Pakistan: Hospital fire kills 14 newborns

Source: CBC News [Canadian state media]

“A fire erupted early Wednesday in a nursery for newborns at a major government hospital in Pakistan’s capital, killing 14 babies, according to hospital officials and the government. The Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad housed at least 15 newborns in the nursery from the fire that began about 6:45 a.m. local time after an air-conditioning unit compressor exploded inside the nursery on the third floor, hospital and rescue officials said. The fire was confined to the nursery in the gynecology ward, while the rest of the hospital remained unaffected and there were no other injuries reported, according to hospital officials and witnesses. Television footage showed rescue workers using ladders to reach the area through broken windows.” (08/26/26)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/fire-pakistan-hospital-newborns-9.7320737

The Supreme Court needs to remind Trump he has no power over elections

Source: Los Angeles Times
by Erwin Chemerinsky

“The Supreme Court’s ruling on Monday allowing President Trump’s executive order on mail voting to go forward is stunningly insensitive to the context: Trump is trying to exercise control over elections when he has absolutely no authority to do so. In one sense, the justices decided nothing, simply saying it was too soon for federal courts to get involved. But in a more important way, the court could have and should have put an emphatic end to the president’s efforts to try to regulate voting operations that are legally the domain of state governments.” (08/25/26)

https://archive.is/JEKQl

The Data Center Backlash Is Just a New Moral Panic

Source: The Dispatch
by Jonah Goldberg

“Not all concerns about data centers are so crazy or even unreasonable. They do use a lot of water, though not nearly as much as some claim. They can cause electricity rates to go up. They’re ugly. And, if you’re freaking out about what AI will do to your job or to American society, taking it out on data centers makes a certain amount of sense. Politicians, as a class, tend to indulge moral panics. Which is why it’s no surprise that Republicans and Democrats alike are racing to get on the ‘right’ side of the issue.” (08/26/26)

https://thedispatch.com/article/data-centers-artificial-intelligence-moral-panic/

Testimony concludes in Lindsay Clancy’s murder trial; Jury to hear closing arguments Thursday

Source: SFGate

“Trial testimony concluded Wednesday in the murder trial of Lindsay Clancy, a mother accused of strangling her three young children in a case that has drawn attention to postpartum mental health. Closing arguments are expected to begin Thursday, before the jury begins deliberating. Clancy, 36, has pleaded not guilty by reason of lack of criminal responsibility, with her lawyers arguing she was experiencing postpartum psychosis when she killed 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson and 8-month-old Callan Clancy at the family’s home in coastal Duxbury, Massachusetts, in January 2023. The rare mental illness is linked to the stress, sleep deprivation and hormonal changes that follow childbirth.” (08/26/26)

https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/fbi-psychiatrist-returns-as-lindsay-clancy-murder-22404308.php

Government Intervention in the Energy Market

Source: Show-Me Institute
by Avery Frank

“A few weeks ago, the City of St. Louis issued a proposal that would require new data center developments to use renewable energy for their operations, among many other requirements. There is now a conditional waiver process to sidestep the renewable requirement if the developer can prove they and Ameren can’t meet it, which is a slight improvement. From a free-market perspective, the flaws of the proposal are clear. The city would be selecting certain types of energy (in this case solar and wind) in the name of ‘clean air’ while excluding from consideration not only energy from coal and natural gas, but even nuclear energy, which also has zero emissions.” (08/25/26)

https://showmeinstitute.org/article/energy/government-intervention-in-the-energy-market/

The House Always Wins, Even on House-less Kalshi

Source: The American Prospect
by Eleanor Davis-Diver

“‘In casinos, the house always wins. With Kalshi, there is no house. We don’t win when our customers lose,’ the nation’s leading prediction market states on its FAQ page, differentiating itself from traditional sports betting. According to its proponents, prediction markets operate on a ‘peer-to-peer’ structure where, instead of a house, the ‘counterparty’ on a bet is another regular person, just like you or me. ‘Unlike sportsbooks Kalshi doesn’t set the odds, other users do’, claims an ad spot currently playing across television and digital platforms, featuring the world’s longest sandwich. These other ‘users’ are known as market makers, a common feature of financial markets, who continuously quote prices for everyone else to ensure consistent liquidity and smooth trading. But contrary to what the advertisement implies, most market makers are not ordinary people but highly advanced trading institutions.” (08/26/26)

https://prospect.org/2026/08/26/house-always-wins-kalshi-prediction-markets/

OK: Trump-backed Mazzei defeats Drummond in GOP gubernatorial runoff

Source: The Hill

“Former state Sen. Mike Mazzei (R) is projected to defeat state Attorney General Gentner Drummond (R) in the Republican primary runoff for Oklahoma governor — a win for President Trump who backed Mazzei in the contest, according to Decision Desk HQ. Drummond and Mazzei, a financial planner, were vying for the GOP nod to succeed term-limited Gov. Kevin Stitt (R). It’s a critical victory for Trump after several of his initial primary picks in Iowa, Georgia, Minnesota, South Carolina and Wyoming lost their elections earlier this year, raising questions about the power of the president’s endorsement.” (08/25/26)

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/6042137-mazzei-wins-oklahoma-gop-runoff/