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Before yesterdayThe Corner | National Review

Trump’s Criminal Trial Starts Monday: Get Up to Speed with Our Prior Coverage of Bragg’s ‘Hush Money’ Case

Get yourself up to speed on the elected progressive Democratic DA’s prosecution of the former president and de facto GOP 2024 presidential nominee with our prior coverage.

Former president Donald Trump comments for a pre-trial hearing on charges stemming from hush money paid to a porn star, at Manhattan criminal court in New York City, March 25, 2024.

Biden Hides Plans for Obama-Era Housing Regulation

The president is afraid to tout his controversial housing policy before the election.

President Joe Biden delivers virtual remarks during the National Action Network Convention from the Eisenhower Executive Office Building’s South Court Auditorium at the White House in Washington, D.C., April 12, 2024.

Colleges Should Be More Circumspect in Enrolling Foreign Students

Many schools now include foreign students in their “diversity” goals. Solution: Get rid of such goals.

Can Trump Thread the Needle on Abortion?

Listen to the latest edition of Issues with Noah Rothman.

Hey, Most Model U.N. Kids Look Good Compared to This Crowd!

Comparing Biden’s National Security Council to a Model U.N. meeting is unfair… but to whom?

The United Nations headquarters building is pictured through a window with the U.N. logo in New York City, August 15, 2014

Fare Evasion Is an Anti-Communitarian Act

The prospect of community is lost when its members are indifferent to societal norms and even hostile to law and order.

Members of the NYPD Strategic Response Group stand inside the entrance of the 42nd Street and Times Square subway stop in New York City, March 7, 2024.

Why I Needed Standardized Tests

Sitting through the ACT was the least enjoyable part of high-school, but I’m certain it was the most important for determining my post-graduation options. 

The ‘Health Community’ Versus Fossil Fuels

What kind of hubris does it take to presume to speak for the “health community?”

Activists protest for the U.S. government to take action on climate change and reject the use of fossil fuels in New York City, September 17, 2023.

A Sampler of Tax Day Commentary

Today is Tax Day, the holiday for publishing tax-related commentary.

Trump Gets a Ruling in His Favor: Bragg Barred from Proving Additional Alleged Acts of Sexual Misconduct

Prosecutors invoke alarming claims of election stealing and sexual assault to distract the jury from how trivial the actual business-records charges are.

Former president Donald Trump returns to the courtroom after a break during the first day of his hush-money trial at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City, April 15, 2024.

Econception with Samuel Gregg on Industrial Policy

On the most recent episode of Econception, my podcast with the American Institute for Economic Research, I talked to Samuel Gregg about industrial policy.

Assembly line at the General Motors manufacturing plant in Spring Hill, Tenn., August 22, 2019.

Donald Trump’s Trial Will Matter

Uncommitted voters seem to hold two opposing outlooks: Trump is a victim of political persecution, and whatever he’s accused of, he probably did it.

Former president Donald Trump arrives at Manhattan criminal court with his legal team ahead of the start of jury selection in New York City, April 15, 2024.

Blocking American Roads and Bridges ‘for Gaza’

From New York to Chicago to San Francisco, anti-Israel protesters are making sure to annoy Americans going about their lives.

Pro-Palestinian protesters stop traffic at the Golden Gate Bridge, April 15, 2024.

A Couple to Know

On a podcast with Robert and Guna Mundheim.

Guna and Robert Mundheim at the University of Arizona, April 11, 2024

Sting Channels Drive-In Horror-Movie Classics

The campy creature feature, about a girl named Charlotte and a very different sort of spider, is a fun Friday popcorn movie.

From the <i>Sting</i> official trailer

Tom Cotton Urges Biden to Open Investigation into Temu, Says It Might Be ‘More Dangerous than TikTok’

The senator raised concerns about the Chinese shopping app, including its alleged links to Uyghur forced labor and questionable data-privacy practices.

The logo of Temu on a mobile phone

The Wrecking Ball Comes for East Coast Catholicism

Baltimore used to be home to more than a quarter million Catholics. Reported Sunday Mass attendance across the diocese is down to just 2,000 parishioners.

Electric Vehicles: Slow Canada

As is the case in many other markets, Canadian buyers are concerned about the lack of adequate charging infrastructure.

Canada's prime minister Justin Trudeau attends a news conference to announce details on the construction of a gigafactory for electric vehicle battery production by Volkswagen Group's battery company PowerCo SE in St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada, April 21, 2023.

Nikki Haley Joins Hudson Institute

The D.C.-based conservative think tank focuses on national-security issues.

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley hosts a campaign event at Union Hall in Raleigh, N.C., March 2, 2024.

Chinese Propaganda Arm Deletes Post Justifying Iran’s ‘Successful’ Attack

Beijing has long lent its support to Iran’s ‘axis of resistance’ — the terrorist groups that have attacked Israel, cargo ships, and U.S. bases in the region.

An Iranian missile displayed during a rally marking annual Quds Day in Tehran, Iran, April 29, 2022.

Bill Maher: Being Pro-Choice Is Being ‘Okay’ with Murder

Can you imagine what the abortion debate in this country would be like if more people argued for pro-choice policies the way Maher does?

Bill Maher on <i>Real Tim with Bill Maher</i>, April 12, 2024

An Unwelcome Iranian Visitor

Abdollahian will almost certainly derive significant propaganda value from his trip.

Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian speaks during a press conference at the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in Beirut, Lebanon, February 10, 2024.

Groves We Have Known

Reader mail on tradition and modernity; ‘God Bless the U.S.A.’; and more.

The Citrus State Historic Park, Riverside, Calif.

Supremes to Hear Argument Today on Obstruction Statute Key to J6 Cases . . . Including Trump’s

In Fischer v. U.S., the justices will consider how much liberty prosecutors have to stretch criminal laws beyond the purposes for which Congress enacted them.

People walk their dog past the U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C., August 31, 2023.

Utah Outlaws Nature Rights

Let’s put this radical movement out of business once and for all.

Great Salt Lake outside Salt Lake City, Utah, July 25, 2022

Speaker Mike Johnson’s Next Challenge

Johnson is hoping he’s figured out how to push nearly $100 billion of foreign aid through the lower chamber by the end of the week.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R., La.) attends a weekly press conference at Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., April 16, 2024.

The Justifications and Excuses for Biden Skipping Debates Start to Pile Up

Notice that the idea of his refusing to hold debates is no longer some odd fringe proposal.

President Joe Biden delivers virtual remarks during the National Action Network Convention from the Eisenhower Executive Office Building’s South Court Auditorium at the White House in Washington, D.C., April 12, 2024.

Re: The (Federal) Benefits of Marriage 

At tax time, breadwinners get a break, but dual earners with kids can face a marriage penalty.

Let the NatCons Speak

Brussels is wrong to shut down the National Conservatism conference currently underway.

Honorary president of the Reform UK party Nigel Farage speaks to the media as he stands in front of police officers, on the day of a conference titled "National Conservatism" in Brussels, Belgium, April 16, 2024.

Trump’s Trial: Turning Point or Footnote?

‘I just don’t believe there are Americans who think that way.’

Former president Donald Trump returns to the courtroom after a recess during the second day of his trial at New York Criminal Court in New York City, April 16, 2024.

Come On in, the Sensory-Deprivation Tank Is Fine

National Review and the Washington Post agree: Floatation therapy is good for you.

A woman lies in an isolation tank during flotation therapy in Mumbai, India, March 28, 2019.

No True Progressive

AOC is facing growing criticism from those seated in the cheap seats of Twitter or breathing the rarefied air circulating through the headquarters of the New York Times.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) speaks at a press conference in Washington, D.C., July 13, 2023.

Some Good News for Catholics in Ohio

Catholics should rejoice over the 30 students OSU’s Newman Center welcomed this past Easter as converts, especially amid modern headwinds.

Railroads Oppose Union-Backed Rule Regarding Crew Sizes

The Federal Railroad Administration’s years-long regulatory adventure into mandating the crew sizes of freight trains continues.

Burlington Northern Santa Fe trains at a rail yard in Cicero, Illinois, in 2009.

Europe’s Energy: Russia Tries Another Line of Attack

There are plenty of reasons why NATO countries should be providing additional air-defense systems to Ukraine. This is another.

A worker walks past a gas tube  during the opening of the liquefied natural gas terminal in Wilhelmshaven, Germany, December 17, 2022.

In Reading the Obstruction Statute, Do We Look before or after ‘Otherwise’?

Is Section 1512(c)(2) just obstruction by spoliation of evidence, or is it any kind of corrupt act by which a prosecutor decides a proceeding was impeded?

People walk across the plaza to enter the U.S. Supreme Court building on the first day of the court's new term in Washington, D.C., October 3, 2022.

Maryland School District Burns $1 Million on Sex-Pest Investigation and Defending Woke Sex-Ed

If MCPS were numerate, it would avoid self-destructive legal battles and reappoint those funds to aid the district’s chronically absent and math-deficient students.

Uri Berliner Burned His Bridges at NPR, Then Set the House Ablaze

Why on earth are American taxpayers footing the bill for any of this, again?

Sign at National Public Radio headquarters in Washington, D.C., in 2013

Auto Ban: German Minister Threatens the End of Weekend Driving

The lesson here: Environmentalists care less about emissions reductions and more about punishing sectors they despise, in this case, automobiles.

Traffic on Germany's Autobahn freeway

More Abortions, More Taxpayer Dollars, and Fewer Health Services

Planned Parenthood’s report for 2023 shows that the number of abortions it performs is rising while offering fewer health-care services than in the past.

Sign on a Planned Parenthood building in New York City

Some Progress on Higher Ed in West Virginia, but Far to Go

WVU has started cutting back on unnecessary expenses on its own, but there is much more to be done.

Thomas Massie Maintains Speaker Johnson Has a Short Shelf Life

Even if Johnson somehow manages to clear the package through the House this weekend, internal House GOP rifts suggest the speaker has a rocky path ahead.

Rep. Thomas Massie (R., Ky.) listens as Attorney General Merrick Garland testifies before a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., September 20, 2023.

Katherine Maher Is a Drone

She’s not performing. She just completely lacks empathy.

Katherine Maher speaks during the opening ceremony of Web Summit, in Lisbon, Portugal, November 13, 2023.

Washington Does Something Right

The 2021 Afghanistan debacle represented the worst of American leadership but the best of the American people.

A U.S. Air Force special forces soldier stands guard near a Chinook helicopter as Afghan civilians and militiamen loyal to the rebel Northern Alliance look on in Khwaja Bahuaddin, Afganistan, November 15, 2001.

Throw the Anti-American Left Under the Bus

The alternative, for center-left elites, is to continue coddling and mollifying what can only be described as a pro-terrorism constituency.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators march through downtown streets and shopping malls during a "Strike for Gaza" protest in Los Angeles, Calif., April 15, 2024.

Mark Robinson to Rally alongside Donald Trump This Weekend in Wilmington

What’s a high-dollar presidential fundraiser without a high-profile campaign event to go with it?

Catholics and Abortion

‘You can’t pick and choose. You’re either one who respects life in all of its dimensions, or you have to step aside.’

Pro-life Catholics protest outside of the Bread and Roses Woman's Health Center in Clearwater, Fla., February 11, 2023.

More Evidence That Organized Labor Is Progressivism, and Progressivism Is Organized Labor

Even supposedly less political, ‘blue-collar’ unions regularly give big bucks to progressive causes.

United Auto Workers from Louisville, Ky., rally in support of striking UAW members in Detroit, Mich., September 15, 2023.

The Bees Are Fine

The bee-population collapse was essentially solved in 2015. And market demand solved it.

A person points at a bee hive at Miller Honey Farms in Gackle, N.D., July 30, 2021.

Lament over a Blueberry Bagel

Panera, our relationship has been on the rocks for years, but this morning was the last straw.

Growing Schools and Giant Fish: More Good News for Catholics, and for Ohio

School choice helps Catholic schools in Florida, and a teenager catches a massive fish in Ohio.

A worker at Leo Catholic High School is silhouetted against the stained glass windows at the school in Chicago, Ill., February 14, 2013.

Thought Controllers in the Education Blob Strike Again

A high-school student in North Carolina was hit with a suspension merely for asking a question in which he used the term ‘illegal alien.’

A Book, Found

A reader tells a story — about how he found ‘The Master and Margarita.’

Bookshop assistant Howard Rawson-Humphries watches over the books on sale inside Cofian Books, known locally as ‘Albie's Bookshop,’ in Tenby, Pembrokeshire, Wales, September 15, 2018.

The Rise of The Machines: John Etchemendy and Fei-Fei Li on Our AI Future

A discussion of what AI should be used for, where it should not be deployed, and why we as a society should — cautiously — embrace it.

The Mayorkas Senate Impeachment Trial That Wasn’t

Mayorkas committed impeachable offenses, but he was carrying out Biden’s policy.

Homeland Security secretary Alejandro Mayorkas testifies before a House Judiciary Committee oversight hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., April 28, 2022.

Do Leftist Students Now Really Favor Free Speech?

Some recent polling suggests this is true, but are they correct?

Cass Report AI Images: Patients Aren’t Poster Children

The Cass Report is a devastating exposé.

A person walks past an image of a National Health Service worker displayed on hoardings outside a temporary field hospital at St. George's Hospital in London, January 8, 2022.

Team Trump Is Undermining Its Bias Claim against Merchan

If you’re hoping to win an appeal arguing that the trial judge’s bias was manifest in his rulings, then you’d better be accurate in describing those rulings.

Former president Donald Trump listens as his lawyer Todd Blanche argues with Judge Juan Merchan during a court hearing on charges of falsifying business records to cover up a hush money payment to a porn star before the 2016 election, at a court in New York City, February 15, 2024, in this courtroom sketch.

Haifa, Rafah, Cannibals, Plane Crashes — It All Blurs Together in Joe Biden’s Mind

No, Israel is not about to invade its own city of Haifa, and no, the president’s uncle was not eaten by cannibals.

President Joe Biden speaks about the care economy during an event at Union Station in Washington, D.C., April 9, 2024.

‘Write Like Bill’

On this summer’s William F. Buckley Jr. Communicators Workshop.

William F. Buckley Jr.; Michael Jordan

Baseball Doesn’t Need DEI to Cure Its Surplus of Diversity

Baseball isn’t losing out on black talent because of MLB’s choices, but because of the choices of young black athletes.

Major League Babeball commissioner Rob Manfred presents the Allan H. Selling Award for philanthropic excellence during the 2022 MLB Winter Meetings in San Diego, Calif., December 7, 2022.

Republican Hawks Plan to Defend Ukraine with Insults

Republicans who want to pass Ukraine aid should try to rebut the actual arguments made against it.

Senator J. D. Vance (R., Ohio) walks at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., September 12, 2023.

A Voice from Kansas, a Voice for Freedom

On a podcast with Vernon L. Smith.

The TikTok Bill’s Prospects Are Looking Better Than Ever. Here’s Why

A recent Politico scoop is certain to motivate lawmakers to act with more urgency on TikTok.

Google Employees Sit Around and Find Out

Even an illimitable amount of self-righteousness and woke defiance will not save you from reality.

A counter-protester holding an Israeli flag walks into the parking lot near a protest at Google Cloud offices in Sunnyvale, Calif., on April 16, 2024.

Katherine Maher’s NPR Is No Place for Truth

Would it even make a difference if the NPR CEO were fired? Who are the people who hired her in the first place? Are they going to fire themselves as well?

Now NPR CEO-Katherine Maher speaks at the Web Summit in Lisbon, Portugal, November 13, 2023.

Like Every Recent GOP House Speaker, Mike Johnson Has Reached His Breaking Point

Johnson seems determined to go through with the vote on aid, which will almost certainly lead to an effort to oust him just as McCarthy was ousted last fall.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R., La.) speaks to the media after meeting with President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and other congressional leaders in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., February 27, 2024.

How Chris Dodd Helped Bring Hollywood and China Together

The former Connecticut senator’s role in getting the American film industry hooked on the Chinese market should be held in the same regard as his other . . . accomplishments.

President Joe Biden shakes hands with former senator Chris Dodd at the dedication of the Dodd Center for Human Rights at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, Conn., October 15, 2021.

Another Example of Cops Making Schools Safer

Events in Montgomery County, Md., prove (yet again) just how important cops are for the Maryland school district.

Tech Blunder Leaves Hundreds of Job-Seeking Conservatives’ Information Exposed: Report

The Conservative Partnership Institute has reportedly mishandled sensitive private information for months.

Praise for the Speaker

On today’s Editors episode, Charlie takes a moment to applaud Speaker Johnson for the stand he’s taking on the Ukraine aid issue.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) speaks to the media in Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., April 17, 2024.

Dickey Betts, 1943–2024: The Ramblin’ Man at Rest

Farewell, Dickey. I’ll never forget all the joyful noise you brought into my life with your band.

Dickey Betts backstage at the 47th annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, Calif., in 2005.

The Market Will Make Sure Caitlin Clark Gets Paid a Lot

Don’t let the WNBA’s union pay scale get you down.

Iowa Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark (22) dribbles past Connecticut Huskies guard Nika Muhl (10) in the semifinals of the Final Four of the womens 2024 NCAA Tournament at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio, April 5, 2024.

Speaker Johnson Stares Down Potential Ouster amid Foreign-Aid Push

Johnson is operating under the growing possibility that his biggest detractors will trigger a snap vote on his speakership just six months into his tenure.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) speaks to reporters during a weekly press conference at Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., April 16, 2024.

Trump: Ukraine’s Survival Is ‘Important to Us’

The former president didn’t endorse the funding package making its way through Congress, but neither did he attack it.

Former president Donald Trump addresses the Conservative Political Action Conference annual meeting in National Harbor, Md., February 24, 2024.

Questioning the Campus Mental Health Crisis

Our college campuses are, it seems, awash in crises that call for costly programs to treat them. But are these crises real?

Judge Merchan Bars Use of Cohen’s Guilty Plea to Prove Trump Committed Campaign-Law Crimes

As Manhattan’s progressive elected Democratic DA Alvin Bragg had to know, Cohen’s guilty plea was never admissible evidence of anything relevant to Trump.

Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg speaks during a news conference at his office in New York City, February 22, 2024.

Inclusive Authoritarianism

We can laugh at the fragile progressives on campus and call them ‘snowflakes.’ But do not dismiss them as impotent.

Students walk past Wadham College, Oxford University, ahead of the new academic year, amid the coronavirus pandemic in Oxford, Britain, September 17, 2020.

A Struggle to Survive

Notes on Ukraine and Russia.

People take shelter inside a subway station during a Russian missile strike in Kyiv, Ukraine, April 11, 2024.

Joe Biden Holds Event Celebrating That Most Kennedys Are Still Supporting Him

Good for you, Joe Biden. We all know how hard it is for a Democratic incumbent president to win support among the Kennedy family.

Kerry Kennedy and other members of the Kennedy family applaud as President Joe Biden smiles, at a campaign event at the Martin Luther King Recreation Center in Philadelphia, Pa., April 18, 2024.

Rehearsal for Revolution

People who don’t have strong convictions will begin joining the anti-Israel protests just because it’s a highly adrenalized ‘scene.’

Demonstrators protest in solidarity with Pro-Palestinian organizers on the Columbia University campus in New York City, April 18, 2024.

More Madness in Scotland

Elementary schools are being asked to appoint children as ‘LGBT champions’ and ask children as young as four if they are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender.

The Tory Tobacco Ban

The war against tobacco is, these days, more about control than health.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak gives a speech on welfare reform in central London, April 19, 2024.

Prohibition (for Aperol)

With a single sip, I knew this was the worst drink I have ever consumed.

A bartender pours a drink at a Campari inauguration of a new brand house for Aperol, its best-selling beverage, in Venice, August 2021.

More Media Cheerleading for Unions after VW Tennessee Vote

We’re supposed to believe that a win for the UAW is a win for workers and indicative of a national trend in favor of union membership. But the evidence is still lacking for both of those propositions.

President of the United Automobile Workers (UAW) Shawn Fain signs a placard at a watch party in Chattanooga, Tenn., April 2024.

Supreme Court Gets the Investor-Fraud Rule Right

This was a clearer and more tightly reasoned opinion than we’ve come to expect from Justice Sotomayor.

Brzezinski’s Prophecy, Ferguson’s Law

On our current trajectory, this gap will only widen, until it can’t.

Xi Jinping of China and Vladimir Putin of Russia attend a signing ceremony at the Kremlin, March 21, 2023.

‘Warmonger,’ ‘Traitor,’ ‘Nazi,’ Etc.

The U.S. House passes aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. Some like it, some don’t.

A woman prays during a service of St. John the Baptist church in Przemyśl, Poland, near the Ukrainian border, as people flee the Russian invasion, March 13, 2022.

Biden Finally Condemns Columbia Antisemitism

The putzing president is running out of time to get a handle on the bloodthirsty activists in his coalition.

Demonstrators, guarded by NYPD police officers, gather outside of Columbia University in support of Palestine in New York City, April 20, 2024.

Mum’s the Word

The national debt, the federal budget deficit, and the relative silence of politicians.

In Search of Musical Entropy

On a flawed quantification of ‘surprise’ in Bach.

Johann Sebastian Bach monument in the city center of Leipzig

Why Universities Should Embrace Institutional Neutrality

America’s higher-education leaders have gotten into a number of bad habits.

Post-Pandemic Resource Abundance Is Rebounding

A measure of the relationship between population growth commodity availability brings good news. 

Wearing a mask and gloves, a worker re-stocks apples in an Asian grocery store in Falls Church, Va., April 3, 2020.

Trump’s Unlikely Voter Problem

November results will be attributed to the bets both campaigns placed early in this campaign cycle. And everyone, save perhaps for the campaigns themselves, will have seen it coming.

A supporter of Donald Trump waits in a parking lot ahead of a campaign rally in Wilmington, N.C., April 20, 2024.

David Pecker Will Be Bragg’s First Witness

DA Alvin Bragg will try to fill the hole in his case by presenting a legal plan as if it were a criminal conspiracy.

David Pecker, former chair and CEO of American Media, speaks at the Shape and Men’s Fitness Super Bowl Party in New York City, January 31, 2014.

The ‘Whaddya Think?’ Methodology Is a Bad One

Some polling tactics are unhelpful.

Folly, Misdirection, and Mayhem: My Dissent

The Ukraine bill does very little to change the situation for Ukraine.

A serviceman of the 12th Special Forces Brigade Azov of the National Guard of Ukraine prepares a shell with an inscription "for Kharkiv" for a howitzer at a position in a front line in Donetsk Region, Ukraine, April 5, 2024.

Bragg Implements the Plan to Mislead the Jury about the Charges

Bragg is trying to convict Trump of conspiracy without having charged Trump with conspiracy.

Then-Democratic candidate for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg speaks to the press in New York, N.Y., November 2, 2021.

Antitrust Is Catnip for Statist Busybodies

Under the Biden administration, the people in charge of antitrust policy are eager to expand governmental power no matter how much long-run damage they do.

As Long as Joel Lambdin Gets His Indian Sabbatical, I’m Happy to Pay More Taxes

I never much liked paying taxes, until I was told that I could help lazy, financially illiterate dilettantes go to India to study meditation.

President Joe Biden speaks as he announces a new plan for federal student loan relief during a visit to Madison Area Technical College Truax Campus, in Madison, Wis., April 8, 2024.

Dems’ Anti-Trump Lawfare Pays Compounding Interest

A new ruling would allow DA Alvin Bragg’s prosecutors to cross-examine Trump about findings of dishonesty in the NY civil fraud and E. Jean Carroll cases.

Former president and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump awaits the start of proceedings for allegedly covering up hush-money payments linked to extramarital affairs at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City, April 22, 2024.

Gavin Newsom’s Cynical New Abortion Move and Sinister Ad

Women deserve better than thinking their best option is rushing out of state for an abortion, when there are actually life-giving options.

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare Unleashes Retro Fury

Guy Ritchie’s triumphant return is pastiche at its finest.

<i>The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare</i>

The Horrendous and Maddening Antisemitism in New York City

In the midst of the madness and evil in the city of New York, may all Christians pray for our elder brothers and sisters in faith this Passover.

Demonstrators protest in solidarity with Pro-Palestinian organizers as they block a street in New York City, April 18, 2024.

Net Zero: Yet Another Tax

Best guess: Pay-per-mile is headed London’s way.

London mayor Sadiq Khan outside City Hall in London, May 2016.

Vernon Smith on Adam Smith

A modern student writes about the pioneering Scottish philosopher and economist.

Statue of Adam Smith in Edinburgh, Scotland

Trump Republicans Want to Arrest Pregnant Mothers! (Said No One, Ever)

A new corny, cringey pro-abortion ad is not merely painful to watch — it is also shamelessly deceptive.

Shouts & Murmurs

On a music podcast, beginning with James P. Johnson and his ‘Carolina Shout.’

James P. Johnson, c. May 1946

Twenty Things That Caught My Eye Today: Passover, Child Welfare in NYC, Surrogacy & More

‘Just as Israel has the Iron Dome, we want to build a proactive protective security shield over the entirety of the Jewish community in North America.’

Israeli and American flags are flown at the March for Israel rally on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., November 14, 2023.

Youngkin’s English Test

It’s not too late to revise Virginia’s draft English Language Arts standards. The governor should get to it quickly.

Virginia governor Glenn Youngkin speaks to the media during a press event in Taipei, Taiwan, April 25, 2023.

What Began at Columbia May Climax in Chicago

It all heads inexorably toward one destination.

Students demonstrate outside Columbia University campus, as protests continue inside and outside the university during the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in New York City, April 22, 2024.

One Green Jacket, Etc.

Reader mail on Condoleezza Rice, Gabrielle Starr, and more.

Former secretary of state Condoleezza Rice, then a new member of Augusta National Golf Club, looks on during the annual Masters Par-3 Contest in Augusta, Ga., April 10, 2013.

Traffic Violations

Nia Evans’s Mother Jones piece on blockading traffic for protest purposes seems to be missing something.

Protesters demanding a ceasefire and an end to U.S. support for Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza block morning traffic on the 110 Freeway, in Los Angeles, Calif., December 13, 2023.

America’s Employers to Activist Employees: Shut Up and Get Back to Work

America’s employers are losing patience with workers who prioritize political activism in the workplace, ahead of their actual jobs.

Google logo at the Viva Tech start-up and technology summit in Paris, France, in 2018.

Parental Regret

A piece in Time magazine claims there’s a large number of parents who regret having children.

The DNC’s Anti-RFK Jr. Crusade Heads to Arizona

In an apparent effort to counterprogram a private fundraiser RFK Jr. is hosting there Tuesday evening, the DNC has paid for two attack-ad billboards.

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. attends a campaign rally at the Fox Theatre in Tucson, Ariz., February 5, 2024.

How Strong Is Bragg’s Case?

The district attorney doesn’t have a strong case of crime against Trump. He has a mountain of evidence of legal activity that he’s spinning as a ‘conspiracy.’

New York County district attorney Alvin Bragg speaks after former President Donald Trump appeared at Manhattan Criminal Courthouse in New York City, April 4, 2023.

No, Joe Biden Is Not the ‘Big Winner’ of This Congress

The claim that Biden has racked up a series of legislative victories crumbles upon inspection, which explains why Democrats seem profoundly unsatisfied.

President Joe Biden delivers remarks on his plan to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan, at the White House, Washington, D.C., April 14, 2021.

The Pathetic Minouche Shafik

What’s happened at Columbia is a victory for the protesters.

Good News: AI Can Apparently Spot Conservatives on Sight via Facial Recognition Technology

Orwell said, ‘At age 50, everyone has the face he deserves,’ but I didn’t expect the judgment to be made by Google Gemini or its ilk.

An AI virtual news anchor delivers the news at the Sogou booth at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nev., January 8, 2020.

The Biggest Lie Fueling the Antisemitic Student Uprising

Misled and menacing student activists fancy themselves the authors of a revolutionary power reversal, but this is self-delusion.

Demonstrators hold a protest in solidarity with Pro-Palestinian organizers as they block a street outside Columbia University in New York City, April 18, 2024.

Devine Wisdom, Informed by Reagan

A veteran fusionist brings wise counsel regarding our present-day challenges by drawing from Reaganite principles.

Donald Devine

Cooke: Columbia Is in the Grips of a Perverse Selma Envy 

‘They have managed to deploy the logic and rhetoric of Selma in all circumstances in a manner that always, invariably, helps them.’

Demonstrators sit in an encampment as they protest in solidarity with Pro-Palestinian organizers on the Columbia University campus in New York City, April 19, 2024.

Donald Trump Is a Low-Key Ukraine Hawk

Take it from someone who has now criticized four presidents in a row for the drift of America’s Ukraine policy.

Then-resident Donald Trump speaks to reporters after participating in a Thanksgiving video teleconference with members of the armed forces at the White House, November 26, 2020.

McConnell Takes Swipe at Tucker Carlson over Ukraine

‘He had an enormous audience which convinced a lot of rank-and-file Republicans that maybe this was a mistake.’

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell speaks to reporters in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., June 13, 2023.

‘Watermelon Revolution’: Student Protests Draw Support from U.N. Rapporteur Who Warned about ‘Jewish Lobby’

U.N. rapporteur Francesca Albanese has used her position to launch a global campaign against Israel.

Francesca Albanese, UN special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, attends a side event during the Human Rights Council at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, March 26, 2024.

Biden’s ‘Cannibals’ Tale Gives China an Opportunity in the Pacific

This comes as a part of China’s campaign to kneecap America’s diplomatic overtures to Pacific Island countries.

Chinese president Xi Jinping waves as he meets with U.S. President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, in Woodside, Calif., November 15, 2023.

Two Polls Offer Hope to Florida Pro-Lifers

A pro-life victory? Two polls show that a referendum to amend the Florida constitution to include the legalization of abortion in Florida is falling short.

Electric Vehicles: Electric Ladaland

Shareholders not in thrall to ESG or climate fundamentalism ought to start speaking out.

A man holds a charging plug to charge a car at a Smart Charge electric vehicle charging station in Beijing, China, February 2, 2024.

Trump Continues Fundraising Blitz in Miami, Lexington, Vegas

Courtroom appearances aren’t keeping former president Donald Trump off the fundraising trail.

Shōgun Is a Masterpiece of Japanese Historical Drama

As a standalone piece of Japanese, and to a lesser extent English and Portuguese historical fiction, Shōgun is riveting.

<i>Shōgun</i>

Former Maryland Governor, 2024 Senate Candidate Larry Hogan on Air with New TV Ad

Larry Hogan — the popular, anti–Donald Trump Republican ex-two-term governor — is on air with a $1 million ad buy this week.

Then-Maryland governor Larry Hogan holds a news conference at the Maryland State Capitol in Annapolis, Md., July 22, 2020.

Duos, Etc.

Reader mail on Lerner & Loewe, “The Master and Margarita,” the Confederacy, and more.

The composer Frederick Loewe (left) and the lyricist/librettist Alan Jay Lerner — the famous “Lerner & Loewe”

Ingrates at the Ivy-Laden Gates

The Ivy League may be considered by some the playground of the wealthy and connected, but it needn’t take that description literally.

Students protest in support of Palestinians near a closed entrance of Columbia University in New York City, U.S., April 23, 2024.

Pay Up, Europe

Pledges count for very little in the oblasts’ mud, Europe. Buy the gear and get it shipped.

A Ukrainian serviceman of the 28th Separate Mechanized Brigade fires a 120-mm mortar towards Russian troops at the frontline near Bakhmut, Ukraine, March 5, 2024.

Yes, Plagiarism Actually Does Matter

Economics professor Jon Murphy explains why the rules against plagiarism matter and need to be enforced.

The United Nations Is Still Worthless

The United Nations remains dedicated to popularizing any allegation of Israeli perfidy it can find.

Members of the United Nations Security Council vote on a Gaza resolution that demands an immediate ceasefire for the month of Ramadan leading to a permanent sustainable ceasefire, and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, at U.N. headquarters in New York City, March 25, 2024.

The Trials of Donald Trump

While Trump loves to play the victim, it doesn’t mean he isn’t one.

Expel, Don’t Arrest

Student protesters are counting on activists on the disciplinary board to save them. Make sure it can’t happen.

Joe Biden Is a Bad Catholic

What else can be said after the president made the sign of the cross at an abortion rally in Florida?

Colleges Need to Nip Any Encampments in the Bud

At some point, any encampment will have to be cleared out. But clearing it out at the beginning is much easier and requires much less force.

Demonstrators sit in an encampment as they protest in solidarity with Pro-Palestinian organizers on the Columbia University campus in New York City, April 19, 2024.

Building Trades Unions Endorse Biden

Republicans would be wise to accept unions for what they are: part of the progressive movement.

President Joe Biden and North America’s Building Trades Unions president Sean McGarvey shake hands at a conference held by the North America's Building Trades Unions at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C., April 24, 2024.

Speaker Mike Johnson Visits Columbia to Condemn Antisemitic Protests: Full Remarks

‘We just can’t allow this kind of hatred and any antisemitism to flourish on our campuses, and it must be stopped in its tracks,’ Speaker Johnson said at Columbia today.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) speaks at a news conference at Columbia University in response to demonstrators protesting in support of Palestinians, in New York City, April 24, 2024.

‘Four More Years, Shake Hands, Exit Stage Left,’ the President Said 

It’s the kind of thing that maybe could happen to anyone once, but it happens to Biden all the time.

You Are Not the President of Anything

If Minouche Shafik doesn’t show the encamped demonstrators on her campus who’s in charge, then she’s not — they are.

Columbia University President Nemat "Minouche" Shafik testifies before a House Education and the Workforce Committee hearing on "Columbia University's Response to Antisemitism" on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., April 17, 2024.

Vice President Harris’s Security Detail Comes to Blows

Is the stress of picking up the president’s electioneering slack too much for the VP and her staff?

Vice President Kamala Harris delivers a speech during a Get Out The Vote rally ahead of the Democratic presidential primaries at South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, S.C., February 2, 2024.

Grad Students Say They’re Often Poorly Informed

The government needs to stop doing something, namely, lending money for college.

‘Are the Student Protests Hateful?’ Rothman and Hussein Ibish Debate

Noah Rothman joined Dan Abrams on News Nation for a debate with Hussein Ibish.

On the Unprecedented Challenge Facing Israel in Gaza

An insightful take on the challenges of an existential conflict against Hamas.

An Israeli soldier stands near the Israel-Gaza border amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Israel, March 4, 2024.

‘Ukraine’

Noah Rothman, Michael Brendan Dougherty, and Charles C. W. Cooke continue the debate over Ukraine that they started on Tuesday’s episode of The Editors.

Servicemen of the 1148th Separate Artillery Brigade of Air Assault Troops of Ukraine fire an M777 howitzer towards Russian troops in Donetsk Region, Ukraine, April 20, 2024.

A Majority Are for Mass Deportations

Axios is out with eye-popping results from a poll it ran.

U.S. Army National Guard soldiers repair a razor wire-laden fence along the bank of the Rio Grande after it was breached by migrants who crossed from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, into El Paso, Texas, April 23, 2024.

A Clean, Calm Debate between Me and Noah on Ukraine

Each of our conclusions about Ukraine rests on a series of disagreements about other factors.

Potential recruits who aspire to join the Third Separate Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces take part in a basic military testing course in Kyiv, Ukraine, March 27, 2024.

House Lawmakers Propose Renaming D.C. Street after Hong Kong Political Prisoner Jimmy Lai

The street in front of Hong Kong’s de facto embassy would be called ‘Jimmy Lai Way’ as an effort to impose reputational costs on China.

Jimmy Lai during an interview in Hong Kong, May 29, 2020

A Conversation with NPR-AI, the Latest Large Language Model Chatbot

‘Would you like me to recommend some reading that will help you unlearn your destructive mental habits and educate yourself, Davx?’

Now NPR CEO-Katherine Maher speaks at the Web Summit in Lisbon, Portugal, November 13, 2023.

Gaza Glampers Receive Praise — and Funding — from Enemies of the West

Not only must the universities clear the encampments. They must be held to account for cultivating young minds to scream ‘Death to America!’

Students spend another night maintaining a protest encampment in support of Palestinians on the Columbia University campus in New York City, April 24, 2024.

Let Cops and Schools Take out the Trash

While Columbia University apparently remains locked in ‘negotiations’ with student protesters, other universities have learned from its disaster.

Police intervene and arrest more than 100 students at New York University who continue their demonstration on campus in solidarity with the students at Columbia University and to oppose Israel's attacks on Gaza, in New York City, April 22, 2024.

Campus Antisemitism. Again

As far back as 2006, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights issued a report on pervasive and growing campus antisemitism.

Demonstrators protest in solidarity with Pro-Palestinian organizers as they block a street in New York City, April 18, 2024.

The Terrible Title IX Regulations

Madeleine Kearns discusses Biden’s outrageous Title IX rewrite.

Republican State Leadership Committee Up with First National Ads of Cycle

The campaign will kick off with immigration-related ads in Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, and Wisconsin.

Drone view of migrants lined up against the border wall to surrender to immigration officials after breaching a razor wire-laden fence along the bank of the Rio Grande in El Paso, Texas, March 29, 2024.

Tale of the Tip, Etc.

Reader mail on the anxiety of tipping and more.

The Biden–New York Times Divorce

If this schism is as real as the reporting suggests, then good for the Gray Lady for taking a break from acting as a consort.

President Joe Biden walks towards Marine One carrying a newspaper and cellphones as he departs the White House in Washington, D.C., March 22, 2024.

How Non-Selective Colleges Might Survive

The higher-education bubble is deflating.

Unfit Female Agent Responsible for Secret Service Ruckus

May Monday’s relatively bloodless episode be a lesson, resulting in the reprioritization of merit over optics.

Vice President Kamala Harris takes part in a round table with faith and community leaders who are assisting with the processing of migrants seeking asylum at the Paso del Norte Port of Entry in El Paso, Texas, June 25, 2021.

Joe Biden’s Very Fine People

Democratic voters will always be very fine people to Biden, no matter whom they hate.

President Joe Biden participates in a discussion moderated by Stephen Colbert during a campaign fundraising event at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, March 28, 2024.

A Renaissance Couple

On a podcast with Simone Sepe and Saura Masconale, law-and-economics scholars.

Don’t Devalue the Dollar, Pence Group Says

Republicans should offer tax reforms to increase incentives to save and invest and credible plans to cut the deficit.

Former vice president Mike Pence stands at the podium after announcing he will discontinue his presidential campaign, during the Republican Jewish Coalition Annual Leadership Summit in Las Vegas, Nev., October 28, 2023.

As Hamas Loses Its Grip, Gazans Speak Out against the Terrorist Sect

While America’s college students scream that the problem in the Gaza Strip is Israel, Gazans themselves are growing bolder in their condemnations of Hamas.

Palestinians who were displaced by Israel's military offensive on south Gaza make their way as they attempt to return to their homes in north Gaza amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, seen from the central Gaza Strip, April 14, 2024.

Cut Off Columbia

In his famous Rules for Radicals, Saul Alinsky set forth a strategy: Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it. In his latest…

Pro-Palestinian protesters block a street outside Columbia University in New York City, April 18, 2024.

A Cautionary Tale about the New Title IX Regulations

When more girls start to get hurt because boys are allowed to play on their teams, we’ll know exactly where to direct the blame.

Same Number of House GOP Supported Ukraine Aid in September as in April

After months of arguing between pro-Ukraine and anti-Ukraine groups, both sides persuaded a decent number of Republicans to switch their votes, but the total ended up in the same spot.

Ukrainian national flags flutter in front of a heavily damaged apartment building in Orikhiv, Ukraine, February 28, 2024.

Administrative State Hits Warp Speed

This isn’t going to let up. The Federal Register is on course for its first 100,000-page year.

The east side of the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., August 5, 2021

Bioethicists Want to Rule the World!

Some bioethicists are now taking Vardit Ravitsky up on her call for bioethicists to expand their advocacy to broader world controversies.

‘Anti-War’ or Pro Elimination of Israel?

If the point of the campus protests is to send a message, journalists should be clear about what this message really is.

Protesters gather to show support for Palestinians in Gaza, outside of Columbia University in New York City, April 24, 2024.

Is Trump Defense’s Cross-Examination of Pecker Helping or Hurting?

Is the defense that the conduct was legal, or is it that Trump was uninvolved in conduct that may have been illegal?

Former president Donald Trump sits in a courtroom before the start of the day's proceedings in Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City, April 26, 2024.

Three Questions for MBD on Ukraine

I ask Michael Brendan Dougherty to respond to three queries on his position on U.S. aid to Ukraine.

A serviceman of the 12th Special Forces Brigade Azov of the National Guard of Ukraine fires a howitzer towards Russian troops in Donetsk Region, Ukraine, April 5, 2024.

Kearns: The Biden Title IX Rule Is Devastating

‘They tried to suggest that they were sidestepping the issue of athletics. That’s completely disingenuous.’

President Joe Biden looks on during his visit at the Chavis Community Center in Raleigh, N.C., March 26, 2024.

Antisemitic Threats and Violence in the West: A Running Tally

The examples here — of which there will sadly and surely be more — are some of the more shocking instances of antisemitic violence since October 7.

People take part in a rally in support of Palestinians in Gaza, in New York City, November 9, 2023.

You Don’t Need to Be a Weatherman to Know Which Way the Wind’s Blowing at Columbia

The kids on campus matter, and they are not alright.

A Palestinian flag flies at the protest encampment at Columbia University where students continue to protest in New York City, April 23, 2024.

Three Questions for Noah Rothman on Ukraine

After firing a triple salvo at Michael Brendan Dougherty, I have three questions for Noah Rothman on his vision for U.S. foreign policy.

Ukrainian servicemen of the 126th Separate Territorial Defence Brigade fire a D-30 howitzer towards Russian troops at a position in a front line in Kherson Region, Ukraine, March 12, 2024.

Russia: Jamming and Gray-Zone Games

Moscow continues to apply pressure in the Baltic Sea region.

A Finnair Airbus A320-200 prepares to take off from Manchester Airport in Manchester, England, in 2018.

Columbia Capitulates

The watermelon mob has won in the Big Apple.

People use umbrellas to block members of the media from documenting the encampment at the Columbia University campus in New York City, April 26, 2024.

A Dead Dog in the Dakotas Derails VP Dreams

Kristi Noem is a doggone menace to man and beast.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem speaks during CPAC in Dallas, Texas, July 11, 2021.

Columbia Created Khymani James

The ‘kill the Zionists’ protest leader is a product of this time and place in elite college education.

Alma Mater: A Story

A letter from a retired fighter pilot who, with his wife, set up a scholarship in chemistry at Kansas State.

Campus of Kansas State University, in an image posted to X on August 25, 2023

Don’t Count on Biden to Protect Planes Over the Baltic Sea

Russia’s interfering with the GPS of passenger airliners over the Baltic Sea, but that’s unlikely to be a priority for the Biden administration.

President Biden and Russia's President Vladimir Putin shake hands at the U.S.-Russia summit in Geneva, Switzerland, June 16, 2021.

Applause for the UNC Board’s Democracy Initiative

The UNC Board has taken a good step with a proposal to require that students take a course on the foundations of democracy.

In the Midst of an Assault

Notes on Ukraine and Russia.

A scene in Kharkiv, Ukraine, April 22, 2024, after a Russian missile attack

Reagan on Student Disorder 

Reagan had strong words for student agitators.

It Was Inevitable

A predictable Republican move.

China’s Defense Minister Endorses Iran’s ‘Legitimate’ Assault on Israel

China is leaving no room for doubt about its allegiances in the Middle East.

Defense Ministers Mohammad Reza Ashtiani of Iran, Ruslan Zhaksylykov of Kazakhstan, Dong Jun of China and Baktybek Bekbolotov of Kyrgyzstan pose for a picture at a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Astana, Kazakhstan, April 26, 2024.

Answering Mark on Ukraine

To take on Ukraine as our security and economic dependent would be to add another giant set of debits to our overdrawn account of promises.

New recruits of the First Da Vinci Wolves Separate Mechanized Battalion, named after Dmytro Kotsiubailo, attend a military exercise in an undisclosed location in central Ukraine, March 12, 2024.

A 32-Hour Work Week for Your Workers, Not Mine

Senator Bernie Sanders and United Auto Workers president Shawn Fain know that their idea is silly.

Senator Bernie Sanders gestures as he speaks to the crowd as United Auto Workers president Shawn Fain and UAW Region 1 Director LaShawn English listen during a rally in Detroit, Mich., September 15, 2023.

China’s Genocide–Denying Envoy Celebrates the Return of Tibetan Antiquities by Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg

It’s part of every Chinese diplomat’s job to push odious propaganda, but why do American officials continue to meet with them?

Huang Ping speaks during the prelude to Lunar New Year Gala at Cipriani in New York City, January 26, 2024

Question for the Columbia Occupiers

What happens when the school year is over?

Econception on the Looming 2025 Budget Mess

Paul Winfree and I discuss the coincidence of budgetary deadlines that will make 2025 a messy year for fiscal policy.

The Capitol Building at sunrise in Washington, D.C., November 17, 2008

Burgum-mentum

The North Dakota governor is reportedly ascending Trump’s list of potential running-mate picks.

Let’s Get a Warrant for Kristi Noem’s Backyard

The possibility that she has an unregistered abattoir on her property has increased significantly.

South Dakota governor Kristi Noem speaks at the North Carolina GOP convention in Greenville, N.C., June 5, 2021.

New Fertility Data Show the Lifesaving Impact of Pro-Life Laws

New data data show that strong state level pro-life laws that were enacted in 2022 saved lives in 2023.

Pro-life demonstrators rally on the National Mall prior to the March for Life in Washington, D.C., January 24, 2020.

Hillary Clinton, Recidivist Election-Theft Conspirator

Elected progressive Democratic DA Alvin Bragg has ignored Hillary Clinton’s conspiracy to steal the 2016 election by violating federal election law.

Hillary Clinton speaks to supporters at a rally in Cleveland, Ohio, March 2016.
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