Politico’s Nerdcast, 02/06/26
Source: Politico
“María Corina Machado on her hopes for Venezuela’s future.” (02/06/26)
The Evil Within, Part 1: Introduction
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
“In this introductory segment of Jacob’s new 10-part series ‘The Evil Within,’ Jacob explains that he will explore the concept of evil that has come to pervade nine important systems within the federal government. He shows why it is necessary to excise these evil systems from the federal government in order to get America back on the right track — toward freedom, peace, prosperity, morality, and harmony.” (02/06/26)
The Washington Post and the Limits of Mourning
Source: Liberal Currents
by Samuel Freedman
“It is time to move from grief to revival.” (02/06/26)
https://www.liberalcurrents.com/the-washington-post-and-the-limits-of-mourning/
The Dangers of a Little Learning
Source: Law & Liberty
by Aaron Alexander Zubia
“In the film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, the genetically engineered superhuman, Khan Noonien Singh, is discovered in his exile on Ceti Alpha V with a bookshelf populated by the Bible, Dante’s Inferno, Shakespeare’s King Lear, Milton’s Paradise Lost, and Melville’s Moby Dick. His last words in the film are taken straight out of the latter, as the revenge-obsessed Khan murmurs to his nemesis, Captain James T. Kirk: ‘From hell’s heart, I stab at thee. For hate’s sake, I spit my last breath at thee.’ In the film Die Hard, the ruthless East German terrorist, Hans Gruber, also proclaims himself to be well read: ‘And when Alexander saw the breadth of his domain, he wept, for there were no more worlds to conquer,’ Gruber says, with the aside: ‘Benefits of a classical education.’ Reading great books does not necessarily make you a good person.” (02/06/26)
Young America’s Affordability Crisis Has Political Consequences
Source: RealClearPolitics
by Micky Horstman
“One and a half million more young adults live with their parents today than a decade ago. They’re losers … economically. Since the pandemic, fair market rents have increased as much as 40% in Chicago, the cost of owning a car is up more than 40%, and car insurance and health care prices have spiked. Student loan debt has quadrupled since 2000, and entry-level wages haven’t kept pace with inflation. For young people without financial or family support, it’s an affordability crisis that feels insurmountable. Cost of living was Gen Z’s top political issue in 2024; they feel the ‘American Dream’ slipping farther away.” (02/06/26)
Three suspects in Russian general’s shooting named, including alleged gunman
Source: BBC News [Uk state media]
“Russia says it has identified three suspects involved in the shooting of high-profile military general Lt Gen Vladimir Alexeyev. They include the man said to have carried out the attack, who has been named as Ukrainian-born Russian citizen Lyubomir Korba. Russia’s Investigations Committee (SK) said Korba arrived in the capital, Moscow, in late December ‘on assignment from Ukrainian intelligence services to commit a terrorist attack.’ Kyiv has reportedly denied involvement. … Spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko said on Sunday that his attacker had fired three shots before fleeing and that Korba travelled to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) hours after the shooting. He has since been arrested and extradited.” (02/08/26)
Uncanny Valley, 02/06/26
Source: Wired
“Tech Elites in the Epstein Files, Musk’s Mega Merger, and a Crypto Scam Compound.” (02/06/26)
The Headlines, 02/06/26
Source: New York Times
“The Growing List of Names in the Epstein Files, and the Federal Investigation into D.E.I. at Nike.” (02/06/26)
The Trump Administration Has a Conflicted Relationship with the Second Amendment
Source: Reason
by JD Tuccille
“The Trump administration has a problem when it comes to the Second Amendment. A large part of its base consists of people who firmly believe in the right to keep and bear arms. But that right, as protected by the Second Amendment, empowers the individual and stands as a challenge to the authority of the state. This creates an awkward situation for a president and his coterie who don’t like being challenged or even criticized. That’s why we see administration officials arguing in favor of self-defense rights one moment while challenging the right to keep and bear arms at another.” (02/06/26)
Equality, Not Excellence
Source: Common Sense
by Paul Jacob
“The really socialist mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani, the city’s new Handicapper General, wants to prevent the brightest children in the city’s school system from getting any extra training of their gifts and intelligence. So he’s trying to do what one of his predecessors, the pretty socialist Bill DeBlasio, failed to do: eliminate the public school system’s Gifted and Talented programs. What benefit could there be to students, their parents, and New Yorkers in general, in preventing gifted children from studying in schools and classrooms that give them the best chance of developing their gifts early in life? None whatsoever.” (02/06/26)
https://thisiscommonsense.org/2026/02/06/equality-not-excellence/