American Soybean Farmers Sold Out; Argentine Counterparts Bailed Out

Source: CounterPunch
by Seth Sandronsky

“We begin with the Trump administration’s decision to provide a $20 billion ‘swap line’ (currency exchanges between central banks) with the government of Argentina. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessemer is the point man for the White House on this financial and political issue. The Latin American country is in financial distress over its issuance of foreign bonds since President Javier Milei slashed public spending to spur economic growth. … In the meantime, the Milei government cut the export tax on soybeans. Chinese buyers jumped at this opportunity, reportedly purchasing some 20 shiploads of soybeans from Argentina. … What will the White House do to relieve the pain from the decline of demand from China for American agricultural products? Well, the president is considering a $10-$15 billion bailout for agriculture commodity producers.” (10/13/25)

https://www.counterpunch.org/2025/10/13/american-soybean-farmers-sold-out-argentine-counterparts-bailed-out/

Institutions More Than 40 Years Old Need To Be Decommissioned

Source: The Findings Substack
by Paul Rosenberg

“Almost anyone beyond a certain age has noticed that institutions go irreversibly bad over time. Impolitic as that conclusion may be, we do have sight, memory and reason, and they concur on this point. The real problem with institutions, we should understand, isn’t the humans populating them, but the structures themselves. And before I go any further, please ask yourself if you’ve observed such institutions reform themselves. The answer, of course, is no. You’ve seen outsiders march in with chainsaws, but not internally generated reform; such is the nature of the beast.” (10/17/25)

https://thefindings.substack.com/p/institutions-more-than-40-years-old

IN: Sanchez released from custody a week after parking fight arrest and stabbing

Source: San Diego Union-Tribune

“Former NFL quarterback and sports analyst Mark Sanchez was released from custody Sunday, about a week after police said he was stabbed during a fight with a truck driver outside an Indiana hotel. The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department confirmed Sanchez’s release. He faces a felony battery charge, along with several misdemeanor charges, for what prosecutors have said was a fight over parking.” (10/13/25)

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2025/10/13/mark-sanchez-released-from-custody/

Constitutional Reform in Jamaica: Sentiment or Substance?

Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Lipton Matthews

“Jamaica is currently in the midst of constitutional reform, a process being hailed as a watershed moment in the island’s history. Much of the public debate has been consumed by two proposals: the desire to become a republic and the replacement of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in London with the Caribbean Court of Justice as the final appellate court. These ideas are being advanced with great fanfare, yet they are driven more by sentiment than by sober reasoning. They are products of anti-colonial rhetoric rather than serious engagement with the principles that should guide a modern constitution.” (10/13/25)

https://mises.org/mises-wire/constitutional-reform-jamaica-sentiment-or-substance

Ecuador: Protesters clash with police amid nationwide strike over fuel prices

Source: ABC News

“Crowds protesting a spike in fuel prices spilled into the streets of Ecuador’s capital of Quito Sunday, burning tires, blocking roads and facing off against police officers who responded with volleys of tear gas. It was the latest confrontation in a series of nationwide demonstrations testing President Daniel Noboa. … Ecuador’s largest Indigenous organization called the strikes 21 days ago in response to the removal of a fuel subsidy that raised the price of diesel from $1.80 per gallon to $2.80.” (10/12/25)

https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/protesters-clash-police-ecuador-amid-nationwide-strike-fuel-126457591

Is Rubio finally powerful enough to topple Venezuela’s regime?

Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Lee Schlenker

“It appears that Secretary of State Marco Rubio is emerging victorious in the internal Trump administration battle over the direction of U.S. policy toward Venezuela. The New York Times reported on Oct. 6 that White House special envoy Richard Grenell — who, after meeting President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas this January inked deportation agreements, won the release of American prisoners, and secured energy licenses for U.S. and European oil majors — was told by President Donald Trump to stop all diplomatic outreach toward the resource-rich South American nation. The news comes as some Trump officials, particularly Rubio, have pushed the president to escalate tensions, which he has done by dispatching a major naval deployment to the Southern Caribbean in an alleged counternarcotics operation, killing over 20 alleged drug traffickers in at least four strikes against go-fast boats since early September.” (10/13/25)

https://responsiblestatecraft.org/rubio-venezeula/

First Brands founder resigns amid accounting scandal and billions in missing funds

Source: Seattle Times

“The founder and CEO of First Brands resigned Monday, weeks after the auto parts supplier filed for bankruptcy protection amid an accounting scandal that has left lenders scrambling for more than $2 billion in missing funds. Patrick James, who founded the company in 2013, will be replaced on an interim basis by Charles Moore, who was appointed as chief restructuring officer last month to sort out the company’s financial and potential legal troubles and prepare it for a possible sale. … Raistone Capital filed an emergency motion last week requesting the appointment of an independent examiner, saying that First Brands-appointed ‘independent’ directors were insufficient considering the amount of money — as much as $2.3 billion — that had ‘simply vanished.’” (10/13/25)

https://archive.is/BKYfi