Pink Flame of Liberty, 05/09/26
Source: Pink Flame of Liberty
“Deprioritizing Business at the 2026 Libertarian National Convention?” (05/09/26)
Trump is playing Iran by ear. It’s not working.
Source: USA Today
by Rusty Hills
“No one disputes that the regime in Iran is awful. The government massacres its own people. Iran is a major state sponsor of terrorism and has been for decades. But the reality is that Trump is ad-libbing the war with Iran from day to day. After launching his attack against Iran on Feb. 28, Trump told an audience, ‘We’ve won.’ Yet here we are, 10 weeks later, with the Strait of Hormuz still closed, the regime still in power, the national average price of gas approaching $5 a gallon and jet fuel, airline ticket prices and baggage fees on the rise. Is this what Republicans are supposed to run on in the 2026 midterm elections?” (05/08/26)
MN: Nonprofit accused of siphoning $6.5 million to fund Vegas trips, luxury cars, private liquor store
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
“Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced on Friday a civil lawsuit against nonprofit We Push for Peace and its former directors, Trahern Pollard and Jaclyn McGuigan. The organization, which held lucrative contracts for community outreach and violence prevention, was driven into the ground by ‘rampant abuse’ and blatant self-dealing, prosecutors allege. According to the complaint, Pollard personally pocketed more than $6 million of the diverted charitable funds. Instead of helping the community, the charity’s money allegedly fueled a life of luxury for Pollard, paying for trips to Las Vegas, luxury vehicles and massive shopping sprees at a Harley Davidson showroom and spa stores. Pollard is also accused of using the nonprofit to pay off his child support, settle a personal tax bill with the IRS, and subsidize his private, for-profit businesses — including a used car dealership and liquor store.” (05/10/26)
Celebrating Opposite Freedoms on the Fourth of July
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
by Jacob G Hornberger
“[W]ho has it right when it came to celebrating genuine freedom on the Fourth of July — Americans in 1875, who lived without income taxation, Social Security, Medicare, welfare, immigration controls and immigration police state, non-interventionism, a national-security state, drug war, public (i.e., government) schooling, and other statist programs — or Americans today, who live under all these statist systems?” (05/08/26)
https://www.fff.org/2026/05/08/celebrating-opposite-freedoms-on-the-fourth-of-july/
They’re Attacking Online Anonymity, And Other Notes
Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone
“The EU is looking to ban VPNs, arguing that the ban is necessary to police recent online age verification laws. Critics have been warning for years that these age restriction laws are being rolled out around the world to erase online anonymity and enable greater surveillance of the entire population, and they are looking more vindicated than ever today. This isn’t about protecting children from social media addiction and porn, it’s about expanding the western empire’s surveillance network. This happens as the FCC moves to require ID verification for every phone activation in the United States, claiming the push is about stopping robocalls but effectively ending another form of anonymous communication. It’s always been about being able to more closely monitor the behavior of the public to make sure nobody’s plotting a revolution.” (05/09/26)
https://caitlinjohnstone.com.au/2026/05/09/theyre-attacking-online-anonymity-and-other-notes/
US consumer sentiment hits record low amid concerns about high prices
Source: United Press International
“Consumer sentiment in the United States has hit another record low as Americans worry about the cost of life as gas prices continue to rise amid the war in Iran. A monthly University of Michigan survey found that consumer sentiment dropped 3.2% in the last month — from 49.8 to 48.2 — and was down 7.7% over the course of the year, the university’s Institute for Social Research said on Friday. Joanne Hsu, director of the university’s Surveys of Consumers, said that consumer sentiment is ‘essentially unchanged’ from April, while the current economic conditions survey dropped 9% because of high prices affecting personal finances and whether people will make major purchases.” (05/08/26)
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2026/05/08/consumer-sentiment-april-record-low-prices/1261778265310/
Freedom Works with Paul Molloy, 05/09/26
Source: Freedom Works
“Jessica Melugin, Competitive Enterprise Institute ‘Social Media Bans.'” (05/09/26)
https://internetradiopros.com/freedomworks/?name=2026-05-09_zfw005082026.mp3
Mississippi Learning
Source: Common Sense
by Paul Jacob
“‘Thank God for Mississippi’ was something I heard a lot in my younger years, after moving to Arkansas. Friends from Alabama and Louisiana also know the saying well. Back then, Mississippi was ranked 50th in so many categories by which the states were measured against each other that the Magnolia State saved those inhabiting states near the bottom from occupying that un-coveted dead last place. This was still the case in 2005, when Mississippi ranked 50th in fourth-grade reading scores. In 2013, Mississippi students climbed one rung, to 49th. Then things started to change.” (05/08/26)
https://thisiscommonsense.org/2026/05/08/mississippi-learning/
The Education of a Cook County Originalist
Source: Law & Liberty
by Ilya Shapiro
“Randy Barnett’s memoir of his time as a prosecutor reveals something about the relationship between theory and practice—and gratitude and cynicism.” (05/08/26)
https://lawliberty.org/book-review/the-education-of-a-cook-county-originalist/
Australia: One Nation party scores historic parliamentary win
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
“Australia’s One Nation party has won its first-ever lower-house seat in what is being seen as an important test for the right-wing populist party. With most ballots counted, One Nation candidate David Farley has won a two-candidate preferred vote share of 57% in Farrer, a vast regional constituency in New South Wales. Independent candidate Michelle Milthorpe is far behind. The contest was triggered by the resignation of Sussan Ley, who quit when she was ousted as leader of the opposition conservative Liberal Party. While the result will not affect the Labor government’s large majority, it is a clear sign that voters are moving away from traditional political parties in Australia.” (05/09/26)