBS News

“The Defense Department’s inspector general revealed Monday that the United States is facing a shortfall in ammunition as a result of its costly war in Iran. In a first-of-its-kind mandatory report to Congress, the inspector said that between Feb. 28 and June 30, Operation Epic Fury (OEF) had an estimated cost of $33.4 billion, with $22.3 billion of that spent on munitions alone. ‘The munitions expenditure on OEF has resulted in strategic inventory shortfalls and revealed industrial base bottlenecks for munitions resupply,’ the report states.” (09/15/26)

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-iran-war-ammunition-munition-shortage-shortfall-spending/

The Mark Edge Show, 09/14/26

Source: Free Talk Live

‘Mark Edge welcomes Aaron Day, independent Senate candidate in New Hampshire, for a conversation that could not be more urgent. September 15th is the next critical date for the Clarity Act, what Aaron calls the largest surveillance bill in US history, and most people have never heard of it.” (09/14/26)

https://soundcloud.com/freetalklive/mesaaronday