Half the Answer, episode 60
Source: Liberal Currents
“2025’s Word of the Year.” (01/18/26)
https://www.liberalcurrents.com/half-the-answer-60-2025s-word-of-the-year/
ICE Agents Are Even Worse At Being Cops Than You Think
Source: The Intercept
by Alain Stephens
“Videos of agents falling down and dropping their guns feel beyond parody. But under-trained law enforcement officers are a real danger to the public.” (01/16/26)
https://theintercept.com/2026/01/16/ice-slips-raids-minnesota-videos/
Iraq: Regime troops fully take over key base following US withdrawal
Source: ABC News
“U.S. forces have fully withdrawn from an air base in western Iraq in implementation of an agreement with the Iraqi government, Iraqi officials said Saturday. Washington and Baghdad agreed in 2024 to wind down a U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group in Iraq by September 2025, with U.S. forces departing bases where they had been stationed. However, a small unit of U.S. military advisers and support personnel remained. … Now all U.S. personnel have departed.” (01/17/26)
The Tom Woods Show, episode 2727
Source: The Tom Woods Show
“Scott Horton on Iran Regime Change Propaganda.” (01/16/26)
https://tomwoods.com/ep-2727-scott-horton-on-iran-regime-change-propaganda/
Republicans now embrace “seamless garment” of statism
Source: Orange County Register
by Steven Greenhut
“Based on the troubling goings-on in Minneapolis, it’s hard to describe former GOP Rep. Justin Amash’s post on X as hyperbolic: ‘They’re building a police state right before our eyes — which will ultimately be deployed against conservative Christians and gun owners and those who refuse the jab — and a lot of ‘Republicans’ with Gadsden flags in their bios are like, ‘Yeah, FAFO!’’ There’s no hope for anyone cheering, but ‘responsible’ conservatives have a rationale for defending these actions: It’s better than having Democrats in charge. Had, say, Kamala Harris won the presidency, she would have imposed socialistic policies, they say. That’s probably true, but have you noticed the latest policy plans from Donald Trump? His economic proposals echo the Democratic platform.” (01/16/26)
What’s Going on With the Epstein Files?
Source: The Atlantic
by Will Gottsegen
“There was a moment this fall when it seemed like the public might actually get some answers — that the extent of the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes might be exposed, and that his victims might see the accountability they’ve been waiting for. On November 19, President Trump reluctantly signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which required the Justice Department to publish a huge number of its unclassified files related to the late financier (and unrelated to ongoing investigations) within 30 days. But what actually arrived on December 19, the Friday before Christmas, was a relatively small (and sloppily redacted) tranche of files that raised far more questions than it answered. Nearly a month later, not a whole lot has changed.” (01/16/26)
Uber pushes for law to limit California lawyer fees
Source: Los Angeles Times
“The long-simmering fight between some of L.A.’s best-known billboard attorneys and Uber, one of their most frequent targets, is poised to spill out of the courtroom and onto the November ballot. The ride-share giant is gathering signatures for an initiative that, if passed by voters, would cap how much attorneys can earn in vehicle collision cases. … Currently, personal injury attorneys typically take 33% to 40% of a client’s payout. That is enough, they say, for them to earn a living and risk taking cases on a contingency fee basis — meaning, if they lose, they don’t get paid. Uber’s proposal would cap attorney fees for car crash cases at 25% and require extra costs — filing fees, depositions, experts — to be calculated before the fee split rather than coming out of the client’s portion.” (01/17/26)
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-01-17/uber-personal-injury-lawsuits-california-law
Free Talk Live, 01/17/26
Source: Free Talk Live
“Why did Trump throw a Mar-a-Lago Furry party? :: NH Exit’s new bill hearing :: Blind spots in how the government has propagandized us:: Ratspeed reads a furry poem :: Trump the uncontrollable homunculus? :: Trump vs Jerome Powell just WWE? :: What disappointed democrats about Obama’s actions? :: Why They want us to be miserable :: What do the native Greenlanders actually want? :: Pontificating about life is what makes us libertarians :: 2026-01-17 Hosts: Bonnie, Angelo, Riley O’Bill.” (01/17/26)
How the FCC Became the Speech Police
Source: Reason
by Jacob Sullum
“The constitutionally anomalous status of broadcasting invites government meddling.” (for publication 02/26)
https://reason.com/2026/01/18/how-the-fcc-became-the-speech-police/
Artificial Intelligence in the United States
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Kevin T Frazier
“President Donald Trump’s executive order on artificial intelligence invites analysis of a question so complex that it rarely gets asked: ‘What exactly do states have the authority to regulate?’ The current, somewhat trite answer is, ‘The residuary powers reserved under the Tenth Amendment.’ Omitting the legalese, that means that states can do whatever the federal government cannot. States have the power to look out for the health, safety, and welfare of their residents. Thus, for instance, they have the power to address local concerns through zoning laws, professional certifications via licensing regimes, and ensure public safety through law enforcement. These authorities make up what’s often referred to as a state’s ‘police powers.’ While this generic reading of state power is not necessarily wrong, it’s imprecise.” (01/16/26)
https://fee.org/articles/artificial-intelligence-in-the-united-states/