Source: Tenth Amendment Center
by Michael Boldin

“One of the primary reasons the founders wanted a strong militia system with a well-armed general public was to minimize or even eliminate the need for a large, permanent standing army, even in times of peace. Most people in the founding generation were extremely wary of standing armies. They were often referred to as ‘the bane of liberty.’ They knew this from experience. From the standing armies that led to the massacre in Boston, to the gun control scheme that kicked off the war for independence – they lived it firsthand. As colonial resistance to taxes and other policies grew in 1774, the British responded by attempting to disarm the colonists.” (04/25/24)

https://tenthamendmentcenter.com/2024/04/24/the-founders-case-for-a-strong-militia-over-standing-armies/

Source: Reason
by Jacob Sullum

“According to Trump, a president can avoid prosecution by leaving office before the Senate can convict him or by hiding his crimes well enough that they are not discovered until after he leaves office. And since the Impeachment Judgment Clause is not limited to presidents, it would seem, so could ‘all civil officers of the United States,’ contrary to the historical practice of prosecuting former federal officials who were never impeached. Although there is no textual basis for treating former presidents differently in this respect, Trump argues that protection of executive power demands special leniency for them. Otherwise, he warns, the threat of frivolous, politically motivated prosecutions would have a paralyzing impact on presidential decisions.” (04/24/24)

https://reason.com/2024/04/24/the-alarming-implications-of-trumps-immunity-claim/

Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Connor O’Keeffe

[T]he political establishment’s fantasy about controlling every inch of the globe needs to be put to rest, especially while parts of this country remain so unsafe and the situation at the border grows even more chaotic. Washington’s imperial ambitions cost a lot of money and create unnecessary enemies. It’s clear many Republican voters understand, at least at a high level, what needs to happen. Every Republican candidate claims to support spending cuts. And recently, Republicans have had to navigate their base growing more skeptical of Washington’s hyperactive foreign policy. And when FISA was due to be renewed, numerous Republicans worked to implement restrictions on warrantless surveillance. To their credit, some Republicans were serious enough to try to use their small House majority to make as big a dent in the above problems as possible. … But in the end, Mike Johnson and the so-called moderate Republicans gave in on all three fronts.” (04/24/24)

https://mises.org/mises-wire/cowardice-not-courage-led-house-republicans-side-democrats

Source: Orange County Register
by John Phillips

“On April 1st, California’s brand new $20-an-hour minimum wage for fast food workers took effect, and surprise surprise fast food chains are jacking up their menu prices across the board. According to data from Kalinowski Equity Research and cited in The New York Post, Wendy’s has hiked prices by roughly 8 percent, while Chipotle raised theirs by 7.5 percent, Starbucks went up by about 7 percent, Taco Bell by 3 percent, and Burger King increased theirs by 2 percent, the report found. What’s next? The McDonald’s drive-thru lane may have to start charging tolls. Burger King could offer free estimates. A lay-away plan at Wendy’s? Also, Wendy has an OnlyFans page now. Some franchises even raised their prices ahead of time, in anticipation of the new law. … I guess we should count our blessings. At least America wasn’t experiencing record-breaking inflation when all of this nonsense happened.” (04/23/24)

https://www.ocregister.com/2024/04/23/john-phillips-californias-fast-food-follies/