Source: Independent Institute
by Ivan Eland
“Presidential power is now running rogue. Congress needs to push back at its roots and use the War Powers Resolution of the 1970s to end both the Iran War and the continuing War on Terror. The president’s own party is paralyzed by congressional members’ fear that an adverse tweet from Trump will end their political careers, even though there should be strength in numbers to do the right thing. However, many should be even more frightened that the American people will fire them in November if they don’t act to end this pointless war of choice now.” (05/15/26)
https://www.independent.org/article/2026/05/15/cut-losses-iran-war/
Source: SFGate
“Thousands of people rallied Saturday in the city considered the crucible of the modern Civil Rights Movement to push back against conservative states’ efforts to dismantle congressional districts that helped secure Black political representation. The gathering in Montgomery, Alabama, was put together in response to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that weakened the Voting Rights Act and the resulting rush by southern states to redraw lines. Speakers said they returned to the city, famous for the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Selma-to-Montgomery voting rights march, because the fight that began there is continuing for later generations. The Rev. Bernice King, speaking near the spot where her father, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., addressed voting rights marchers in 1965, said the dedication and sacrifice of that generation changed the trajectory of the country.” (05/16/26)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/in-the-birthplace-of-civil-rights-movement-22262011.php
Source: The Weekly Dish
“Jerusalem Demsas On Liberalism And The Dems.” (05/15/26)
https://andrewsullivan.substack.com/p/jerusalem-demsas-on-liberalism-and
Source: Cato Institute
by Dan Greenberg
“The pardon power is different from other constitutional powers. It is unchecked and absolute: There is no other branch of government that can interfere with a president’s pardons. The Constitution was created in the shadow of absolute royal power; it was designed to resist the corruption of such power. The division of government into three separate branches is meant to ensure a system of checks and balances on government power. From this perspective, the pardon power stands out: The unilateral pardon power looks like the last remaining remnant of royalism in the Constitution. … Do Donald Trump’s pardons give us good reason to change the rules of the Constitution? Is it time to put the brakes on solo pardon power? I think there are lessons to be learned from the president’s abuse of office.” (05/15/26)
https://www.cato.org/commentary/should-presidents-power-be-more-restricted
Source: Seattle Times
“The Texas Supreme Court on Friday refused to declare that Democratic lawmakers who briefly fled the state in 2025 to block a vote on new congressional voting maps pushed by President Donald Trump had vacated their office. The all-Republican court dealt a blow to Gov. Greg Abbott and state Republicans in their efforts to severely punish the more than 50 Democrats who bolted for New York, Illinois and Massachusetts in a bid to stop a vote on the maps during a special session. State Republicans had sought their arrest and threatened fines to bring them back to the state Capitol.” (05/15/26)
https://archive.is/xybaB
Source: The Daily Economy
by Donald J Boudreaux
“The golden age of airline service was also an era of restriction and high prices. From deregulation to the downfall of no-frills Spirit, competition exposes what travelers are truly willing to pay for.” (05/15/26)
https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/mass-transit-in-the-sky-how-air-travel-went-from-elite-to-affordable/
Source: The Guardian [UK]
“A five-month investigation has named 13 previously unidentified victims of US attacks on boats allegedly carrying narcotics in a campaign that has [murdered] nearly 200 people in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific. It is unclear if the US has ever identified any of its 194 victims before attacking them, and the names of just three had previously emerged, after their families launched legal cases against the White House. … a joint effort by 20 journalists led by the Latin American Center for Investigative Journalism (CLIP) this week published the identities of 13 of those killed, some of whom showed no indication of involvement in drug trafficking.” (05/15/26)
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/15/us-military-airstrikes-caribbean-pacific-victim-identities
Source: Reason
“Jacob Mchangama and Jeff Kosseff discuss the global decline of free speech, why democracies are embracing censorship, and what can be done to protect open debate.” (05/15/26)
https://reason.com/podcast/2026/05/15/the-global-war-on-free-speech/
Source: Reason
by Steven Greenhut
“The federal Food and Drug Administration nannies have been tormenting Americans for decades, which is no surprise given the pitfalls of putting bureaucrats in charge of such an important function as determining the safety of our food supply, and evaluating drugs and medical devices. Frankly, it’s amazing that we all haven’t starved to death or been denied basic medications, given the FDA’s Byzantine approval process. … One of the benefits, however, of the Trump administration’s Overton-Window-shifting approach toward health policy is its lighter touch toward substances that previous administrations had approached with a prohibitionist view.” (05/15/26)
https://reason.com/2026/05/15/the-fdas-new-psychedelic-rules-are-groovy-but-the-agency-is-still-a-bad-trip/
Source: NBC News
“New York officials urged commuters to work from home Monday as a strike by Long Island Rail Road workers threatened to disrupt travel for hundreds of thousands of riders across the region. Gov. Kathy Hochul said the state and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority were preparing emergency transit alternatives, including shuttle buses from Long Island into Queens and additional subway service, after negotiations between the MTA and rail unions broke down this weekend, prompting workers to walk off the job and shutting down the railroad Saturday. … The strike — the LIRR’s first in roughly 30 years — has halted service on one of the nation’s busiest commuter rail systems, which carries hundreds of thousands of riders between Long Island and New York City.” (05/17/26)
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/long-island-railroad-strike-monday-commute-rcna345567
