ROGER L. SIMON: Why Do Our Intelligence Agencies Keep Lying to Us?

UNEXPECTEDLY! Students see spike in reported violent crime after University of Minnesota cuts ties with Minneapolis Police Department.

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MARK JUDGE: 4:30 Movie: Poetry and Holy Cinema.

I DIDN’T FEEL IT, BUT BASED ON MY FACEBOOK FEED SOME PEOPLE IN KNOXVILLE DID: 5.1 earthquake near Sparta, NC.

TROLL LEVEL: POTUS DJT. Trump campaign trolls Biden over latest race gaffe with “You Ain’t Diverse” T-shirts.

HE’S JUST A TOOL: Maria Bartiromo on Biden: ‘There’s a gaffe every day, there’s clearly a cognitive issue.’

TUTTO NELLO STATO, NIENTE AL DI FUORI DELLO STATO, NULLA CONTRO LO STATO: AOC Complains That Private Charity Exists, Saying Government Replaces It ‘In a Just Society.’

(Classical reference in headline.)

THOMAS SOWELL, THE NONCONFORMIST: Over a lifetime of scholarship and public engagement, economist Thomas Sowell has illuminated controversial topics such as race, poverty, and culture.

TAXES ARE FOR THE LITTLE PEOPLE: For Biden Family, a History of Tax Problems: Hunter Biden hit with $450,000 tax lien last month, the latest in a series of tax problems for Biden family members.

BRING ON THE TRUMP-KANYE DEBATES! If Joe Biden opts out of the debates and President Trump says the American people deserve to hear a serious discussion of the issues, then which network exactly would not broadcast it?

ANDREW MCCARTHY: Should Judge Sullivan Be Disqualified from Flynn Case? An Appeals Court Is Asking.

I’D SAY BLACK LIVES MATTER/ANTIFA HAS PRETTY MUCH KILLED THE GUN CONTROL ISSUE ANYWAY: Myths the Media Perpetuate About Gun Control.

SEEMS APPROPRIATE, CONSIDERING THAT WHITE FRAGILITY IS THE WINDOWS ME OF CORPORATE LECTURES: Did You Know That Grievance Entrepreneur Robin DiAngelo Has Gotten Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Money?

HOW CANCEL CULTURE VIOLATES INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM: Jonathan Rauch explains the difference between canceling and criticism. New video from Reason TV:

Related: The Four Quadrants of Conformism. “In the past, the way the independent-minded protected themselves was to congregate in a handful of places — first in courts, and later in universities — where they could to some extent make their own rules. Places where people work with ideas tend to have customs protecting free inquiry, for the same reason wafer fabs have powerful air filters, or recording studios good sound insulation. For the last couple centuries at least, when the aggressively conventional-minded were on the rampage for whatever reason, universities were the safest places to be. That may not work this time though, due to the unfortunate fact that the latest wave of intolerance began in universities.”

BELIEVE IN SCIENCE: There’s a Mountain of Evidence That Hydroxychloroquine Is an Effective Treatment for COVID-19.

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NOT GOOD: Five More Things You Probably Didn’t Know about Susan Rice.

MY OWN PREDICTION IS THAT THE DISEASE WILL HAVE FADED BEFORE WE HAVE A USEFUL VACCINE IN USEFUL DISTRIBUTION: A Covid-19 vaccine paradox and a few related speculations.

POWER LINE: Trump’s political masterstroke. “As a political matter, Trump’s move looks like a masterstroke. Since the days of FDR, the public has always seemed to approve of presidents who act to ameliorate suffering while Congress diddles. A flurry of activity, even of the futile or potentially counterproductive kind, makes a president look energetic and caring. In this instance, Trump’s move might well force congressional Democrats to reach a deal. That outcome, too, would be a political win for the president.” Plus: “The obvious displeasure of The Washington Post is further evidence that Trump has made a smart political move.”

Related, from Josh Blackman: The Mechanics of President Trump’s Payroll Tax Deferral Memorandum.

Flashback: Obama’s Pen and Phone.

Related: Remembering U.S. v. Spawr Optical, in which a president revived an expired criminal statute by executive order. More here.

OPEN THREAD: Long-haired preachers come out every night. Try to tell you what’s wrong and what’s right.