The Intellectualist
@theintellectualist
The Intellectualist delivers fact-based analysis and thoughtful commentary focused on defending democracy and fostering informed public discourse. At a time when truth and civic engagement are under threat, it serves as a vital platform.
In the first eleven months of 2025, 10,109 doctoral-trained scientists left the federal government. The losses were concentrated in agencies that fund medical research, regulate environmental standards and model climate. theintellectualistofficial.substack.com/p/more-than-...
For decades, deterrence governed the U.S.–Russia rivalry: rival powers did not help identify American military targets. Reports Russia aided Iran may test that boundary—while Trump officials dismiss the risk as U.S. forces face attacks. theintellectualistofficial.substack.com/p/russia-hel...
Lawmakers are investigating whether a Trump-linked Wall Street firm helped underwrite Chinese listings later tied to stock-promotion schemes that wiped out billions in market value. theintellectualistofficial.substack.com/p/trump-towe...
President Donald Trump has appointed Erika Kirk, widow of activist Charlie Kirk, to the advisory board overseeing the U.S. Air Force Academy, placing a conservative activist figure on a body reviewing curriculum and discipline. theintellectualistofficial.substack.com/p/trump-appo...
After suggesting people in poverty lack the experience to navigate the “real world,” Senator Jon Husted revived a familiar claim: poverty reflects personal failure rather than economic structure—an explanation decades of research reject. theintellectualistofficial.substack.com/p/a-republic...
AI May Reshape the Labor Market by Eliminating Entry-Level Jobs The first sign of AI disruption may not be layoffs. Entry into the occupations most exposed to the technology for workers aged 22 to 25 has fallen about 14 percent since 2022. theintellectualistofficial.substack.com/p/ai-may-res...
Trump used an image from a dignified transfer for six U.S. service members killed in an Iranian drone strike in a fundraising email promising donors access to “private national security briefings.” theintellectualistofficial.substack.com/p/trump-soli...
Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law, has been taking part in U.S. diplomacy in the Middle East while seeking billions for his private equity firm from sovereign wealth funds controlled by the same governments he is negotiating with. theintellectualistofficial.substack.com/p/jared-kush...
For the first time in modern history, the United States is no longer classified as a liberal democracy, and data shows changes under President Donald Trump’s second term are accelerating a pattern seen in democracies that later failed. theintellectualistofficial.substack.com/p/for-the-fi...
The Mueller Report was not a hoax. It documented a coordinated Russian interference operation, repeated contacts with the Trump campaign, and counterintelligence risks that continued beyond 2016 and persist into March 2026. theintellectualistofficial.substack.com/p/the-muelle...
Donald Trump expressed satisfaction at Robert Mueller’s death. Mueller, a Purple Heart recipient and public servant, will be remembered for service; Trump for impeachments, felony convictions, and sexual abuse liability. The contrast is clear. theintellectualistofficial.substack.com/p/what-a-man...
Paolo Zampolli, a Trump associate and U.S. envoy, contacted a top ICE official during a custody dispute after his ex was arrested. She was later detained and deported, officials said, based on her status and charges. theintellectualistofficial.substack.com/p/trump-ally...
The Trump administration is negotiating a deal that ties funding for HIV treatment for over a million people in Zambia to access to critical minerals, linking survival to geopolitical leverage. theintellectualistofficial.substack.com/p/us-weighs-...
Indictments in Israel reveal a covert pipeline from classified war plans to betting markets, raising urgent fears that insider leaks are turning national security into a profit engine. (No Paywall) theintellectualistofficial.substack.com/p/israeli-mi...
Trump’s Justice Department Subpoenas Times Reporters Over Air Force One Story President Trump’s Justice Department subpoenaed Times journalists after Air Force One reporting, escalating a fight over leaks and First Amendment press freedom. theintellectualistofficial.substack.com/p/trumps-jus...
Trump Rule Says Habitat Destruction May Not Count as Legal Harm to Endangered Species President Donald Trump moved to make habitat destruction less likely to count as legal harm to endangered species. theintellectualistofficial.substack.com/p/trump-rule...
Trump Removes Election Commission Members Months Before Midterms President Trump fired two Democratic members of the bipartisan Election Assistance Commission, leaving the federal agency without sitting commissioners before the midterms. theintellectualistofficial.substack.com/p/trump-remo...
Trump Removes Election Commission Members Months Before Midterms President Trump fired two Democratic members of the bipartisan Election Assistance Commission, leaving the federal agency without sitting commissioners before the midterms. theintellectualistofficial.substack.com/p/trump-remo...
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez is accusing the Justice Department of withholding unredacted Epstein records and delaying access to evidence that state investigators say they need. theintellectualistofficial.substack.com/p/new-mexico...
A civil lawsuit says Trump-backed Byron Donalds threatened to ‘crush’ a woman in a grocery store. His campaign calls it a political stunt as his Florida governor bid intensifies. theintellectualistofficial.substack.com/p/trump-back...
President Trump denied $227m in storm aid to Democratic-led states, POLITICO reported, while ABC News said he separately approved more than $846m for nine Republican-leaning states. theintellectualistofficial.substack.com/p/trump-deni...
Judge Orders Trump’s $5.8M Released to E. Jean Carroll After Sexual Abuse Appeal Fails Judge Lewis Kaplan ordered Trump’s court-held $5.8 million released to writer E. Jean Carroll after his sexual abuse and defamation verdict appeal failed. theintellectualistofficial.substack.com/p/judge-orde...
Anti-Smoking Ads Went Dark Under Trump. Now Fewer Smokers Are Calling for Help. A CDC campaign helped millions try to quit smoking. Under Trump, the ads went dark, and quitline operators reported fewer calls for help. theintellectualistofficial.substack.com/p/anti-smoki...
A Catholic sister was detained by ICE while walking to Mass, then released after lawmakers intervened, leaving unanswered why she was taken into custody. theintellectualistofficial.substack.com/p/ice-detain...
Vietnamese authorities moved to clear farmland for a $1.5 billion Trump-branded resort as Hanoi faced tariff pressure from the president whose family business stood to benefit. theintellectualistofficial.substack.com/p/as-vietnam...
The White House said Trump and donors would pay for the East Wing ballroom. The Post reports its construction used a $500M no-bid contract outside normal bidding and disclosure rules. theintellectualistofficial.substack.com/p/trump-prom...
The central bankers’ bank says AI exuberance, high debt, inflation risk and fragile bond markets are shrinking the world’s room to absorb the next crisis. theintellectualistofficial.substack.com/p/the-world-...
Axon makes Tasers, body cameras and police technology. Trump disclosed buying up to $5 million in its stock before ICE sought a $220 million Taser deal. theintellectualistofficial.substack.com/p/trump-boug...
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Trump’s appeal, leaving in place a $5m judgment and the civil jury’s finding that he sexually abused Carroll. theintellectualistofficial.substack.com/p/supreme-co...
After enhanced ACA subsidies expired, enrollment fell sharply, premiums rose for many families, and the fight over health care costs moved from DC into home budgets. theintellectualistofficial.substack.com/p/millions-l...