News of the Week for March 30th, 2025
- Abortion
- Gun Rights
- Hide the Decline
- Obamacare
- War & Terror
- National News
- Economy & Taxes
- International News
- Opinion
Abortion
Dobbs Decision
The Battle Brewing Over Abortion in Wisconsin
Wisconsin’s Supreme Court Election has been shoved into the national spotlight, with Elon Musk and others funneling tens of millions into the race, making it the most expensive judicial campaign in American history. The election will determine the ideological makeup of the court for the next decade — and the future of abortion in the state.
Gun Rights
Why the ‘Ghost Gun’ Regulation Was Upheld 7–2 by the Supreme Court
I warned back in October, after the argument in Bondi v. VanDerStok (then captioned Garland v. VanDerStok) that the Supreme Court seemed unexpectedly willing to uphold the Biden-era Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) regulation on so-called “ghost guns,” i.e., the practice of buying kits that could modify certain unfinished gun parts into a gun. That potential outcome seemed surprising given the rigorous view of the language of the Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA) taken when the Court struck down the Trump-era ATF’s bump-stock ban last June in Garland v. Cargill, with all six of the Court’s Republican appointees joining Justice Clarence Thomas’s majority opinion limiting the definition of “machinegun” by reference to the mechanical function of the gun itself.
What VanDerStok Says about Agency Interpretations of Statutes
The Court’s opinion upholding federal regulation of “ghost guns” makes passing reference to Loper Bright Enterprises.
Second Amendment Roundup: Attorney General to resume removal of disabilities
ATF is prohibited by appropriations riders from considering petitions.
It’s Ladies’ Night at the Gun Range
Luxury shooting complexes offer country club amenities to woo a new wave of firearm owners
Hide the Decline
Environment &“Green Energy”
From Soup to Nuts
Imagine the thought process that has led dozens upon dozens of activists over the years to conclude that defacing priceless cultural artifacts was a great way to win friends and influence people. It is a conclusion adjacent to the notion that blocking traffic, disrupting athletic events and theater productions, or screaming while semi-nude into the faces of passersby are the sorts of behaviors that turn the wheels of history.
Renewables 101: Energy Intermittent, Subsidies Permanent
Subsidy regimes, once established, are very difficult to overthrow as, doubtless, taxpayers and consumers will discover once higher tariffs — a form of subsidy that will doubtless give birth to subsidiary subsidies — become more entrenched.
Obamacare
Government in Healthcare
Vaccine skeptic hired to head federal study of immunizations and autism
A long-discredited researcher and vaccine skeptic will conduct a government study on whether vaccines cause autism.
RFK Jr. Plans 10,000 Job Cuts in Major Restructuring of Health Department
Changes would reshape the nation’s health agencies and close regional offices
Some measles patients in West Texas show signs of vitamin A toxicity, doctors say, raising concerns about misinformation
Doctors treating people hospitalized as part of a measles outbreak in Texas and New Mexico have also found themselves facing another problem: vitamin A toxicity.
Proposed California ballot initiative ‘Luigi Mangione Act’ would make it harder for insurers to deny medical care
A proposed California ballot initiative, named after alleged UnitedHealthcare CEO killer Luigi Mangione, has been recently submitted to the California Attorney General’s Office.
Dutch euthanasia for mental illness surges 60%, including teen with autism
Lawmakers in the U.K. and Canada should be looking at the rise in young people opting for euthanasia for mental health reasons with enormous alarm.
RFK Jr. body shames W.Va. governor
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. plans to put the governor of West Virginia on a diet.
‘Disappointed but not surprised’: Measles cases explode in 19 states, new outbreak confirmed
Measles cases nationwide jumped dramatically this week, according to new numbers reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday.
RFK Jr. and HIV Denial: He Says He Is Neutral, But…
When President Donald Trump nominated Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as his choice for HHS secretary, many health experts were left scratching their heads — and more — because of what they see as large catalogue of beliefs that are contrary to science. This morning, Kennedy is scheduled to sit for the first of two Senate hearings when senators will question him about those beliefs and decide whether to vote for his confirmation.
Texas Never Wanted RFK Jr.’s Unproven Measles Treatment
Kennedy made a show of shipping vitamin A to measles-stricken communities. The state’s public-health department didn’t take up the offer.
The CDC Buried a Measles Forecast That Stressed the Need for Vaccinations
The move — along with the CDC’s explanation — is a sign that the nation’s top public health agency may be falling in line under HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime critic of vaccines.
War & Terror
Falling for Putin
Steve Witkoff is a U.S. presidential envoy. Describing a recent phone call between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, Witkoff said, “It was these two great leaders coming together for the betterment of mankind.” I discussed this in a post last week. In my opinion, Putin is not a great leader and has no interest in the betterment of mankind. Quite the opposite.
Trump Envoy: Hamas ‘Duped’ Me; ‘I Don’t Consider Putin a Bad Guy’
Before I dive into the Ukraine comments by President Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, let’s take a brief look at his comments regarding Hamas breaking its word and not releasing the remaining hostages, which the president has demanded several times — threatening “hell to pay” — and that Hamas has promised to do, several times.
The Arms of . . . Rheinmetall
It’s a marker of a changed world — and a changed Europe — that the market capitalization of the German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall now exceeds that of Volkswagen, still something of a surprise even allowing for VW’s well-publicized difficulties. Rheinmetall is now looking at taking over a VW plant in Osnabrück, which could be retooled to manufacture armored vehicles.
The Trump Administration Accidentally Texted Me Its War Plans
U.S. national-security leaders included me in a group chat about upcoming military strikes in Yemen. I didn’t think it could be real. Then the bombs started falling.
From Berlin to Tokyo, the fears of a new nuclear arms race
Washington extended an atomic umbrella over its allies. Now some feel it may be time to seek their own weapons
Start Spreading the Nukes
The Financial Times has run a good piece on the possibility that a fraying American security guarantee will lead some of the countries that once sheltered under Uncle Sam’s nuclear umbrella to start developing their own nuclear weapons. The article’s authors quote Denis Healey, a significant (Labour) British politician for much of the second half of the 20th century, who was, at different times, defense minister and chancellor of the exchequer (finance minister). He had other roles besides.
A Regular Guy Mishandling Classified Information Doesn’t Get the Hegseth Treatment
Our supposed betters can’t get it through their thickly pomaded heads that tossing around classified info as if it’s a derivative meme is not only morally wrong, as it endangers the lives of servicemen and could foil the United States’ foreign policy aims, but also a heinous breach of regulations. I wrote some time ago about Biden’s failures on this count, and now our new civilian military leadership forces its exhumation.
Bad Signal: An Ugly Mistake, and No One Will Be Held Accountable
On the menu today: The highest levels of the administration display a jaw-dropping casual disregard for laws regarding the handling of classified information; officials refuse to hold themselves to the standard they held their predecessors, and their response indicates a deep-rooted culture of irresponsibility, excuse-making, and blame-shifting.
As top Trump aides sent texts on Signal, flight data show a member of the group chat was in Russia
President Trump’s Ukraine and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff was in Moscow, where he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, when he was included in a group chat with more than a dozen other top administration officials — and inadvertently, one journalist — on the messaging app Signal, a CBS News analysis of open-source flight information and Russian media reporting has revealed.
Not Classified?
Particularly after reading Mark’s post, I am trying to wrap my head around how Trump administration officials, including the intel chiefs who testified before the Senate today, could maintain with a straight face that what they discussed on Signal was not classified information (or, to the extent the Espionage Act could be relevant, national-defense information).
Private Data and Passwords of Senior U.S. Security Officials Found Online
Donald Trump’s most important security advisers used Signal to discuss an imminent military strike. Now, reporting by DER SPIEGEL has found that the contact data of some of those officials, including mobile phone numbers, is freely accessible on the internet.
Securing the Seas Is Deeply American
“Ijust hate bailing out Europe again,” Vice President JD Vance said in the group chat Atlantic editor in chief Jeffrey Goldberg was accidentally added to. Vance’s comment was in reference to ramping up strikes against the Houthis in Yemen, which the Trump administration has been doing in recent weeks.
Republican Senators Want the Signal Group Chat to Be Investigated — Just Seemingly Not by Them
The Senate Armed Services Committee is asking for an inspector general probe, as another senator says she’s waiting for the NSC investigation.
US pushes for expansive new deal to control Ukraine’s minerals and energy
Latest draft sent to Kyiv steps up demands and offers no security guarantees
Over 120 Hamas terrorists planned on invading Beersheba on October 7 – report
Security forces believe that since their plans were thwarted, they headed to Gaza border communities, overwhelming them in sheer number as a result.
Satellite imagery confirms possible strike prep on Iran
According to commercial imagery from Planet Labs shared by the Indo Pacific Watch Center, three B-2 bombers were clearly visible on the runway at Diego Garcia on March 25. The image also shows at least seven KC-135 “Stratotanker” aerial refueling aircraft nearby, supporting what analysts believe could be part of preparations for extended-range strike missions targeting Iranian nuclear infrastructure.
Four U.S. soldiers still missing in Lithuania
The search for four U.S. soldiers who went missing during a training mission in Lithuania was ongoing Thursday, a day after their vehicle was found submerged in a body of water.
Mike Lee Demands To Know Why US Nuclear Research Projects Are Tapping Into Sanctioned Chinese Supercomputers
Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Mike Lee sent letters to three U.S. national lab directors asking why their research facilities funded projects using Chinese government supercomputers sanctioned by the U.S.
Russian propaganda network Pravda tricks 33% of AI responses in 49 countries
Just in 2024, the Kremlin’s propaganda network flooded the web with 3.6 million fake articles to trick the top 10 AI models, a report reveals.
Russian scientist from Harvard Medical School detained in U.S., faces deportation and likely arrest upon return due to anti-war stance
A Russian scientist working at Harvard Medical School (HMS) has been detained in the United States and placed in immigration detention. According to multiple independent Russian media outlets and the scientist’s friends, she now faces possible deportation to Russia, where she could be subject to political persecution over her anti-war stance.
Price of critically needed Navy fuel ships soars at San Diego shipyard
General Dynamics-NASSCO says it has been hustling to iron out production and scheduling issues.
Trump says he’s ‘very angry’ and ‘pissed off’ at Putin during an NBC News interview
Trump said in an early-morning phone call that if he believes Russia is at fault for a ceasefire not being reached with Ukraine, he may impose secondary tariffs on Russian oil.
Russian attack on hospital, shopping center leaves 2 dead as Ukraine braces for fresh offensive
Vladimir Putin praised his troops’ ‘strategic initiative’
National
Mia Love, R.I.P.
The former Republican representative has passed away, age 49, far too young, after a determined battle against brain cancer. The Utah lawmaker should be remembered for many things — she was, after all, the first black Republican woman to serve in Congress.
US Supreme Court turns away casino mogul Wynn’s bid to challenge NY Times v. Sullivan defamation rule
The U.S. Supreme Court turned away on Monday a bid by casino mogul Steve Wynn to roll back defamation protections established in its landmark 1964 ruling in the case New York Times v. Sullivan – a standard that has been questioned by President Donald Trump and two of its own conservative justices.
If Trump didn’t sign the Alien Enemies Act proclamation, who — or what — did?
Did Trump misspeak? Is he trying to deflect a decision under heavy legal scrutiny onto Secretary of State Marco Rubio?
Tolkkinen: $10 to see Rep. Fischbach, and they didn’t even get to ask their questions
At a rural Minnesota event dominated by protests and hecklers, Fischbach avoided pressing the flesh.
Why Maui Still Hasn’t Recovered
A crushing regulatory burden and anti-growth policies have stymied efforts to rebuild homes and businesses lost in the 2023 wildfires.
Appeals Court Seems Skeptical Regarding Trump DOJ’s Stance on Deportations
A three-judge federal appellate panel appeared skeptical about the Trump Justice Department’s defense of the president’s deportation of over 200 Venezuelan nationals on March 15. The D.C. Circuit panel was hearing oral argument on the Trump administration’s appeal of a temporary restraining order issued by Chief Judge James Boasberg of the federal district court in Washington, D.C., which has halted the deportations. (The argument, which was streamed live, is available on the circuit’s website.)
Judge Boasberg Denies Motion to Vacate TROs
In a meticulous 37-page opinion issued this morning, Judge James Boasberg has denied the Trump administration’s request that he vacate his temporary restraining orders that prohibit it from using President Trump’s Alien Enemies Act proclamation as the basis for immediately deporting detainees it has designated as members of the Tren de Aragua gang.
Lawyers Who Anger the Feds Face New Penalties by Decree
The Trump administration’s assault on lawyers that represent its perceived adversaries has so far targeted by decree three major firms and quickly taken down one of them, the venerable Paul, Weiss. (Earlier posts in this series here, here, and here.) With a presidential memorandum published March 22, it has now abruptly expanded to a more general scheme of penalties against opposing law firms that take legal positions that it regards as baseless, vexatious, or unreasonable across the range of courtroom disputes in which the federal government is a party.
Ohio: Poll shows CD 6 Special Election within margin of error
Republican Randy Fine holds the edge ahead of a Special Election for Congress. But his lead over Democrat Josh Weil falls within the poll’s margin of error despite the heavy GOP tilt of Florida’s 6th Congressional District.
The Nondelegation Doctrine Returns to the Supreme Court
Can Congress give a private industry group an unlimited power to tax?
U.S. sent Venezuelan man with pending political asylum case to El Salvador mega prison
Frengel Reyes Mota was supposed to be dealing with his ongoing asylum case as he fought for his chance to stay in the United States. Suddenly, he instead found himself locked up in a mega prison thousands of miles away.
Elise Stefanik’s nomination to be U.N. ambassador withdrawn, Trump says
Rep. Elise Stefanik’s nomination to be U.N. ambassador has been withdrawn, President Trump confirmed Thursday, with the president saying he’s asked her to remain in Congress.
GOP Threatens Judges Who Block Trump — But Was Happy When They Blocked Biden
Republicans are acting so mad about judges issuing injunctions that halt Trump’s plans. Guess how they acted when judges did this to Biden and Obama?
Should Universities Cater to Retirees?
As the population ages, academic offerings for seniors may help fill empty seats.
Trump-Targeted Law Firm Paul Weiss Was Already Bending the Knee, in Another Direction
We should never have reached the point where presidents can threaten law firms over whom they hire and represent.
Babysitter checking for monsters finds man hiding under child’s bed
A 27-year-old man has been arrested after a Kansas babysitter found him hiding under a child’s bed, police said.
Less Than 1/4 of Americans Want to Defund NPR and PBS
President Donald Trump and his allies have railed against NPR and PBS for years, accusing them of bias, targeting them with investigations, and threatening to cut off taxpayer funding. But a new Pew Research Center poll shows that is not what a majority of Americans want, even among Republicans.
DOGE Plans to Rebuild SSA Code Base in Months, Risking Benefits and System Collapse
Social Security systems contain tens of millions of lines of code written in COBOL, an archaic programming language. Safely rewriting that code would take years—DOGE wants it done in months.
Inside Iowa Politics Exclusive: State senator confirms possible U.S. senate run
State Senator Zach Wahls, a Coralville Democrat, called on U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to resign for his role in a group text message discussing a forthcoming military action and also confirmed to Gray Media Iowa that he is considering a U.S. senate run in 2026.
Louisiana voters reject 4 constitutional amendments, handing Landry major defeat
‘No on All’ campaign dooms major tax and budget changes
A Vietnam vet found a dream senior living community. Then new owners jacked up the rent by 365%.
Residents of senior living facilities typically expect to live out their remaining years when they buy into a community. But a new dynamic in the industry is altering the deals these residents agreed to.
Trump won’t rule out seeking a third term in the White House, tells NBC News there are methods’ for doing so
President Donald Trump said in a Sunday-morning phone call that he was “not joking” about a third term, adding that “it is far too early to think about it.”
Short Circuit: An inexhaustive weekly compendium of rulings from the federal courts of appeal
Facsimile fun, federal funding freezes, and fateful photos.
Economy & Taxes
New Income Tax Proposal Is Progressive and Unworkable
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick says the Trump administration wants to eliminate income taxes for those making $150,000 or less—an unprecedented shift with major consequences.
Billion-Dollar US Levies on Chinese Ships Risk ‘Trade Apocalypse’
Critics will tell a hearing on Monday that the move against commercial ships could be more disruptive for global trade than Trump’s tariffs.
Trade War Explodes Across World at Pace Not Seen in Decades
Proliferating tariffs engulfing U.S., China and their partners draw parallels to 1930s protectionist spiral
Consumer confidence in where the economy is headed hits 12-year low
The Conference Board’s measure for future expectations tumbled 9.6 points to 65.2, the lowest reading in 12 years. The board’s monthly confidence index of current conditions slipped to 92.9, a 7.2-point decline and the fourth consecutive monthly contraction.
Florida debates lifting some child labor laws to fill jobs vacated by undocumented immigrants
Florida has been working for years to crack down on employers that hire undocumented immigrants. But that presented a problem for businesses in the state that are desperate for workers to fill low-wage and often undesirable jobs.
Trump’s Tariffs Will Have the Last Word—at the Bar
They will inflate the price of a classic cocktail.
US, Canadian steelworkers hit with layoffs amid tariff uncertainty
1,400 job cuts affect operations in Michigan, Minnesota, Ontario and Quebec
Why the United Auto Workers Supports Tariffs That Will Hurt Auto Workers
The union doesn’t represent most autoworkers.
Tariffs: Carmaggedon
The Trump administration has announced it will impose 25 percent tariffs on imports of cars and certain auto parts, in most cases from April 3. Cars manufactured in Canada and Mexico, the other parties to the USMCA (NAFTA 2.0), will be treated a bit more gently.
Two Visions of Industrial Policy, Both Flawed
In the Wall Street Journal, Jared Bernstein and Dean Baker have a piece about how the Trump administration’s sweeping agenda of protective tariffs, meant to restrict imports to create a manufacturing renaissance, will fail. These authors propose instead a sprawling array of subsidies, tax credits, and federal grants aimed at coaxing domestic production in “strategic” industries. These are the two dominant industrial-policy frameworks today — and they are both deeply flawed.
Trump’s Bidenesque ‘Fact Sheet’ on Tariffs
It would be nice if economically illiterate White House “fact sheets,” a regular occurrence under the Biden administration, were a thing of the past. But Trump’s fact sheet justifying auto tariffs is positively Bidenesque.
No, the U.S. Industrial Base Is Not Collapsing
Our manufacturing output, even adjusted for inflation, is near all-time highs.
Trump ‘chaos’ threatens US oil output, say shale executives
Dallas Fed survey shows mounting alarm among Texas drillers at the administration’s energy strategy
Poland to Surpass Japan in GDP per Capita
Any cross-country economic comparison is going to be complicated because there are so many factors involved. A major one that some people might point to instead of free markets to explain Poland’s success is its membership in the European Union. EU membership has no doubt been good for Poland’s economy, as it has been for all of the former communist states that have joined.
Cleveland-Cliffs lays off more than 1,200 workers as tariffs hit demand
A number of North American steel manufacturers are struggling to deal with the impacts of the Trump administration’s trade policy.
Trump might let taxes rise for the rich to cover breaks on tips
The Trump administration is discussing a surprising option to help fulfill his campaign-trail promises: Allowing the richest Americans’ tax rates to rise in return for cutting taxes on tips, a senior White House official tells Axios.
Once an Economy Switches from Rules to Deals, It’s Hard to Go Back
Americans of all political affiliations will miss the checks and balances that Donald Trump is trying to dispense with.
The s-word rippling through Wall Street and Main Street
That pattern, most vividly seen in the 1970s, is particularly painful because it means people experience pain from both lack of job opportunities and higher prices. It also leaves the Fed and other economic policymakers with less ability to cushion the blow because a move that might address one side of the problem could worsen the other.
Michigan’s auto industry boondoggle: billions in subsidies, 287,000 jobs lost
State’s manufacturing workforce keeps shrinking
Challenging Trump’s Tariffs Under the Major Question Doctrine
Georgetown law Prof. Jennifer Hillman explains why Trump’s tariffs are vulnerable to challenge on this basis.
International
Turkey protests: 1,133 detained amid unrest over president’s main rival being jailed
Hundreds of thousands of people defied a ban on gathering in Istanbul to take to the streets for a fifth night on Sunday – where protesters were met with tear gas and rubber bullets from police.
German group files further legal challenge to planned Polish deepwater port
The organisation, Lebensraum Vorpommern, which describes itself as a “citizens’ initiative” demands the immediate suspension of the project’s environmental impact assessment, which was approved last month after Lebensraum Vorpommern’s earlier appeal was rejected.
Thousands feared dead after powerful earthquake rocks Thailand and Myanmar — toppling buildings and leaving behind hundreds of miles of destruction
Thousands are feared dead after a powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake rocked Southeast Asia on Friday, bringing down a towering skyscraper in Thailand and toppling buildings, including a mosque, in neighboring Myanmar.
U.S. officials went door-to-door in Greenland to find anyone who wanted to be visited by the Vances. They found no one
No one wants to talk to Usha Vance—at least no one in Greenland. US officials have reportedly been traveling around the Danish-controlled territory looking for locals who wanted to receive a visit from the Second Lady, according to a report from Danish TV 2. Greenlanders’ response? No thanks.
Around the World, Many People Are Leaving Their Childhood Religions
Surveys in 36 countries find that Christianity and Buddhism have the biggest losses from ‘religious switching’
Hundreds of thousands flood Istanbul streets as Turkey marks 10th day of protests: ‘The nation is united against the oppressor’
Hundreds of thousands of protestors flooded the streets of Istanbul Saturday, as unrest raged for the 10th day over the jailing of Ekrem Imamoglu, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s top political rival. Supporters waving Turkish flags and banners with Imamoglu’s face read aloud a jail letter from the Istanbul mayor to a cheering crowd.
Prime minister of Denmark to visit Greenland in wake of Vance’s trip
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen will meet with Greenland’s leadership and residents. Vance did not receive an invitation from the government.
Police arrest parents for complaining about school on WhatsApp
Parents Maxie Allen and Rosalind Levine were arrested in January for allegedly harassing their daughter’s primary school, Cowley Hill Primary School, through emails and WhatsApp messages.
Opinion
‘Look on My Works, Ye Mighty, and Despair!’
We are 64 days into Donald Trump’s second administration, and it sure feels like a lot has been happening. We’re constantly told that this is an exceptionally transformative presidency that will leave a durable mark — one of the big ones.
The Costs of Research funding Delays at NIH
How a weeks-long freeze of the grant review process has stymied a myriad of scientific studies.
Striking the Houthis Does Not Constitute ‘Bailing Out Europe Again’
The most interesting and consequential revelation in The Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg’s piece revealing that he was accidentally privy to secret plans for imminent U.S. military action against the Houthis is the revelation itself. It’s embarrassing enough that the journalist was included in a Signal app chat along with senior members of the administration where sensitive intelligence was discussed — and not just because the secretary of defense emphasized the need for “100% OPSEC” on that very chat. It’s not just mortifying; it was inexcusably reckless.
The Trump Administration Falls Back on Flippancy
Officials have responded to the text-thread security failure and other weighty controversies with sass and indifference.
An Ominous Rattle in the Engine for the GOP
On the menu today: It’s special-election season again. Yesterday, Pennsylvanians went to the polls for a pair of state legislative races; in less than a week, Floridians elect the replacements for Mike Waltz and Matt Gaetz; and Wisconsinites will soon make their choice in a key state supreme court race. On just about every front, the early numbers are not where Republicans would like them to be — an indicator that either Republicans in Washington are less popular than they think they are, or the Democratic grassroots are enraged and fired up and showing up for early voting, while the GOP’s grassroots are growing complacent and tuning out the special elections.
Sometimes, It’s Best Just to Say, ‘We Screwed Up’
Fair warning: I’m about to be naive again. Here goes: Why don’t politicians — in both parties, and across all of our institutions — just come out and say “I screwed up” when it’s perfectly obvious that they screwed up? If the last couple of decades are any indication, our eminent leaders seem to be under the impression that admitting error is about the worst thing that you can do. In most cases, though, it’s really not. In the real world, acknowledging that you tried something and that it didn’t work — or, simply, that you made a flat-out mistake — is quite relatable. And, even when it’s not relatable, it’s preferable to telling stupid lies that — and here’s the key point — that everyone knows are stupid lies.
The Last Defense of the Signal Scandal Died This Morning
The last talking point in the Jeffrey Goldberg Signal scandal died this morning. Readers will recall that, ten days ago, the Atlantic Monthly editor in chief was inexplicably invited onto a private chat between the Trump administration’s national security principals, who were candidly debating the value of strikes upon Yemen’s Houthi terrorists amongst themselves. This chat was held on a private platform, Signal, whose end-to-end encryption may be reasonably tight but whose operational security was clearly not — as evidenced by the fact that Goldberg (much to his own mystification) was present there in the first place.
America is now in the business of extortion
The Atlantic Signal leak spelt out baldly quite how self-destructive the Trump administration’s foreign policy really is
The Left Still Stinks, Even on the Trump Administration’s Bad Days
On the menu today: We’ll get the spring webathon business out of the way, then take a long look at the many, many, many . . . many ways that the modern Left and Democratic Party stinks.
A Disclosure Violation Is Still a Violation, Even If It Wasn’t a Worse Violation
In my earlier post debunking Trump officials’ suggestions that the commercially available Signal encryption app is permissible for classified communications, I analogized Signal to the public portion of a congressional intelligence committee hearing. I also said I’d post separately about another bit of administration legerdemain: the claim that patently classified communications were not classified. That brings to mind another analogy — a favorite tactic of defense lawyers in criminal trials.
Here’s what Starmer must do now to see off America’s tariff threat – and help our economy soar
The chief victims of Donald Trump’s new tariffs will be Americans. The President’s 25 per cent levy on all imported cars, to sit alongside those on steel and aluminium, will inevitably result in price rises.
Is the Trump Administration Sabotaging Its Own Peace Deal?
On Monday, the Trump White House announced that it had reached separate but contingent agreements with Ukraine and Russia to pause their respective attacks on each other’s maritime and civilian energy targets. In exchange, the White House agreed to provide Russia with sanctions relief. Ukraine, by contrast, got little more than constraints on its ability to execute some of its most effective asymmetrical operations against Russian targets. But that agreement, if there ever was an agreement, was not to last.
RFK Jr. would be wrong to ban pharmaceutical ads
Back when Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was running for president, he expressed interest in banning pharmaceutical ads on TV. This week, a popular account on X posted so-called breaking news saying Kennedy “has announced plans to ban pharmaceutical advertisements on television.”
Welcome to the Two-Front War Against Woke
It is upon us: the fight against Woke is now a two-front war. On our Left, we have Woke Marxism that hasn’t gone away. Arising rapidly from our Right, we now also have a Woke Fascism that threatens to ruin everything we’ve accomplished. Those of us who love America now have to fight the battle against Woke on two fronts: Woke Left and Woke Right. In this free-ranging episode of the New Discourses Podcast, host James Lindsay discusses the current landscape in the civilizational fight against Woke in all its manifestations. Join him for an uncomfortable update on the state of the union.
Ukrainian Children Are Not Expendable
During times of war, the most vulnerable always pay the heaviest price. Women and children face unique vulnerabilities in the midst of crisis and conflict, and Russia’s attack on Ukraine in 2022 has proved no different.
Yuval Levin: You Can’t Run Government Through Retribution
Donald Trump’s key early actions are responses to frustrations from his first term. But did he learn the wrong lesson?
For team Trump, power means money and fame
The Republican Party’s populism, from the tea party to President Donald Trump’s two victories, has always gathered steam from the infuriating sight of public officials getting rich while in power or immediately upon cashing out of office. The Pelosis, the revolving-door lobbyists, the former conservatives who cash out and become shills for corporate welfare — they are the “swamp” that needs draining.
The average college student today
How things have changed
