Latest news with #Libertarian
The South African
7 hours ago
- Politics
- The South African
Newspaper headlines from around the world - Tuesday, 3 June 2025
Here are the stories that made headlines on the front pages of newspapers worldwide on Tuesday, 3 June 2025. The New York Times front page reported that a man has been charged with a hate crime in a flame attack. The Wall Street Journal front page reported that Bitcoin is going all in on MAGA, shedding its Libertarian slant. The Hindustan Times' front page reported that the Prime Minister will meet delegations after his world tour next week. China Daily's front page reported that the US was slammed for repeated policy shifts. Daily Mail's front page reported Tory warnings over a 'backdoor blasphemy law' The Guardian front page reported that Starmer pledges to make Britain 'battle-ready' with drones and AI. If you wish to stay up-to-date – for FREE – on the latest international and South African news, then bookmark The South African website for all that plus the latest in the world of finance, sport, lifestyle – and more. Did we mention it was 100% free to read …?
Arabian Post
a day ago
- Business
- Arabian Post
Bitcoin Windfall: Ulbricht Receives $31.4M in Anonymous BTC Donation
Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the Silk Road darknet marketplace, has received an anonymous donation of 300 Bitcoin, valued at approximately $31.4 million, sent to his official Bitcoin address. This substantial contribution follows his release from prison after a full pardon by former U.S. President Donald Trump in January 2025. The donation was made to the Bitcoin address listed on a website dedicated to supporting Ulbricht. The identity of the donor remains unknown, and there has been no public acknowledgment from Ulbricht or his representatives regarding the transaction. In addition to this significant donation, an auction of Ulbricht's personal belongings has reportedly raised nearly $1.3 million in Bitcoin. The auction, organized to support Ulbricht's reintegration into society, featured items such as personal writings, artwork, and other memorabilia. ADVERTISEMENT Ulbricht's financial situation has been a topic of interest since his release. Coinbase executive Conor Grogan identified approximately 430 BTC, worth around $47 million, in wallets associated with Ulbricht that had remained untouched for over 13 years. However, it remains unclear whether Ulbricht has access to the private keys required to control these funds. The cryptocurrency community has shown considerable support for Ulbricht since his release. Crypto exchange Kraken donated $111,111 in Bitcoin to assist with his transition back into society. Additionally, various fundraising efforts, including merchandise sales, have contributed to a growing fund aimed at supporting Ulbricht's post-incarceration life. Ulbricht was arrested in 2013 and later sentenced to double life imprisonment plus 40 years without the possibility of parole for his role in operating the Silk Road marketplace. The platform facilitated the trade of illegal goods and services, primarily using Bitcoin for transactions. His sentence was commuted by President Trump, who cited support from the Libertarian movement and concerns over the severity of the punishment.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Universities should foster debate and critical thinking. SB 37 will stifle that
Several years ago, on the last day of my argumentation and debate class at the University of Wisconsin, where I taught before coming to the University of Texas, a student approached me. 'The semester is over,' said the student, who sat in the front row with a bumper sticker for then-Republican Gov. Scott Walker on his computer. 'Will you tell me what your personal politics are?' 'To be honest, I'm very far left of the Democratic party,' I told him. 'Damn,' he said, 'I could've sworn you were a Libertarian.' My job as professor is to treat my students with respect. This student did the work: He defended his views with evidence, engaged with material from diverse viewpoints and learned the best scholarship my field had to offer, regardless of whether it lent itself to particular political conclusions. Column: Under SB 37, Texas universities will focus on educating, not indoctrinating | Opinion People from both sides of the political spectrum have accepted the premise that universities silence students. Research partly corroborates this view. A Knight Foundation-Ipsos study on campus free speech found that roughly two-thirds of students self-censor in classroom discussions, especially when the topics involve race, gender, LGBTQ issues or religion. That same study found 60% of students said that campus climate contributes to the stifling of free speech, but the nature of that climate is not defined. The Right has taken this as evidence that conservative students suffer, but the Knight study found that Black students, who are more likely to have liberal or left-leaning politics, are the most likely to report difficulty using their free speech rights. What are we to make of this information? There have always been students who don't feel safe sharing their views. The largest constituency of students who still feel that way are the ones that have historically felt that way. This certainly tracks with my experience as a university educator for the past 25 years. What is missing in analyses about campus free speech and safety is a discussion of power. Many college students are white, and Black students are a small minority. When it comes to national power, it is still unusual to find people of color in positions of power, from the government to the lectern to the board room. When the group you identify with does not have structural power, it is easy to understand why you wouldn't feel safe expressing yourself. This is not the situation that white students find themselves in on campuses, regardless of whether their opinions are in the minority. This is also why classes with Black professors who intervene in that power structure are vital. What to know: House moves to advance SB 37 on faculty senate, core curriculum review. Professors are not here to validate every opinion that may exist on a given issue. My role as professor is to create an affirming environment for students to learn how to defend their views with evidence, to critically interrogate the views they hold, and to learn the best scholarship in my field of study. My job is also to teach students how to think critically, to write well, to solve problems, and to understand those who are different from them. The Texas Legislature is poised to pass Senate Bill 37, which would place ideological litmus tests on courses in the state core curriculum. This proposal is based, at least in part, on the belief that conservative views are being stifled at our universities by professors like me. I vehemently disagree with this premise. I encourage our elected officials to use their critical thinking skills to discern what a university education is for. If it is to prevent students from engaging with diverse viewpoints in their required curriculum, then our democracy is truly at risk. Karma R. Chávez is the chair of the Department of Mexican American and Latina/o Studies at the University of Texas. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Universities should foster debate. SB 37 will stifle that | Opinion
Yahoo
7 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
General elections are on Tuesday. See who's running in your MS Coast city
Voters in most Mississippi Coast cities will elect another round of new leaders next Tuesday, ending a busy election season that has already ousted some incumbents and led to tight party runoffs across the region. The general elections will decide mayor's races in Gulfport, Biloxi, Gautier and Moss Point. City council and board of alderman candidates are also on ballots in several cities. The elections follow party primaries and runoffs this spring. The most contentious race may come in Gulfport, where attorney Hugh Keating, a Republican, and former state Rep. Sonya Williams Barnes, a Democrat, are running for mayor. The race is attracting some attention from national political leaders. Stacey Abrams, a Democrat who in 2018 nearly defeated Georgia's Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, has contributed to Barnes' campaign and said Gulfport would be 'well-served' by her leadership. Keating is advertising a rally this week with Sen. Tim Scott, a Republican of South Carolina who campaigned for President Donald Trump and was once floated as his possible running mate. In Biloxi, Incumbent Mayor Andrew 'FoFo' Gilich is facing Andy Linville, an Independent, and Farren Santibanez, a Libertarian. Linville has worked in the healthcare and real estate businesses, and Farren Santibanez is a sixth generation Biloxi resident. Voters in Gautier will decide between Incumbent Mayor Casey Vaughan, an Independent, and Phil Torjusen, a Republican who served one term as mayor before Vaughan defeated him four years ago. Moss Point's Incumbent Mayor Billy Knight Sr. is facing Richard McBride, a Republican who also ran for mayor in 2017 and 2021. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. June 3. New four-year terms start July 1. Bay St. Louis Ward 2: Incumbent Eugene 'Gene' Hoffman IV (R) and Nancy Moynan (D) Biloxi Mayor: Andrew 'FoFo' Gilich (R), Andy Linville (I) and Farren Santibanez (L) Ward 1: Wayne Gray (R), Corey Christy (D) and Stephan Santibanez (L) Ward 2: Incumbent Felix O. Gines (R), Anthony L. Marshall (D) and Sonya C. White (I) D'Iberville Council At Large: Incumbent Joey Bosarge (R) and Crystal Wingo (I) Gautier Mayor: Incumbent Mayor Casey Vaughan (I) and Phil Torjusen (R) Ward 4: Lorenzo L. Fuller Sr. (I) and Joshua 'Josh' Ward (I) Ward 5: Incumbent Dante L. Elbin (R) and Anthony K. Snow (I) Gulfport Mayor: Sonya Williams Barnes (D) and Hugh Keating (R) Ward 2: Valerie Ewing (D) and Incumbent Ron Roland (R) Ward 4: Incumbent F.B. 'Rusty' Walker (R) and Dalaney Lee Mecham (I) Ward 5: Craig Elliott Raybon (D) and B.J. Sellers (R) Ward 6: Carrissa Corbett (D) and Incumbent Robert ' Flowers (R) Moss Point Mayor: Incumbent Billy Knight Sr. (D) and Richard McBride (R) Ocean Springs Alderman At Large: Matthew Hinton (R) and Oren Zweig (I) Ward 1: Greg Gipson (I) and Steve Tillis (R) Ward 5: Incumbent Robert Blackman (R) and James E. Lewis (I) Pascagoula Ward 1: Carlos R. Stallworth Sr. (I) and Michael Rodgers (D) Pass Christian Ward 1: Barry Dreyfus (R) and Incumbent Betty Sparkman (I) will both appear on the ballot. Sparkman withdrew from the race in May. The city said her name will still appear on ballots because they were printed before her withdrawal. Ward 2: Incumbent Regina Charlot (D) and Joseph Piernas (I) Anita Lee, Mary Perez and Margaret Baker contributed reporting.
Winnipeg Free Press
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Making Alberta great again — the Smith method
Opinion Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's current separatist threats are a transparent attempt to garner some gotcha-by-the-root-chakra leverage with Prime Minister Mark Carney. How else can an alienated Western premier outsparkle flamboyant Quebec? Smith is a populist, a Libertarian and a social conservative who is paradoxically agnostic. She's a clever chameleon whose rebellious rhetoric suits the bootstrap tenor of her petrostate. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is masterful at reading the mood of her constituents, Patricia Dawn Robertson writes. In the tradition of William (Bible Bill) Aberhart, a Depression-era Alberta premier, Smith is masterful at reading the mood of her grudging agrarian constituents. Aberhart, son of a German immigrant, was an Ontario-born teacher and principal. The Presbyterian-turned-Baptist led Alberta (1935-1943) under the Social Credit Party he founded, based on the philosophy of British engineer, Major C.H. Douglas. Like Smith, Aberhart gained exposure as a radio host. Aberhart's Sunday sermons were broadcast to the Prairie provinces and the northern United States. As premier, Aberhart's chief aim was to reform the banking sector. But his radical policies were overturned as unconstitutional. So he created the Alberta Treasury Branches (ATB) instead, which is a heady mix of socialism and commerce that continues to serve Albertans today. The Social Credit leader also wanted to reform the newspaper sector with The Accurate News and Information Act. The Act would have forced newspapers to print government rebuttals to stories the provincial cabinet deemed 'inaccurate.' Mercifully, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled Aberhart's fascist legislation unconstitutional. I moved to Calgary from Winnipeg in 1997. Alberta's oil and gas culture dominated the well-heeled city where residents of have-not provinces migrated. As an economic refugee, I often misread my precarious place in the regional pecking order where wealthy Albertans celebrate their rural roots and deploy coffee row logic — ideas kicked around at regular small-town get-togethers over restaurant coffee — to extort Ottawa. When I complained about then-premier Ralph Klein's right-wing mindset and relentless Central Canada-bashing, a new friend scolded me: 'I'm so tired of you people coming here and sucking off the hind tit. And then complaining.' Alberta: like it or lump it. Since my departure for rural Saskatchewan in 2004, Alberta has endured numerous political iterations. Who knew that Danielle Smith would make Ralph Klein look like a moderate? Smith will stop at nothing to ensure that fair equalization transfer payments are made to entitled 'oiligarchs.' It's their oil wealth to hoard — not a shared resource. Smith's new list of outrageous demands reads like a rock star's backstage rider exacted from an event promoter: Mr. Carney, remove all of the objectionable Liberal-red M&Ms from the premiers' conference snack bowls and grant Alberta unprecedented access to tidewater energy exports. While you're at it, scrap all electricity regulations, eliminate the emissions cap, abandon the net-zero car mandate … and dispatch outspoken Green Party Leader, Elizabeth May, to Greenland. Just imagine. With complete autonomy, Albertans can finally have Fort McMurray declared a National Historic Site and convert Jasper National Park's scorched earth into a Tailings Impoundment Area, conveniently sourced from nearby Hinton's four coal mines. 'Drill, baby, drill!' will replace Wild Rose Country on the licence plate. The fracking drought will ensure that those iconic ditch roses will gain no moisture, nor purchase, in the Alberta Next era. Preston Manning will enjoy a dual role as an Antebellum secessionist coach and Calgary Stampede grand marshal, which is a nod to his late father, Ernest Manning, who followed Aberhart as Alberta premier. This is the ideal time to establish an oil and gas-friendly theme park to brag to Canadians about Alberta's immense new stature as a sovereign nation. Visitors to HydroCarbon Heritage Village experience coal-fired monster truck rallies and sign up for homemade ammo and F-ck Carney plaque workshops in prepper bunkers. Permanent exhibits include outlier hero Pierre Poilievre, depicted in a feral habitat diorama as a summer student doppelganger furiously digs in cedar shavings. Visitors will be wowed by the Conservative leader's resilience as he readies his safe seat in the Battle River-Crowfoot riding. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. The real Poilievre will reprise his acclaimed hectoring workshop on 'How to Run-off Your Liberal Neighbours' with the 'shun them, issue nuisance bylaws violations' or burn-them-out system. Smith's workshop on DIY secessionist manifestos is a sure winner. Early summer registrants can complete the course in time for family reunion season. On Earth Day 2026, Smith's ambitions go beyond mere separation from Canada. The Alberta Armed Forces' Spring Offensive into the Okanagan is an expansionist plan for an eventual tidewater occupation. First Peachland then on to Osoyoos for the victory dinner where Smith's ravenous troops can pair a Cabernet Franc with Alberta feedlot beef. Elite observers have crafted our own grim, alternative narrative: how soon before Smith levels up and abandons elections altogether? Patricia Dawn Robertson lives in a conservative stronghold in rural Saskatchewan. You can purchase her new book, Media Brat: a Gen-X memoir at
