May 15, 2026 — Scott Johnson

Pope Leo doesn’t make a statement

Featured image Over at InstaPundit, Sarah Hoyt calls out my post “Pope Leo makes a statement” as “nonsense.” She explains that Pope Leo’s “award” to the Iranian ambassador was just business as usual: “It’s an automatic medal given to an ambassador who has served x amount of time.” For emphasis, I will add: read the whole thing here. Ms. Hoyt links to this post to point out my error. I have updated »
May 15, 2026 — Scott Johnson

Take it away, Eric Church

Featured imageAndrew Stiles reminds me at the end of his weekly Stiles Section column this week. I meant to call a timeout for the commencement speech Eric Church gave at UNC-Chapel Hill this past weekend after I read Dante the Don’s testimonial to it on X. Church is the highly successful country music singer singer/songwriter. As the powers-that-be at UNC-Chapel Hill explain, Church delivered a commencement speech structured on the six »
May 14, 2026 — John Hinderaker

Has the NY Times Gone Libertarian?

Featured imageOf course not. The Times will publish an op-ed by a libertarian (here, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Editor of Reason Magazine) on one condition: that it bash President Trump. Today the Times published Mangu-Ward’s op-ed, titled “He’s One of a Dying Breed in Congress. America Needs Him Now More Than Ever.” You don’t have to read the article to know that it is about a “maverick” Republican. And, sure enough, it is »
May 14, 2026 — John Hinderaker

Pummeling Karen Bass

Featured imageSpencer Pratt and his allies have released one dynamite video ad after another, most AI-generated. I don’t know who Charlie Curran is, but his ads for Pratt are nuclear and may usher in a new era of campaign advertising. This one is a couple of days old: Who said Karen Bass has no accomplishments to run on 😂😂😂 Vote Spencer Pratt. pic.twitter.com/vEEkpoOeR0 — Charles Curran (@charliebcurran) May 12, 2026 Pratt’s »
May 14, 2026 — Bill Glahn

S&P 7,500, Dow 50,000

Featured imageFrom CNBC, Dow jumps 370 points to recapture 50,000; S&P 500 posts first close above 7,500. The S&P 500 index closed today above 7,501, a new record level. Earlier in the day, the index rose above 7,517, a new intraday record high. Perhaps for psychological reasons, the more significant news was the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) finishing the day above 50,063. It was not a record for the Dow »
May 14, 2026 — Scott Johnson

The case of William Paul

Featured imageWilliam Paul is Senator Rand Paul’s son and former Rep. Ron Paul’s grandson. This past Tuesday evening he treated Rep. Mike Lawler to a drunken diatribe against — who else? — the Jews. He threw in homosexuals as well. Son William supports Thomas Massie and blames the opposition of “the Jews” to whatever difficulties Massie currently faces. I hear, however, that President Trump has had a hand in Massie’s political »
May 14, 2026 — Scott Johnson

Jefferson versus the Muslim pirates

Featured imageChristopher Hitchens told the story of “Jefferson Versus the Muslim Pirates” in a 2007 City Journal essay. Hitchens cited several books on the subject including Michael Oren’s then just-published account in his magisterial Power, Faith, and Fantasy: America in the Middle East, 1776 to the Present. Now comes historian Martin Kramer — Walter P. Stern Fellow at the Washington Institute and author of one of its most widely read monographs, »
May 13, 2026 — John Hinderaker

Politics As Vengeance

Featured imagePeggy Flanagan is the far-left Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota. She has been present throughout Tim Walz’s disastrous tenure in office, but has left little mark. If she is known for anything, it is 1) being part Native American, and 2) holding down the farthest left position on the political spectrum. Flanagan is now running for Minnesota’s vacant seat in the U.S. Senate and, despite her radicalism (or on account of »
May 13, 2026 — Scott Johnson

A mob grows in Brooklyn

Featured imageJews are under assault in Mayor Madman’s New York City. Would you have the temerity to wear a mezuzah around your neck or a kipot on your head in public? Would you have the gall to gather for services at a local congregation? The New York Post reports “An anti-Israel mob clashed with counter-protesters near a Brooklyn synagogue on Monday night — less than a week after a similar demonstration »
May 13, 2026 — Scott Johnson

Pope Leo makes a statement [updated]

Featured imageThe independent InfoVaticana site reports: Pope Leo XIV has awarded the Grand Cross of the Pontifical Order of Pius IX, the highest active diplomatic distinction of the Vatican, to the ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the Holy See, Mohammad Hossein Mokhtari. The decision, confirmed by a diploma dated May 8 and signed by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State. Although the award is usually part of the »
May 12, 2026 — Bill Glahn

“Cruel Joke”

Featured imageFrom Fox News, Million-dollar SNAP food stamp fraud scheme in Walz’s backyard sparks outrage: ‘Cruel joke’ Fox News reports, Authorities in Minnesota have filed criminal charges against a man accused of a food stamp fraud scheme that defrauded taxpayers out of over $1 million. Abdidwahid Mohamed, the owner of Minnesota Food Grocery LLC, allegedly used EBT cards registered to others to purchase items at Sam’s Club and Costco in 2021 »
May 14, 2026 — Scott Johnson

From spy dolphins to rape dogs

Featured imageThe Washington Free Beacon’s Jon Levine reviews the history of those wily Israelis’ use of animals to faciliatate their depredations against the Muslim Middle East. He begins with their use of Flipper’s oceangoing relatives. How wily can you get? A list of animals Israel has been accused of "weaponizing" against Palestinians over the years Thread 🧵🧵 pic.twitter.com/vLXXWoufUm — Jon Levine (@LevineJonathan) May 13, 2026 In a thread that can be »
May 13, 2026 — Bill Glahn

No, Canada!

Featured imageIt turns out that they have liberal activist government north of the border, as well. From the CBC, Future of Alberta separation petition unclear as judge rules in favour of First Nations’ challenge. The Alberta independence referendum was all set for a fall election until a judge decided that local native tribes hold a veto over everything that the province wants to do. I wrongly thought that this exercise was »
May 13, 2026 — John Hinderaker

Democrat Dishonesty, The NY Times, and Trump’s Visit to China

Featured imageLast night on the Rita Panahi Show, we covered some of the hot topics of the day, including the Nicholas Kristof scandal, President Trump’s visit to China, Mayor Katie Wilson’s deconstruction of Seattle, and more. The segment starts with Lefties Losing It (starring The View) and I come on after the video that is introduced at 4:00: »
May 13, 2026 — Scott Johnson

Annals of dog rape

Featured imageThe Twitchy post “Kristof screws the pooch” takes up the matter of Nicholas Kristof and the alleged Israeli rape dogs at the heart of Kristof’s long New York Times column. Kristof purported to report a scandal shaming Israeli authorities. The scandal appears to be of the backfiring kind. Twitchy’s justmindy compiles a few X posts that dispute Kristof’s support for the underlying thesis of the dog rape aspect of his »
May 12, 2026 — John Hinderaker

The Dems’ Absurd Lie of the Day

Featured imageThe Democrats are pushing this clip all over social media. It has been picked up by some anti-Trump news sources, like the Telegraph, which headlined: “‘I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation,’ says Trump.” Here it is: Americans' financial situation: —Gas prices have spiked 44% since Trump took office—Foreclosures are at a 6-year high—Most layoffs since the pandemic—Inflation is outpacing wages—70% of Americans disapprove of Trump's handling of the economy »
May 12, 2026 — John Hinderaker

Will There Be Accountability for Minnesota’s Fraud Scandals?

Featured imageUnder Tim Walz, Minnesota has become the most scandal-ridden state in America. So far, no one in state government has been held accountable for theft that has mounted into billions of dollars. Today, a first step toward accountability was taken by the Minnesota House Fraud Prevention and Oversight Committee, chaired by my friend Kristen Robbins. The Republican majority on the Fraud Committee issued an 84-page Final Report on its sixteen-month »