Today, readers are weighing in with sharp insights on issues including crime, healthcare, science and politics. What ties it all together? Nothing short of America’s future… 

John P. from Baltimore knows firsthand how crime can be hidden in plain sight. After 40 years with the Baltimore City Police Department, he recalls pressure from the top down. 

“The police commissioner would threaten district commanders with replacement if crime stats rose,” John writes. “So crimes were systematically downgraded: homicides marked as suicides, robberies re-coded as lost property, stolen cars recorded as ‘unauthorized use.’ Even rapes were reduced to domestic assaults.”

The result? Public crime reports showed a “safer” city than residents were actually living in. And John suspects this practice is universal in U.S. major cities. His sobering account reminds us that official numbers often tell the story leaders want them to tell.

From there, we turn to Louisiana. David W. raises a warning about the state’s push for “streamlined permitting processes” to attract investment. He notes the area’s notorious nickname: Cancer Alley. “They’ve been far too streamlined for too long,” he writes, “and making it worse bodes poorly for the health of the population.”

On that same theme, a contributor “associated with the REE industry” highlights America’s dependence on China for critical mineral processing. While new mining projects get attention, he points out that the real bottleneck is in refinement. 

“Only two locations in the world actively process oxides into usable materials — one in China and the other in Estonia, partly Chinese-owned. Unless the U.S. invests in processing capacity, mine development won’t solve the problem.”

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Your Rundown for Friday, August 29, 2025...

Readers Revolt Against Groupthink

On the political front, Mark B. weighs in on the clash between Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and activist-influencer Laura Loomer. “This is typical Loomer — hatchet jobs that unfortunately succeed in getting good people fired, to Trump’s detriment,” he writes. 

He adds that deeper questions of U.S. policy toward Israel are at play: “A recent Gallup poll showed that Americans now believe Israel is committing genocide by a 47–33% margin. That’s a huge shift from just last year.” He warns the GOP risks alienating voters if the party fails to recalibrate.

And a number of readers are reflecting on the state of science and medicine. David W. observes that the very concept of “settled science” is misleading: “All results should be subject to questioning, verification, or contradiction. Doctors need to think critically, not simply follow consensus.”

Quinten G. draws a direct line from bad nutrition policy to today’s Alzheimer’s crisis. “We’ve been sold processed garbage as food for 50 years,” he writes, while natural proteins and fats were demonized. By the time memory loss sets in, it’s too late to reverse. “If you still have your wits about you, change your diet.” 

Alan G. echoes the concern about conformity. “Too many projects get funded on a groupthink basis,” he notes. The truly innovative ideas — the ones “outside the box” — rarely receive the funding they need.

We close with a final thought on health care: “My hope for medicine is not just for breakthroughs and cures,” says James, “but prevention… I want more information about this.” 

Readers are in luck! Check back Monday as we explore what real prevention in health care could look like — and why it might be the key to turning America’s health crisis around.

Market Rundown for Friday, August 29, 2025

S&P 500 futures are down 0.30% to 6,500. 

Oil is down 0.25% to $64.42 for a barrel of WTI. 

Gold’s slightly down to $3,471.70 per ounce. 

Bitcoin’s down 1.30% to $110,700.