Libertarian Counterpoint 1813: 7/02/2026 (Live)
James Just, John Cameron

1. California’s return to office mandate sets up union clash
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/california-s-return-to-office-mandate-for-90-000-state-workers-sets-up-union-clash/ar-AA26ZbE6 - The lawsuit relies on the California Environmental Quality Act, a law more commonly associated with disputes over housing developments, highways and warehouses

2. Newsom’s final budget: California’s fiscal house of cards
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/news/newsom-s-final-budget-california-s-fiscal-house-of-cards/ar-AA26UurH
In seven years, total state spending has increased by nearly $147 billion — a staggering 70% increase (40%, after inflation).

From The Fields: what the Declaration actually says 6:03

3. Supreme Court Strikes Down Hawaii’s Gun Restrictions
https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/supreme-court-strikes-down-hawaiis-gun-restrictions-in-major-second-amendment-case-6025748 - Hawaii’s law required gun owners to get permission to carry their weapons in stores and hotels.

4. How will Starmer’s social media ban work?
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/expert-sounds-the-alarm-following-supreme-court-s-ruling-this-is-not-over/ar-AA271ft7 – In his concurrence, Justice Brett Kavanaugh suggested the 14th Amendment does not prohibit Congress from stripping birthright citizenship from children born in the U.S. to undocumented immigrants.

5. Supreme Court upholds state transgender sports bans
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/supreme-court-upholds-state-transgender-sports-bans/ar-AA26STOI
Although the ruling directly concerns only West Virginia and Idaho, it is likely to affect 25 other states with similar bans.

6. Co-Founded Wikipedia. Now Banned for Life
https://www.thefp.com/p/larry-sanger-wikipedia-co-founder-banned - The world’s largest encyclopedia was overrun by bias and censorship—and pushed Larry Sanger out when he tried to fix it

7. Air conditioning torn from homes under net zero clampdown
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/five-years-in-new-analysis-links-seattle-s-jumpstart-tax-to-downtown-decline/ar-AA25IVbU - Council planning officers ordered residents to remove air-con units over fears they produce too much carbon dioxide, stating they should only be used as a “last resort”.