Daily News Digest - Summary May 22, 2026

F.A. Hayek: Why the Worst Get On Top [In “Government”]

F.A. Hayek: Why the Worst Get On Top [In “Government”]

Chapter 2 from our FREE paperback book: Hayek for the 21st Century

Etienne Note: This is the 3rd Article in our tribute to the great Austrian Economist Friedrich August von Hayek better known as F.A. Hayek, syndicated from Hayek for the 21st Century, which we are giving away for FREE in paperback through a partnership with the Mises Institute.

In this essay, Why the Worst Get on Top, which is one of the most quoted and controversial sections of The Road to Serfdom (where this essay was originally published) Hayek makes the case that centralized power structures like “government” tend to reward people who are:

the most ruthless

the least constrained morally


Israel condemned for ‘monstrous’ treatment of Gaza activists

Politicians around the world criticise Israel after footage emerges showing government minister mocking handcuffed detainees

by Nick Squires and Henry Bodkin

Israel was widely condemned for the “monstrous” and “unacceptable” humiliation of activists who were detained after trying to deliver humanitarian aid by boat to Gaza.

Yvette Cooper, the Foreign Secretary, said she was “truly appalled” by a video posted by Itamar Ben-Gvir, the Israeli national security minister, in which he taunted protesters as they knelt on the floor with their wrists tied.

“We have demanded an explanation from the Israeli authorities and made ‌clear their obligations to protect the rights of our citizens and ‌all those involved,” ⁠Ms Cooper said.

Around 430 protesters from more than 40 different countries were filmed in a makeshift detention area in the port of Ashdod and on the deck of a ship.


Trump’s newest deal with the IRS could save his family about $100 million in tax penalties: report

Etienne Note: This article also appears in “Government”, Media and Academia Criminality Exposed, A digest of HUNDREDS and HUNDREDS of articles exposing and suggesting inter-generational organized crime’s control of the “Government,” Media and Academia by the Art of Liberty Foundation. You can view the other articles or subscribe on Telegram: https://t.me/Government_Scams

by Brendan Rascius

President Donald Trump’s newly announced agreement with the Internal Revenue Service could spare his family from a potential nine-figure tax penalty, according to a recent report.

The Trump administration said this week it had reached a settlement resolving the president’s unprecedented $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS. Filed in January, the suit alleged the agency failed to prevent the leak of his tax returns to the media and sought damages tied to federal investigations into his 2016 campaign’s ties to Russia, as well as the FBI’s 2022 search of Mar-a-Lago.

Under the terms of the deal, the federal government will create a $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund benefiting the president’s allies and will be “forever barred and precluded” from pursuing IRS-related claims against Trump, his family, or his businesses.


You Are Born Defective™

An Essay

by Unbekoming

This essay operates in two registers. When the medical system’s claims are being examined, the system’s own language is used — vitamin K deficiency, immune system, mutation, cholesterol threshold. This is the establishment being prosecuted in its own words, using its own evidence. When the position the essay actually holds is being stated — that the body is self-healing, self-regulating, and intelligent — the language shifts. The body’s lymphatic and cleansing network is not an “immune system” of warriors and defenders. The MTHFR polymorphism is not a “mutation.” Cholesterol is not a “danger” the body inflicts on itself. The dual register is the structure of the argument: the establishment’s framework is allowed to speak so its contradictions can be heard, and then the terrain framework names what is actually being observed.

The baby is minutes old. The cord has been cut — too soon, but that is another story. The mother has not yet finished holding the child against her chest. A nurse approaches with a syringe.

The syringe contains 1mg of synthetic phytonadione suspended in polysorbate 80, propylene glycol, and a preservative system that has changed several times over the decades the injection has been administered.¹ The dose is roughly 20,000 times what the newborn would receive in a day of feeding on colostrum.² The baby is healthy by every visible measure — pink, breathing, alert, gripping a finger when one is offered.

The injection goes into the thigh muscle. The baby cries. The mother is told this is routine. She is rarely told what the injection is correcting.


Gotion Debuts Gnascent Sodium lon Batteries with GW Scale Production

During its 15th Global Technology Conference, Gotion High-Tech, which counts Volkswagen Group as a backer, launched its new sodium-ion battery brand, Gnascent.

by John

During its 15th Global Technology Conference, Gotion High-Tech, which counts Volkswagen Group as a backer, launched its new sodium-ion battery brand, Gnascent. The company revealed three dedicated cell variants and confirmed that gigawatt-hour-scale manufacturing facilities are already up and running in Tangshan and Hefei. The High-Energy cell reaches an energy density of 261 Wh/kg-roughly a 60 percent improvement over standard sodium-ion cells-and is aimed at weight-sensitive uses suchas light electric vehicles and drones. The Power variant delivers 162 Wh/kg and supports ultra-low-temperature discharge down to-50 C, responding to cold-weather performance requirements for commercial vehicles and outdoor equipment. The Energy Storage model provides a single-cell capacity of 180 Ah, a cycle life exceeding 20,000 cycles, and retains 88 percent capacity at-40 C. It has also passed rigorous safety tests, including an 8 mm Steel nail penetration test and continuous heating at 400 C without catching fire.

Gotion High-Tech intends to deploy Gnascent batteries across grid-side, industrial and residential energy storage systems, while also exploring specialized markets such as two-wheelers and start-stop power supplies. The technological backbone of Gnascent relies on more than 90 patents, covering cathode materials-layered oxides, polyanions and sodium manganese iron pyrophosphate-as well as hard carbon anodes and tailored electrolyte additives. An “anode-less” design further cuts material costs and raises overall energy density. Founded in 2006 and headquartered in Hefei, Gotion High-Tech has grown into a vertically integrated global energy solutions provider, with Volkswagen as its largest shareholder. By the close of 2025, the company’s cumulative energy storage volume had reached 400 GWh, supported by 20 manufacturing bases worldwide. In April 2026, Gotion captured 6.6 percent of China’s power battery market with 4.05 GWh of installed capacity, ranking third behind the country’s two leading domestic suppliers.

As sodium-ion technology matures, Gotion High-Tech joins other major industry players in speeding up the commercialization of sodium-based battery systems.


The Water Economics Of Data Centers Vs. Almond Farms & Golf Courses

A recent Gallup poll shows that nearly 70% of Americans oppose the construction of a data center in their communities, highlighting the rise of local resistance movements against hyperscaler buildouts

by Tyler Durden

A recent Gallup poll shows that nearly 70% of Americans oppose the construction of a data center in their communities, highlighting the rise of local resistance movements against hyperscaler buildouts. This resistance is driven by concerns over skyrocketing power bills, the destruction of farmland as it is transformed into industrial-scale AI infrastructure, and fears that data centers will drain local resources, particularly water.

It’s no surprise that data center resistance is only gaining steam and will likely accelerate from here, as tech bros on the All-In podcast recently sounded the alarm. This resistance is emerging not just as power bills explode and water scarcity fears mount, but also as corporate America unleashes the “white-collar purge,” with human labor swapped for GPUs. Meta was the latest to announce rising AI adoption alongside a new round of layoffs.

Water has become a flashpoint in data center debates, as some of these facilities can use 5 million gallons of water every day, as much as 16,000-plus average U.S. households, according to Environmental Protection Agency estimates.

There is also the extraordinary amount of power required to run the chip stacks, which consumes millions of additional gallons of water - more than the water used for cooling.


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