June 5, 2026 — John Hinderaker

A New $250 Bill?

Featured image Democrats are outraged over the news that the administration is considering issuing a $250 bill in commemoration of the nation’s 250th anniversary, with President Trump’s picture on it. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent displayed a mockup of the hypothetical bill: I think this is a marvelous troll on the part of President Trump. Trump has a sense of humor, and his critics generally don’t. Thus, they often fail to understand when »
June 5, 2026 — John Hinderaker

The KKK, Rubio’s Shoes and 60 Minutes

Featured imageLast night, I was on the Sky News U.S. Report with host James Morrow. It was an excellent conversation that covered the latest allegations in the prosecution of the Southern Poverty Law Center, the clown show that Democrats have made out of Congressional committee hearings, and the collapse of 60 Minutes. There is a harkening back to Rathergate, and discussion of the Ku Klux Klan–a group that, years ago, I »
June 4, 2026 — John Hinderaker

Who’s Obsessed With Race?

Featured imageLiberals like to denounce the rest of us as racists, but the truth is that they are the ones who are obsessed with race. This is a classic example: “BBC apologises for misquoting Farage on Nowak murder.” The BBC has apologised to Nigel Farage after one of its presenters misquoted his comments about the killing of Henry Nowak. During Tuesday’s Newsnight programme, Matt Chorley, the presenter, said that the Reform »
June 5, 2026 — Scott Johnson

Personal and confidential: Berney Strauss

Featured imageI am traveling early this morning and most of the day to the wedding of John Hammel Strauss, the son of Berney Strauss, in upstate New York. Berney was my best college friend. After college we went to graduate school together pursuing our interest in literature before shifting our attention elsewhere. In lieu of my usual deliberations over the news of the day, I want to invoke Berney’s memory while »
June 4, 2026 — Scott Johnson

Gen. Keane on the Iran status quo

Featured imageJack Keane is the retired four-star General, former Vice Chief of Staff of the Army and chairman of the Institute for the Study of War. He is smart and well-informed. He discusses where we are and whither we are tending in the conflict with Iran. His observations on the status quo help to arbitrate the differences between John and me. He is the guest on the current What the Hell »
June 4, 2026 — John Hinderaker

Bolton to Plead Guilty

Featured imageJohn Bolton reportedly will plead guilty to a single count of retaining classified information, and will pay a $2.25 million fine to avoid jail time. From the indictment that gave rise to the current plea: “From on or about April 9, 2018, through at least on or about August 22, 2025, BOLTON abused his position as National Security Advisor by sharing more than a thousand pages of information about his »
June 4, 2026 — Bill Glahn

Henry Nowak: Starmer blames Musk

Featured imageFrom the BBC, Starmer accuses Musk of trying to whip up division over Henry Nowak murder. In this context, “division” means any criticism of the government. I must say that I had never heard about the Nowak case before seeing it mentioned on Twitter (X) last month, as commentary was posted regarding the trial of Nowak’s murderer, Vickrum Digwa, age 23. Didgwa has since been convicted of murder and sentenced »
June 3, 2026 — Bill Glahn

Henry Nowak: the call for calm

Featured imageIt has been decreed by official Britain: the unprovoked, brutal murder of Henry Nowak shall not be “politicized,” lest the wishes of Henry’s surviving family be dishonored. In practice, to avoid politicization, one must refrain from any criticizing or questioning any errors or omissions by anyone in government. How dare you. The 0nly prominent political figure to not go along with the Omerta is Reform leader Nigel Farage. For this »
June 3, 2026 — John Hinderaker

Clown Show In Congress

Featured imageSecretary of State Marco Rubio has been testifying before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, ostensibly on the State Department’s budget. But Democrats on the committee have no interest in any legitimate oversight role. Nor do they have any interest in asking Rubio questions. They proceed in what has become the usual style: they harangue the witness, often with an affect of insane rage, and the witness may or may not »
June 3, 2026 — Steven Hayward

The Power Line Show: Timothy Sandefur’s “Proclaiming Liberty”

Featured imageI’m finally back from two weeks overseas mixing an academic conference with some vacationing, and just in time. Here I am hanging on every word from the great John Malcolm at Università degli Studi di Enna Kore in Sicily last week. We’re now only a month away from the July 4 semiquincentennial of the founding of our country, and there’s still time to acquire and read through some of the »
June 3, 2026 — Scott Johnson

After last night

Featured imageRealClearPolitics has posted the current results of yesterday’s many primary elections here. The results are too numerous to take in or assess in one gulp, but the Democrat/MSM axis appears largely to be happy with them. Politico Playbook puts it more bluntly, and you can’t get any more Dem/MSM than PP: “Establishment Dems surge, MAGA quakes.” Incumbent Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass survived the mayoral primary to proceed to the »
June 4, 2026 — John Hinderaker

A More Optimistic View on Iran

Featured imageI have often expressed puzzlement over the Trump administration’s cease fire in Iran and its strategy going forward. In general, my views align with Scott’s, as expressed earlier today. However, for a more optimistic view, check out Condoleezza Rice’s op-ed in the Wall Street Journal: The war against Iran has been a limited war, and its outcome is likely to be inconclusive. But it has achieved enough to produce a »
June 4, 2026 — Scott Johnson

Waiting for the end

Featured imageOnce upon a time during the heyday of the Vietnam War, Johnny Carson had William F. Buckley on the Tonight Show as a guest. For his opening question, Johnny asked Buckley something to this effect. United States Ambassador to Vietnam Henry Cabot Lodge says that the war may not come to a defintive conclusion, but that it may just fade away. What do you think? In his slowest British drawl, »
June 3, 2026 — John Hinderaker

Scott Pelley, Dishonest Hack

Featured imageCBS News has fired Scott Pelley. The new regime at CBS News is praising Pelley, probably disingenuously: [New CBS News head Bari] Weiss nevertheless praised Pelley’s body of work and highlighted several of his recent reports for “60 Minutes.” “That unfortunate outcome does not discount from the amazing contributions and work that Scott Pelley has done for CBS and for ‘60 Minutes’ over the course of his career,” Weiss said. »
June 3, 2026 — Scott Johnson

Quote of the day

Featured imageStar Tribune publisher Steve Grove is cutting jobs and pursuing a nonprofit structure for the newspaper. The Star Tribune itself covers the story today here. The story quotes Grove employing the cliché of the “journey.” The Star Tribune is on a “journey.” We’re on the road to find out. Grove thinks in clichés: When asked if these layoffs indicate failed strategy, Grove said, “I certainly wish this [layoff] step in »
June 3, 2026 — Bill Glahn

Police officers cleared in Henry Nowak murder

Featured imageYesterday, the UK Telegraph reported, Officers in Nowak arrest did nothing wrong, police watchdog claims. Nothing? Nothing at all? From the Telegraph, The police watchdog claims there is no evidence the officers who handcuffed Henry Nowak as he lay dying committed misconduct, The Telegraph can reveal. The 18-year-old university student was arrested by police after being stabbed by Vickrum Digwa, who lied and claimed he had been racially abused and »
June 3, 2026 — Scott Johnson

Redpelleyed

Featured imageScott Pelley is the pompous windbag of 60 Minutes. Ted Knight played a character like Pelley for laughs in days of old on the Mary Tyler Moore Show. Pelley amped up the character and drained it of humor. He is beyond satire. An insufferable fool, he plays himself seriously. Beyond the blissful ignorance represented by the blue pill, to be redpelleyed is to add elements of pomposity, arrogance, condescension, and »