The American Revolution and the Danger of Standing Armies

No-Go-Zone: Rotterdam Imposes Unprecedented Nighttime Exclusion Area Via Remix news, Rotterdam has introduced an unprecedented nighttime exclusion zone across large parts of the De Esch neighborhood following nearly three years of street racing, drug use, intimidation, prostitution, and persistent noise from migrant youth gangs. The order, which took effect on Thursday evening, makes it a criminal offense to enter the designated area between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. without a valid reason. Police can fine anyone unable to explain why they are there. Residents, workers, visitors to local homes, and people attending events,...

America: Land Of The (Not Really) Free Authored by Ron Paul via the Ron Paul Institute, Two weeks ago, President Donald Trump commemorated income tax payments being due by having DoorDash deliver food from McDonald’s to the White House. The delivery was intended to highlight the first year of tax-free tips. Removing tax on tips was part of the 2025 Big Beautiful Bill (BBB). As the sponsor of the first No Tax on Tips legislation introduced in Congress, I was obviously pleased to see this change in tax laws included in the...

Pump-Pain Spreads: Retail Sales Soar To Record High, Sentiment Sits As Record Low BofA's omniscient analysts expected a hotter than expected retail sales print this morning (but it came with a warning as they start to see some substitution effects as rising gasoline spend is wearing on discretionary purchases). Once again, BofA was right, with headline Retail Sales surging 0.8% MoM (+0.3% exp), lifting sales up by 6.3% YoY... Spending at gasoline stations soared... Eight out of 13 categories posted increases, led by a 6.4% increase in the value of purchases at gas...