News of the Week for Aug. 8^th, 2021

• Riots & Revolution
• Corona Virus
• Gun Rights
• Hide the Decline
• Obamacare
• War & Terror
• National News
• Economy & Taxes
• International News
• Opinion

 

Riots & Revolution

 

Portland wants to walk back defunding the police but officers don’t want the jobs
Last June Portland’s Mayor Ted Wheeler, who is also the police commissioner, decided to put an end to the Gun Violence Reduction Team (GVRT) as part of an effort to reimagine policing. The $6 million that would have gone to the team was redirected “toward communities of color.” Even at the time the assistant chief of police warned their could be serious consequences.

Suspects Finally Arrested for Murder of 8-Year-Old Secoriea Turner at Atlanta BLM Rally Last Year
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has arrested a second suspect, Jerrion McKinney, in the July 2020 murder of eight-year-old Secoriea Turner, who was murdered at a Black Lives Matter “rally” in Atlanta.

 

Corona Virus

 

House Report Names “Public Face” of China’s “Disinformation Campaign” on COVID Origin
A new congressional report will tie Peter Daszak, the controversial director of the New York-based EcoHealth Alliance nonprofit, to the Chinese Communist Party’s propaganda campaign about COVID-19’s origins.

China locking down again as Delta variant sweeps country
This seems unusual for a country that has bragged about its vaccines and effectiveness in corralling COVID-19. The Associated Press reports that the Delta variant has now created outbreaks in half of China’s provinces and in 35 cities. As a result, Beijing has once again imposed shutdowns and mandatory testing regimes

House Report Contains Shocking Detail about the Wuhan Lab
On the menu today: House Republicans unveil the results of their investigation into the origins of COVID-19, which uncovered an utterly inexplicable massive expenditure by the Wuhan Institute of Virology shortly before the pandemic began; and the three professions that need to get vaccinated the most will probably never face workplace mandates because of the strength of their unions.

U.S. Intelligence Unlocks “Treasure Trove” of Data on Wuhan Lab Viruses
Wuhan’s infamous “Bat Woman” warns that more COVID mutations are coming.

 

Gun Rights

 

Blacks, Gun Control, and the Second Amendment
Boston Globe writer Jeff Jacoby has a stellar piece in which he argues against the leftist notion that the Second Amendment was meant to hurt blacks. He writes, “The real racism associated with the Second Amendment isn’t in the rights of gun ownership that the Bill of Rights cemented into the Constitution’s text. It is in the long and shameful record of those rights being denied.”

 

Hide the Decline

Environment &
“Green Energy”

 

A New Crisis for Climate Science?
We are just weeks away from the two major climatista jamborees of 2021. The first is the UN COP 26 meeting in Glasgow next month, which the usual people (John Kerry, etc) are calling “the last chance to save the planet,” because all of the previous 25 “last chance” meetings were a false alarm.

Through incompetence and corruption, Illinois may lose two nuke reactors and their power grid
The state of Illinois is facing a looming energy crisis almost entirely of its own making, but despite having options on the table to avert it, the state appears ready to simply let the situation continue to implode. Thanks to state policies intended to end all energy production using fossil fuels, energy producers are increasingly struggling to remain viable. This is particularly true of the state’s nuclear power plants, run by energy company Commonwealth Edison, a subsidiary of Exelon. They have been unable to compete with the cheaper natural gas-fired plants in the state and are facing a potential bankruptcy situation. Governor J.B. Pritzker has proposed a plan to have the state provide significant subsidies to Exelon to keep the plants afloat, but the state legislature has remained focused on not passing any sort of energy bill that isn’t based almost entirely on carbon reduction and renewable energy. As a result, Exelon recently submitted plans to close two of their nuke plants. Meanwhile, Exelon has been caught up in a scandal allegedly providing bribes to government officials and influencers.

Biden announce regulations designed to phase out the internal combustion engine (And where was Tesla?)
Today, President Biden signed an executive order aimed at reducing the emissions from gasoline engines by 50% in 2030. Essentially, Biden is reviving the fuel efficiency standards originally put in place by President Obama which President Trump weakened. The NY Times reports that the new plan actually has two phases.

Wind and Solar Energy are Environmental Disasters
It is ironic that wind and solar energy are promoted as “green,” when in fact one of their worst qualities is the damage they do to the environment. Solar panels are manufactured in China using slave labor (Uighurs) and coal-fired power plants for electricity. The irony is heavy. And both wind and solar require vast quantities of minerals and hazardous substances.

 

Obamacare

Government in Healthcare

 

Brit Baby’s Death Ruled Better Than Small Chance of Living — Again
Readers may recall the Charlie Gard and Alfie Evans cases from the U.K. — in which doctors both wanted to remove life support and prevent the children from being transferred to other hospitals willing to continue care. Because the law in the U.K. permits courts to decide the “best interests” of children in medical extremis, the MDs got their way.

Becerra and Biden Betray Medical Professionals Being Forced to Assist in Abortions
“Don’t hate me.” According to a lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice last year, that is what an abortionist at the University of Vermont Medical Center (UVMMC) said to a nurse before she forced her to assist in the termination of a child’s life on pain of losing her job and potentially her license if she refused. The nurse in the case had informed her bosses well beforehand that she could not participate in abortion because of her religious and moral convictions. Her right to such a demurrer is protected by federal law, known as the Church Amendments, which Congress passed unanimously in direct response to Roe v. Wade. The facts were stunning in their clarity, the victim was extremely credible and sympathetic, and the violator remained entirely callous and unrepentant. The UVMMC matter was the most open and shut conscience case in over a decade. I say was, because on Friday, the DOJ quietly, and voluntarily, dismissed the case. No admission of guilt, no injunction, no corrective action, no settlement, no nothing. Worse yet, because the victim has few to no options to sue on her own (due to nuances around private rights of action), the Biden administration is effectively giving UVMMC a full pardon and will continue to give it federal funds, despite it having been found by HHS to have violated the law.

Young Alta Fixsler’s Life and Religious Liberty Have Been Taken Away from Her by the United Kingdom
The European Court of Human Rights will not help two-year-old Alta Fixsler’s parents keep Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital from taking her off life support. Her family is Hasidic, and Justice Alistair MacDonald of the British High Court previously ruled that he refused to “accept the submission that the assessment of Alta’s perspective should start from the assumption that Alta would share the values of her parents, of her brother, and of her wider family and community.” So, because she is a severely disabled child, she does not have religious liberty? Her parents and their rabbi were dismissed as being under the influence of “the flattering voice of hope” and not “medically qualified” to make decisions about Alta’s life. Further, the judge declared that “the sanctity of Alta’s life is not, within the context of the secular laws that this court must apply, absolute.”

 

War & Terror

 

Appeals Judge Slams Critical Race Theory: “Prohibiting racial discrimination means we must be blind to race”
“Equity” and other CRT approaches will eventually have a judicial reckoning. 5th Circuit Judge James C. Ho concurring opinion: “Citizens may fairly wonder how officials can condemn race-neutral policies as racist and defend explicitly race-conscious programs as inclusive.”

Pro-Trump social network becomes safe haven for ISIS
A POLITICO review found plenty of terrorist propaganda on the network, a few weeks after its launch.

Afghanistan war: Taliban capture three regional capitals
The Taliban have captured three regional capitals in Afghanistan as they continue to make sweeping territorial gains in the country.

“Still going through hell”: the search for Yazidi women seven years on
As two women are rescued in Syria after being kidnapped by Isis years earlier, Yazidis renew calls for international help to find the thousands still unaccounted for

 

National

 

Cuomo violated federal, state laws as he sexually harassed multiple women, NY attorney general says
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women who worked for the state and elsewhere, according to report by state Attorney General Letitia James.

Number of students being homeschooled in Colorado more than doubles
New data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows the number of families opting to homeschool their children is on the rise.

Apple will be scanning your phone for child porn
This seems like a rather odd thing to be debating at first glance, but it’s a bit of news that is clearly not as simple as it sounds. This week, Apple announced that it would begin scanning users’ iPhones, looking for evidence of child sexual abuse, and reporting people suspected of engaging in such heinous crimes. What’s not to like about that, right? If there is a way to detect monsters who sexually abuse children and take them down, you wouldn’t expect to hear too many people complaining about it. And yet there are justifiable concerns being raised. Who is going to be responsible for ferreting out this activity and what sort of experience do they have in this specific area of law enforcement? The answer is that it’s being done by an artificial intelligence algorithm, at least in the initial steps of the process. And then “a human” will get involved. Oh, and they’re even going to be scanning supposedly encrypted messages as well.

“That’s Bullsh*t”: Vietnam Vet Star Wars Shop Owner Tells Trans Council Member “You’re Not A Woman” In Viral Public Confrontation
In a viral public confrontation, a transgender councilmember confronted the owner of a Washington Star Wars shop over a sign that reads “If you are born with a dick, you are not a chick.”

The Third Amendment Lawyers Association (ÞALA) Opposes Eviction Moratorium
Just 6 pages, in Alabama Ass’n of Realtors v. U.S. Dep’t of Health & Human Servs., filed by Jay Wolman and Marc Randazza

DJ posts stealth pics of Obama’s “epic” birthday party — before being forced to delete them
A performer at former President Barack Obama’s birthday party managed to take stealth pictures of the opulent Martha’s Vineyard event and share them with Instagram followers.

Princeton offers “#BlackLivesMatter” course with readings by an avowed Marxist
Class will be taught by author of book about “racial justic3” and “black food”

Iowa Senators Want to Gut California’s New Pork Law with One of Their Own
“I don’t know why anyone would want to live in a state where it’s almost impossible to buy bacon.”

Violence Against Women Update
In the comments on Friday morning’s post (“The Dangerous Clichés of ‘Empowerment'”), someone mentioned the phrase “rationalization hamster” as a description of the way women justify bad decisions such as getting a tattoo on your cleavage or dating a convicted felon.

The Problem with Perceptual Hashes
Apple just announced that they will use “perceptual hashing” to detect illegal photos on iPhones. I have some experience to share on this technology.

Short Circuit: A Roundup of Recent Federal Court Decisions
Topless sunbathing, daily prayer, and vaccine mandates.

If The Supreme Court Rules Against The Eviction Moratorium, When Would Holdover Tenants Actually Be Evicted?
During normal times, it can take months to evict tenants. Now with a massive backlog, it could take years.

Anti-Racism Reaches Its Most Ridiculous Low Yet: $50,000 to Move a Rock
On Friday, the University of Wisconsin at Madison struck a blow against racism in today’s America. No, who am I kidding? It paid $50,000 to move a rock from one campus to another because of a word written about the rock in a newspaper article almost a hundred years ago

Wargaming in progress: The early panic by Team Biden about “the Kamala crisis” is … something
It didn’t take long for Kamala Harris to show America just how unprepared for her job she is and America is responding. It’s only been six months, though for most of us it feels much longer than that, and already the strategy sessions are beginning in hopes of saving Kamala. She’s supposed to succeed the Big Guy in 2024 and she’s off to a really bad start.

Newsom’s Recall Problem Is with Hispanic Voters
Two new independent polls on California’s September 14 recall election have a startling explanation for why Governor Gavin Newsom is in trouble. His support among minority communities is crumbling as issues such as crime, COVID restrictions, and a huge unemployment-benefits scandal dominate the race.

Woman files criminal complaint against Cuomo in Albany
Forget impeachment. Could Andrew Cuomo face a perp walk? The woman cited as “executive assistant #1” in Letitia James’ report has filed a criminal complaint in Albany.

Detroit City Councilman Andre Spivey released on bond after Tuesday arraignment
Detroit City Councilman Andre Spivey was released on a $10,000 bond Tuesday after being arraigned on a single felony charge of conspiracy to commit bribery.

Lyon County commissioners vote to rename justice complex after former President Trump
Lyon County commissioners voted 3-2 on Thursday to rename the county’s justice complex after former President Donald Trump.

Democratic state Sen. Tony Navarrete arrested on suspicion of sex with minor
State Sen. Otoniel “Tony” Navarrete, a Phoenix Democrat, was arrested Thursday on suspicion of multiple counts of sexual conduct with a minor, Phoenix police said.

Is Dean Heller nearing run for Nevada governor?
So far, the GOP primary field numbers three: Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo, Reno Attorney Joey Gilbert, and North Las Vegas Mayor, former Democrat-turned-Republican John Lee.

‘Goldmine’ asteroid in our solar system is full of metals worth ‘quadrillions’
A 124 mile-wide space rock is in our solar system and scientists believe it could be worth more than $10,000 quadrillion (£8,072 quadrillion), and NASA is planning to visit it by 2026

Teaching Race in Kindergarten
Oregon’s new standards for social science exchange colorblindness for racialism. This is not progress.

Only 4% of Hispanic or Latino People Prefer the Term “Latinx” According to Poll
“consistent with another survey by the Pew Research Center from 2020, where researchers found that only one in four Hispanic or Latino adults had even heard of the term”

New Poll Shows Los Angles County DA George Gascón Underwater in Recall Vote
La Verne becomes 24th city to vote “no confidence” in DA.

Women’s Prison Dealing With ‘Wave of Pregnancies’ in Wake of California’s ‘Compassionate’ Trans Law
I used to work in a cube farm and every morning I would join the throng of depressed commuters inching their way down the long gray ribbon of death to the office. I was in the habit of stopping off for a Coke on my way to work. Yes, I know all about the dangers of colas, but I like an early morning dose of cold caffeine to jolt me into starting my day. There was a convenience store near the on-ramp where I used to stop for my daily fix. One day, there was a new face in the revolving cadre of clerks. It was a young woman who was wearing two buttons. One said, “Ask me about my pronouns.” The other read, “He/His” Obviously, she identified as a man and wanted to make sure that I knew that.

Under Fire from Social-Justice Warriors, Classical-Music Organizations Grovel
If you don’t really have any talent, the surefire way of getting attention these days is to claim that some institution is racist. For several years now, the malcontents have been griping about classical music, claiming that it is “too white” and “not inclusive.”

RI Teachers Union Seeks Emergency Injunction Preventing Release of CRT Records To Mom Nicole Solas
What are the unions trying to hide?

Teachers Union Sues Rhode Island Mom for Seeking Records About School’s Critical Race Theory Curriculum
The National Education Association, America’s largest teachers union, is suing a Rhode Island mom for seeking information about what her kindergartener will be taught in school.

Texas Rangers May Be Investigating Witness Tampering Allegation Against Travis County’s DA in Austin Protest Shooting Case
On Wednesday, after PJ Media exclusively reported that Austin police detective David Fugitt accused Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza’s office of felony witness tampering in the Sgt. Daniel Perry case, a hearing was held in the 147th Criminal District Court. Fugitt made the allegation in a sworn affidavit. Sgt. Perry’s defense attorneys filed a motion to hold a hearing on Garza’s conduct as alleged in Fugitt’s affidavit. In that filing, Perry’s defense attorneys say Det. Fugitt found that Perry shot Foster on the night of July 25, 2020, in self-defense and that Foster “was a criminal killed in commission of a crime.” District Attorney Garza nevertheless took the case to an Austin grand jury, which indicted Perry.

Apple to scan U.S. iPhones for images of child sexual abuse
Apple unveiled plans to scan U.S. iPhones for images of child sexual abuse, drawing applause from child protection groups but raising concern among some security researchers that the system could be misused, including by governments looking to surveil their citizens.

FAA asks airports to monitor passengers’ alcohol intake, citing unruly behavior
“Some airport concessionaires have offered alcohol ‘to go,’ and passengers believe they can carry that alcohol onto their flights,” the agency said.

California’s Latest Insanity
Never mind rising crime, runaway homelessness, and other afflictions of California; have you heard the latest madness? California may be on the verge of making bacon a contraband substance, or at least a scarce luxury good.

Teachers Union Sues Mom Nicole Solas To Prevent School District From Releasing Critical Race Teaching Records
Previously, Solas was threatened with a lawsuit by the South Kingstown School Committee for seeking too many records regarding Critical Race and Gender teaching, now the Rhode Island chapter of the National Education Association has actually filed suit claiming many of the records are “private.”

Austin Star Police Detective Accuses DA Jose Garza’s Office of Criminal Witness Tampering in High-Profile Case
Austin Police Department homicide Detective David Fugitt is a well-regarded veteran with APD and has worked more than 50 cases across about 18 years, solving all but about four of them. APD tends to place its most difficult cases under Fugitt due to his sterling record. Most recently, Fugitt has been the lead detective on the case of a shooting that happened in downtown Austin, Texas, in the summer of 2020.

Science vs ‘Teh Feelz’: A Genderfluid Seesaw
To give you an idea of just how deep this country has traveled into the darkest corners of Wonderland, our cultural priorities are even crazier than the “genderfluid” publicity hounds of TikTok.

The “You Can’t Interfere with Academic Freedom” Defense Crumbles
Suppose that someone were to hire a chess tutor for his son, but found out that instead of teaching about openings and middle-game tactics, the tutor was spending the time with the youngster playing Grand Theft Auto. When the parent confronts the tutor, he replies, “I’m an educator and educators are entitled to academic freedom. This is how I think best to prepare your son to play chess. You can’t interfere with me.” I don’t think even the most “progressive” parent would accept that argument. He’d send the tutor on his way.

Two Texas Democrats Who Fled State Are Now Vacationing in Portugal
Remember the Texas Democrats who fled the state for the District of Columbia in order to deny a quorum and block a vote on an elections bill? Although one of the most respected elections analysts in the country said the legislation would have a “negligible” effect on election outcomes, the fleeing Texans were hailed as heroes in the national press for blocking what Democrats called a “Jim Crow-style” voting bill.

The Justice Department Declines to Defend Conscience Rights
The Department of Justice has declined to pursue a case against the University of Vermont Medical Center (UVMMC), a suit that the government initially filed last year after a former nurse alleged that she had been forced to participate in an abortion procedure despite her objections.

 

Economy & Taxes

 

Federal Government Issued $783.5M in Stimulus Checks for Prisoners
Convicted sexual abuser Larry Nassar’s two stimulus checks totaled $2,000.

Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill Is Longer Than Obamacare
“If I become president, I will repeal Obamacare,” Mitt Romney declared when he was running for president, pushing back against conservative attacks on the health-care legislation he signed into law as governor of Massachusetts. “My bill was 70 pages. His bill is 2,700 pages.”

COVID Power: Biden Extends Freeze on Repayment of Student Loans Through January 2022
Joe Biden has extended his pandemic-inspired freeze on repaying student loans through January 2022. That should give the radicals just about enough time to cancel repaying all student debt — all $1.7 trillion of it.

Immigrant Landlord Slams Biden on Eviction Moratorium: “Robbing Me of American Dream”
“This is simply not the America we signed up for.”

Amid the Labor Shortage, Robots Step in to Make the French Fries
Fast-food chains are working with a host of startups to bring automation to their kitchens

Boom: Job growth rebounds in July to nearly 1M
Once again, the ADP report demonstrates why it’s not a terribly reliable predictive indicator for the official job-growth report. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports this morning that the US economy added 943,000 jobs in July, beating estimates in the market by almost 100,000. The unemployment rate dropped by half a point to 5.4%, although that has a caveat or two to keep in mind.

CBO Says Infrastructure Bill Will Add $256 Billion to Deficit Over Next Decade
“plan would directly add $256 billion to the deficit over the next 10 years, the Congressional Budget Office found, although budget experts say that probably understates the cost of the package overall”

CBO Says Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill Would Add $256 Billion to Deficits
Despite repeated claims by supporters that the bipartisan infrastructure package would be fully “paid for,” the Congressional Budget Office on Thursday said the bill would actually add $256 billion to deficits.

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka dead at 72
Trumka had served as president of the federation for more than a decade and has been a close ally of the Biden White House.

Republicans Should Shut Down the Senate Over Biden’s Illegal Evictions Moratorium
President Biden, through the CDC, on Tuesday took the extraordinary action of violating his oath of office by reinstating a moratorium on evictions even though he knows it’s unconstitutional. Meanwhile, Senate Republicans stand ready to hand Biden the biggest victory of his presidency by delivering him the votes he needs to get his domestic agenda across the finish line. They should be doing the opposite. In response to Biden’s power grab, they should refuse to do business with him. They should shut down the Senate.

So . . . What Happens after This New Moratorium Ends?
In a flagrant violation of the Constitution, the Biden administration is moving forward with a new eviction moratorium after the CDC’s previous one expired. The Supreme Court explicitly found that the original hold on evictions was unlawful and concluded that only an act of Congress could reinstate it. What’s even more frustrating is how arbitrary the new 60-day moratorium is: The administration has no plan to phase it out, and the policy will do nothing more than exacerbate the housing problem.

 

International

 

Fossil of first animal life on earth may have been found in Canada
I noticed this story last week but ran out of time to write about it. A geologist believes she may have discovered fossil evidence of the first animal life on earth. Elizabeth Turner actually uncovered the fossils in the 1990s when she was still in school. She thought they could be significantly but only recently became convinced they were fossilized proof of sponges that existed nearly a billion years ago.

Taiwan’s national flag anthem played in front of Chinese athletes for 1st time
Badminton gold medalist Wang declares himself from Taiwan, Chinese competitor Li congratulates ‘China’s Taipei team’

Shocking surprise! Canadian tourists’ “Dream holiday” in Cuba turns into a nightmare
Okay, this is more of the same. But it is a story worth telling, simply because the level of ignorance and stupidity involved in it is epic. Who in their right mind would seek out a dream holiday in a country ravaged by plague? Never mind the bit about repression and hunger in that country. We all know that Canadians don’t give a hoot about that. But plague?

Venezuela to slash six zeroes from currency -central bank
Venezuela will slash six zeroes off its inflation-battered currency the bolivar to make it easier to use, the central bank said Thursday.

Sperm-on-a-Postcard Breakthrough Opens Door to Massive ‘Sperm Books’
Scientists mailed freeze-dried mouse sperm on a postcard and birthed pups on the other side, a major advance for affordable long-distance sperm transfer.

Belarus exile group leader Vitaly Shishov found dead in Kyiv, police say
Police open murder investigation after activist discovered in park after failing to return from a run

 

Opinion

 

Our “College for Everyone” Mania Is Doing Much Harm
Leftists are never much for evaluating the hidden long-run, often negative consequences of their interventions. As a case in point, consider their policies designed to get as many young Americans as possible into college. They have thereby managed to seriously degrade the quality of college education, increase its cost, and create credential inflation so that college degrees are now required for many jobs that call only for some basic trainability.

The Cuban Story
I believe the first time I ever wrote for National Review Online — ever wrote for the Web, period — was in 2000, during the Republican convention in Philadelphia. In those days, writing for the Web did not seem like real writing. At least some of us felt that way. We would soon change our minds. (Maybe some still haven’t? Some of a very, very traditional cast of mind?)

“Common good capitalism” vs. the free market kind
Earlier today, I wrote about an alleged ideological division in the Democratic party between the far left and the establishment. Now, I want to consider an ideological split in the Republican party about which Eliana Johnson filed this report.

Systemic Racism and Affirmative Action
Classical music is under attack by the “woke” because the overwhelming majority of classical musicians are either Asian or white. Heather Mac Donald tells the depressing story. Her whole article is worth reading, but for now I want to focus on this: in recent history, orchestra auditions have generally been “blind,” i.e., the performer is behind a screen so that the judges are not influenced by his or her gender, race, or whatever.

Rick Hasen’s Misleading Account of the Article II Electors Arguments
I walked yesterday through Jane Mayer’s wrongheaded effort to smear conservatives who read the electors clause of Article II of the Constitution as giving a unique role to state legislatures in the selection of electors in presidential elections — the so-called “independent legislature doctrine.” As I detailed, the Supreme Court has held since 1892, and reiterated unanimously in 2020, that state legislatures have broad power over that selection, which could and historically did include legislatures selecting the electors themselves rather than conducting a statewide popular vote. There are two arguments that flow from this.

Why Student-Loan Forgiveness Is Not a Viable Solution
Embattled New York governor Andrew Cuomo recently announced a $125 million student-loan-forgiveness program. At least 50,000 former students from the CUNY system experiencing financial hardship would have their burden of outstanding student-loan debt alleviated. The proposal has been only part of the recent trend of policymakers’ advocating for large-scale student loan forgiveness. The Washington Post reports that, absurdly, Democrats’ “victory” in extending the CDC eviction moratorium has caused them to consider anew unilaterally extending student-loan-debt forgiveness.

What Joe Biden Has Done Should Be Too Much Even for John Roberts
The best defense of John Roberts has always been that, rather than being weak or easily influenced, he comes from a judicial school of thought — popular among conservatives in the 1980s and before — that holds judicial restraint as its highest value. In recent years, many conservatives (including myself) have come to believe that the judicial branch has a strong role to play in enforcing the Constitution as written, as well as in policing the statutory limits that Congress has placed on the executive branch. But, before originalism took over (as it should have), this was not always the case. Indeed, insofar as conservatives were likely to criticize the Supreme Court during the middle of the last century, it was not for coming to the wrong decisions per se, but for being “activist” at the expense of the other branches. Viewed through a certain light, John Roberts’s jurisprudence can be seen as an expression of this older view. Yes, he’s sometimes willing to step in if the question is particularly obvious or the infraction particularly egregious. But, in general, he’d rather exhibit a light touch.

Is Marjorie Taylor Greene running for president?
Bloomberg reported today that Greene will attend the Iowa State Fair two weeks from now, a traditional pit stop for politicians testing the waters for a national run. Upon hearing the news, a Twitter pal said he’d bet she would get more votes in a Republican primary at this point than Nikki Haley.

Malcolm Nance vs. Ben Shapiro really encapsulates the non-debate the left insists on having over CRT in schools
Last night, Bill Maher hosted a debate on Critical Race Theory with is guests Ben Shapiro and Malcolm Nance. Most Hot Air readers are probably familiar with Ben Shapiro. The relevant point here is that he went to Harvard Law School where CRT was developed and taught so he has a strong familiarity with the topic. Malcolm Nance is a Navy veteran and author who has a background in counterterrorism and has written five books on the topic. He’s also an MSNBC contributor who seems to have spent a lot of time talking about Russia’s influence on our elections.