Wendy Riker Purnell

brash, outrageous & free

[Wendy Riker Purnell @FreeMovement]

Honestly, if the only policy analysis anyone does is to ask “how does this affect the most vulnerable members of our society?” then that’s more than half of the policy chops we need to right this ship and get it back on a course toward freedom and justice for all.

[Wendy Riker Purnell @FreeMovement]

@jmhorp @CatoInstitute @GovGianforte I need to dig into this and will then share my thoughts with you and @sslivinski , but I suspect Montana’s state constitution and county and city charter system are protecting our freedoms more than our governor. As a principled libertarian homeowner in Montana, I’m skeptical.

[Scott Lincicome @scottlincicome]

If actual socialism does ever take hold in America, it'll be Donald J Trump who got the ball rolling:

[Wendy Riker Purnell @FreeMovement]

@billybinion The rule is keep right, except to pass. Everywhere and always.

[Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський @ZelenskyyUa]

There were reports on efforts to deal with the aftermath of Russian attacks on our cities and communities.

Overnight, Russia used, among other weapons, three ballistic missiles with cluster warheads against Kyiv. These missiles are designed to detonate in the air as they approach their targets, spreading damage across an area 400 meters in diameter.

One of them struck Pechersk, Kyiv's historic center, hitting the area between the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra and the Holy Presentation Monastery.

Monastery buildings, homes, shops, cafés, and other civilian infrastructure were damaged.

This is another extraordinarily revealing strike – revealing because it was no accident. The choice of weapon was deliberate, the choice of target area was deliberate, and so was the intent to inflict as much loss and damage on civilians as possible. There was no military target nearby, not even in theory, and the weapon was designed to cause widespread destruction. Russia has not changed the way it wages this war, and it is taking no steps that would signal a genuine desire to end it.

Throughout the day, air raid alerts have continued in Kyiv and many other cities. So have the strikes. In Kharkiv, a regular commuter train was hit. Dnipro, Marhanets, Mykolaiv, and Kherson, as well as cities and villages in the Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, and Rivne regions, came under attack.

Russia keeps targeting our energy infrastructure. Since October 11, there have been more than 170 strikes on critical energy facilities, even though we are shooting down a significant number of “shaheds” and some of the missiles. I thank all our friends around the world who are helping us restore our energy system.

Our intelligence services report that Russia has set priorities for further terror against Ukrainians in the coming weeks. Russia is clearly taking advantage of the slowdown in air defense supplies from our partners. It is equally clear that when some partners ease the pressure on Russia, it only reinforces Putin's belief that his goals are within reach. We need different signals and different steps – stronger ones.

I have instructed the Ministry of Defense, together with the military command and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to brief our partners on every aspect of the real situation and the threats we face, based on intelligence data. It is important to speed up deliveries of defense packages that have already been approved. I thank all the leaders and countries that are helping!

[Bill Kristol @BillKristol]

I grew up loathing Soviet apologists and I grow old loathing Putin apologists.

[Jennifer Doleac @jenniferdoleac]

A proposal:

Cornell, NYU, and other universities that now, suddenly, want to show they care about reducing sexual assault on their campuses, should facilitate and support an R&D effort to find effective solutions.

As in: Get various stakeholders together to brainstorm about things to try. Pilot those ideas with a control group. Measure impacts on behavior. Drop the stuff that doesn’t work. Expand the stuff that does. Repeat.

This might seem obvious, but universities are *notorious* (in evidence-based policy circles) for not wanting to know if their campus sexual assault interventions work. They want to signal that they care, but they don’t actually think they can fix this so they just hope everyone moves on quickly. (It doesn’t help, of course, that advocacy groups don’t like the idea of having their ideas tested - they assume all their good ideas will work. They are wrong.)

I saw this firsthand at UVA many years ago, and have been talking with colleagues at other universities about this consistent pattern ever since. It is infuriating.

High rates of sexual assault are a policy choice. At universities and in the real world. We know how to find solutions to problems like this (this is what crime economists do for a living!), but have chosen not to.

If Cornell, NYU, etc. are serious, this is the approach they will take. I know many people who would love to help. Let’s see if they call. 🤞🏻

[Mitt Romney @MittRomney]

Churchill could have shortened WW2 by years if he had just “done a deal” with Hitler. George Washington could have done a deal to end the American Revolution. Zelenskyy is in good company.

[Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський @ZelenskyyUa]

We have always had important, strong strategic relations with the United States of America. Our bilateral relationship began developing particularly actively during the full-scale war. I am grateful for all the support.

But we have always built our relationship on honesty, fairness, and, most importantly, transparency. Because when you lie while your people are at war, it is very painful. That is why I have always wanted to hide nothing and never lie to the President of the United States. In any case, we have more in common than America does with Russia. Most people in Ukraine and the United States of America understand this. We would like to continue having the same open, honest, and pragmatic relations with America that we have today.

The position is very simple. We support a mutual energy ceasefire. If we are talking about the idea that we should not strike back at Russian energy facilities after they strike our gas, electricity, oil – everything. The Russians are striking. America cannot stop them. Let's believe that America really wants to, but cannot. Then, as a partner, I am willing to meet President Trump halfway: if they strike us and we cannot strike back – that is neither honest nor fair – but if this is what you need, if you cannot rein Putin in, then give us interceptor missiles so I can protect our energy infrastructure. You couldn't stop Putin – but you helped Ukraine.

From an interview with Corriere della Sera. (2/3)

[Wendy Riker Purnell @FreeMovement]

@OrinKerr Amazing. Thank you!

I do not have a JD, but I have taken (and passed) more than one Con Law class and I can not believe I have never (in memory) heard anyone talking about Judge Learned Hand’s first name.

[Wendy Riker Purnell @FreeMovement]

@danielwreporter At least it’s open to interpretation. Descended from immigrants, my culture is one committed to pluralism; the free movement of goods, people & ideas; respect for all my neighbors; and a fierce distrust of authority.

I’m trying to protect my culture from authoritarians & bigots.

[Wendy Riker Purnell @FreeMovement]

@jmhorp Sounds much healthier than the current onslaught of political ads.

[Nick Gillespie @nickgillespie]

Acknowledging Putin and Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 should not be hard, even if you do not believe America has any binding defense responsibilities toward Ukraine (these are separate issues). Trump and GOP insistence to contrary is delusional.
https://t.co/MoQMRTlI1j

[Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський @ZelenskyyUa]

A horrific Russian strike in the Kharkiv region. A “shahed” struck people directly – in a park near an ordinary café. Pure atrocity. Six people were killed, including children. A little girl was killed in a stroller – her name was Angelina, she was just over a year old, born in August 2025… Her mother’s name was Inna. She died in the hospital… Another girl who was killed was 11 years old. My condolences to their families and loved ones. Another 14 people were injured, including six more children.

I am grateful to everyone who supports Ukraine under these circumstances and helps us shoot down “shaheds,” shoot down missiles, and stop Russian assaults. These are horrific photos, but behind them are shattered lives and the truth about this war. Lives must be protected. Ukraine needs air defense. You can't think about making money with Russia as long as it continues its asinine war. We ask that sanctions on Russia stay in place as long as the killings continue. We ask America to be strong, and we ask it to apply the Lindsey Graham law. We ask Europe to continue its support. We ask that everything possible be done to bring peace and guarantee security. Ukraine wants peace. It is Russia that has insisted on continuing the killing all this time. The world has enough strength to stop the war. That strength must finally be used – against the murderers.

[Patrick Skinner @SkinnerPm]

At some point, or maybe not, the American people need to see this obscene worship and support for a vile Russian dictator by a vile American administration for what it is…obscene worship and support for a vile Russian dictator by a vile American administration.

[AnatolijUkraine @AnatoliUkraine]

🇺🇦 Zelenskyy delivers a blunt message to the United States:

“Just give us Starlink back. If you refuse, Ukraine will survive. We will continue defending ourselves with or without it.

But why would you restrict a country fighting for its survival? Why make it harder for us to defend our people?

I simply cannot understand the reasoning behind this decision. It is a mistake.”

Ukraine isn’t asking America to fight its war. It’s asking America not to stand in the way of its defense.

[Wendy Riker Purnell @FreeMovement]

@glukianoff I see your point. However, it is a rather collectivist system with its own rules of governance and it exists as part of the university system. If I were Cornell, I might also want to insulate my brand and prompt everyone to reflect & rebuild before continuing that partnership.

[Wendy Riker Purnell @FreeMovement]

@Emilyaustin It’s not the Olympics. It’s a professional sports match btwn 2 rival cities.. Does the national anthem belong there anyway?

Maybe they don’t want their profession to be politicized. Maybe they just want to do their jobs. They are paid to play ball, not to pantomime patriotism

[Wendy Riker Purnell @FreeMovement]

@greggnunziata I’ve disliked & distrusted Putin since 1999. I’m libertarian and principled. I don’t know (or know of) any people dedicated to free minds and free markets who like Putin.

[Wendy Riker Purnell @FreeMovement]

@jarvis_best Tell us you’ve not read much economics without telling us…

[Wendy Riker Purnell @FreeMovement]

@karol Maybe because some Americans dislike racists, narcissists, and corporate welfare queens.