May 12, 2026 — Scott Johnson

I smell a rat

Featured image Eil Lake assesses the New York Times column by Nicohlas Kristof that I discussed in “The Times strikes again.” Lake’s Free Press column runs under the headline “Nick Kristof’s ‘Dog Torture’ Claim About Israel Doesn’t Pass Muster.” In my own comments on Kristof’s column, I expresssed the desire to see a sidebar to Kristof’s column in which some enterprising reporter or columnist would explore the training of the alleged Israeli »
May 12, 2026 — Scott Johnson

Jimmy Lai’s struggle

Featured imageAt age 78, Hong Kong pro-democracy publisher Jimmy Lai has as a practical matter been sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison under torturing conditions of confinement. Lai exhibits the kind of heroic virtue to which we would aspire if we dared to face his circumstances. He has a kind of ornery character that seems American to me. In the video Lai’s son Sebastien speaks up on »
May 12, 2026 — Steven Hayward

The Power Line Podcast: John West on the Declaration, Christian Faith, and Science

Featured imageThis special classic format podcast series leading up to July 4 will start to pick up steam in the next couple weeks. I resume here with John G. West of the Discovery Institute, who sat down with me recently in his Seattle office to discuss his new book, Endowed by Our Creator: The Bible, Science, and the Battle for America’s Soul. Margaret Thatcher once remarked that “Europe was created by »
May 12, 2026 — Scott Johnson

Quote of the day

Featured imageAbe Greenwald writes Commentary’s daily newsletter. I think readers can subscribe for free here. Today Greenwald argues the proposition that “Israel is the weapon.” He writes: * * * * * There’s a pervasive misconception about the so-called information war that erupted after the Hamas massacre of October 7, 2023. The misconception is that Israel constitutes one of the war’s two fighting sides. The truth is that anti-Semites launched the »
May 12, 2026 — Scott Johnson

The Times strikes again

Featured imageNicholas Kristof writes a column for the opinion page of the New York Times. He is a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner. Kristof has just unveiled a new libel against Israel in “The silence that meets the rape of Palestinians.” You have to read it to disbelieve it. Among other things, Kristof cites “Palestinian prisoners and human rights monitors” who report “police dogs being coached to rape prisoners.” The Times has »
May 12, 2026 — Scott Johnson

Et in Arcadia ego

Featured imageTaken as a reference to the omnipresence of death, the Latin phrase “Et in Arcadia ego” can be translated “Even in Aracadia I am there.” It assumes a slightly different meaning today with the news that “Arcadia mayor Eileen Wang admits acting as Chinese spy, running fake news website with ex-lover in shocking plea deal.” The New York Post story includes this nugget: Wang’s spymasters in the Chinese Communist regime »
May 11, 2026 — Bill Glahn

Irrational exuberance

Featured imageMy old boss Alan Greenspan coined the phrase some 30 years ago. From Reuters, S&P 500, Nasdaq hit record highs as chip strength offsets Iran worries How long can it last, you ask? How has it lasted this long? The tale of the tape: the S&P 500 index closed at a new record high today, finishing above 7,412, after reaching a record intra-day high of almost 7,429 earlier in the »
May 11, 2026 — Bill Glahn

Suicide pact

Featured imageI can announce with great confidence that we have reached the peak of western civilization. The headline from the Times of India speaks for itself, Non-binary Indian on student visa elected to Scottish Parliament. I honestly don’t know how this can be topped. The Times reports, A non-binary transgender Indian and former PhD student, born in Tamil Nadu, has become the first person to be elected as a Member of »
May 11, 2026 — Scott Johnson

They do not love thee, Dr. Hamawy

Featured imageTom Brown’s famous translation of one of the Roman poet Martial’s epigrams begins: “I do not love thee, Doctor Fell / The reason why I cannot tell.” Brown himself might have trouble rhyming the name of New Jersey Democrat Dr. Adam Hamawy in a couplet. However, Dr. Hamawy’s patients have had no trouble explaining why they do not like him. Dr. Hamawy, you may recall, is the congressional candidate who »
May 10, 2026 — Steven Hayward

A Note on Government Fraud

Featured imageNote: I am interrupting my extended sabbatical (which will soon involve spending most of the next four months overseas working on two books) from commenting on news of the day to dilate John’s post immediately below about how Minnesota Democrats reversed course on investigating social service program fraud in Minnesota. I thought about posting this just as a comment, but as it grew I then thought, what the heck. . »
May 10, 2026 — John Hinderaker

Signs of Conservative Resurgence

Featured imageIt is no secret that red states are trouncing blue states by every metric, including the most important one: where people want to live. Everyone knows about Florida and Texas, but other red states are thriving, too, and they are doing it by applying conservative principles. Mississippi is a good example. Long downtrodden and the poorest state in the U.S. since the Civil War, Mississippi is coming back strong. It »
May 11, 2026 — John Hinderaker

The Fertility Crisis, Causes and Cure

Featured imageThe New York Times addresses what likely will turn out to be, with hindsight, the great crisis of our time: the collapse of fertility rates around the world. The long Times piece begins with a Hispanic couple, both of whom have advanced degrees (of course) and are considering leaving California for–of all places!–Minneapolis. They long to have children, but are deterred by uncertainties: The prospect of a first-time home buyer »
May 11, 2026 — John Hinderaker

Our Postmodern Politics

Featured imageI am old enough to remember when Republicans and Democrats disagreed on policy solutions to problems about which there was a more or less shared understanding–that the economy was sluggish, or violent crime was rising, or whatever. Often the parties were far apart on solutions, but they at least were living in the same world and could communicate and debate their differences. No longer. Now, the differences between right and »
May 11, 2026 — Bill Glahn

The rumble down under

Featured imageRight-wing politics is succeeding around the globe. The Sydney Morning Herald reports on a special election (by-election) for a seat in the national House of Representatives in the Australian Parliament, ‘Flame-haired Farage’: The One Nation shockwave felt across the world. I find it difficult to follow or to report on Australian politics because of the confusing party labels. One Nation is the U.K. Reform-style party of the right. Simple enough. »
May 11, 2026 — Scott Johnson

TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!

Featured imagePresident Trump waited 10 days for the response of the powers-that-be in Iran, whoever they are, to the proposed one-page memorandum setting forth terms acceptable to the United States. It looked like fool’s gold to me, but the Iranians rejected it in a letter that Trump has declared “TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!” Now what? "I have just read the response from Iran’s so-called 'Representatives.' I don’t like it — TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE! Thank »
May 10, 2026 — John Hinderaker

How Democrats Deal With Fraud

Featured imageAs all the world knows, Minnesota’s DFL Party has stood by for years while criminals stole billions of taxpayer dollars. Republicans have tried to stop the steal, but have gotten no cooperation from Democrats. Thus, in last year’s legislative session, the Republicans proposed to establish an office of Inspector General to investigate fraud in state government, with the power to bring criminal prosecutions. That proposal was, for obvious reasons, popular »
May 10, 2026 — Bill Glahn

The “moderate” con

Featured imageCall it the Mod Con. And rhe song remains the same: from the Minneapolis Star Tribune . Klobuchar pitches moderation in governor’s race, rebuffs redistricting push for Minnesota. The Star Tribune reports, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar declined Friday to embrace Gov. Tim Walz’s suggestion that Minnesota could try to redraw its congressional districts to create an advantage for Democrats if their party wins full control of state government in November. »