Source: Fox News
“Exiled [former] Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi said Saturday he is ready to lead Iran’s transition ‘as soon as the Islamic Republic falls.’ As the war in Iran entered its third week, Pahlavi — the son of the late [deposed] Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi — said he has been working in recent months to develop a transition plan should the Iranian regime collapse to ensure the country does not experience a disruption in governance. Pahlavi said in a social media post that ‘capable individuals’ have been identified both inside and outside Iran to lead what he called a ‘transitional system.’ … Pahlavi has lived in exile since the 1979 Islamic Revolution toppled Iran’s monarchy and established the Islamic Republic.” (03/15/26)
https://www.foxnews.com/world/iranian-crown-prince-reza-pahlavi-announces-readiness-lead-irans-post-regime-transition
Source: Politico
“Hoosier hoopla.” (03/13/26)
https://traffic.megaphone.fm/POLL1424099124.mp3
Source: Serious Trouble
“The Customs Service says its computers won’t let it refund IEEPA tariffs (yet); Smartmatic claims selective prosecution; Nippon Life sues OpenAI because ChatGPT is bad lawyer.” (03/13/26)
https://www.serioustrouble.show/p/you-cant-stop-the-computer
Source: Washington Monthly
by Bill Scher
“New tax cut proposals from Senators Cory Booker and Chris Van Hollen abandon effective progressive policies. They’re not alone.” (03/13/26)
https://washingtonmonthly.com/2026/03/13/the-problem-with-making-affordability-the-problem/
Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Thiago VS Coelho
“The argumentum ad baculum — appeal to force — is, in plain terms, an attempt to secure assent not by evidence but by threat. As one line of analysis puts it even more starkly, ad baculum often isn’t really an argument at all; it’s a tactic offered instead of argument to shut the exchange down. That is not an occasional vice of the state. It is the state’s operating system. … when the state ‘argues,’ its syllogism is always lurking in the background: Do X (pay, register, comply, cease, confess, submit), or else.” (03/13/26)
https://mises.org/mises-wire/states-favorite-fallacy-cudgel-suit
Source: Liberal Currents
by Jake Pitre
“An insider made hundreds of thousands betting just before Maduro was kidnapped. This kind of behavior is becoming normalized.” (03/13/26)
https://www.liberalcurrents.com/gambling-on-war/
Source: Al Jazeera [Qatari state media]
“Protesters in central Cuba have torched a local communist party office, as conditions on the island continue to deteriorate under severe restrictions from the United States meant to squeeze the economy. Authorities said on Saturday that five people were arrested amid what the government called ‘vandalism acts’ in the city of Moron. … Protests are relatively rare in Cuba, given the threat of government repression. But in recent weeks, Cubans have expressed growing frustration with food and electricity shortages. Some have taken to banging pots and pans at night — a protest tradition called ‘cacerolazo’ — to express anger over the lack of food. Students, meanwhile, at the University of Havana held a sit-in on Monday after their classes were suspended due to energy restrictions.” (03/14/26)
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/14/protests-erupt-in-cuba-as-us-restrictions-spark-food-energy-shortages
Source: Quillette
“The Extraordinary Exploits of Agent Zo.” (03/13/26)
https://quillette.com/2026/03/13/podcast-328-the-extraordinary-exploits-of-agent-zo/
Source: Freedom’s Phoenix
“Scott Ritter (Former Marine Intelligence Officer, Weapons Inspector) on Iran, Israel, what is really going on, what is going on with Trump, are we being fed propaganda by the Pentagon and MSM?” (03/13/26)
https://www.freedomsphoenix.com/Media/392547-2026-03-12-2026-03-13-ernest-hancock-scott-ritter-former-marine-intelligence.htm
Source: The Dispatch
by Kevin D Williamson
“As one might expect, waging war in a critical chokepoint in the world’s supply of petroleum — and many other goods — has been disruptive, with oil prices spiking and consumer gasoline and diesel prices following. President Donald Trump had at first resisted calls to tap oil reserves in the United States and the other 31 members of the International Energy Agency, but then came TACO Wednesday, which follows TACO Tuesday and precedes TACO Thursday — if it is a day of the week ending in the letter ‘y,’ then you can count on it: Trump Always Chickens Out. His resolve to hold the line on oil reserves lasted about as long as his relationship with Stormy Daniels. … The way the graph lines are moving right now, Trump’s approval ratings are poised to dip below his BMI more or less presently. So, the oil taps will be opened.” (03/13/26)
https://archive.is/q9TMB
