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| politics, foreign policy, law, culturepolitics, foreign policy, law, culture| politics, foreign policy, law, culture Skip to content HomeBio Terms and Conditions ← Older posts February 20, 2026 · 8:35 am STORM CLOUDS FOR DEMOCRATS The political weather forecasts call for balmy weather for Democrats. According to RealClearPolitics, which aggregates and analyzes a number of polls, President Trump’s approval ratings crossed into negative territory in March 2025 and have been trending steadily more negative ever since. They now stand at 55.5% negative to 42.0% positive. Democrats are optimistic about the upcoming midterm congressional elections. They need a net gain of only three seats to take control of the House of Representatives, and they expect to easily surpass that number. Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chair Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.) claims that 44 Republican-held seats are in play. James Carville predicts that Republicans will suffer a “wipeout,” with Democrats picking up somewhere between 25 to 45 House seats, and taking control of the Senate. History supports Democratic optimism. The party in the White House usually fares poorly in midterm elections, losing congressional seats 20 of the last 22 times. The losses are particularly bad in the midterm elections of the President’s second term, a phenomenon known as “the sixth year itch.” Trump is in his second term. So Democrats should be completely cheerful, right? Not quite. In fact, despite the sunny near-term prospects, there are storm clouds just beyond the horizon. Continue reading →Share this: Share on X (Opens in new window) X Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email Like Loading... Leave a comment Filed under Politics Tagged as democrats, donald-trump, elections, Electoral college, gerrymandering, news, Politics, republicans January 23, 2026 · 1:51 pm THE IRANIAN OPPORTUNITY Like a kitten dazzled by teaser toys, President Donald Trump is easily distracted. One day, he is obsessed with firing the Federal Reserve Governors. The next day, it’s getting his name on the Kennedy Center and the Institute of Peace. Then it’s the Nobel Peace Prize, which he supposedly deserved to win but didn’t. Then it’s Greenland. Or Iceland. He has trouble getting the name right. For much of January, Trump was preoccupied with a topic of far greater importance: Iran. Following mass demonstrations across the country, Trump, on January 2, threatened the mullahs with intervention if they resorted to violent suppression. “We are locked and loaded and ready to go,” he posted on Truth Social. He encouraged the protestors: “Iranian Patriots. KEEP PROTESTING – TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS.” On January 13, he added: “HELP IS ON ITS WAY.” But then new objects of fascination intruded, and it was time to scuff shiner objects. Trump tried to rationalize the diversion by claiming that the regime had somehow moderated. “I greatly respect the fact that all scheduled hangings … have been cancelled by the leadership of Iran. Thank you!” But this claim of mullah moderation was as untrue as it was unfortunate. It was untrue. With the government shutdown of the internet, obtaining accurate numbers is very difficult, but it appears that the pace of killing continued unabated. On January 21, the Human Rights Activists News Agency announced that the death toll had risen to 4,560, and the number of arrests had risen to 26,500. And it was unfortunate. The current unrest presents a real opportunity to finally topple the murderous mob that has misruled Iran since 1979 – but only if Trump can focus on the regime and the ways in which the United States might facilitate its overthrow. Failing to seize this opportunity because of trifling distractions would be a mistake of historic proportions. Continue reading →Share this: Share on X (Opens in new window) X Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email Like Loading... 1 Comment Filed under Foreign Policy Tagged as history, hostages, iran, israel, middle-east, ouster, overthrow, Politics, protests December 17, 2025 · 10:29 am WHO THE HELL WAS HUMPHREY? Whether you are a lawyer or just interested in the law, chances are you have heard of Humphrey’s Executor. It seems that the case is always mentioned whenever pundits debate President Trump’s power to fire members of federal agencies. Supporters of Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, formerly a member of the Federal Trade Commission, cite the Humphrey’s Executor decision to contest Trump’s right to terminate her. In that 1935 case, the Supreme Court ruled 9-0 that an FTC commissioner can be fired only “for cause,” which under the FTC Act is defined as “inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance.” Disagreement over policy, according to the Court’s holding, is not a sufficient basis for termination. Trump’s supporters contend that the FTC, like all federal agencies, is part of the executive branch of the federal government. All members of that agency must be answerable to the President since he is the head of the executive branch. Otherwise, the federal agencies would constitute an unconstitutional fourth branch of government. They urge the Supreme Court to overrule Humphrey’s Executor. But just who was this fellow Humphrey? Continue reading →Share this: Share on X (Opens in new window) X Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email Like Loading... 1 Comment Filed under Law November 7, 2025 · 9:01 am WHY ISRAEL INNOVATES In the summer of 2025, Israelis had cause for despair. Forty eight living and dead hostages languished in Gaza. In the wake of Israel’s military response to the largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israel’s Prime Minister and for a former Defense Minister on charges of war crimes. Israeli tourists were advised by their government to avoid conspicuous signs of “Israeliness” while abroad and to refrain from posting their whereabouts on social media. Following the murders of two Jewish worshippers at a Manchester synagogue in the United Kingdom, Police in Birmingham, citing fears of further violence, announced that Israeli fans would be barred from attending a League Europa soccer match. Amid the distress, and hardly noticed by the hostile world outside its borders, Israel’s Tel Aviv University announced that it was preparing to perform the world’s first human spinal cord implant. Over 15 million people worldwide live with spinal cord injuries, preventing them from walking. Unlike other human tissues, spinal cord neurons cannot naturally regenerate. The implant procedure, if successful, will replace damaged spinal cord material with lab-grown material that will fuse with tissue above and below the injury, creating new pathways for nerve signals to travel. This pioneering medical procedure would merit attention under any circumstances. But the fact that it emerged from a tiny country ostracized by much of the world, and under attack on many fronts by terrorist bands, makes it all the more extraordinary. This is especially so because the spinal cord advance is only one of a number of healthcare innovations emanating from Israel at the very time it endures international ostracism and confronts threats to its survival. Many of these dramatic advances have arisen from its war with Hamas. As the New York Post reported last year: From surgical robots that remove bullets and shrapnel to 3D-printed prosthetics tailored for rapid deployment, to a battlefield burn treatment developed from pineapples, [Israeli] technologies are redefining modern medicine and saving lives.  Continue reading →Share this: Share on X (Opens in new window) X Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email Like Loading... Leave a comment Filed under Culture, Foreign Policy Tagged as bible, christianity, faith, god, jesus, medical, spinal cord September 29, 2025 · 4:48 pm THE FUTURE OF MAGA IS ERIKA On a warm spring evening in 1974, the music critic Jon Landau watched a performance at the Harvard Square Theater, and wrote: “I have the seen the future of rock and roll, and its name is Bruce Springsteen.” On a hot summer day in September 2025, about 200,000 people attended the Charlie Kirk memorial, and over 20 million watched on cable and online.  Many of the witnesses likely came away thinking: “I have seen the future of the MAGA movement, and its name is Erika Kirk.” Erika Kirk is the widow of the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk, but she is much, much more than that. She is a woman of impressive and eclectic accomplishments in her own right.   While playing NCAA Division II basketball in college, she earned dual degrees in political science and international relations. After graduating college, she earned a third degree, in American Legal Studies. She is currently pursuing a doctorate in Biblical Studies.   She was crowned Miss Arizona at the age of 23, and represented the state in the Miss USA Pageant. Ten years ago, she founded Biblein365, a ministry program that helps its members read the Bible in one year. It claims to have 180,000 participants. She runs her own faith-based clothing company, hosts a podcast focused on Biblical leadership, and reportedly works as a real-estate agent. On top of that, she is the mother of two young children. On September 12, two days after the assassination, she was unanimously chosen to take his place as CEO and Board Chair of Turning Point USA. This was not a big surprise. Before his death, her husband had discussed just such a succession plan with Turning Point executives. But what happened nine days later, at the packed State Farm Stadium, was a surprise, at least to those who knew her only as Charlie Kirk’s widow. The event was planned as a memorial to Charlie Kirk. But it also turned out to be an opportunity for the potential heirs apparent to MAGA leader Donald Trump to showcase their talents. One might even say it was a kind of MAGA movement beauty pageant. Erika Kirk, who knows a thing or two about beauty pageants, demonstrated to a vast audience that she is equipped and inclined to take on the leadership, not just of Turning Point USA, but of the MAGA movement itself. Continue reading →Share this: Share on X (Opens in new window) X Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email Like Loading... 1 Comment Filed under Politics Tagged as Charlie Kirk, Erika, Erika Kirk, faith, god, jesus, Politics, Turning Point USA August 30, 2025 · 2:42 pm THE COPYRIGHT ADVENTURES OF MARK TWAIN When Samuel Clemens, better known by his pen name Mark Twain, died in 1910, the New York Times deemed him the greatest humorist and satirist in the English-speaking world.  William Faulkner later went beyond that accolade, and called him “the father of American literature.” There is another lesser known area in which superlatives are due. He was the most fervid and imaginative champion of copyright law this country has ever produced. In his magisterial  biography, Ron Chernow characterizes Twain’s attitude toward copyright law as “militant.” Chernow likes the adjective so much that he uses it three times.  And it is proper to do so. For while all writers wish to maximize their copyright protection, none have been as combative as Twain in attempting to stretch the boundaries of that legal doctrine. For most of his life, his attempts failed. But he never gave up. In the end, he succeeded. Continue reading →Share this: Share on X (Opens in new window) X Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email Like Loading... 2 Comments Filed under Law Tagged as Ashcroft, book-review, books, copyright, fiction, Mark Twain, protection, term, writing August 12, 2025 · 1:04 pm THE LURE OF PALESTINIAN STATEHOOD In the past few weeks, several Western countries have announced that they intend to recognize a Palestinian state. France led the way. On July 26, President Emmanuel Macron, in a letter posted on X, announced that France would recognize a Palestinian state when the UN General Assembly meets in September. Three days later, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer declared that his country too would extend recognition in September at the UN, unless Israel agreed to a cease fire, withdrew from Gaza, and halted West Bank settlements.  The next day, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney issued a similar statement. Australia quickly followed suit. At the same time, New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Winston Peters announced that his country would make a formal decision in September. There is no doubt what that decision will be. Each of these governments believes that recognizing a Palestinian state will advance the cause of peace in the Middle East. Each is wrong. Continue reading →Share this: Share on X (Opens in new window) X Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email Like Loading... 2 Comments Filed under Foreign Policy Tagged as gaza, hamas, israel, palestine, peace, Politics, statehood, united-nations July 17, 2025 · 4:05 pm DWARFS AT LARGE The first thing one notices are the eyes. They peer at the viewer with an audacity bordering on insolence. They say plainly that the soul behind those eyes is the equal of any viewer. In fact, in their somewhat intolerant way, they suggest that he may be the viewer’s superior. Only when the viewer backs up and sees the portrait in whole, does he notice that Sebastián de Morra, the artist’s subject, is a dwarf. Sebastián de Morra, Museo del Prado Dwarfs, or “little persons” as some prefer to be called, were in the news last year, thanks to the controversy over Disney’s Snow White. Actor Peter Dinklage, who has a form of dwarfism called achondroplasia, denounced Disney for its plans to make “that fucking backward story of seven dwarves living in the cave.” Immediately following his criticism, a number of high profile writers and activists piled on, supporting his outrage. Continue reading →Share this: Share on X (Opens in new window) X Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email Like Loading... Leave a comment Filed under Culture Tagged as art, fantasy, movies, Phillip, reviews, Sebastian de Morra, Velazquez, writing June 15, 2025 · 8:52 am THE NEW KKK On April 13, 2025, Cody Allen Balmer set fire to the residence of Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shaprio, while he and his family slept upstairs. That evening, the family had celebrated Passover, the Jewish holiday commemorating the liberation of the Hebrew people. On May 21, 2025, Elias Rodriguez murdered Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, two young employees of the Israeli embassy who were about to be engaged to be married. They died outside the Capitol Jewish Museum, as they left a Young Diplomats events organized by the American Jewish Committee. On June 1, 2025, Mohamed Sabry Soliman used a makeshift flamethrower and homemade Molotov cocktails in an attempt to incinerate Jewish community members in their weekly gathering to raise awareness of the plight of the hostages kidnapped by Hamas. He burned 15 people, one of them an 88-year old Holocaust survivor. None of these murderers or would-be murderers concealed their motives. Balmer told the police: “Shapiro needs to know that [Balmer] … will not take part in his plans for what he wants to do to the Palestinian people.” He added: “You all know where to find me. I’m not hiding, and I will confess to everything that I had done.” Rodriguez proclaimed: “I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza …. ”  As the police took him into custody, he pulled out a red keffiyeh and chanted “Free, free Palestine!” Soliman yelled  “Free Palestine” during the attack and later told authorities that he wanted to “kill all Zionist people and wished they were all dead.” Most pro-Palestinian demonstrators are not violent. But a minority are, and as recent events attest, they pose a real danger to the nation. Their violence has been compared to the lethal actions of the 1960s radicals, who resorted to assassination and bombs to protest the Vietnam War. But there is another forerunner to today’s violent pro-Palestinian movement, one that not only constitutes a precedent, but may also provide guidance on how to counteract it. That forerunner is the Ku Klux Klan. Continue reading →Share this: Share on X (Opens in new window) X Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email Like Loading... 2 Comments Filed under Culture, Politics Tagged as gaza, history, israel, KKK, Klan, Ku Klux Klan, palestine, Politics May 6, 2025 · 5:28 pm HARVARD LOOKS IN THE MIRROR Last week, Harvard’s Presidential Task Force on Combating Antisemitism and Anti-Israeli Bias issued its long awaited report. The Task Force was established in January 2024 by then-Interim President Alan Garber, and assigned to “identify causes of and contributing factors to anti-Jewish behaviors on campus; evaluate evidence regarding the characteristics and frequency of these behaviors; and recommend approaches to combat antisemitism and its impact on campus.” There was much to identify, and it could be discovered by looking in the mirror. Continue reading →Share this: Share on X (Opens in new window) X Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email Like Loading... Leave a comment Filed under Culture Tagged as antisemitism, bias, gaza, harvard, israel, palestine, Politics, zionism ← Older posts Search Search for: Categories Culture Foreign Policy Law Politics Uncategorized Archive February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 October 2022 September 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 February 2021 January 2021 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 November 2018 October 2018 August 2018 June 2018 April 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 February 2017 January 2017 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 March 2015 February 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 July 2013 June 2013 April 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 Posts by Date February 2026 M T W T F S S  1 2345678 9101112131415 16171819202122 232425262728   « Jan     Follow Blog via Email Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. 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