Iraq May Drop Maliki as PM Candidate After US Threats

The State Will Always Socialize The Cost Of War Via The Libertarian Institute War is often sold to the public as an act of national will: decisive, necessary, and under control. The bill arrives later, in a quieter form. It shows up in insurance markets, shipping rates, emergency guarantees, higher fuel prices, and sudden policy reversals designed to keep the economic damage from spreading too far or too fast. That is what is now happening with the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. The fighting is not only destroying lives and widening instability....

France's Debt Spiral: Tax Hikes Mask A Looming Crisis Submitted by Thomas Kolbe On both sides of the Franco-German border, the same problem persists: overburdened and reform-averse politicians struggle against a rapidly accelerating debt spiral. Their preferred tool: higher levies. Last week, France’s Finance Minister Roland Lescure reported a revision of the projected budget deficit for the current year. Initial estimates for 2026 had suggested a deficit well above five percent. Yet numerous fiscal measures brought last year’s deficit down to 5.1%. For 2026, the Finance Ministry expects it to stabilize at around...

Trump Talks Economy, Immigration, Taxes, And AI In State Of The Union Address Update (2320ET): While predicted to be '2 or 3 hours,' President Trump's State of the Union was just 109 minutes - though it was still the longest on record since at least 1964. Trump emphasized border security, energy production, and tax policies while throwing Democrats under the bus over the economy and unchecked illegal immigration. Trump declared the "Golden Age of America" and stated that the state of the union is "strong," tying themes to the nation's upcoming 250th anniversary. Key Economic...