Death knell for the Summit of the Americas?

Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Jorge Heine

“The government of the Dominican Republic has announced that the X Summit of the Americas (SOA), scheduled to be held in Punta Cana on December 4-5, has been postponed. This is the first time an SOA has been postponed. There is no reason to think that the conditions for holding such a meeting will be better three or six months from now so it’s more likely the summit will be canceled. If so, this might very well ring the death knell of the SOAs, precisely at a time when they are more needed than ever, given the deep differences cutting across the hemisphere.” (11/06/25)

https://responsiblestatecraft.org/us-policy-failures-underwrite-americas-summit-collapse/

Trump Should End Defense Welfare for South Korea

Source: The American Conservative
by Doug Bandow

“Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth concluded his visit to South Korea this week with praise for the nation’s planned 8.2 percent increase in military spending next year. ‘We face, as we both acknowledge, a dangerous security environment, but our alliance is stronger than ever,’ he intoned. Upping defense outlays is a sensible course for the Republic of Korea, which faces an increasingly hostile North Korea. However, why does Washington continue to provide Seoul with what amounts to military welfare?” (11/06/25)

https://www.theamericanconservative.com/trump-should-end-defense-welfare-for-south-korea/

Hey, Republicans: Blame Trump

Source: The Bulwark
by Will Saletan

“Donald Trump cost his party a lot of votes in Tuesday’s elections. He and his supporters are peddling excuses for the big Republican defeat—pleading that the losses were in blue states, faulting the poor quality of the candidates, or arguing that the GOP would have performed better if Trump were on the ballot this year. But the president and his policies were largely to blame. Here’s what the exit polls show, as of this writing.” (11/05/25)

https://www.thebulwark.com/p/hey-republicans-blame-trump-off-year-2025-elections-virginia-new-jersey-nyc

The Election Was a Rebuke of Trump and Not Only Because He Has Failed to Deliver Economic Relief

Source: The UnPopulist

“Democrats had a very good night. Tuesday’s odd-year elections were expected to see Democrats win most of the high-profile races. Traditionally, the party that won the White House a year prior tends to do poorly as thermostatic backlash kicks in. Heading into election day, there were few high-profile races where the outcome was not in much doubt. But the margins matter as an indication of where things are heading, namely, voters do not want Trumpism to reign unchecked.” (11/05/25)

https://www.theunpopulist.net/p/the-election-was-a-rebuke-of-trump

Singapore: Regime Introduces Mandatory Caning For Scamming Offenses

Source: The Diplomat

“Singapore this week passed a law allowing for the caning of those involved in scamming, its latest attempt to combat a runaway surge in online fraud of all kinds. Under the measure, which was passed by Parliament on Tuesday, scammers and members or recruiters of scam syndicates will face mandatory caning of at least six strokes, the Straits Times reported. Depending on the severity of the offense, the punishment that can be increased up to the legal limit of 24 strokes. Scam mules who enable scammers will face discretionary caning of up to 12 strokes, the Times added.” (11/06/25)

https://thediplomat.com/2025/11/singapore-introduces-mandatory-caning-for-scamming-offenses/

America’s Longest Government Shutdown Shows Why We Must Free Air Traffic Control from Politics

Source: Reason
by Robert Poole

“Nations that moved air traffic control out of politics have better tech, no shutdown chaos, and stable funding. Congress keeps choosing dysfunction instead.” (11/05/25)

https://reason.com/2025/11/05/americas-longest-government-shutdown-shows-why-we-must-free-air-traffic-control-from-politics/

MAGAfy the Debt

Source: Bet On It
by Bryan Caplan

“I was happy to sign the Manhattan Statement on Higher Education. Yes, I oppose all government support for education. But if government is going to fund education, it has a fiduciary responsibility to taxpayers to get good value for their money. And the Manhattan Statement is a careful effort to do precisely that. The Trump administration’s proposed Compact for Academic Excellence is considerably less careful. Most egregiously, two of its provisions directly contradict each other.” (11/05/25)

https://www.betonit.ai/p/magafy-the-debt