Source: Washington Post
by Taylor Budowich

“When many teachers in Richland Parish, Louisiana, opened this year’s annual bonus checks, they found them 400 percent larger than last year — reaching up to $50,000, nearly a full year’s pay in one of the poorest corners of one of America’s poorest states. The bulk of the money came from the tax revenue of a single source: the five-gigawatt data center that Meta is building in Richland Parish. … Most Americans haven’t heard that story. What they have heard instead is that data centers will guzzle their water and spike their power bills — and our politics now reflect that. … AI supporters are losing the argument not because the facts aren’t on their side, but because they keep reaching for the wrong facts — gigawatts, capital expenditure, the race with China — in making their case. Here are three rules for AI companies, and the policymakers who support them, to win the argument that follows.” (09/02/26)

https://archive.is/yibQQ

Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Connor O’Keeffe

“The rising popularity of politicians on the American left who either explicitly identify as socialist or, at least, don’t shy away from or disavow the term appears to be causing genuine concern within the Washington establishment. That is, of course, entirely justified. Socialism is profoundly unjust and destructive. … However, the concern we’re seeing from the neoliberal and neoconservative establishment is frustrating. Because the political order that they have built and preserved over the last half century has made the growing popularity of this kind of ‘democratic socialism’ all but inevitable.” (09/02/26)

https://mises.org/mises-wire/how-neoliberals-fueled-rise-socialism

Source: The American Prospect
by Ryan Cooper

“I have a question about the critical Michigan Senate race: Are centrist Democratic officials and pundits going to spend the next 60 days loudly making the Republican Party’s arguments for them? The last week has seen a meltdown over Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee. The controversy involves the Twitch streamer Hasan Piker, who is not an elected official, or a candidate for anything, or a member of El-Sayed’s campaign, but did appear with him during the primary at a few events. Piker made some comments on a Twitch stream (more on that in a moment) that provided a convenient pretext for Republicans to whip up a frenzy of anti-Muslim bigotry and smear El-Sayed by association. Most Democrats did not join in, but many did, including some in leadership positions.” (09/02/26)

https://prospect.org/2026/09/02/are-centrist-democrats-too-racist-to-compete-in-michigan/

Source: The Daily Economy
by Thomas Savidge

“A debt jubilee can erase an obligation on paper, but it cannot erase the underlying economic cost.” (09/02/26)

https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/debt-jubilees-only-change-who-pays/

Source: Reason
by Jacob Sullum

“By unilaterally razing and replacing the East Wing, the president again shows his disregard for the rule of law and the separation of powers.” (09/02/26)

https://reason.com/2026/09/02/trumps-white-house-ballroom-is-a-monument-to-his-lawlessness/

Source: Christian Science Monitor
by staff

“Yoav Segalovitz, a Zionist politician from a centrist Jewish party, shook up Israeli politics on Monday. He announced he would run in the Oct. 27 parliamentary elections as a top-tier candidate with Ra’am, a party representing Israel’s large Arab population. His surprise leap across a deep social divide could help Ra’am win enough seats in the Knesset to influence who becomes the next prime minister, possibly shifting Israel’s role in the Middle East. A recent poll showed that more than half of voters who oppose the current government would support including Ra’am with Mr. Segalovitz in a possible coalition. While such political leverage remains to be seen, it was Mr. Segalovitz’s reasons for joining Ra’am – an abbreviation for United Arab List – that also caught much of the public’s attention.” (09/01/26)

https://www.csmonitor.com/Editorials/the-monitors-view/2026/0901/Israel-s-politics-pivot-to-shared-good-health