Source: The Watch
by Radley Balko
“George Pappas talks about how Trump ended due process for immigrants, and how to fight back. ‘The law has failed us,’ he says. ‘So now we have to turn to politics.'” (01/08/26)
https://radleybalko.substack.com/p/the-courts-are-dead-an-interview
Source: SFGate
“Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Thursday vetoed a bill that could reduce the 27-year prison sentence of his predecessor Jair Bolsonaro for the far-right leader’s failed 2023 coup attempt. Lula, who had already pledged to block the proposal, announced the decision during a ceremony at the presidential palace in capital Brasilia. It came on the third anniversary of the riots led by Bolsonaro’s supporters that destroyed government buildings and helped build the case against the former president. The Senate passed the bill in December. Brazil’s Congress could override Lula’s veto, but analysts say that could be a risky move for lawmakers ahead of next October’s general elections. The 80-year-old leftist president is currently a frontrunner in a likely battle with Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, one of the former president’s sons.” (01/08/25)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/brazil-s-lula-vetoes-bill-that-could-reduce-21283898.php
Source: Tenth Amendment Center
by Michael Boldin
“January 8, 1790. George Washington walked into the Senate Chamber of Federal Hall in New York City and delivered his first annual message to a joint session of Congress. Today, we call it the State of the Union. In his speech, Washington set the standard for how a president should act. From the clothes he wore to how he approached the separation of powers in the Constitution, to his support for an educated and armed people, ready to defend their own constitution and liberty. Once you read just what he said and did, it’s pretty obvious this blueprint has been betrayed for a long, long time.” (01/07/26)
Source: CNBC
“Global defense stocks rallied on Thursday, extending gains after U.S. President Donald Trump called for a $1.5 trillion defense [sic] budget in 2027. ‘After the long and difficult negotiations with Senators, Congressmen, Secretaries, and other Political Representatives, I have determined that, for the Good of our Country, especially in these very troubled and dangerous times, our Military Budget for the year 2027 should not be $1 Trillion Dollars, rather $1.5 Trillion Dollars,’ he wrote in a TruthSocial post late Wednesday. ‘This will allow us to build the ‘Dream Military’ that we have long been entitled to, and, more importantly, that will keep us SAFE and SECURE, regardless of foe.’ Northrop Grumman gained 6.8% in premarket trade on Thursday, Lockheed Martin was last seen 6.7% higher, RTX advanced 5.4%, and Kratos Defense was up 6.6%.” (01/08/26)
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/08/defense-stocks-trump-military-spending-europe-us.html
Source: Roll Call
“The good, the bad and the meh: What we’re watching in 2026.” (01/07/26)
Source: Coyote Blog
by Warren Meyer
“The WSJ reports: ‘President Trump said he will ban large investors from buying single-family homes, the administration’s first significant move to address the country’s severe housing shortage.’ … I tell folks all the time that Trump is not a freaking free-marketeer. This is yet more evidence. His proposal is right out of the failed Progressive-Socialist playbook on housing.” (01/07/26)
https://coyoteblog.com/coyote_blog/2026/01/donald-mamdani-trump.html
Source: New York Post
by Daniel Batlle
“If the regime of Nicolás Maduro is illegitimate, as President Trump repeatedly declared before ousting Maduro, why is the administration now in bed with Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez? Four days after the extraordinary capture of Maduro by US special forces, reports of life under Rodríguez are grim for Venezuelans who hoped for change. On Tuesday, pro-regime armed colectivos were roaming Carácas searching for anyone who might have been celebrating Maduro’s downfall. Journalists were getting hauled in and later let go. Political prisoners remain locked up — despite some holiday releases before Maduro got nabbed. The unfortunate decision to work through the existing power structure reflects the unique situation Trump now faces in Venezuela. Most leaders would have concluded the post-Maduro challenges were insurmountable — and never attempted the operation. Trump’s bold move succeeded tactically, but now comes the far more difficult strategic test.” (01/08/25)
Source: BBC News [UK State Media]
“Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor received millions of pounds from an oligarch using funds from a firm implicated in criminal corruption, a BBC investigation has found. Kazakh billionaire Timur Kulibayev has told the BBC through his lawyers that he used a loan from a company called Enviro Pacific Investments to help him buy Andrew’s former mansion. Prosecutors in Italy concluded that the firm had received cash from a bribery scheme in 2007. Weeks after the last of these payments was made, the oligarch bought Sunninghill Park in Berkshire from the then prince for £15m — with the help of funds from Enviro Pacific.” (01/08/25)
Source: Fountainhead Forum
“Wes Benedict on running for chair of the Libertarian (USA) National Committee.” (01/07/26)
Source: Washington Post
by David Ignatius
“President Donald Trump isn’t crazy to want a greater U.S. role in Greenland for national security reasons — and he probably could have negotiated a quick deal to expand U.S. military access and investment there with Denmark, which owns the island. But Trump’s swaggering campaign to buy Greenland or seize it outright has instead produced a crisis that could damage American security for decades — far outweighing any gains from control of the barren island. ‘Shooting yourself in the foot’ is too generous a description for Trump’s effort. It’s more like shooting yourself in the head.” (01/07/26)