June 27, 2026 — Scott Johnson

Muslim pirates then & now

Featured image Michael Oren is the Israeli historian and author of Power, Faith and Fantasy: America in the Middle East, 1776 to the Present (2007), among other excellent books. In the first chapter of Power, Faith and Fantasy he tells the story of our submission to, our subsequent struggle against, and our final victory over the Barbary pirates. Turning to that chapter this morning, I see how much of it I have »
June 27, 2026 — Steven Hayward

The Week in Pictures: Party Like It’s October, 1917 Edition

Featured imageSo my site access has been restored but my WiFi access continues to be spotty as my ocean-going continues, but it did prompt the first graphic in this week’s gallery by the producers of the Ricochet podcast, where I ended up being a mostly silent spectator this week between 10-second bursts of connection, which was about all I needed for my very few five-second bursts of lucidity. Meanwhile, I still »
June 26, 2026 — John Hinderaker

Our Insane Immigration Policies

Featured image8 U.S.Code Sec. 1182(a)(4)(A) states: Any alien who, in the opinion of the consular officer at the time of application for a visa, or in the opinion of the Attorney General at the time of application for admission or adjustment of status, is likely at any time to become a public charge is inadmissible. There was a time when that provision was enforced. If you showed up at Ellis Island »
June 26, 2026 — John Hinderaker

Heat Wave!

Featured imageSometimes it gets hot. Even in Northern Europe, currently in the midst of a heat wave. Many people don’t realize that London is farther north than anywhere in the contiguous U.S. It is at the same latitude as Calgary, Canada. Paris is at the same latitude as North Dakota and Montreal. So Northern Europe has not generally been home to high temperatures. Thirty-one years ago, my wife and I and »
June 26, 2026 — John Hinderaker

Bolton Pleads Guilty

Featured imageWe long were fans of John Bolton, because of his generally hawkish and pragmatic foreign policy views. But his career devolved into bitter anti-Trumpism, and today it came to an ignominious end as Bolton pled guilty to mishandling classified information: President Trump’s former national security adviser, John Bolton, pleaded guilty Friday to a single count of hoarding national defense information while working in the White House, leaving the 77-year-old facing »
June 26, 2026 — Scott Johnson

It’s a long way to temporary

Featured imageThe Temporary Protected Status conferred on immigrants from designated countries provides yet another example of the meaning of “temporary” government programs. The meaning of “temporary” must be subsumed under a broader category of Newspeak that includes government programs adopted under the banner of “emergency.” Bruce Springsteen captured the spirit of the thing in “For You” on his first album: “Your life was one long emergency.” Governors including Minnesota’s ineffable Tim »
June 26, 2026 — Scott Johnson

California, here we go

Featured imageJames Freeman devotes his daily Best of the Web column to the proposition that “California leads the world in taxing the rich” (“Another socialist deception targets the Golden State’s economy”). In the column he takes up the “billionaire tax” that will appear on the ballot in November. We have covered the obvious problems that pervade the proposed law. Now that it has qualifed for the ballot, it is sure to »
June 25, 2026 — Bill Glahn

The great Bemidji roofing raid of ’26

Featured imageIt was a dramatic scene in the land of Paul Bunyan. From the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Roofers jump from homes in Bemidji to escape ICE agents The raid occurred two weeks ago, back on June 11 in Bemidji (MN). The Star Tribune reports, Ryan Lamusga assembled a crew of 30 men to repair roofs from last summer’s derecho that destroyed millions of trees and damaged homes. So far, so good. On Thursday, federal agents »
June 25, 2026 — John Hinderaker

Oil and Inflation Expectations Down

Featured imageDemocrats are making “affordability” one of their main issues for the midterm campaign. Ironically, when Democrats talk about the cost of living they never seem to consider the cost of government. I know how they could make my life more affordable–stop spending so much of my money. The main cost of living issue is the cost of gasoline at the pump. Prices spiked because of the conflict in Iran, and »
June 24, 2026 — John Hinderaker

Murder, the Deal, Socialism, Libel and the Supreme Court

Featured imageLast night I was on the Rita Panahi Show, and the conversation was lively as usual. We talked about the Karmelo Anthony case, the bizarre situation in Iran, the Democrats’ rush to socialism, Elon Musk’s threatened libel suit against Ro Khanna, and the Supreme Court’s most recent immigration decision. All good stuff. I come on following the video clips at 4:30, but you shouldn’t miss Lefties Losing It: »
June 24, 2026 — Steven Hayward

The Power Line Podcast: Ed Larson’s “Why 1776 Matters”

Featured imageMost of the books I have been featuring in this series highlight the philosophical and political background of the Declaration, going all the way back to antiquity in some cases, as well as dilating the ongoing controversies about several key aspects of the Declaration, such as the nature of “self-evident truth” or “all men are created equal.” This week’s featured book takes a different tack. It is Declaring Independence: Why »
June 26, 2026 — Scott Johnson

Scared Strait

Featured imageIs the Strait of Hormuz open or closed? The Iranian thugocracy has sold the opening of the Strait to us twice, first in the April 8 ceasefire agreement and again, most recently, in the Memorandum of Understanding. Under the Memorandum of Understanding, the thugs are reaping huge and immediate finanicial gains. Based on President Trump’s public comments, one may infer that the many concessions made to the thugs in the »
June 25, 2026 — John Hinderaker

Air Conditioning? It’s Illegal!

Featured imageBritain is in even worse shape than I thought. From the Telegraph: “Air conditioning torn from homes under net zero clampdown.” Homeowners are being forced to tear out air conditioning from their private properties under climate laws, despite rising temperatures. Council planning officers ordered residents to remove air-con units over fears they produce too much carbon dioxide, stating they should only be used as a “last resort”. The net zero »
June 25, 2026 — John Hinderaker

Fireworks In the Supreme Court

Featured imageThe Supreme Court decided several interesting cases today, with resulting controversy. In Monsanto Co. v. Durnell, the Court took up the case of a plaintiff who sued Monsanto under Missouri tort law, claiming that his exposure to glyphosate, which Monsanto markets under the brand name Roundup, gave him cancer. A Missouri jury found in Durnell’s favor and awarded him damages. Glyphosate is the most widely used agricultural chemical in the »
June 25, 2026 — Scott Johnson

At SPA, ordeal by Ottley

Featured imageThis past February, near the end of Operation Metro Surge, a parental member of the St. Paul Academy “community” leaked a school email to Liz Collin of Alpha News. From Assistant Principal for Student Life Stacy Tepp (she/her/hers), the email specified the venue’s “ICE protocol” for the Winter Dance. Tepp’s message announced: “If ICE is present, adults will help ensure that everyone is in the building safely and doors are »
June 24, 2026 — Bill Glahn

Retraction

Featured imageThe Minneapolis Star Tribune suffers a humiliating setback over a TMZ-style hit piece. A  TV news anchor for the local NBC affiliate, Julie Nelson, and her husband were injured in a boating accident across the border last week in Wisconsin. Here at Power Line, we wish them both a speedy recovery. The Star Tribune saw the incident as an opportunity to go after a local rival, publishing a story on »
June 24, 2026 — Scott Johnson

Quote of the day

Featured imageI headlined my post on St. Paul Academy alumnus Tim Sheey’s appearance on Fox News with Brian Kilmeade “Senator Sheehy explains.” The Wall Street Journal headlines its editorial on the same segment “Tim Sheehy explains Iran.” The Journal’s editors write: The Trump Administration is working overtime to sell its deal with Iran and assail anyone who questions sanctions relief for the regime that has massacred thousands of its own people. »