{"Articles":[ {"id":"4695816-1787299803", "title":"Markey fumbles question about AI as Moulton paints need for new generation", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fnews%2Fcampaigns%2Fcongressional%2F4695816%2Fmarkey-fumbles-question-ai-seth-moulton-new-generation%2F", "byline":"Rena Rowe", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) struggled to answer a question about artificial intelligence as he took the debate stage for the final time before the Massachusetts Democratic primary. Markey, 80, will face Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA), 47, in the Sept. 1 Democratic primary. Moulton has positioned himself as a younger, more viable alternative, casting the race […]", "description":""

Sen. Ed Markey <\/a>(D-MA) struggled to answer a question about artificial intelligence <\/a>as he took the debate stage for the final time before the Massachusetts<\/a> Democratic primary<\/a>.<\/p>

Markey, 80, will face Rep. Seth Moulton <\/a>(D-MA), 47, in the Sept. 1 Democratic primary. Moulton has positioned himself as a younger, more viable alternative, casting the race as a choice between generational change and Markey\u2019s decades of experience in Washington.<\/p>

During Thursday\u2019s debate, Markey was asked whether he uses artificial intelligence in his work.<\/p>

The senator said he uses \u201cwhatever is inside of my iPhone and my iPad,\u201d while acknowledging that he did not know which companies\u2019 technology his devices may use.<\/p>

Moulton quickly seized on the answer.<\/p>

\u201cWith all due respect, senator, if you don\u2019t even know what you\u2019re using on your phone or your iPad, like, this is why we need a new generation of leaders to regulate these technologies,\u201d Moulton said.<\/p>

In his closing remarks, Moulton again pointed to Markey\u2019s age and long tenure in Washington.<\/p>

\u201cI\u2019m running against the senator\u2019s decision after 50 years in Washington to run for another term at age 80,\u201d he said. \u201cI believe in a new generation of leadership. I believe we can do better than the status quo.\u201d<\/p>

Markey, a progressive who played a pivotal role in advancing the Green New Deal<\/a>, has argued that he remains energized and capable of serving another term.<\/p>

\u201cI\u2019m more energized than I\u2019ve ever been before,\u201d Markey said, adding that he has been \u201ccrisscrossing the state\u201d and \u201cfighting for families.\u201d<\/p>

The candidates also clashed over transgender<\/a> athletes, an issue that has become a flashpoint in the campaign.<\/p>

Moulton drew national attention after the 2024 election when he expressed concern about his daughters competing against transgender athletes. He later apologized for comments that sparked backlash but maintained that Democrats should be willing to debate the issue.<\/p>

Markey accused Moulton of putting transgender children \u201cunder the political bus after the election.\u201d<\/p>

\u201cWe should have been loving those kids,\" Markey said. \"We should have been protecting them against Trump, against Fox, against the MAGA base.\"<\/p>

\u201cTo anyone hurt by my comments, I\u2019m sorry, because that was not my intention,\u201d Moulton responded. \u201cMy intention was to say that we need to take on these issues. We need to have this debate and not cede it to Republicans across the country.\u201d<\/p>

Asked for a yes-or-no answer on whether transgender athletes should be allowed to participate in girls\u2019 sports, Moulton said they should, while adding that the issue should include discussions about safety and fairness.<\/p>

The debate also highlighted divisions within the Democratic Party between its progressive and more centrist factions.<\/p>

\u201cI have put forward such a progressive affordability agenda that plants the flag in the ground and says that housing, healthcare, and education should be human rights,\u201d Moulton said.<\/p>

GENERATIONAL FIGHT IN BUDDING MASSACHUSETTS DEMOCRATIC SENATE PRIMARY<\/a><\/p>

Markey, meanwhile, touted his support from prominent progressives, including Sen. Bernie Sanders <\/a>(I-VT), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez <\/a>(D-NY), and Sen. Elizabeth Warren<\/a> (D-MA).<\/p>

\u201cOur party has to become more progressive,\u201d Markey said. \u201cWe have to stand up for what the people are talking about at the grassroots, especially young people.\u201d<\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/WB.Congress.100825.jpg?w=696" }, {"Articles":[ {"id":"4694432-1787299200", "title":"Trump just blew open the smoke screen on America’s northern border", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fop-eds%2F4694432%2Fcanada-northern-border-no-security-concerns-smuggling-usmca-tariffs-untaxed%2F", "byline":"Joe Grogan", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"While much attention has been fixed on the southern border, a different kind of smuggling operation has been quietly thriving 5,500 miles to the north. And Canada’s failure to stop it is now a card the Trump administration is playing at the USMCA negotiating table. For too long, Canada has taken advantage of U.S. prosperity […]", "description":""

While much attention has been fixed on the southern border, a different kind of smuggling operation has been quietly thriving 5,500 miles to the north. And Canada's<\/a> failure to stop it is now a card the Trump administration is playing at the USMCA<\/a> negotiating table. For too long, Canada has taken advantage of U.S. prosperity and security. President Donald Trump<\/a> is ensuring the free ride ends. <\/p>

The illicit cigarette trade across the U.S.-Canada border is not some cottage industry run by petty criminals. It is a sophisticated, multibillion-dollar operation woven into the same criminal infrastructure that moves fentanyl, weapons, and stolen vehicles across the world's longest international boundary. And for too long, Ottawa has looked the other way.<\/p>

Canada's government recently documented a shadow economy so entrenched that contraband tobacco<\/a> accounts for up to 52% of cigarette sales in New Brunswick, 45% in Manitoba, and 38% in Ontario. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police estimates that more than 50 illegal cigarette factories operate in Ontario and Quebec alone, supported by over 300 unregulated smoke shacks serving as distribution points.<\/p>

The border region around Cornwall, Ontario, straddling the Akwesasne Mohawk territory, has long served as a porous superhighway for untaxed, unregulated products. Canadian task forces in that corridor laid multiple charges per quarter and seized hundreds of thousands in contraband. In a single month this spring, four separate investigations resulted in 4.3 million contraband cigarettes seized, along with a firearm, cannabis, and other contraband. One arrest alone yielded 3.5 million unstamped cigarettes hauled in a commercial trailer on the Trans-Canada Highway. Another smuggling operation of drugs and tobacco even involved a Canadian customs agent. Yet the pipeline never closes. <\/p>

States bordering Canada face compounding pressure. Research from the Mackinac Center for Public Policy demonstrates that states bordering Canada with higher tax rates experience measurably elevated inbound smuggling rates, a dynamic driven directly by the flood of untaxed product produced in Canadian manufacturing<\/a> zones and transiting through border communities.<\/p>

Enforcement agencies consistently find illicit tobacco alongside drugs, firearms, and human-trafficking evidence. The criminal networks running smoke shacks are the same networks running fentanyl. When law enforcement pressures one market, these organizations simply rebalance their portfolios into whatever carries the lowest risk and highest margin. Canada's enforcement strategy isn\u2019t enough and has given organized crime a free pass on the broader illicit ecosystem.<\/p>

That's why the Trump administration is right to make it a trade<\/a> issue.<\/p>

With the USMCA joint review now underway and negotiations at a critical juncture, Washington has made clear that Canada's credibility as a border security partner is no longer a diplomatic afterthought. U.S. Trade Rep. Jamieson Greer has stated flatly that tariffs will be part of any renewed deal. Trump invoked Section 338 of the Tariff Act in July to signal 50% tariffs on Canadian autos, dairy, and alcohol. Border enforcement integrity, including the failure to contain illicit goods flows, is among the underlying grievances driving that pressure.<\/p>

Canada wants USMCA renewal for the same reason it always has. Its economy cannot survive a sustained rupture with the American market. The manufacturing sector contributes nearly $200 billion annually to Canada's gross domestic product. The United States accounts for roughly 75% of Canada's exports. Ottawa has every incentive to prove it is a reliable partner, which means proving it can control what crosses its borders.<\/p>

The Trump administration's posture is also strategically brilliant in a way critics refuse to acknowledge. CBP's Detroit Sector now leads the entire northern border in drug seizures, averaging 150 seizures per year across maritime and land corridors spanning parts of Illinois<\/a>, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. Canadian authorities have announced fentanyl lab busts north of the border. Criminal networks do not respect the polite fiction that this is a friendly border without security concerns.<\/p>

WASHINGTON DECLARED AMERICAN MANUFACTURING DEAD. TRUMP\u2019S USMCA BROUGHT IT BACK TO LIFE<\/a><\/p>

What should Canada do to demonstrate it is serious? First, match U.S. inspection technology at shared crossings. Canada's scanning and risk-targeting infrastructure lags well behind American capability. Second, shut down the illicit manufacturing pipeline at its source by addressing the enforcement vacuum around Indian tribe reservations where large-scale production is concentrated by negotiating enforceable tax and production frameworks. Third, support a joint task force model with real-time intelligence sharing that goes beyond the current siloed approach.<\/p>

If Canada wants to come to the USMCA table as an equal, it needs to come as a partner that can guarantee the integrity of its side of the border. So far, it has not done that. The Trump administration<\/a> is applying exactly the right kind of pressure to change that calculus, and the illicit cigarette trade is one front where the evidence of Canadian failure is impossible to dispute.<\/p>

Joe Grogan is the former director of the U.S. Domestic Policy Council and assistant to President Donald Trump in his first administration.<\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP26212580516193.jpg?w=696" }, {"Articles":[ {"id":"4695525-1787299200", "title":"Iowa Democrat Sarah Trone Garriott hit over vote against banning biological boys from girls’ sports", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fnews%2Fcampaigns%2Fcongressional%2F4695525%2Fsarah-trone-garriott-hit-over-vote-against-banning-boys-girls-sports%2F", "byline":"James A. Downs", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"EXCLUSIVE — Rep. Zach Nunn (R-IA) is seizing on Democratic state Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott’s attempt to distance herself from her past vote against a ban on biological boys playing in girls’ sports with a new ad campaign. Nunn’s ad seeks to highlight Trone Garriott’s voting record on transgender issues just two weeks after the […]", "description":""

EXCLUSIVE \u2014 Rep. Zach Nunn (R-IA) is seizing on Democratic <\/a>state Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott\u2019s attempt to distance herself from her past vote against a ban on biological boys playing in girls' sports<\/a> with a new ad campaign. <\/p>

Nunn\u2019s ad seeks to highlight Trone Garriott\u2019s voting record on transgender issues just two weeks after the Democrat released her own campaign spot declaring that she opposes \u201cletting men in women\u2019s locker rooms.\u201d As a state senator, Trone Garriott previously voted against legislation restricting transgender students from girls\u2019 sports and school locker rooms based on their biological sex.<\/p>

The 60-second ad, shared first with the Washington Examiner, begins by calling attention to a situation in neighboring Minnesota, where a biological boy pitched 21 innings of a girls' softball tournament en route to a state title. The issue<\/a> prompted a Title IX investigation from the Department of Education.<\/p>

The spot, which will air on streaming, digital, and TV, then returns to Iowa, cutting to a young softball player.<\/p>

\u201cSports are supposed to be about fairness and having a level playing field,\u201d the girl says. \u201cCommon sense is a big thing that needs to play into it. We just want it to be fair and we want it to be safe. It's incredibly disappointing to see adults not stand up for us.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>

\u201cSarah Trone Garriott voted to let boys play in girls\u2019 sports and go into girls' locker rooms,\u201d the girl continues. <\/p>

Nunn, who is seeking his third term in a battleground Des Moines-area seat, is releasing the ad after Trone Garriott put out a direct-to-camera ad clarifying her stance on the issue.<\/p>

\u201cI oppose letting men in women's locker rooms and voted to let parents, not politicians, make decisions for their kids. I approve this message because politicians have become too extreme on these issues,\u201d Trone Garriott says in the ad.<\/p>

Nunn\u2019s campaign accused Trone Garriott of reversing her position.<\/p>

\u201cZach Nunn is a father of five daughters. When he voted to protect girls\u2019 sports, he was a dad standing up for his kids and every other girl in Iowa,\u201d Nunn campaign manager Brendan Duffy told the Washington Examiner in a statement. \u201cSarah Trone Garriott had the same opportunity twice, and voted no both times, including against protections for girls\u2019 sports and locker rooms. Now she\u2019s running ads telling Iowa parents she agrees with Zach. Nobody runs away from a record they\u2019re proud of. Trone Garriott is trying to rewrite hers because she knows Iowa voters won\u2019t like what they see.\u201d<\/p>

Her spot also drew the attention of Riley Gaines, a prominent activist against the inclusion of biological men in women's sports. <\/p>

\u201cIn 2023 she voted AGAINST legislation that prohibited men from accessing women\u2019s locker rooms. Anything to say about your voting record, @SarahforIowa?\u201d Gaines posted to social media.<\/p>

The Trone Garriott campaign pushed back against the criticism, telling the Washington Examiner in a statement, \"Sarah believes that parents, not politicians, should make choices for their kids. Sarah does not want men in women\u2019s locker rooms. As a parent, there is nothing more important to Sarah than the safety of our children, which is why she will always stand up for parents\u2019 rights to decide what is best for their kids.\"<\/p>

\"This didn\u2019t happen in Iowa; this ad is about Minnesota,\" said campaign spokesman Zach Schenkman. <\/p>

In 2022, while a state senator, Nunn voted to support a bill banning biological boys from playing in girls\u2019 sports, which is highlighted in the ad. Trone Garriott voted against it on the same roll call.<\/p>

That bill, signed into law by Gov. Kim Reynolds (R-IA) in 2022, requires athletes to compete on teams based on their biological sex.<\/p>

HOUSE REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN ARM POSTS BEST YEAR-TO-DATE FUNDRAISING HAUL IN COMMITTEE HISTORY<\/a><\/p>

A year later, Trone Garriott voted against legislation<\/a> requiring students to use school bathrooms and changing areas corresponding with their biological sex. Reynolds also signed that measure into law. <\/p>

Nunn won the swing district by 4 points in 2024 after eking out a 2,000-vote win in 2022. President Donald Trump carried the seat by a similar 4-point margin in 2024.<\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/AP26154066281991.jpg?w=696" }, {"Articles":[ {"id":"4695803-1787295905", "title":"Trump 86s military option, insists ‘Economic D-Day’ will force Iran to capitulate", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fdaily-on-defense%2F4695803%2Ftrump-86s-military-option-insists-economic-d-day-will-force-iran-to-capitulate%2F", "byline":"Jamie McIntyre", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"‘ECONOMIC D-DAY’ COMING: As his six-week war approaches its sixth month mark, President Donald Trump has given up on bombing Iran and is counting on “economic warfare and isolation on an unprecedented scale” to break Iran’s will. “We have very draconian sanctions, and we’ll see what happens,” Trump told reporters yesterday. In a Wednesday night […]", "description":""

\u2018ECONOMIC D-DAY\u2019 COMING: As his six-week war approaches its sixth month mark, President Donald Trump has given up on bombing Iran and is counting on \u201ceconomic warfare and isolation on an unprecedented scale\u201d to break Iran\u2019s will.<\/p>

\u201cWe have very draconian sanctions, and we'll see what happens,\u201d Trump told reporters<\/a> yesterday. In a Wednesday night post on Truth Social<\/a>, Trump described the plan as \u201cEconomic D-Day,\u201d and said it will target not just Iran, but anyone who helps Tehran in any way. \u201cANY country that allows its financial institutions, businesses, airports, or government entities to provide any type of lifeline to Iran will itself face TREMENDOUS Economic Consequences. Oil smuggling, swap lines, cash transfers, exchange houses, ship registries, front companies \u2014 It all needs to stop NOW,\u201d Trump posted.<\/p>

\u201cThis is going to be the greatest coordinated economic isolation in the history of the world, and we are going to them and saying, you are either with us or against us,\u201d Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in an appearance on CNBC. \u201cIf you insist on doing business with them \u2014\u00a0 either transferring money, buying their oil, doing seaborne ship transport first \u2014\u00a0then the U.S. Treasury and the U.S. government will put its full might and force toward enforcing against you.\u201d<\/p>

\u201cWe are going to squash the economy of this murderous regime, which will curtail their ability to project power through their proxies,\u201d Bessent boasted. \"So it is time for our allies and the rest of the world to make a decision.\u201d<\/p>

\u201cIt is a one-two punch. We have the blockade, and we are going to have the toughest sanctions in history,\u201d Bessent said. \u201cI will tell you, this will work. It worked in Venezuela once we put up the blockade. It is working in Cuba right now. And it is going to work in Iran, and we are going to collapse this regime.\u201d<\/p>

THE IRAN PEACE DEAL EXPIRES \u2014 AND THE CONFLICT ENTERS A DANGEROUS PHASE<\/a><\/p>

IRAN SCOFFS: Publicly at least, Iran is projecting an image of dismissive defiance. \u201cAmericans think squeezing Iran harder will win concessions that were never part of the agreement,\u201d Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf posted on X<\/a>. \u201cBessent and Hegseth are way out of their league. Stop waiting for the clown crew to pull a rabbit out of their hat and clean up the mess you made.\u201d<\/p>

Iran is threatening an economic D-Day of its own, reportedly planning strikes on Gulf oil terminals to surge global energy prices, and by targeting the U.S. support for so-called \u201cdark runs\u201d through a narrow channel on the Omani side of the Strait of Hormuz.\u00a0<\/p>

Marc Thiessen, a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, warns that Iran could be planning an \u201cOctober surprise\u201d ahead of the mid-term elections, because Operation Epic Fury \u2014 while inflicting devastating losses, still left Iran with enough firepower to threaten Gulf energy infrastructure. \u201cIran could decide to use that firepower before Americans go to the polls in November,\u201d Thiessen writes<\/a> in the Washington Post.<\/p>

Others worry that the hard-line regime, now controlled to a large extent by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, doesn\u2019t care about the suffering of the Iranian people, so long as it can hold on to power. \u201cSomeone should inform President Trump that Iran is already the most sanctioned country in the world by far by the United States,\u201d Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) said on MS NOW. \u201cAnd we do have what are called secondary sanctions on Iran where we already sanction countries that do business with Iran.\u201d<\/p>

IRAN SLAMS US \u2018CLOWN CREW\u2019 AS TRUMP THREATENS TO ANNEX STRAIT OF HORMUZ WITH NO END TO WAR IN SIGHT<\/a><\/p>

TRUMP: \u2018A LOT OF BOATS ARE COMING THROUGH\u2019: Trump insists that while the U.S. naval blockade is an impenetrable \u201cwall of steel,\u201d the media is missing the fact that U.S. has been able to move ships through the strait surreptitiously by keeping their transponders off.\u00a0<\/p>

\u201cThe strait is open,\u201d Trump said. \u201cA lot of boats are coming through. People aren't reporting that. And that may slow down a little bit at some point, but right now, a lot of boats are coming through.\u201d<\/p>

The reason no one has been reporting that is because it was being done in secret. \u201cUnder the operation, which has been underway for the last several weeks, 15-20 tankers have entered and exited the strait each night through a southern channel along the coast of Oman,\u201d two U.S. officials told<\/a> Axios. \u201cAbout 10 million barrels of oil a day \u2014 roughly half the pre-war volume \u2014 are being transported out of the strait and injected into the global energy market, the officials said.\u201d<\/p>

\u201cWe have possession, complete control of the strait,\u201d Trump said Wednesday. \u201cI mean, outside of nuisance value \u2014 and there is nuisance value when they shoot a drone every once in a while, but \u2026 And over the last couple of weeks, we've had a lot of oil coming out, a lot of oil. It's not going to be perfect, but it's a lot of oil coming out, a lot.\u201d<\/p>

\u201cI would say that Iran had been fairly effective up until now, shutting off about 90% of the flow of traffic. But we're starting to see more traffic get in and out of there, and that's a good thing,\u201d Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) said on CNN. \u201c I think this is a better strategy than what we have had. The blockade is probably the easier thing for us to enforce. Right now, we've been able to choke almost all the traffic going in and out of Iran. That's good. Their economy is really struggling. It's going to really weaken the regime.\u201d<\/p>

TRUMP TEAM OUT ON A LIMB WITH CLAIM THAT OIL IS FLOWING THROUGH STRAIT OF HORMUZ<\/a><\/p>

Good Friday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre\u2019s Daily on Defense, written and compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre<\/a> (@jamiejmcintyre<\/a>) and edited by Christopher Tremoglie<\/a>. Email here<\/a> with tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. Sign up or read current and back issues at DailyonDefense.com<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP OR READ BACK ISSUES OF DAILY ON DEFENSE<\/a><\/p>

NOTE TO READERS: I am winding down my time at the Washington Examiner and will cease writing the Daily on Defense newsletter as of the end of the month. A new team will be taking over, and they\u2019ve promised a revamped and reinvigorated newsletter to keep you on top of all the fast-breaking developments in the world of national security. But I\u2019m not gone yet, so meanwhile\u2026\u00a0<\/p>

TRUMP SEEKS TO REKINDLE \u2018BROMANCE' WITH KIM: President Trump has spent the week saying nice things about North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.<\/p>

Ignoring the fact that North Korea has sent troops and missiles to help Russia in its war against Ukraine, over the weekend, Trump ordered<\/a> Defense Pete Hegseth to curtail annual joint military exercises with South Korea because they \u201csend a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile\u201d to North Korea, which he said, since he\u2019s been president, \"has been unthreatening and respectful.\u201d<\/p>

\u201cI do have a good relationship with Kim Jong Un,\u201d Trump said<\/a> yesterday. \u201cHe didn't like Biden. He didn't like Obama. He didn't like anybody. But he likes me.\u201d<\/p>

\u201cI didn't like the fact that we're doing these massive military exercises, really, against North Korea \u2026 when I'm friendly with him,\u201d Trump said.\u00a0<\/p>

Kim didn\u2019t return the warm sentiments. Instead, Pyongyang said curtailing the drill meant nothing, and underscored the message by launching<\/a> a barrage of \u200b\u200b10 short-range ballistic missiles in the sea off its eastern coast.<\/p>

\u201cWe think it\u2019s not worth making comments on that and we have no interest in it at all,\u201d said Kim\u2019s sister, Kim Yo Jong, in a statement. \u201cThe provocative, aggressive nature of the drills won\u2019t change even though their duration and size were reduced.\u201d<\/p>

Trump says he wants to meet with Kim Jong Un later this year, and insisted that despite possessing an arsenal of 57 nuclear warheads, North Korea is not a threat as long as he\u2019s president. \u201cI know Kim Jong Un very well, and he's going to be fine. As long as we have a smart president, he's going to be fine. If we have a dumb president, then he's probably not going to be so fine.\u201d<\/p>

DID TRUMP REVEAL CLASSIFIED INTELLIGENCE? When Trump told reporters Wednesday that Kim \u201chas 57 very powerful nuclear weapons,\u201d arms control experts were surprised. \u201cI never expected to hear a President give such a precise estimate. And I have not heard of any President since the collapse of the Agreed Framework giving an estimate of the size of North Korea\u2019s nuclear arsenal,\u201d David Albright, president and founder of the\u00a0 Institute for Science and International Security, posted on X<\/a>.<\/p>

\u201c[Intellignce Community] estimates of foreign nuclear stockpiles are basically never point estimates,\u201d Jeffrey Lewis, an expert in nuclear nonproliferation at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies posted on X<\/a>. \u201cThey're ranges with confidence levels. Declassified documents show rounded numbers \u2014 \u2018enough material for X to Y weapons \u2019\u2014 not individual warhead counts. \u201857\u2019 is not how the IC talks.\u201d<\/p>

\u201cI'd be shocked if the IC offered an individual warhead count,\u201d Lewis said. \u201cMore likely are estimates are derived from how much [Plutonium and Highly Enriched Uranium] North Korea has produced, divided by how much material each weapon might use.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>

When Trump was questioned about the number the next day he said, \u201cI don't want to talk about that.\u201d<\/p>

STEAMED OVER STEAM: Trump's executive order<\/a>, requiring the future aircraft carrier USS Doris Miller to be built with old-fashioned steam catapults and hydraulics, has naval ship experts scratching their heads. The carrier \u2014 which is now referred to by its hull number CVN-81, reportedly<\/a> because Trump wants it named after himself \u2014 is not set to be delivered until 2034, but the redesign could further delay its construction and add billions to its cost.<\/p>

\u201cI don\u2019t understand the silence of retired Navy Admirals who know this is all nonsense, a huge waste of money, and a major delay in completion of new ships,\u201d retired Army Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges posted on X<\/a>.<\/p>

\u201cRedesigning the USS Doris Miller, already under construction, to replace its electromagnetic catapults with steam systems will exacerbate the readiness crisis,\u201d Bryan Clark, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, writes<\/a> in the Washington Post. \u201cThe change is estimated to cost billions of dollars and delay the ship\u2019s launch into the late 2030s. And that\u2019s only if the Navy can convince a manufacturer to start building steam catapults again after a nearly three-decade hiatus.\u201d<\/p>

\u201cThe Navy adopted electromagnetic catapults in its new carriers for the same reason rail lines shifted from steam to electric propulsion during the 20th century. Electric power has fewer moving parts, is more reliable, costs less, and offers higher speeds compared with steam power,\u201d Clark writes. \u201cContinued construction and redesign delays for the USS Miller would shrink the fleet to nine carriers during the next decade. The Navy would need to work the smaller force harder, wearing out its people and equipment faster, and accelerating the readiness decline.\u201d<\/p>

USS GEORGE WASHINGTON ARRIVES IN MIDDLE EAST<\/a><\/p>

THE RUNDOWN: <\/p>

Washington Examiner<\/a>: The Iran peace deal expires \u2014 and the conflict enters a dangerous phase<\/p>

Washington Examiner<\/a>: Oil flows and Iranian economic woes give White House much-needed PR reprieve around war<\/p>

Washington Examiner<\/a>: United Arab Emirates suspends trade with Iran after latest attack<\/p>

Washington Examiner<\/a>: Trump team out on a limb with claim that oil is flowing through Strait of Hormuz<\/p>

Washington Examiner<\/a>: USS George Washington arrives in Middle East<\/p>

Washington Examiner<\/a>: USS Lincoln turmoil underscores Republicans\u2019 Iran vulnerabilities<\/p>

Washington Examiner<\/a>: Trump gutted South Korea military drills due to lack of help against Iran<\/p>

Washington Examiner<\/a>: North Korea shrugs off Trump\u2019s scaled-back drills with South Korea, saying it changes nothing<\/p>

Washington Examiner<\/a>: Kim Jong Un\u2019s sister \u2018completely unaware\u2019 of communications between North Korea and Trump<\/p>

Washington Examiner<\/a>: Pentagon announces $22.9 billion contract with Raytheon for Tomahawk missiles<\/p>

Washington Examiner<\/a>: \u2018That\u2019s the Jetsons that\u2019s coming to life\u2019: Trump officials tout multifront drone initiative<\/p>

Washington Examiner<\/a>: Saildrone announces European expansion with plans for Norway, Poland, and the Netherlands<\/p>

Washington Examiner<\/a>: Israel agrees to \u2018working groups\u2019 for Board of Peace\u2019s demilitarization of Gaza after Kushner meets with Netanyahu and Hamas<\/p>

Washington Examiner<\/a>: Trump indicates US won\u2019t seek memorandum of understanding extension following conclusion of 60-day ceasefire<\/p>

Washington Examiner<\/a>: Iran slams US \u2018clown crew\u2019 as Trump threatens to annex Strait of Hormuz with no end to war in sight<\/p>

Washington Examiner<\/a>: FBI foils New York woman\u2019s alleged ISIS attack plan on state capitol<\/p>

Washington Examiner<\/a>: Graham Nordone attempts to quell backlash over Taiwan question: \u2018I don\u2019t speak politician\u2019<\/p>

Washington Examiner<\/a>: Cuban foreign agent running for Congress claims conflicting residencies<\/p>

Washington Examiner<\/a>: Opinion: Trump is blinded by his personal relationship with Kim Jong Un<\/p>

Wall Street Journal<\/a>: North Korea Rejects Trump\u2019s Drills-Cut Overture as an Empty Gesture<\/p>

Axios<\/a>: U.S. conducting stealth operation to transport oil through Hormuz<\/p>

The Atlantic<\/a>: Ukraine Planned to Swarm Moscow Airports With AI-Guided Drones<\/p>

AP<\/a>: Zelenskyy fires a top aide amid a graft probe as Ukraine\u2019s ex-defense minister demands elections<\/p>

Wall Street Journal<\/a>: Dwindling Patriot Supplies Leave Kyiv in the Line of Fire<\/p>

Kyiv Independent<\/a>: Fedorov broke Ukraine's wartime election taboo. What happens next?<\/p>

Breaking Defense<\/a>: Drone Companies, Admin Leaders Meet for First White House \u2018Drone Dominance\u2019 Meeting<\/p>

Wall Street Journal<\/a>: New Drone Unit to Be Phased Out as Hegseth\u2019s Army Pick Makes His Mark<\/p>

Defense One<\/a>: Golden Dome Caucus Chair Says Building Support, Funding for Missile Shield Is a \u2018Tough Slog\u2019<\/p>

CNN<\/a>: Navy weighs renaming carrier slated to honor Black war hero, potentially switching it to Trump<\/p>

New York Times<\/a>: Trump\u2019s Ballroom Is Rising at Breakneck Speed: 20 Hours a Day, 7 Days a Week<\/p>

Washington Post<\/a>: Trump dismisses families\u2019 concerns about USS Abraham Lincoln conditions<\/p>

Washington Post<\/a>: U.S. military has lost roughly 25% of its Reaper drones as Iran war depletes arsenal<\/p>

Washington Post<\/a>: Trump\u2019s steam obsession risks crippling the U.S. carrier fleet<\/p>

AP<\/a>: Longtime publisher of Stars and Stripes to retire, citing differences with Pentagon leadership<\/p>

CBS News<\/a>: Pentagon officials considering firing longtime Stars and Stripes publisher, sources say<\/p>

The Atlantic<\/a>: Opinion: Donald Trump Effectively Just Told Iran to Get a Nuclear Weapon<\/p>

Defense News<\/a>: US Approves Possible $4.5 Billion Sale of KC-46As, Equipment to Qatar<\/p>

Defense Scoop<\/a>: DIU Tries to Transition Tech to the Frontlines Faster with Launch of New Bridge Program<\/p>

Air & Space Forces Magazine<\/a>: Osan Drills Target North Korea\u2019s Growing Drone Threat<\/p>

Breaking Defense<\/a>: DOD Memo Pushes for More Contractor Pricing Info, Potential Direct Software Link<\/p>

Air & Space Forces Magazine<\/a>: Navy Invests in Shield\u2019s Vertical-Takeoff Drone; Air Force Holds Off<\/p>

Aviation Week<\/a>: Pentagon Forming Fast-Track Path for Directed Energy Prototypes<\/p>

Air & Space Forces Magazine<\/a>: MQ-9 Lost in Middle East Last Year Due to Chafed Wire: New Report<\/p>

The War Zone<\/a>: Our Best Look at China\u2019s New Y-15 Turboprop Airlifter<\/p>

Air & Space Forces Magazine<\/a>: Seymour Johnson Will Get F-15EXs to Replace Some Strike Eagles<\/p>

Task & Purpose<\/a>: Gamblers Have Made $8 Million on Polymarket Betting on Military Operations<\/p>

Air & Space Forces Magazine<\/a>: Air Force Inks Deal for New Dorms at Medical Training Campus<\/p>

THE CALENDAR: <\/p>

FRIDAY | AUGUST 21<\/p>

9:30 a.m. \u2014 Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: \"Middle Distillates and the Middle East,\u201d with Joseph Majkut, director, CSIS Energy Security and Climate Change Program; and Kevin Book, nonresident senior adviser, CSIS Energy Security and Climate Change Program https:\/\/www.csis.org\/events\/energy-shots-middle-distillates-and-middle-east<\/a><\/p>

FRIDAY | SEPTEMBER 11<\/p>

9:30 a.m. National Press Club \u2014 Arms Control Association briefing: \"Mitigating the Risks of AI in Nuclear Operations.\u201d with retired Lt. Gen. Jack Shanahan; Herb Lin, senior research scholar and Hank J. Holland fellow in cyber policy and security at the Hoover Institution and Stanford University; Matthew Sharp, a senior nuclear fellow, Center for Nuclear Security Policy at MIT and former acting deputy assistant secretary of state for nuclear affairs; and Erin Dumbacher, Stanton nuclear security senior fellow and director, Defense and National Security program, Council on Foreign Relations https:\/\/secure.everyaction.com\/<\/a><\/p>

THURSDAY | SEPTEMBER 17<\/p>

9:30 a.m. SVC-217, U.S. Capitol \u2014 Senate Armed Services Committee CLOSED briefing on the implementation of the National Defense Strategy and its impact on global defense posture. http:\/\/www.armed-services.senate.gov<\/a><\/p>

<\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Screenshot-2025-08-18-at-7.32.03-AM-e1784892508359.png?w=696" }, {"Articles":[ {"id":"4693813-1787295900", "title":"Budget red ink threatens to spike inflation and unemployment", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fpremium%2F4693813%2Fbudget-red-ink-threatens-spike-inflation-unemployment%2F", "byline":"Zach Halaschak", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"The ticking time bomb that is the national debt just crossed the $40 trillion mark and could spark a fiscal crisis that could throw the economy into disarray, spiking unemployment and exploding inflation. Republicans and some centrist Democrats have long sounded the alarm about growing debt and deficits. The debt first crossed the $1 trillion […]", "description":""

The ticking time bomb that is the national debt <\/a>just crossed the $40 trillion mark<\/a> and could spark a fiscal crisis that could throw the economy into disarray, spiking unemployment<\/a> and exploding inflation<\/a>.<\/p>

Republicans and some centrist Democrats have long sounded the alarm about growing debt and deficits<\/a>. The debt first crossed the $1 trillion mark in 1981, but lawmakers of both parties have done little to reduce debt and deficits since the temporary run of balanced budgets from fiscal 1998 through 2001.<\/p>

THE DEFICIT, EXPLAINED: WHAT IT IS, WHY IT\u2019S GROWING, AND HOW TO FIX IT<\/a><\/p>

Now, some are warning that the burden of that debt could spark a spiraling crisis that would affect everyone.<\/p>

Former Rep. Carolyn Bourdeaux, who is now the executive director of the Concord Coalition, which focuses on balancing the budget, told the Washington Examiner that there is a \u201cfailure of imagination\u201d among most analysts where they simply can\u2019t imagine a scenario in which Congress \u201cabsolutely fails to act in the teeth of a crisis, or the bond market fails to respond to a potential crisis.\u201d<\/p>

Bourdeaux, a Georgia Democrat who represented an Atlanta-area district from 2021 to 2023, noted the potential for a death spiral of sorts when it comes to debt and interest rates \u2014 something that could result in massively deleterious effects for the economy and consumers.<\/p>

\u201cIf we have to issue more debt or print money, that will then cause the interest rates to go up further, which then causes us to have to print money or issue debt to cover those interest payments,\u201d she said. \u201cWe get into a spiral of both inflation and rising interest rates. So stagflation, which has the potential to be a disaster for the economy.\u201d<\/p>

Stagflation is seen as one of the worst economic scenarios that could play out. Stagflation, a portmanteau of stagnation and inflation, is when prices are rising while economic growth and the labor market are languishing.<\/p>

Bourdeaux said one could look to other countries that have experienced crises in the past.<\/p>

\u201cThe causes that led to the crisis are different, but it is possible that the experience would be the same in countries like Argentina, or Greece, or Turkey, where they experienced inflation not at 3% a year, but at 100% a year or higher,\u201d the former congresswoman warned.<\/p>

Inflation clocking in at 100% might seem unimaginable to consumers and would disproportionately hurt salaried workers \u2014 those largely dependent on investment income would be better able to weather such a crisis, Bourdeaux said.<\/p>

For instance, if someone is earning $100,000 before, with 100% inflation, that same person would need to have their salary doubled to $200,000 just to keep up their status quo.<\/p>

\u201cThe people who struggle to weather it are those who have to renegotiate their salary, renegotiate their pay on a regular basis,\u201d she said. \u201cIt's much stickier and much more difficult to keep up. Anything held in cash will be degraded.\u201d<\/p>

Desmond Lachman, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, told the Washington Examiner that there have recently been some warning signs about the situation that have gone along with that $40 trillion milestone. For instance, the 30-year Treasury rate recently spiked to the highest level since 2001.<\/p>

\u201cSo markets are beginning to say, you know, what's going on? That these guys can't finance themselves \u2014 this is just a whole big Ponzi scheme,\u201d he said. \u201cSo you've got a lot of signs that there's already trouble brewing.\u201d<\/p>

And the situation is even more complicated in that there is no clear timeline for when a crisis might occur.<\/p>

\u201cOne of the scariest things about worst-case scenarios is it's impossible to say how close we are to a crisis,\u201d David Ditch, a policy analyst at the Cato Institute, told the Washington Examiner.<\/p>

Ditch said he doesn\u2019t consider a worst-case crisis an immediate threat, like in the next year or so, but the odds go up over time.<\/p>War-gaming fiscal disaster

What exactly a fiscal crisis might look like, and the severity of such a crisis, is not possible to predict. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget released<\/a> a paper analyzing various crisis scenarios, including a financial crisis, an inflation crisis, an austerity crisis, a currency crisis, a default crisis, and a gradual crisis.<\/p>

Of crucial note, the CRFB said several of these crises could happen simultaneously, which would be even more disastrous for consumers.<\/p>

In the case of a financial crisis, the group warns that high and growing debt could degrade investor confidence in the country\u2019s fiscal outlook and cause interest rates to spike, which could then \u201cset off a panic,\u201d further exacerbating the crisis and hurting financial markets.<\/p>

\u201cThis could lead to a series of cascading failures at financial institutions, which could have ripple effects across the economy \u2014 making it difficult for individuals and businesses to make payments or receive loans and sparking a wave of defaults, rising unemployment, business failures, and foreclosures,\u201d the paper reads.<\/p>

The CRFB said in the \u201cmost extreme case\u201d of trying to avoid a financial crisis or default without addressing the underlying debt, the Federal Reserve or government could monetize the debt, essentially printing money to finance the debt. That could lead to spiraling inflation.<\/p>

An inflation crisis could result in businesses shuttering and unemployment rising. Such high inflation, as has been seen in other countries, could also have escalating noneconomic side effects.<\/p>

\u201cThese types of crises typically go hand in hand with enormous social and political unrest,\u201d Bourdeaux said.<\/p>

Stagflation could become a reality, featuring high unemployment and explosive inflation.<\/p>

For a long time, economists did not think stagflation was possible because they believed that higher inflation could be traded off for lower unemployment. The notion of high inflation being married to low unemployment and vice versa was turned on its head in the 1970s when both high inflation and stagnating growth occurred simultaneously, causing pain for consumers.<\/p>

Ditch said it is very challenging to predict what the consequences of all of this might be and what a worst-case scenario might look like, but he pointed out that consumers are already experiencing higher borrowing costs, and in a crisis, those could shoot higher.<\/p>

That would mean credit card balances going up, mortgage costs shooting up, and making homebuying more challenging.<\/p>

\u201cIt\u2019s going to be a lot harder to borrow money to start a new business, harder to borrow to expand a business, and if you make it harder for businesses to get the capital they need, that's going to mean fewer job openings,\u201d Ditch said.<\/p>

Ditch also warned about the possibility of spiraling inflation. Inflation hit a recent multidecade high of nearly 9% in June 2022 and is still the No. 1 concern for voters four years later.<\/p>

\u201cWhat people perceive as a cost-of-living problem right now could spiral into a cost-of-living crisis that we experienced to a certain extent in 2021, but on a more prolonged basis back in the 1970s,\u201d he added.<\/p>

The Congressional Budget Office, Congress\u2019s nonpartisan scorekeeper, has been warning about the severe consequences of not addressing the growing national debt for years.<\/p>

In February, the CBO projected that federal debt held by the public would reach 101% of GDP this year. By 2030, debt will exceed 108% of GDP, surpassing the all-time high during World War II. The CBO said debt is projected to be 175% of GDP by 2056.<\/p>

In its report<\/a>, the CBO warned of \u201cfar-reaching implications\u201d if debt continues to grow faster than the country\u2019s GDP. It said one of the consequences could be another financial crisis.<\/p>

\u201cThe risk of a fiscal crisis \u2014 that is, a situation in which investors lose confidence in the value of the U.S. government\u2019s debt \u2014 would increase,\u201d the report reads. \u201cSuch a crisis would cause interest rates to rise abruptly and other economic and financial disruptions to occur.\u201d<\/p>

And to stave off a crisis, experts say the government and Congress would have to get serious about trying to balance the budget.<\/p>

The situation is tricky for lawmakers because if they were to make tough decisions, such as raising taxes or dramatically cutting spending on popular programs to balance the budget, they could face the threat of having that used against them by a political opponent and being voted out of office.<\/p>

\u2018SLOGGING ALONG\u2019: PROSPECTS FOR THE HOUSING MARKET IN THE YEAR AHEAD<\/a><\/p>

\u201cAnybody serious in Washington knows that this is going to require both expenditure cuts and revenue increases, and you can see the problem there,\u201d Bourdeaux said. \u201cNobody wants to put any of those kinds of ideas on the table \u2026 even though everybody behind the scenes, behind closed doors, understands that this is necessary.<\/p>

\u201cSo what we need is to convey to people how very serious a problem this can become, very quickly, if we don't address it.\u201d<\/p>

Zach Halaschak (@zhalaschak) is the economics reporter for the Washington Examiner.<\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/WB.Biz_.082626.jpg?w=696" }, {"Articles":[ {"id":"4694197-1787295600", "title":"‘I would get fired’: The admission exposing Mamdani’s antisemitism office as a muzzle, not a shield", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fop-eds%2F4694197%2Fmamdani-nyc-antisemitism-office-conflict-of-interest%2F", "byline":"Ariella Noveck", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"An office charged with combating antisemitism cannot fulfill its mission if its officials fear losing their jobs for challenging the mayor who appointed them. That is the troubling question now facing New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration following an alleged admission by one of his Jewish outreach officials: “I can’t speak out against my […]", "description":""

An office charged with combating antisemitism<\/a> cannot fulfill its mission if its officials fear losing their jobs for challenging the mayor<\/a> who appointed them.<\/p>

That is the troubling question now facing New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani\u2019s<\/a> administration following an alleged admission by one of his Jewish outreach officials: \u201cI can\u2019t speak out against my boss, or I would get fired.\u201d<\/p>

The statement was allegedly made during a July 9 meeting between Abraham Hamra, an attorney, Jewish advocate, and Syrian Jewish refugee, and Josh Binderman, deputy director of the Mayor\u2019s Office to Combat Antisemitism. The mayor\u2019s office has called Hamra\u2019s account a \u201ccomplete and utter distortion,\u201d but notably, it did not specifically deny that Binderman made the statement or explain what he said instead.<\/p>

MAYOR MAMDANI, YOU CAN HATE THE JEWS \u2014 BUT YOU MUST PROTECT THEM<\/a><\/p>

That distinction matters.<\/p>

This is not merely a dispute over the recollection of a private meeting. It raises a far more consequential question: Can an antisemitism office housed within the mayor\u2019s administration independently confront rhetoric coming from the mayor himself?<\/p>

Recent events have made that question impossible to dismiss.<\/p>

Mamdani met privately with a group of rabbis this week and afterward touted his administration\u2019s plans to combat antisemitism across the five boroughs. Rabbis who attended reportedly urged him to change his rhetoric toward Israel, warning that his language was harming Jewish<\/a> New Yorkers. Yet Mamdani apparently made no commitment to do so.<\/p>

\u201cI had a candid and productive conversation with rabbis representing a wide swath of New York\u2019s Jewish communities and affiliations, and I appreciated hearing from them,\u201d Mamdani said following the meeting.<\/p>

Listening is important. But when antisemitic hate crimes are rising, Jewish New Yorkers need more than listening sessions and carefully worded statements. They need to know whether the office created to protect them is empowered to tell the mayor when his own words are contributing to a hostile climate.<\/p>

The numbers make this an urgent matter. Antisemitic incidents accounted for 60.3% of New York City\u2019s confirmed hate crimes in May, according to the New York Police Department, even though Jewish New Yorkers represent roughly 10% of the city\u2019s population.<\/p>

Jews were targeted in 41 of the city\u2019s 68 confirmed hate crimes <\/a>that month, a 71% increase from the 24 recorded in May 2025. During the first six months of 2026, 178 of the city\u2019s 322 confirmed hate crimes were antisemitic.<\/p>

It was against this backdrop that Hamra attended a listening session organized by the Mayor\u2019s Office to Combat Antisemitism. Phylisa Wisdom, the office\u2019s executive director, had also been scheduled to participate but was unable to attend because of a medical emergency, according to Hamra.<\/p>

Hamra told me he entered the meeting with an open mind and hoped to address genuine concerns affecting the Jewish community. One of those concerns involved Mamdani\u2019s rhetoric about the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.<\/p>

During a June 18 get-out-the-vote rally at Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, Mamdani referred to the forces confronting progressive candidates as \u201cmonsters\u201d before pointing to AIPAC and accusing the pro-Israel organization of using \u201cdark money\u201d to influence elections.<\/p>

Mamdani and his supporters argue that criticism of AIPAC and Israeli<\/a> policy should not be conflated with antisemitism. That is true as a general principle. Criticism of any political organization or foreign government is not inherently antisemitic.<\/p>

But criticism does not occur in a vacuum, and political leaders have a responsibility to understand the effect of their words. Referring to a major vehicle for pro-Israel political participation as a \u201cmonster\u201d does not sound like a narrow policy disagreement to many Jewish New Yorkers. It sounds dehumanizing, particularly at a moment when Jews are being disproportionately targeted by hate crimes.<\/p>

Hundreds of rabbis subsequently signed an open letter demanding an apology.<\/p>

Hamra said he raised the controversy<\/a> directly with Binderman and asked how the administration\u2019s antisemitism office could confront troubling language when it came from the mayor himself.<\/p>

\u201cI asked him, \u2018What are you going to do about the troubling language coming out of the mayor\u2019s office?\u2019\u201d Hamra recalled. \u201cHow does your office plan to combat antisemitism when the concern is coming from the mayor himself?\u201d<\/p>

According to Hamra, Binderman responded, \u201cI can\u2019t speak out against my boss, or I would get fired.\u201d<\/p>

\u201cI was in shock,\u201d Hamra said. \u201cThat answer left me deeply disheartened.\u201d<\/p>

If that statement was made, it confirms precisely what many Jewish New Yorkers<\/a> fear: The office responsible for combating antisemitism may be structurally incapable of confronting it when doing so would require challenging Mamdani.<\/p>

The mayor\u2019s office strongly disputed Hamra\u2019s characterization, calling it \u201ca complete and utter distortion, spun up by a right-wing activist.\u201d It defended the meeting as one of several listening sessions intended to inform what it described as the country\u2019s first municipal plan to combat antisemitism.<\/p>

\u201cThat plan, informed by these conversations and the diverse perspectives of Jewish New Yorkers across our city, will be released in the coming weeks,\u201d the office said.<\/p>

But labeling Hamra a \u201cright-wing activist\u201d does not answer the underlying allegation. Nor does it address whether Binderman or any official in the office can publicly challenge the mayor without fearing professional consequences.<\/p>

Hamra\u2019s personal history also deserves more than a political label.<\/p>

\u201cI\u2019m a Syrian refugee who works to make immigrants<\/a>\u2019 lives better and who is speaking out against the hate that displaced me and 1 million Jews from Arabized countries,\u201d he said in response.<\/p>

That history informed another concern he raised during the meeting: Mamdani\u2019s public recognition of the Palestinian Nakba without comparable acknowledgment of Jewish refugees displaced from Arab- and Muslim-majority countries.<\/p>

\u201cWhy did the story of more than 100,000 of your constituents not matter as much as telling the Palestinian story?\u201d Hamra said he asked.<\/p>

Hamra said Binderman described a video recognizing displaced Jewish communities as a good idea, but suggested that it would not happen on Hamra\u2019s preferred timeline. According to Hamra, he was told that Mamdani had the remaining three years of his term, and potentially four more if reelected, to make such a video.<\/p>

For Jewish refugees and their descendants, this is not a competition between tragedies. Recognizing Palestinian history does not require erasing Jewish history<\/a>. A mayor representing one of the world\u2019s largest and most diverse Jewish populations should be capable of acknowledging both.<\/p>

Hamra followed up by email with Binderman and Wisdom on July 10, documenting his recollection and asking for direct answers. The correspondence, which he provided to me, shows that Wisdom thanked him for participating in the listening tour and offered to discuss the office\u2019s goals in a future call. But Hamra said his questions about Binderman\u2019s alleged statement and the office\u2019s independence were not directly addressed. Binderman did not respond to that email.<\/p>

The problem here is larger than one meeting or one alleged remark. No municipal office can credibly police the conduct of the administration to which it is politically subordinate unless its leaders have meaningful independence and protection from retaliation.<\/p>

New York City<\/a> needs an antisemitism office whose definition of antisemitism does not change depending on the politics of the person accused of contributing to it. Its leaders must be able to challenge the mayor, his allies, institutions on the Left or the Right, and anyone else whose words or conduct endanger Jewish New Yorkers.<\/p>

Binderman referred my request for comment to the mayor\u2019s press office, which responded on behalf of the administration. The office called Hamra\u2019s account a \u201ccomplete and utter distortion\u201d and characterized him as a \u201cright-wing activist.\u201d However, its statement did not specifically deny that Binderman made the remark attributed to him or explain what he said instead.<\/p>

Hamra also documented the exchange in an email sent to Binderman and Wisdom the following day. While Wisdom thanked him for participating in the listening session and offered to discuss the office\u2019s goals further, Hamra\u2019s account of Binderman\u2019s statement was not directly addressed. Binderman did not respond to that email.<\/p>

MAMDANI PICKING LINA KHAN TO SAVE NYC\u2019S ECONOMY IS LIKE HIRING AN ARSONIST TO FIREPROOF IT<\/a><\/p>

The administration therefore issued a response, but it left the central question unanswered: How can an office credibly combat antisemitism if its officials believe that challenging the mayor could cost them their jobs<\/a>?<\/p>

Jewish New Yorkers deserve an office empowered to protect them, even when doing so requires confronting the mayor. They should not be asked to trust one whose first obligation appears to be protecting him.<\/p>

Ariella Noveck is a journalist specializing in antisemitism and Middle East affairs, with extensive experience covering Jewish communities worldwide.<\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2287861132.jpg?w=696" }, {"Articles":[ {"id":"4694245-1787295600", "title":"Tokyo just changed Kim Jong Un’s nuclear calculus", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fop-eds%2F4694245%2Fjapan-military-buildup-north-korea-nuclear-strategy%2F", "byline":"Park Joonhye", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"North Korea’s perspective on Japan is shifting. On August 4, Kim Yo Jong, Vice Department Director of the Workers’ Party of Korea and sister to supreme leader Kim Jong Un, strongly criticized Japan’s military buildup, warning that Pyongyang could take “additional military steps” in response. What provoked North Korea was the Maritime Self-Defense Force’s test-firing […]", "description":""

North Korea's<\/a> perspective on Japan is shifting. On August 4, Kim Yo Jong, Vice Department Director of the Workers' Party of Korea and sister to supreme leader Kim Jong Un<\/a>, strongly criticized Japan\u2019s<\/a> military buildup, warning that Pyongyang could take \"additional military steps\" in response. What provoked North Korea<\/a> was the Maritime Self-Defense Force\u2019s test-firing of U.S.-made Tomahawk cruise missiles<\/a> and Tokyo's moves to secure long-range strike capabilities.<\/p>

North Korea characterized these actions as a shift beyond defensive military power, enabling pre-emptive strike capabilities and overseas military operations. Just two days later, on August 6, North Korea launched a missile toward the East Sea. While it cannot be definitively proven that this launch was a direct retaliation for Kim Yo Jong's warning, the fact that military action followed immediately after the warning certainly warrants attention.<\/p>

This narrows the question down to one: Is Japan North Korea's next target? It is premature to draw such a conclusion right now. However, it is hard to deny that Japan's weight in North Korea's military<\/a> strategy is changing compared to the past. Japan is not a new enemy to North Korea. Pyongyang has long designated Japan as a U.S. ally and a military threat surrounding the Korean Peninsula. Yet, recent changes differ from the past. Japan has actually begun strengthening its long-range strike capabilities.<\/p>

Shaped by North Korea's nuclear and missile advancements, alongside the military activities of China and Russia, Japan is altering its defense policy, and the concept of an exclusively defense-oriented policy is being reinterpreted under this new security environment. From Pyongyang's standpoint, this is not a mere reinforcement of defense, but a process by which Japan is acquiring the capacity to launch direct attacks against it. In particular, long-range cruise missiles like the Tomahawk add yet another military variable that North Korea must calculate.<\/p>

The problem is that this reaction is cyclical. Japan strengthens its defense posture, citing North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, and North Korea, in turn, perceives that buildup as a threat to itself, expanding its own military power. Even if no one desires a war<\/a>, tensions inevitably rise this way. Furthermore, with the strengthening of trilateral Seoul-Washington-Tokyo security cooperation, North Korea views this not merely as a bilateral issue with Japan, but as a unified security network.<\/p>

Kim Yo Jong\u2019s latest statement criticizing not only Japanese military expansion but also coordination between the United States and Japan can be read as a signal that Pyongyang is far more wary of the strategic cooperation with the U.S. looming behind Japan's shifts.<\/p>

Perhaps the question needs a slight reframing. It is not that North Korea is selecting Japan as a new enemy, but rather that Japan is emerging as a new, core variable in North Korea's nuclear strategy. This distinction matters. Simply predicting whether North Korea will directly attack Japan is an entirely different issue from recognizing that Pyongyang has begun incorporating Japan's military capabilities into its nuclear strategy calculations. In Japan as well, the North Korean issue is shifting from a focus primarily on abductions, nuclear weapons, and missiles into a core security factor directly impacting its own military strategy.<\/p>

This is a particularly sensitive issue for South Korea<\/a>. Seoul shares a direct border with North Korea while being allied with the U.S., and now trilateral security cooperation with Japan is deepening. From Pyongyang's perspective, trilateral alignment can be perceived as a formidable pressure cooker, whereas for South Korea and Japan, the more advanced North Korea's capabilities become, the more imperative their mutual cooperation becomes. The more we strengthen security cooperation, the more ammunition North Korea gets to justify its own military buildup; yet, abandoning cooperation because of threats is out of the question. Therefore, the key is not merely tracing who increased their military power first, but looking together at what each side fears and perceives as a threat.<\/p>

Of course, North Korea's threats \u2014 possessing nuclear weapons and persistently violating United Nations Security Council resolutions through ballistic missile development \u2014 cannot be weighed on the same scale as Japan's defense enhancements, which unfold within this realistic threat perception. Yet, dismissing North Korea's reactions as mere propaganda is equally dangerous. Understanding how Pyongyang interprets Japan's long-range strike capabilities and how it intends to incorporate them into its strategy is vital to the security of the Korean Peninsula.<\/p>

NORTH KOREA ISN\u2019T WINNING WITH NUKES. IT\u2019S WINNING WITH OUR BOREDOM<\/a><\/p>

Japan is changing. North Korea is changing. And those changes are mutually stimulating one another. What we must pay attention to is not the simplistic question of whether North Korea will actually attack Japan. The more crucial question is: How far will we allow the vicious cycle of Japan's military buildup and North Korea's nuclear acceleration to provoke one another? Whether Japan will be North Korea's next target remains to be seen. However, one thing is clear: The security issues of the Korean Peninsula are no longer confined to the two Koreas.<\/p>

With the U.S., China<\/a>, Russia, and now Japan stepping forward as active strategic actors, the security topography surrounding the peninsula is rapidly transforming. Perhaps the real question we should be asking is this: Is Japan really North Korea's next target, or have we already entered the whirlpool of a new Northeast Asian arms race?<\/p>

Park Joonhye is a Research Fellow at the Institute for Far Eastern Studies, Kyungnam University. She received her M.A. and Ph.D. in Politics and Unification Studies from the University of North Korean Studies.<\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/image-collage-n5dnjlkhh-1787232235955-e1787234557926.jpg?1787220170&w=696" }, {"Articles":[ {"id":"4694394-1787295600", "title":"Trump’s bombs weakened Iran’s regime. Its own people can take it down", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fop-eds%2F4694394%2Firan-regime-weakness-democratic-resistance-maryam-rajavi%2F", "byline":"Nasser Razii", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"As the war with Iran approaches its seventh month, the Trump administration should resist a dangerous conclusion: Because the Islamic Republic has survived, it must therefore be stronger than many believed. Survival is not strength. The regime has been severely weakened militarily, but the deeper evidence of its vulnerability is inside Iran itself: an economy […]", "description":""

As the war with Iran<\/a> approaches its seventh month, the Trump administration<\/a> should resist a dangerous conclusion: Because the Islamic Republic has survived, it must therefore be stronger than many believed.<\/p>

Survival is not strength. The regime<\/a> has been severely weakened militarily, but the deeper evidence of its vulnerability is inside Iran itself: an economy under extraordinary pressure, renewed social unrest, growing tensions within the ruling establishment, and an organized resistance that continues to challenge the regime despite intense repression.<\/p>

Iran\u2019s economic crisis is no longer simply a background problem. Reuters reported this week that annual inflation reached 66% in July, while food prices were 128% higher than a year earlier. The rial continues to depreciate, while sanctions, war damage, disrupted trade, and declining purchasing power are placing additional pressure on households. Iranian officials themselves have warned that further currency depreciation could trigger another inflationary wave.<\/p>

IRAN\u2019S 1988 MASSACRE NEVER REALLY ENDED<\/a><\/p>

The fuel crisis is another indication of the regime\u2019s predicament. Reports of severe gasoline shortages and growing pressure on the government to raise prices highlight a difficult choice: Tehran needs revenue, but price increases risk reigniting public anger. The regime is increasingly caught between an economy<\/a> it cannot easily sustain and a population it fears provoking.<\/p>

The pressure is also reaching the ruling establishment. Disputes over economic policy, oil revenues, and the cost of the conflict have exposed tensions among officials and factions. These problems do not prove that the regime is about to collapse. They do show, however, that its ability to absorb pressure should not be confused with political strength.<\/p>

The social crisis is equally important. Iran entered 2026 after extensive protests driven by economic hardship, with demonstrations spreading across the country before the regime responded with a severe crackdown. The fact that the government relied on repression rather than resolving the grievances did not make those grievances disappear. Economic hardship and political opposition remain closely connected.<\/p>

Nor is opposition inside Iran merely spontaneous or leaderless. An organized resistance continues to operate under extraordinary security pressure. The National Council of Resistance<\/a> of Iran has reported coordinated activities by People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran resistance units in Tehran and other cities. Such claims should be independently assessed, but they point to an important reality: the Islamic Republic faces not only external military pressure but also organized domestic opposition challenging its authority.<\/p>

This is why the fact that the regime has survived nearly six months of war should not be mistaken for victory. A regime can survive while becoming progressively weaker. The relevant question is whether it can restore the political, economic, and military position it held before the conflict. The evidence suggests that this will be increasingly difficult.<\/p>

Military<\/a> force can accelerate that weakening, but it cannot by itself produce the political outcome the Trump administration ultimately wants. Bombing can destroy facilities and degrade military capabilities. It cannot create legitimacy, organize a political transition, or determine who governs Iran afterward.<\/p>

Washington should therefore reject two equally mistaken conclusions. One is that more war will inevitably produce regime change. The other is that because the regime has survived, the United States must eventually return to the old cycle of negotiation and accommodation.<\/p>

Neither is a strategy for lasting change.<\/p>

Iran\u2019s political future must ultimately be decided by Iranians. America should neither occupy Iran nor impose a government on its people. But there is a profound difference between imposing regime change and supporting the Iranian people\u2019s right to achieve it themselves.<\/p>

That means recognizing that Iran has an organized democratic opposition capable of helping translate popular resistance into political change. The National Council of Resistance of Iran and its constituent organizations represent one such organized resistance, politically led by Maryam Rajavi, whose Ten-Point Plan calls for a democratic republic, separation of religion<\/a> and state, gender equality, individual freedoms, and a non-nuclear Iran.<\/p>

The Trump administration does not need to predetermine Iran\u2019s political future or endorse every opposition group. But neither should it pretend that the only alternative to the Islamic Republic is chaos.<\/p>

Diplomacy can help end a war, protect American forces, secure the release of hostages, and prevent unnecessary escalation. But diplomacy should not become an excuse for restoring the status quo that produced the crisis. Nor should Washington fight indefinitely in the hope that military pressure will somehow create a government to replace the one it weakens.<\/p>

The objective should be to maintain pressure on the regime while creating political space for the Iranian people and their organized democratic<\/a> resistance to determine what comes next.<\/p>

THE MULLAHS\u2019 WORST NIGHTMARE ISN\u2019T STREET PROTESTERS. IT\u2019S THE UNDERGROUND NETWORK WASHINGTON IGNORES<\/a><\/p>

Six months of war have shown that the Islamic Republic can be weakened by military force. Iran\u2019s economic crisis, recurring protests, internal tensions, and organized resistance show why its survival should not be confused with strength.<\/p>

The regime is down, but it is not out. The answer is not endless war or renewed appeasement. It is to ensure that the Iranian people can finish what foreign military power cannot: bring about political change and build a democratic Iran.<\/p>

Nasser Razii is an Iranian-born independent analyst and writer based in London. Over the years, he has worked extensively with British and European parliamentarians on issues relating to Iran, human rights, and democratic governance. He is also associated with the democratic Iranian opposition and has been actively engaged in advocating a democratic, secular, and non-nuclear future for Iran.<\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/249A0915-e1787236626655.jpg?w=696" }, {"Articles":[ {"id":"4695245-1787295600", "title":"Thune and Schumer avoid recess travel blitz amid increasing unpopularity", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fnews%2Fsenate%2F4695245%2Fthune-schumer-avoid-recess-travel-blitz-amid-unpopularity%2F", "byline":"Lauren Green", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"August recess typically offers a prime time for party leaders to barnstorm the country in support of their candidates in battleground races. But Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) have had a quiet recess amid discontent from their respective bases. Thune and Schumer are unpopular, according to a CNN […]", "description":""

August recess typically offers a prime time for party leaders to barnstorm the country in support of their candidates in battleground races.<\/p>

But Senate Majority Leader John Thune<\/a> (R-SD) and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer<\/a> (D-NY) have had a quiet recess<\/a> amid discontent from their respective bases.<\/p>

Thune and Schumer are unpopular, according to<\/a> a CNN poll last month. Thune came in at 12% favorable and 26% unfavorable, while Schumer was at 15% favorable and 44% unfavorable.<\/p>

Schumer has taken heat over the last two years as more Democrats call on him to pass the torch and that he has not done enough to combat President Donald Trump<\/a>.<\/p>

Schumer's unpopularity may have even made him a liability on the campaign trail. Some candidates, including Abdul el Sayed in Michigan and Graham Platner in Maine, who has since suspended his campaign after allegations of sexual misconduct, explicitly campaigned on opposing him for Democratic leader.<\/p>

Thune, for his part, has drawn the ire of the GOP base as the SAVE America Act \u2014 the voter ID and election integrity bill championed by Trump \u2014 remains stuck in Senate purgatory without the votes to break the filibuster.<\/p>

A source familiar told the Washington Examiner that Thune has spent time on the campaign trail throughout August, in addition to attending agriculture events in South Dakota to discuss the farm bill and E15 gas. He has also been continuously ridiculed in the comments of his social media posts detailing his stops across South Dakota, as people call on him to pass the SAVE America Act. <\/p>

FROM MAINE TO ALASKA, JOHNSON CRISSCROSSES COUNTRY DURING AUGUST RECESS<\/a><\/p>

Thune's inability to shepherd the bill across the finish line has led to some tense moments with the White House, with Trump calling him out in the Oval Office and urging Thune to cancel August recess to pass the bill.<\/p>

\u201cJohn Thune should not allow the United States\u00a0 Senate to 'leave town' until it passes The Save America Act or, far better still, TERMINATES THE FILIBUSTER, where Republicans can then quickly pass everything they ever dreamed of, including a full and deep throated SAVE AMERICA ACT, the Budget, and the ever looming Debt Ceiling disaster, 1929!\u201d the president wrote<\/a>.<\/p>

The Washington Examiner reached out to Schumer\u2019s office for comment as to his whereabouts. His social media presence has been quiet about travels, though he is known to keep a 62-county tradition in which he travels to each county in New York during the monthlong break.\u00a0<\/p>

Schumer has been at odds with his base for folding on issues popular to the Democratic electorate, particularly after he voted last year in favor of one of the GOP-backed continuing resolutions funding the government.<\/p>

The vote only heightened calls for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) to challenge Schumer in 2028 and for Senate Democrats to nominate new leadership.<\/p>

Republicans are defending states like North Carolina, Maine, and Ohio, along with Texas and Iowa, two states that look increasingly competitive this cycle.<\/p>

Democrats would need to flip four Republican-held seats and defend critical states in Michigan, New Hampshire, and Georgia to regain control of the Senate. Democrats' chances of defending Michigan might have taken a dent after el Sayed, a progressive, won the primary over the more centrist Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI), who was backed by Schumer.<\/p>

TEXAS AND IOWA SENATE RACES SHIFT TOWARD DEMOCRATS: COOK POLITICAL REPORT<\/a><\/p>

Meanwhile, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has crisscrossed the country throughout August, including stops in both Maine and Virginia on Monday. <\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/image-collage-mbk85v0q6-1787266202918-e1787266450464.jpg?1787252041&w=696" }, {"Articles":[ {"id":"4695497-1787295600", "title":"When pundits return to the White House: The Scott Jennings precedent", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fnews%2Fwhite-house%2F4695497%2Fpundits-white-house-press-secretary-scott-jennings-precedent%2F", "byline":"W. James Antle III", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"It would be unusual if conservative commentator Scott Jennings left the CNN studio for the White House briefing room as President Donald Trump’s next press secretary, but not unprecedented. When Pat Buchanan returned to the White House to serve as communications director for President Ronald Reagan in 1985, he had already been a top pundit […]", "description":""

It would be unusual if conservative commentator Scott Jennings<\/a> left the CNN<\/a> studio for the White House<\/a> briefing room as President Donald Trump<\/a>\u2019s next press secretary<\/a>, but not unprecedented.<\/p>

When Pat Buchanan<\/a> returned to the White House to serve as communications director for President Ronald Reagan<\/a> in 1985, he had already been a top pundit at a time when Fox News didn\u2019t exist and there still weren\u2019t a lot of conservatives on television.<\/p>

Buchanan had been a syndicated newspaper columnist, a commentator for NBC radio, host of a radio show with liberal pundit Tom Braden, a co-host of CNN\u2019s Crossfire (originally with Braden but most famously with liberal journalist Michael Kinsley), and a founding panelist of two of the most important political talk shows of the time, The McLaughlin Group and Capital Gang.<\/p>

The conservative brawler had received a master\u2019s degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and initially plied his trade as an editorial writer for the St. Louis Globe-Democrat. But he soon became a close political aide to Richard Nixon<\/a>, following the former vice president along what was at the time a great political comeback from being defeated by John F. Kennedy in the 1960 presidential election to winning the White House eight years later and then being reelected in a 49-state landslide.<\/p>

Buchanan loyally served Nixon as a speechwriter and strategist until Watergate brought an end to his presidency. He stayed on briefly with Gerald Ford after Nixon resigned in 1974 before becoming one of the top conservative voices in the media. But by Reagan\u2019s second term, after his own 49-state landslide reelection, he needed reinforcements from movement conservatives with substantial communications experience. Enter Buchanan.<\/p>

Another possible precursor to Jennings was Tony Snow, who, like Buchanan, had been a newspaper editorial writer and radio host who ultimately did a stint as a presidential speechwriter (for George H.W. Bush). Also like Buchanan, Snow wrote a nationally syndicated column (for Creators, the same syndicate). Snow was a popular guest host for conservative talk-radio giant Rush Limbaugh in the 1990s.<\/p>

In April 2006, President George W. Bush tapped Snow as White House press secretary. Unlike Buchanan, in that capacity he was forward-facing and delivered the daily briefings to reporters. Snow came on as the Iraq war was declining in popularity and Democrats were poised to win the midterm elections<\/a>. Snow\u2019s vast media experience made him an able defender of the president, something Jennings could draw on in a much uglier political environment. <\/p>

A Democratic model for Jennings might be Jay Carney, who spent 20 years at Time, eventually becoming the magazine\u2019s Washington bureau chief, before becoming Vice President Joe Biden\u2019s communications director and ultimately President Barack Obama\u2019s White House press secretary. Carney\u2019s prior television work had been less polemical than Buchanan or Snow\u2019s, as he appeared on camera as a political analyst before being enlisted by the Obama-Biden team. Snow was somewhat measured compared to Jennings today; Buchanan in his prime was more of a bomb-thrower (although Snow quipped in the 1990s that Buchanan spoke in the tone of a mugger assuring his victim that nobody would get hurt if the billfold was handed over).<\/p>

While Jennings has been a popular television personality, podcaster, and columnist, he is more of a political operative by background. His closeness to Sen. Mitch McConnell<\/a> (R-KY) and past work for George W. Bush might at first appear disqualifying for the Trump White House.<\/p>

But Jennings has emerged as a leading Trump defender. Republicans of his ilk have warmed to the president since the 2024 campaign. While Trump\u2019s clashes with the GOP governing class are hardly over, some Republicans who were reluctant supporters of his have backed him more fervently on issues like the Iran war than early adopters in media, such as Tucker Carlson.<\/p>

Kayleigh McEnany cut her teeth as a willing Trump supporter on CNN before becoming White House press secretary. But McEnany\u2019s career trajectory is much more typical of someone in that role: being White House press secretary expanded her media profile and made her into a much bigger television commentator. Dana Perino, who replaced Snow as Bush's press secretary, and George Stephanopoulos, Bill Clinton's White House communications director, followed this path to media stardom. Jen Psaki, Biden's most successful press secretary, has her own show on MS NOW, and his former communications director Kate Bedingfield is a regular on CNN.<\/p>

This proved true even of Trump comms aides who broke with him near the end of his first term, such as Alyssa Farah Griffin, who is now the main conservative co-host of The View, and Sarah Matthews.<\/p>

Trump\u2019s current top spokeswoman, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, is stepping down at the end of the month. She previously ran for Congress in her home state of New Hampshire.<\/p>

TWO REASONS TRUMPWORLD THINKS LEAVITT\u2019S REPLACEMENT WILL BE A WOMAN <\/a><\/p>

Of course, Sarah Huckabee Sanders was able to jump from her time as Trump White House press secretary to governor of Arkansas, a job once filled by her father. By the end of his run as White House communications director, Buchanan was a plausible presidential candidate who twice finished second for the Republican nomination. A few years before his first run, Buchanan observed that \u201cthe greatest vacuum in American politics is to the right of Ronald Reagan.\u201d<\/p>

Jennings has also been talked about as a political candidate in his own right. Whether a talking head of his stature wants to become a White House staffer, even a fairly senior one, is another story. But it\u2019s been done before.<\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/d21a662e201a817373e7540d745811a0-e1787281394294.jpg?w=696" }, {"Articles":[ {"id":"4691442-1787294700", "title":"Bond market meltdown shows MAGA needs a deficit-reducing response before election day", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fpremium%2F4691442%2Ftiana-take-bond-market-meltdown-maga-needs-deficit-reduction-response-before-election-day%2F", "byline":"Tiana Lowe Doescher", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"International markets are rattled by global events. That was made clear by the Aug. 18 widespread global selloff of U.S. Treasury securities, raising 30-year yields to roughly 5.34%, the highest level since 2007. There are several causes for the rising investor anxiety. This includes renewed conflict in the Middle East, along with a continued guessing […]", "description":""

International markets are rattled by global events. That was made clear by the Aug. 18 widespread global selloff of U.S. Treasury <\/a>securities, raising 30-year yields to roughly 5.34%, the highest level since 2007.<\/p>

There are several causes for the rising investor anxiety. This includes renewed conflict in the Middle East<\/a>, along with a continued guessing game about the Federal Reserve<\/a>\u2019s intentions regarding interest rates<\/a>.<\/p>

Primarily, though, America's bleak fiscal situation is quelling investor confidence. The U.S. Treasury bond selloff coincided with the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office's<\/a> release of statistics that the national debt is about to cross the $40 trillion threshold. Put another way, existing national debt<\/a> now consumes 3.3% of the entire U.S. economic output and 19% of every dollar Uncle Sam collects.<\/p>

And of course, elevated borrowing costs have trickled down to ticked-off consumers; 30-year fixed mortgage rates remain above 6.7%, 70 basis points higher than they were six months ago.<\/p>An investor warning shot

Bond investors are correctly sounding the alarm that the federal deficit is no longer tenable. CBO<\/a> has raised its deficit projection for fiscal 2026 by $200 billion to $2.1 trillion. The impending fiscal crisis is not the $40 trillion national debt itself; rather, it's that deficit spending is growing so rapidly that buyers no longer have the appetite to allow Americans to finance it at the ultra-low rates we've relied on for the past 20 years.<\/p>

Even if the flood of red ink seems an academic exercise to many, higher buyer costs are sure to get voters' attention a bit over two months out from the Nov. 3 midterm elections. President Donald Trump<\/a>'s administration<\/a> has a chance to limit the damage by making one final stab at a deficit-reducing bill on Capitol Hill. Big-spending congressional Democrats are never going to play ball legislatively. So, this would have to be done through the budget reconciliation process, which allows the Senate to skirt its normal 60-vote threshold to overcome a filibuster and pass legislation with a simple majority of 51 votes in the 100-member chamber.<\/p>

The proposal would have to be large enough in spending cuts to actually move Treasury investors, politically palatable enough to garner the support of the MAGA base and a party-line vote in Congress, and limited enough in scope to pass muster with the Senate Parliamentarian. So, instead of spending energy on the SAVE America Act, rewriting the entire immigration system, or (as I would prefer) taking a hammer to Social Security, all of which are banned from being included in reconciliation packages, Reconciliation 3.0 ought to take a selective approach to reforms. Including targeting spending on noncitizens, Medicare waste, and inefficient visa allocation. Crucially, it cannot raise taxes on citizens and impede the economic growth that we're relying on to avoid a debt crisis.<\/p>Debt-slashing reconciliation legislation

Let's start with the most boring provisions of the bunch: healthcare. The CBO estimates that broad, site-neutral Medicare payment reforms could save $157 billion over the next 10 years. Modernizing Medicare cost-sharing, namely by consolidating the separate deductibles of Parts A and B and restricting Medigap from covering that deductible, would save $200 billion over the next decade. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget projects that allowing private Medicare Advantage plans to compete against traditional Medicare options would save another $450 billion, and reducing Medicare Advantage overpayments would save $780 billion.<\/p>

Building on last year's One Big Beautiful Bill Act and fully banning the use of provider taxes would save $600 billion, and freezing the income thresholds for Medicare premiums would save $290 billion. Include the Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act, a priority of House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) that has already passed the chamber, and we've saved another $35.6 billion. Without raising a single tax, these basic healthcare reforms, taken individually, combine to over $2 trillion.<\/p>

Reconciliation may very narrowly allow Congress to reorganize visa allocation at the margins. But because not all immigrants contribute equally to the country, even minimal changes could yield significant savings. Over a ten-year window, these efforts would save about $10 billion.<\/p>

While the Senate Parliamentarian would be unlikely to allow a reconciliation bill to outright ban the allocation of green cards to the older parents of adult citizens, the Manhattan Institute has recommended imposing a fee of $260,000 to bring a parent to the country, equivalent to the net fiscal cost those older parents usually incur to the federal deficit. The estimated net savings would be $100 billion to $200 billion over a decade.<\/p>

HERE\u2019S HOW HOMEOWNERS CAN LOWER THEIR ELECTRICITY BILLS<\/a><\/p>

The Republican Study Committee has continued to tout two major cost-savers in its ongoing menu of reconciliation options: banning noncitizens from Medicaid, SNAP, housing assistance, and other federal benefits, which they estimate would save $231 billion. And requiring federal agencies to only consider citizens when allocating population-based funding streams for cities and urban centers, which they somewhat optimistically project would save $629 billion. Let's round down to account for overlap and say that together these provisions would save closer to $700 or $800 billion.<\/p>

All in all, this incredibly rudimentary framework would net trillions in savings without raising a single tax, touching Social Security, or meaningfully slashing benefits for working-class citizens. I'm willing to wager that short of blowing the Strait of Hormuz open and the ayatollah up tomorrow, only a deficit reduction this large will meaningfully save the bond market.<\/p>

Tiana Lowe Doescher (@TianaTheFirst<\/a>) is an economics columnist for the Washington Examiner.<\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/WB.Biz_.Tiana_.082626.jpg?w=696" }, {"Articles":[ {"id":"4693006-1787293800", "title":"Blue wave depth will be tested in a GOP-friendly Virginia House district", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fpremium%2F4693006%2Fcongress-blue-wave-depth-to-be-tested-gop-friendly-virginia-district%2F", "byline":"Barnini Chakraborty", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"If Democrats are headed for a significant wave in November, one of the best places to measure its size may be a congressional district that, on paper, should be safely Republican. Virginia’s 5th Congressional District stretches from the academic milieu of Charlottesville into some of the state’s most conservative communities, creating a stark political divide […]", "description":""

<\/p>

If Democrats<\/a> are headed for a significant wave in November<\/a>, one of the best places to measure its size may be a congressional district that, on paper, should be safely Republican.<\/p>

Virginia\u2019s <\/a>5th Congressional District stretches from the academic milieu of Charlottesville into some of the state\u2019s most conservative communities, creating a stark political divide in a constituency stretching down Virginia's spine from the University of Virginia's hometown to the North Carolina state line. President Donald Trump<\/a> carried the district by roughly 12 points in 2024, even as he lost Virginia to Democratic rival Kamala Harris 52% to 46%. While Republican Winsome Earle-Sears defeated now-Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) there 53.5% to 46.3% in the 2025 governor\u2019s race \u2014 despite getting clobbered statewide against the former Democratic congresswoman 58% to 42%.<\/p>

Yet Democrats are making a serious run at the seat.<\/p>

Former Rep. Tom Perriello, 51, who narrowly won the district in 2008, when the Yale and Yale Law School graduate received significant national attention as a wunderkind candidate. Before losing reelection two years later.<\/p>

Now he is challenging Rep. John McGuire (R-VA). McGuire, 58, won the seat in 2024 after beating a Republican incumbent in the primary. McGuire is a former Navy SEAL who spent seven years in the state Legislature.<\/p>

McGuire attended Stop the Steal rallies throughout Virginia in 2020. He has claimed the COVID-19 pandemic was a \"plan-demic\" designed to change voting laws and rig the 2020 presidential election, which Trump lost. McGuire admitted to attending Trump's Jan. 6, 2021, rally in Washington, D.C., but has denied participating in the subsequent attack on the Capitol Building.<\/p>

In the House, McGuire has largely been a MAGA loyalist. On July 9, he introduced the Birthright Citizenship Clarification Act, which would put into law a Trump executive order the Supreme Court had recently struck down.<\/p>

Perriello, since losing reelection in 2010 amid the Republican wave that effectively ended President Barack Obama's legislative agenda after two years, has held a variety of roles in the public and private sectors. He was a State Department official in Obama's second term. Perriello then ran unsuccessfully for the 2017 Democratic gubernatorial nomination. <\/p>

For over four years, until July 2023, Perriello was the executive director for U.S. Programs at the Open Society Foundations, a George Soros-founded group. On Feb. 26, 2024, during what would turn out to be the final year of President Joe Biden's single term, Perriello was appointed special envoy for Sudan. He resigned on Jan. 18, 2025, just before Trump took office for his second, nonconsecutive term.<\/p>

Now, Perriello\u2019s path back to Congress runs through Charlottesville and other Democratic-leaning communities, where he will need overwhelming margins while keeping Republican advantages in rural Southside from becoming insurmountable.<\/p>

He has hired Del. Lily Franklin (D-VA) as his campaign manager, bringing a Southwest Virginia connection to a campaign seeking to rebuild the coalition that first carried Perriello to D.C.<\/p>

The race is less a conventional battleground than a test of the national political environment and will shed light on how much the political landscape would have to change for a Democrat to win there. Democrats need to net three House seats in the 435-member chamber to claim their first House majority in four years. <\/p>

Perriello believes part of the answer lies with voters who have become less attached to either party.<\/p>

\u201cPeople who had thought they belonged to the red team or the blue team for some time \u2026 are looking at the landscape and wondering whether they have a team at all,\u201d Perriello told the Washington Examiner.<\/p>

He describes the district he won in 2008 as a \u201cJuly 4th popsicle,\u201d with Charlottesville at the top, more competitive territory in the middle, and deep economic and political disaffection in the southern end.<\/p>

Today, he said, the district looks more like \u201cshattered glass,\u201d with counties containing a mix of voters increasingly skeptical of being told they belong to one political team or another.<\/p>

Perriello is also trying to make the campaign about issues that cut across partisan lines, particularly healthcare and the cost of living. He points to rural healthcare as an example, arguing that hospital and maternity ward closures affect voters regardless of their politics.<\/p>

\u201cPeople care about their families more than they care about their party affiliation,\u201d Perriello said.<\/p>

McGuire's campaign didn't respond to an interview request.<\/p>A different district than the one Perriello won

Perriello\u2019s 2008 victory was itself a political oddity. Barack Obama's White House victory made him the first Democratic presidential candidate to carry Virginia since 1964, starting a winning streak that has continued through the most recent national race, in 2024, and shows no signs of abating. But the 5th remained considerably more Republican than the state as a whole. Perriello in 2008 won by less than a percentage point over an incumbent Republican.<\/p>

The district has since undergone a deeper partisan realignment.<\/p>

Charlottesville has become more Democratic, while many rural areas have moved sharply toward Republicans. Kyle Kondik, managing editor of Sabato\u2019s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics, told the Washington Examiner that under the district lines in place in 2008, Republican presidential nominee John McCain carried the seat by about 3 points. Even as the late Arizona senator lost nationally by roughly 7.<\/p>

In 2024, Trump performed about 10 points better in the district than he did nationally. That makes Perriello\u2019s challenge different from simply recreating his old campaign, which occurred when Facebook and X (then Twitter) were in their infancy as campaign technologies, and when Trump was in the first half of his 15-season stint hosting \"The Apprentice.\"<\/p>

Perriello has to run up the score in Charlottesville while finding voters elsewhere willing to split from increasingly nationalized partisan identities.<\/p>

Perriello points to the 100 hours of town halls he held during his first congressional campaign as evidence that he knows how to compete in communities where Democrats have struggled. He also acknowledged the work required to rebuild Democratic support among black voters in smaller communities such as Danville and Lynchburg.<\/p>

\u201cThere is a lot of work to be done there,\u201d Perriello said.<\/p>

Republicans argue that the Democratic case is overstated.<\/p>

\u201cDemocrats are living in fantasy land if they think they can compete in VA-05, a district President Trump carried by double digits,\u201d Emma Hall, an RNC spokeswoman, told the Washington Examiner. \u201cDemocrats\u2019 \u2018blue wave\u2019 is imaginary, just like their war chest.\u201d<\/p>

Henry Olsen of the Ethics and Public Policy Center likewise said he would be surprised if Perriello made the race genuinely competitive.<\/p>

\u201cI would expect the margin to be larger than four to six points,\u201d Olsen said.<\/p>Can the national movement overcome the map?

Democrats, however, point to recent special elections as evidence that the national environment could be strong enough to overcome the district\u2019s Republican advantage.<\/p>

Political expert Andrew Koneschusky noted that Democrats have recently outperformed Trump\u2019s 2024 margins by double digits in several Republican-leaning districts.<\/p>

\u201cDemocrats can absolutely overcome a 12-point deficit,\u201d Koneschusky told the Washington Examiner. \u201cThey've already done it multiple times in recent special elections.\u201d<\/p>

Koneschusky, founder & CEO of Beltway Advisors, a public affairs and crisis communications firm, who was previously a Capitol Hill press secretary and executive director of the Louisiana Democratic Party, said a 12- to 15-point Democratic overperformance in Virginia\u2019s 5th would have implications far beyond the district, potentially putting dozens of Republican-held seats into play.<\/p>

Democrats also see a broader opportunity in Virginia: The state has trended Democratic for two decades. In addition to carrying Virginia in every presidential election since Obama first flipped it, Democrats swept the three statewide offices and gained 13 seats in 2025 in the House of Delegates.<\/p>

But Virginia\u2019s statewide trajectory does not necessarily make the 5th competitive.<\/p>

Kondik said a Perriello victory would be highly unusual.<\/p>

\u201cIt would be out of character for this district,\u201d Kondik said. \u201cRepublicans usually carry this district by comfortable, if not landslide, margins.\u201d<\/p>

He said a Perriello victory would likely indicate a Democratic wave large enough to produce a House majority comparable to \u2014 or larger than \u2014 the 235 seats Democrats won in 2018.<\/p>

Still, Kondik cautioned against treating one congressional race as a perfect national barometer. A close race could occur even in an otherwise disappointing Democratic election, just as Perriello\u2019s 2008 victory was an outlier.<\/p>The math of a Republican stronghold

The district\u2019s geography gives Perriello little room for error.<\/p>

\u201cThe thing I\u2019d watch isn\u2019t whether rural Virginia suddenly turns blue; it won\u2019t,\u201d Democratic strategist Jay Satterfield told the Washington Examiner. \u201cIt\u2019s whether Democrats can shave enough off those Republican margins while generating huge turnout and margins in their strongholds.\u201d<\/p>

Perriello, therefore, does not necessarily need to turn deep-red southside Virginia blue. He needs to lose by less.<\/p>

A Republican county won by 35 points instead of 45 can matter almost as much as adding votes in Charlottesville.<\/p>

That is where Perriello\u2019s history in the district could matter. He is not a generic Democratic challenger parachuting into a Republican seat. He is a former congressman who has already won it, and he is attempting to convince voters that the political coalition that carried him to Washington nearly two decades ago can still be assembled.<\/p>

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is betting on him, calling Perriello a \u201ctop-tier candidate\u201d who has put the seat \u201csquarely in play.\u201d<\/p>

McGuire, meanwhile, must demonstrate that Trump\u2019s strength in the district translates to a midterm electorate and a congressional race centered on his own record.<\/p>A test of the 2026 map

Kondik points to other Virginia races as a useful measuring stick.<\/p>

His outfit's Crystal Ball rates suburban Hampton Roads 2nd Congressional District a toss-up. While the 1st, covering the western Chesapeake Bay and suburbs north and west of Richmond, is considered lean Republican. The 5th is deemed likely Republican.<\/p>

\u201cVA-2, a classic swing seat, is the kind of seat that Democrats should flip if they are winning the House,\u201d Kondik said. \u201cAnd if Democrats were to flip VA-5, it would likely be as part of a significantly big wave.\u201d<\/p>

That puts the 5th in an unusual category.<\/p>

WHO IS DOUG OLLIVANT? MEET THE REPUBLICAN VETERAN TRYING TO FLIP ABIGAIL SPANBERGER'S OLD DISTRICT <\/a><\/p>

Democrats do not necessarily need to win it to have a successful night. But the closer Perriello gets, the more the race could reveal about the reach of the national political environment.<\/p>

A double-digit Republican victory would reinforce the district\u2019s long-standing partisan character. A narrow loss would show Democrats have made substantial progress in territory that has moved sharply toward Republicans.<\/p>

Barnini Chakraborty (@Barnini<\/a>) is a senior political reporter at the Washington Examiner.<\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/WB.Congress1.082626.jpg?w=696" }, {"Articles":[ {"id":"4691513-1787292900", "title":"Amy Barrett defies easy categorization, to the dismay of the Left and Right", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fpremium%2F4691513%2Famy-coney-barrett-defies-easy-categorization%2F", "byline":"Kimberly Ross", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"During her Senate confirmation hearings in October 2020, Justice Amy Coney Barrett enjoyed enthusiastic support from the Right and received harsh criticism from the Left. It was entirely expected. She was President Donald Trump‘s third nominee to the Supreme Court, not long before the presidential election, much to the chagrin of Democrats. Abortion-rights advocates were […]", "description":""

<\/p>

During her Senate<\/a> confirmation hearings in October 2020, Justice Amy Coney Barrett<\/a> enjoyed enthusiastic support from the Right and received harsh criticism from the Left. It was entirely expected. She was President Donald Trump<\/a>'s third nominee to the Supreme Court<\/a>, not long before the presidential election, much to the chagrin of Democrats. Abortion-rights<\/a> advocates were incensed by the selection. As a Catholic and mother of seven with privately held conservative and pro-life beliefs, Barrett represented much of what they feared. Nearly six years later, however, Barrett has confounded her share of Supreme Court observers on both sides of the political aisle.<\/p>

Barrett was confirmed 52-48, continuing the trend of closely divided Supreme Court confirmation votes. The split shows once again how deeply ideological the Supreme Court confirmation process has become.<\/p>

Since Barrett took her place on the high court, she has become something of an enigma. The second woman nominated to the Supreme Court by a Republican president doesn't neatly fit into the box of expectations either side had for her. For Republicans and Democrats alike, the only other example of what to expect from a female justice nominated by a Republican is Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. As years have passed, it's become apparent that the comparison to O'Connor doesn't quite work.<\/p>

Barrett clerked for Justice Antonin Scalia. Because she openly admired his jurisprudence, many assumed she would follow a similar path on the court. When Trump nominated Barrett, she made it clear in her own statements<\/a> that her judicial approach would mirror Scalia's, saying, \"His judicial philosophy is mine, too. A judge must apply the law as written. Judges are not policymakers, and they must be resolute in setting aside any policy views they may hold.\u201d Barrett's approach is one of textualism and originalism. Some on the Right who may have hoped for a second Scalia era have been left disappointed. But contrary to what some have suggested, it is not due to Barrett being compromised or because she's a shiny new tool of the Democrats.<\/p>

Each side praises some of Barrett's decisions while deriding others, to varying degrees. Neither side is fully comfortable with the justice who can't be easily defined.<\/p>

During Barrett's confirmation hearing for the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in September 2017, three years before she ever reached the Supreme Court, the late Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein<\/a> said<\/a> to her, \"I think in your case, professor, when you read your speeches, the conclusion one draws is that the dogma lives loudly within you. And that\u2019s of concern when you come to big issues that large numbers of people have fought for for years in this country.\" That was but one moment when the religious Right felt a fighter had been chosen to ascend to the federal bench. The devoutly Catholic Barrett was seen as a hopeful addition to the judiciary, one whose inclusion would mean a change for the better. This was a hope that would only grow once Trump nominated her to the Supreme Court three years later.<\/p>

That hope was validated a month after her Senate confirmation to the Supreme Court, when Barrett demonstrated a clear ideological shift on the court in November 2020 in Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn v. Cuomo.<\/p>

The emergency decision, right in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, dealt with attendance limits at churches and synagogues. In the 5-4 decision, Barrett joined the majority, standing opposite the liberal members on the court and Chief Justice John Roberts. The religious victory only reinforced to conservatives that the right person was chosen. Meanwhile, Democrats considered it the first proof that their fears were becoming reality.<\/p>

However strong her start on the high court, the specifics of those early decisions have been largely forgotten. Republicans, Democrats, and the media didn't really start paying full attention until Barrett joined the majority in one of the defining moments in the court's history.<\/p>

On Dec. 1, 2021, the justices heard oral arguments in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization concerning the constitutionality of a right to abortion. For an untold number of pro-life Americans, this case earned all their attention. The very possibility of a future without Roe had played a major role in securing Election Day votes for Trump. The president's direct hand in nominating Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Barrett meant the door was held open for this kind of landmark decision. On June 24, 2022, the court issued its decision. In a 6-3 judgment, the majority upheld Mississippi's abortion ban. Roberts concurred only on the judgment. The decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and Casey v. Planned Parenthood was a 5-4 split, with Justice Samuel Alito writing the majority opinion, joined by Justices Clarence Thomas, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Barrett. Nearly half a century of federally guaranteed abortion was reversed overnight, and a United States without Roe was finally realized.<\/p>

Conservatives around the country rejoiced at the righting of a legal and moral wrong. For those on the Right who had been nervous about Barrett, their fears were all but put to rest. She had passed the biggest judicial test, making history as a woman and member of the court's conservative bloc. Meanwhile, Democrats felt more resolute than ever in their initial assumptions about her. In their minds, her actions as a woman had cemented a kind of gendered betrayal.<\/p>

For both sides of the aisle, the premature conclusion emanated from the same starting point: Whatever Barrett does in the future, she helped to overturn Roe and Casey. For the Right, this was a massive point in her favor that could never be tarnished. For the Left, it was a sin that would never be forgotten.<\/p>

For the most part, the first few terms of Barrett's tenure existed within partisan assumptions. The Right felt secure in her stability, and the Left felt security in its collective animosity. It wasn't until 2024 that staunch Republicans began to wonder aloud if Barrett was turning into more of a swing vote than had been previously anticipated.<\/p>

Murthy v. Missouri, argued in March 2024 and decided that June, is one that bothered conservatives. The case centered on allegations that the Biden administration put pressure on social media companies to suppress certain types of speech. The speech in question included conservative views such as those critical of the Biden White House, COVID-19 policies, and election matters. The underlying questions about First Amendment rights were significant, but the court did not reach them. Barrett wrote the 6-3 majority opinion. In it, she wrote that the plaintiffs did not establish the standing necessary to bring their specific claims. For those who expected the Supreme Court to address what they saw as government censorship, the decision was a disappointment. With Barrett writing the majority opinion, that frustration landed on her. However, her reasoning was not a departure from judicial philosophy but an example of it. Rather than deciding the case based on the significance of the speech involved, she focused on the legal requirements that were needed to bring the claims in the first place. What appeared to casual observers to be a departure from the norm was really an example of the judicial approach she had articulated from the beginning.<\/p>

Weeks earlier, Barrett had broken from the conservative bloc for a different reason, and this time, it hit closer to home. Fischer v. United States, decided June 28, 2024, asked whether a federal obstruction statute could be used to charge Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot defendants with obstructing an official proceeding. In a 6-3 decision, Roberts wrote for the majority, joined by Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and, unexpectedly, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. They ruled that the statute only applied when the charged person \"impaired the availability or integrity\" of a physical document or item used in an official proceeding. Barrett dissented, joined by Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan.<\/p>

This wasn't a minor split. The ruling didn't just affect Joseph Fischer. It had direct implications for the federal case against Trump himself. Most would have expected Barrett to welcome an outcome that worked in the former president's favor. But she did not. Instead, she used the phrase<\/a> \"textual backflips\" to describe what the majority was doing in avoiding the statute's plain language. This was exactly what one would expect from a justice who had built her entire reputation on reading the law as written.<\/p>

For conservatives still stewing over Murthy, Fischer only deepened the confusion, and in the opposite direction. But it was the same justice who had said years earlier that judges aren't policymakers, still holding to that line even when it cost her side a win.<\/p>

On April 25, 2024, the court heard oral arguments in Trump v. United States. What is now considered a landmark decision dealt with presidential immunity from prosecution for acts committed while in office. The case itself arose from Trump's conduct in reaction to the 2020 election, including claims that it was stolen or that there was broad election interference. This naturally extended to the Capitol riot. The final decision, handed down on July 1, 2024, was a 6-3 split. The court held that a former president has absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for actions that fall within the president's exclusive constitutional authority. For other official acts, they enjoy at least presumptive immunity. There is no immunity for unofficial acts.<\/p>

Roberts wrote the majority opinion for this case. Barrett wrote a separate opinion concurring in part. She agreed with the majority while carving out a very significant part of its reasoning.<\/p>

\"Barrett agreed with the majority 'that the Constitution prohibits Congress from criminalizing a President\u2019s exercise' of his core constitutional powers and 'closely related conduct,'\" Amy Howe<\/a> at SCOTUSblog reported. \"But she would have courts approach the question of immunity for other official acts differently, by focusing first on whether the criminal law under which a former president is charged applies to his official acts and, if so, whether prosecuting the former president would interfere with his constitutional authority.\"<\/p>

None of this indicates a divergence from conservatism, nor does it suggest that Barrett was compromised by peer pressure or partisanship. Instead, it provides evidence that Barrett's jurisprudence is her own.<\/p>

By 2026, the pattern had become almost impossible for the Right to ignore. This most recent Supreme Court term has only increased the questions surrounding Barrett's so-called judicial purity. <\/p>

In late June, the court struck down Trump's executive order ending birthright citizenship, a case Trump cared enough about to show up for oral arguments in person that April. His attendance was a historic first. Trump's order was aimed primarily at the children of illegal immigrants, but historically, the principle of birthright citizenship had been held to be quite broad. The outcome shouldn't have shocked anyone paying close attention. Every lower court to hear the case had already rejected the order, and legal scholars across the spectrum agreed the argument ran headlong into the 14th Amendment's citizenship clause. But conservative media didn't treat it as a foregone conclusion. They treated it as a betrayal, and Barrett, once again, was the problem.<\/p>

The mail-in ballot ruling a few days later was worse, because this time, Barrett wasn't just part of the majority \u2014 she wrote it. In a 5-4 decision joined by Roberts and the court's three liberal justices, Barrett held that federal law doesn't bar states from counting mail-in ballots received after Election Day. The Right didn't hold back. One prominent conservative commentator accused<\/a> her of \"judicial activism disguised as selective originalism,\" while a retired Army officer went further, calling her the worst pick among all the judges Trump had put on the bench. It was no longer just online outrage, either. Trump himself began privately complaining<\/a> about Barrett to allies.<\/p>

The overriding problem with Barrett isn't that she has abandoned her original judicial philosophy. It isn't that she somehow betrayed Scalia's legacy by not reproducing his record on the Supreme Court. What is clear is that there is a misunderstanding of what a justice does, especially in a time so infected with tribalism.<\/p>

Barrett, as Trump's third nominee, naturally stepped into a role filled with equal amounts of distinction and pressure. In the minds of many voters, on both sides of the aisle, the Supreme Court is an extension of partisan politics. In one breath, voters can decry legislating from the bench. In the next moment, they praise that very technique when it produces an outcome they want.<\/p>

As Barrett has said, judges are not policymakers. Because that is true in theory and, as we all should hope, in practice, neither side of the aisle can expect that of her. In Barrett's case, her focus on originalism and textualism produces outcomes that conservatives have celebrated. Other times, the same judicial methodology results in an outcome that frustrates them. This is hardly proof of betrayal, especially from a justice who has been clear from the start about her guiding philosophy. Perhaps, instead, it is the consequence of taking principles seriously.<\/p>

Both Democrats and Republicans initially placed Barrett in a category. This was largely due to who nominated her and her part in overturning Roe and Casey. The mistake was allowing these assumptions to remain on autopilot, convinced they had her figured out for the rest of her career. Barrett has disagreed with her conservative colleagues when she believes the law requires it.<\/p>

This is exactly what people should want from someone tasked with interpreting the law.<\/p>

TRUMPWORLD \u2018OBVIOUSLY\u2019 FEELING BUYER\u2019S REMORSE OVER AMY CONEY BARRETT<\/a><\/p>

Barrett still has decades remaining on the Supreme Court. Given her history so far, questions will linger as to whether she is conservative enough. However, the real question should be whether she applies the law as written, even when doing so is politically inconvenient.<\/p>

Barrett's legacy is likely to be mixed. She will certainly continue to surprise colleagues and Supreme Court observers alike going forward. But this is less about perceived failings or ideological pressures. The truth may be that onlookers of all political stripes seem to have forgotten what judicial independence is supposed to look like.<\/p>

Kimberly Ross (@SouthernKeeks) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner\u2019s Beltway Confidential blog and a contributing freelance columnist at the Freemen News-Letter. She is a mother of two and lives in the southern United States.<\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Fea.JudgingAmy.082626.jpg?w=696" }, {"Articles":[ {"id":"4689567-1787292600", "title":"Recalling a political analyst whose insight would have risen above the midterm elections din", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fpremium%2F4689567%2Fexpert-california-recall-law-arnold-schwarzenegger-governorship%2F", "byline":"David Mark", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"A Democratic-sponsored California ballot measure aims to salve a long-festering political wound for Team Blue. Voters in the Nov. 3 midterm elections will decide whether to significantly alter California’s recall election law, a statute that’s been on the books since 1911 but wasn’t deployed successfully in a governor’s race until 2003. When voters chose to […]", "description":""

<\/p>

A Democratic-sponsored California ballot measure aims to salve a long-festering political wound for Team Blue.<\/p>

Voters in the Nov. 3 midterm elections will decide whether to significantly alter California's recall election law, a statute that's been on the books since 1911 but wasn't deployed successfully in a governor's race until 2003. When voters chose to replace Democratic Gov. Gray Davis \u2014 less than a year after winning reelection \u2014 with Republican movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger. And though Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) beat back a GOP-initiated recall attempt in 2021, Democrats say it's time to change the current system. <\/p>

It's one they call a distortion of democracy, in which a noisy political minority can effectively overthrow a duly elected statewide official. While defenders of the current recall law, often Republicans, say the ballot measure is a thinly veiled lawmaker incumbent protection racket for rogue politicians defying the public's anger over rising crime, high taxes, rampant homelessness, and onerous environmental standards. With these and other policy sins by Democrats in this deeply blue state.<\/p>

The debate over Proposition 5 is likely to intensify as Election Day nears. One that will miss the dispassionate yet deeply knowledgeable voice of the nation's widely acknowledged recall expert \u2014 Berkeley, California-based Joshua Spivak, who died peacefully in his sleep on July 12, 2025, at age 51.<\/p>

Spivak was a senior research fellow at UC Berkeley Law\u2019s California Constitution Center, among other academic affiliations. Spivak, a Columbia Law School alum, was also a longtime West Coast anchor for Ripp Media\/Public Relations, a top communications firm, based in New York City.<\/p>

\"Josh was a perfect fit for my media relations practice focused on law firms and legal affairs,\" eponymous firm founder and Spivak's boss for more than 20 years, Allan Ripp, wrote in an Aug. 5, 2025 remembrance<\/a>. Ripp added that Spivak was a hot media commodity himself if a recall election qualified for the ballot somewhere.<\/p>

\"Whenever an elected official anywhere faced a recall,\" Ripp wrote about the father of two young men, in college and high school, who first moved west from his native Brooklyn when his wife Amelia was starting a Ph.D. in mathematics at UC Berkeley. \"Josh was sought out by news outlets around the country for perspective and legal analysis.\"<\/p>

Spivak was routinely interviewed about and quoted in The New York Times<\/a>, the San Francisco Chronicle<\/a>, and KQED<\/a> (the San Francisco-based Bay Area NPR affiliate). Plus a range of other news outlets<\/a> in the United States and abroad.<\/p>

There was no shortage of subject matter fodder. In 39 states, local officials can be subject to recall elections. California is among 19 states that permit recalls of state-level officials.<\/p>

Spivak was, as UC Berkeley Law noted in an Aug. 5, 2025, remembrance<\/a>, \u201cthe nation\u2019s foremost \u2014 nay, only \u2014 expert on recall elections. He was a thinker and scholar who published many works to define the field he pioneered: books, academic journal articles, and hundreds of public commentary pieces.\u201d<\/p>

That included six pieces for this magazine in the first half of 2025. Among the highlights: \u201cThe end of the founders\u2019 presidency\u201d (Jan. 31<\/a>); \u201cCampaigns for new statewide jobs in 2026 likely mean foregoing 2028 presidential runs\u201d (March 7<\/a>); and \u201cSenators make a beeline for open governorships\u201d (June 20<\/a>).<\/p>

Each column brought a unique analytic take to the political news of the day. With a thematic throughline emphasizing that members of Congress in both parties have, in recent decades, ceded constitutionally granted powers to the executive branch. A turn of events that has distorted the careful checks and balances envisioned by the Founding Fathers. And this ongoing lapse in respect for constitutional structures made the type of daily executive branch power grabs by President Donald Trump<\/a> during his second, nonconsecutive term almost inevitable.<\/p>Reforming the recall?

Spivak, no doubt, would have been busy with analysis about the California recall statewide ballot measure. The proposal's central change to current law is a provision that applies to each recall attempt of a state-level official. It consists of two separate ballot questions. Voters are first asked a \u201cyes\u201d or \u201cno\u201d question about whether they want to remove the incumbent.<\/p>

The state-level official recall ballot's next part has voters pick among the candidates vying to replace them. The incumbent can't run in that replacement \"election,\" which denies them two bites of the political apple.<\/p>

The rub is that the replacement results only matter if a majority votes \u201cyes\u201d on the first question. If a majority of voters reject recalling the incumbent, nothing happens. That was the situation in 2021 when the question before voters, \"Shall Gavin Newsom be recalled (removed) from the office of Governor?\" received a nearly 62% \"no\" vote and only a 38% \"yes\" vote. <\/p>

That proved a starkly different result from the 2003 California gubernatorial recall, when voters chose to recall Davis, a Sacramento political veteran who was chief of staff to a prior governor, a state assemblyman, a state controller, and California's lieutenant governor, before he won the governorship in 1998.<\/p>

In 2023, a \"yes\" recall of Davis earned 55.39% to 44.61% for the \"no\" side. Schwarzenegger, a first-time candidate, finished first in the gubernatorial replacement race that included 135 candidates. Schwarzenegger earned 48.6%, to 31.5% for his closest Democratic rival, then-Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante. Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA), then a state legislator, drew 13.5%.<\/p>

The successful recall effort was, in hindsight, an early sign of populist anger at the political status quo, which manifested nationally 13 years later with the election of Trump, a real estate developer and celebrity game show host. Even as their styles differed greatly, with Schwarzenegger offering a sunny, California can-do optimism about free markets and Trump emphasizing an angry, often gloomy, populist-nationalist vision.<\/p>

And while Schwarzenegger won by playing by the rules \u2014 and then capturing a full, four-year gubernatorial term in the 2006 elections \u2014 California Democrats have long been angry about that 23-year-old turn of events because California is such a Democratic state, and a Republican still won on their political turf.<\/p>

Democrats and \"good government\" critics contend this system is fundamentally undemocratic. If a \u201cyes\u201d vote prevails, the successor can get elected with less than a majority of the vote, as Schwarzenegger did. That\u2019s because all the candidates from all parties run on a single ballot without any primary or runoff to winnow the field.<\/p>

So, Proposition 5, which the state\u2019s Democratic-led legislature voted to place on this year\u2019s ballot back in 2024, would amend the state constitution to change the process. Under the proposed amendment, voters would simply be asked whether or not they want to recall the incumbent. If the governor is ousted, the lieutenant governor would automatically take over.<\/p>

DARLINE GRAHAM NORDONE, RALPH NORMAN ADVANCE TO RUNOFF IN SENATE RACE TO REPLACE LINDSEY GRAHAM<\/a><\/p>

Ballot measure opponents argue that the proposal would limit voter power and serve as a shield for incumbent politicians. The ballot measure, these critics say, runs counter to the recall law's spirit and intent. Voters approved it in 1911 as a way to check corrupt state officials beholden to deep-pocketed railroad titans and other entrenched special interests, they note.<\/p>

There have been 56 attempts to recall a governor since California adopted the process in the early 20th century. The Schwarzenegger \u201cTotal Recall\u201d election was the only one to work. That's the kind of fact Spivak would have had ready to recite in any waking moment \u2014 and the type of context about a proposed major change to California campaigns and elections for which he'll be so missed.<\/p>

David Mark (@DavidMarkDC<\/a>) is the managing editor of the Washington Examiner magazine.<\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/WB.Politics.082626.jpg?w=696" }, {"Articles":[ {"id":"4691664-1787292300", "title":"IndyCar and the president: America 250 goes to the track", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fpremium%2F4691664%2Findycar-trump-america-250%2F", "byline":"Daniel Ross Goodman", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"Auto racing has been a part of American culture as long as I can remember, but I never recall racing having been a part of the White House before. At least not until this summer, when on July 13, an event that was billed as a “Grand Prix Showcase” played out on the narrow strip […]", "description":""

<\/p>

Auto racing has been a part of American culture as long as I can remember, but I never recall racing having been a part of the White House<\/a> before. At least not until this summer, when on July 13, an event that was billed as a \"Grand Prix Showcase\" played out on the narrow strip of pavement between the West Wing and the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.<\/p>

Reigning IndyCar champion Alex Palou, 2026 Indianapolis 500 winner Felix Rosenqvist, and David Malukas stood alongside Roger Penske, the team owner and businessman who bought IndyCar and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway outright in 2020; Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy<\/a>; Penske Corporation President Bud Denker; Fox Sports CEO Eric Shanks; and General Motors President Mark Reuss. Malukas performed a burnout on the White House grounds after a Team Penske crew ran a pit stop drill in front of the assembled dignitaries, and Palou presented the president with a personalized racing helmet before getting a private walk-through of the Oval Office, an experience he later described as feeling like a scene out of a movie.<\/p>

President Donald Trump<\/a>, for his part, used the occasion to settle a debate that had been simmering in sports<\/a> media<\/a> for months, declaring that professional race car drivers are, in fact, athletes \u2014 a rebuttal to sports commentators such as ESPN<\/a>'s Stephen A. Smith<\/a>, who had argued earlier this year that steering a car doesn't count as athleticism, prompting pushback from NASCAR<\/a> legends Jeff Gordon and Kyle Larson. (For my money, driving a car does not make one an athlete, but driving a high-performance race car at 200 mph while staying on the track and somehow not spinning off course? To do that, one absolutely needs to be one of the best athletes in the world. Just ask Michael Jordan<\/a>, Tom Brady<\/a>, Rafael Nadal, and the other all-time great athletes who have recently gotten into motorsports whether they think auto racers are athletes.)<\/p>

By the time this piece runs, that afternoon on West Executive Avenue will already belong to the news cycle's distant past. What matters going forward is what it was designed to advertise: a race that Duffy has called the first IndyCar event ever held in Washington<\/a> and that organizers expected to draw more than 1 million spectators to the free, open-air street circuit ringing some of the most recognizable real estate in the country.<\/p>Seven turns past the monuments

The Freedom 250 Grand Prix<\/a> was set to unfold on a 1.7-mile, seven-turn temporary circuit that began and ended on Third Street in front of the Capitol, swept down a 0.4-mile frontstretch along Pennsylvania Avenue framed by the Washington Monument, and threaded past the National Archives, the National Gallery of Art, and the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum before looping back. It would make it the 15th round of the 17-race 2026 NTT IndyCar Series schedule, and the cars will have run the frontstretch faster than they run almost anywhere else on the calendar. Organizers and city officials, with support from Interior Secretary Doug Burgum<\/a>, predicted that more than 1 million people would watch in person, a crowd that Burgum and city officials say would produce the most extensive transportation disruption Washington has seen outside of a presidential inauguration. Concrete barriers began going in during the final week of July, and full closures along Pennsylvania, Constitution, and Independence avenues started the week of Aug. 18 and will not fully lift until the week after the race. Mayor Muriel Bowser, who leaned into the economic case for hosting it, put it plainly at a briefing this spring: Sporting events are dollars and cents as much as they are spectacle, and a race weekend built around hotel stays, restaurant bookings, and merchandise sales will register in the District of Columbia economy long after the cars have been trucked out of town.<\/p>

That combination \u2014 history and horsepower, in Burgum's phrase \u2014 is precisely the branding exercise the administration<\/a> has built around America's semiquincentennial. The Freedom 250 Grand Prix takes its name from Freedom 250, the public-private organization the White House set up to help execute Task Force 250, itself created by an executive order in January 2025 to plan what the order calls \"a grand celebration worthy of the momentous occasion\" of the country's 250th birthday<\/a>. Freedom 250 was also behind June's UFC card on the South Lawn of the White House, a spectacle I wrote about in this space a couple of months ago; the Great American State Fair on the National Mall; and July Fourth fireworks on the Mall \u2014 a run of marquee sporting and cultural events staged, deliberately, on some of the most symbolically loaded ground in the country. It operates alongside, and in occasional tension with, America250, the nonpartisan commission Congress created in 2016 for the same anniversary. A few members of Congress, including Reps. Jared Huffman (D-CA) and Maxine Dexter (D-OR), have raised questions this year about Freedom 250's fundraising practices and the difficulty of tracing where its private donations originate. Those questions may have been worth keeping in view even as the cars took the green flag, if only because they're part of the same story: a White House that has decided the nation's 250th birthday is best expressed through the biggest, loudest, fastest spectacles it can assemble.<\/p>Why racing, and why now

Motorsports have occupied an unusually charged place in American political culture for decades, and the Trump-IndyCar alliance did not emerge from nowhere. Trump's relationship with racing runs back through NASCAR, whose fan base has long skewed southern, working-class, and Republican. Then-NASCAR Chairman Brian France endorsed him at a 2016 rally alongside drivers Mark Martin, Ryan Newman, and Bill and Chase Elliott; Trump served as grand marshal of the Daytona 500 during his first term; and in 2024, as a candidate trying to reclaim the presidency, he flew into Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Coca-Cola 600, the first sitting or former president to attend a race there, drawing chants of \"USA\" from a crowd of more than 80,000. That same instinct, that racetracks reach voters who feel unheard by more conventional political and cultural institutions, runs through the calculus behind putting IndyCar on the National Mall.<\/p>

It also runs through the administration's approach to the auto industry itself, which functions as both an economic constituency and a cultural one for the current Republican coalition. Over the past year, the administration has rolled back Biden-era fuel-economy and emissions standards, ended the federal electric vehicle purchase tax credit, moved to strip California of its authority to set stricter vehicle standards, and imposed sweeping tariffs on imported vehicles and auto parts \u2014 tariffs that Trump has since softened for domestic manufacturers by extending a cost-relief rebate through 2030. The administration frames all of this as a rescue of an American manufacturing base that it says had been distorted by mandates favoring EVs over the gas-powered trucks and sedans that remain the industry's biggest sellers. Critics, including clean-energy advocates and some economists, warn it could leave domestic automakers less competitive globally even as it protects them at home. Whatever one makes of that policy debate, it locates Detroit and its workforce \u2014 the same Rust Belt communities Trump has courted since his first walk through a United Auto Workers picket line's opposite number, a nonunion Michigan auto-parts supplier, in 2023 \u2014 squarely inside his political coalition. A White House-blessed IndyCar race, with GM's president standing next to the president at its kickoff event, fits naturally into that alignment: It\u2019s racing as a showcase for driving talent as well as for an American automotive industry that the administration wants voters to see as ascendant again.<\/p>

IndyCar itself, meanwhile, is in the middle of a genuine commercial revival that makes it a more useful partner for this kind of spectacle than it might have been a few years ago. The series moved its media rights to Fox in 2025, and coverage that season averaged 1.36 million viewers, a 27% jump from the year before and the sport's best audience in 17 years, with especially strong growth among viewers under 35. Fox liked what it saw enough to buy a one-third stake in Penske Entertainment, the Penske-controlled company that owns IndyCar and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, in a deal announced last summer alongside a multiyear extension of the broadcast contract. The momentum has only accelerated into 2026: This year's Indianapolis 500 drew almost 7 million viewers on Fox, continuing to build on the broadcast\u2019s strong 2025 performance. Put simply, IndyCar was arriving at the National Mall as a sport on the rise, with its network broadcast partner financially invested in making sure it keeps rising \u2014 an alignment of interests that makes a White House eager for ratings and an ownership group eager for exposure unusually well matched.<\/p>Spectacle as statecraft

None of this happened in isolation. The Freedom 250 Grand Prix is the latest entry in a run of marquee sporting events that this administration has folded into the semiquincentennial calendar, from the UFC card staged on the South Lawn in June to the World Cup, whose early rounds played out across the country this summer with Trump making his own imprint on the tournament through a White House task force and a phone call to FIFA's president that led to the most-discussed overturning of a red card in World Cup history. Each of these events trades on a similar premise: that sports, insofar as they are competitions that are stripped of the ambiguity that clouds so much of public life, offer a kind of clarity that a fractured media landscape increasingly struggles to provide. Fighters win or lose in the octagon, the ball either goes through the goalposts or it doesn\u2019t, drivers finish first or second or 17th \u2014 there are no murky judgment calls, no need to refer the case to outside consultants to decide which of the contestants was more meritorious. In addition to being a refreshing change of pace from the frustrating lack of clarity that we\u2019re compelled to deal with in much of the rest of our lives, the clarity and the satisfying decisiveness of sports has obvious political utility as well, and this administration has shown a consistent instinct for staging it as close to the literal seats of American power as it can arrange \u2014 on the South Lawn, on the National Mall, and down Pennsylvania Avenue itself.<\/p>

There's also something fitting, whatever one's politics, about choosing a car race to mark this particular anniversary. The automobile has been bound up with our self-conceptions as Americans for more than a century, from the assembly line that Henry Ford perfected in Michigan to the interstates the Eisenhower administration built to the drive-in culture, road-trip mythology, and Detroit manufacturing identity that followed. A sport built entirely around speed, precision engineering, and split-second decision-making under pressure maps unusually well onto the story we like to tell about ourselves: We\u2019re a nation that moves fast, builds things, and rewards whoever gets there first. Whether the Freedom 250 Grand Prix is judged to have delivered on that symbolism as cleanly as its organizers hoped depends on execution \u2014 on whether a street circuit wrapped around some of the most heavily secured real estate on Earth can actually pull off the kind of seamless, telegenic spectacle the White House promised, and on whether Washington's roughly 2 million residents will have experienced the weekend as a civic celebration or as a monthlong traffic nightmare with a race attached to it.<\/p>

THE FIVE DAYS THAT MADE US BELIEVE IN SPORTS AGAIN <\/a><\/p>

Expect the logistics to dominate local coverage: incremental street closures began in late July, a full security perimeter lockdown was scheduled to be in place by Aug. 18, and a Metro system that district officials positioned as the only realistic way in or out of downtown will have been put to the test by the roughly 1 million fans who were expected to attempt to attend and\/or view the event in some form of fashion. Beyond the racing itself, the organizers built out a full weekend around the Grand Prix, including a classic-car parade, an EV showcase, and a concert series, all under the Freedom 250 banner. Roger Penske said ticket demand ran far ahead of supply, with more than 250,000 requests for roughly 100,000 daily grandstand spots.<\/p>

Whatever the final verdict on its execution turns out to be, the Freedom 250 Grand Prix will say something real about how this White House has chosen to mark this particular American milestone: not primarily through pageantry borrowed from history, but through the modern spectacle of speed, sponsorship, and network television ratings, staged in the literal shadow of the monuments the anniversary is meant to honor. On Aug. 23, after the green flag dropped on Pennsylvania Avenue, the cars circling the Capitol and the Washington Monument at 190 mph raced for a trophy \u2014 but they were also racing, whether anyone driving them intends it or not, for the attention of a country that this administration has bet will keep watching as long as something is moving fast enough to hold it.<\/p>

Daniel Ross Goodman (@DanRossGoodman) is a Washington Examiner contributing writer and teaches theology and religious studies at St. John's University. His next book, Dante's Guide to Life: How The Divine Comedy Can Change Our Fortunes, Our World, and Ourselves, will be published this fall by Angelico Press.<\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Fea.IndyCar.082626.jpg?w=696" }, {"Articles":[ {"id":"4695786-1787292081", "title":"Gas prices: National average rises to $4.11 per gallon", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fnews%2F4695786%2Fgas-prices-national-average-rises-to-4-11-per-gallon%2F", "byline":"Washington Examiner Staff", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"The national average price for regular gas increased to $4.11 per gallon on Friday, continuing a week of increasing fuel costs at the pump.  Friday’s price point is an increase from Monday when the average cost for a gallon of regular gas in the United States was $4.07. It is also an increase from a […]", "description":""

The national average price for regular gas increased to $4.11 per gallon on Friday, continuing a week of increasing fuel costs at the pump. <\/p>

Friday\u2019s price point is an increase from Monday when the average cost for a gallon of regular gas in the United States was $4.07<\/a>. It is also an increase from a week ago when the national average was approximately $4.08 per gallon, before dropping slightly over last weekend. The current August gas price in the U.S. is the most expensive August for gas prices since 2022, according to AAA<\/a>.<\/p>

Gas prices<\/a> on Friday are more expensive than a month ago when the average price for a gallon of regular gas in the United States was $4.02. Additionally, today\u2019s fuel costs are also substantially more expensive than a year ago when the cost was almost a dollar per gallon less expensive at $3.14 per gallon. <\/p>

The national average price of gas has fluctuated widely in 2026, ranging from a low of $2.79 per gallon<\/a> in January to $4.562 per gallon in May<\/a>. The most recent uptick in prices marks the third time the national average price for a gallon of regular gas has eclipsed $4 per gallon, which is a record, as the Washington Examiner previously reported<\/a>. The recent fluctuation in gas prices has been linked to geopolitics in the Middle East, specifically the military conflict between Iran, Israel, and the United States, and turmoil involving the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>

In July, gas prices had decreased to its lowest national average since March<\/a>. The relief at the pumps was short lived however as the continuing geopolitical tension in the Middle East between Iran and the U.S. led to gas prices to once again rise above the $4 per gallon pricing threshold. The rise in gas prices has affected public approval for President Donald Trump who campaigned on lowering gas prices and delivered on it during his first year in office, before the conflict with Iran began. <\/p>

Trump spoke at an event in Las Vegas earlier this month and addressed the increase in fuel costs. He continued promoting his prediction that the rise is only temporary and that once the military conflict has ended, gas prices would drop again. However, the president has not specified when that would be. In the past he has given multiple answers regarding the duration of the war. He originally predicted it would only be four weeks, then six weeks. He has also asserted that it would take as long as it was necessary, stating the main objective is to deprive Iran of having a nuclear weapon.<\/p>

\u201cAs soon as the situation with Iran ends, oil is going to go down, and we will have completed something in such a short amount of time, that is a miracle,\u201d Trump said<\/a> on Aug. 5.<\/p>

\u201cWhen oil goes down, and it\u2019s going to go down very rapidly, and is already happening,\u201d Trump said<\/a> about fluctuating gas prices during the conflict. \u201cWe may have to send it up again. We may have to \u2014 you know what happens when we send it up. But we don\u2019t have to. But when the oil and gasoline go down, everything else goes down.\u201d<\/p>

Despite the massive fluctuations in gas prices this year and the recent string of increases, one thing that has remained constant is that fuel costs vary throughout the country. The states with the highest gas prices are on the West Coast, whereas the states with the lowest gas prices are located in the Midwest and South.<\/p>

FREEDOM 250 GRAND PRIX PREVIEW: WHAT TO KNOW IF YOU\u2019RE ATTENDING THE FASTEST WEEKEND IN DC<\/a><\/p>

Indiana is once again the state with the cheapest gas prices in the nation. The Hoosier State has a statewide average for regular gas of $3.55 per gallon. Next, is Texas, at almost ten cents per gallon more expensive at $3.65. This is followed by Tennessee with an average of $3.6658 per gallon, and then Mississippi at $3.6662 per gallon. South Carolina is next at $3.685 per gallon.<\/p>

California remains the state with the highest fuel costs in the country with a statewide average of $5.59 per gallon. Next is Hawaii at $5.43 per gallon. This is followed by Washington state with an average fuel cost of $5.25 per gallon. Alaska is next at $4.82 per gallon followed by Nevada at $4.78 per gallon.<\/p>

<\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AP26065688233546.jpg?w=696" }, {"Articles":[ {"id":"4693442-1787292000", "title":"Fans, fast cars, and Freedom 250: The sponsors behind the DC Grand Prix", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fsports%2F4693442%2Ffans-fast-cars-freedom-250-sponsors-behind-dc-grand-prix%2F", "byline":"Britta Miller", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"Fans, drivers, and sponsors are putting the pedal to the metal for the Freedom 250 Grand Prix, held in the nation’s capital this weekend, Aug. 22-23. President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January announcing the first motor race in Washington, D.C., the Freedom 250 Grand Prix, celebrating America’s 250th birthday.  The two-day motorsports […]", "description":""

Fans, drivers, and sponsors are putting the pedal to the metal for the Freedom 250 Grand Prix, held in the nation\u2019s capital this weekend, Aug. 22-23.<\/p>

President Donald Trump<\/a> signed an executive order<\/a> in January announcing the first motor race in Washington, D.C., the Freedom 250 Grand Prix, celebrating America\u2019s 250th <\/a>birthday. <\/p>

The two-day motorsports event is completely free to visitors, with 100,000 tickets granted through a lottery system. <\/p>

A series of sponsors and partners<\/a> made the event possible. The Air National Guard, Amazon, Boeing, Chevrolet, Delta, Honda, Metro, Shell, Robinhood, Splenda, United Airlines, and Verizon are listed, to name a few. <\/p>

The 1.7-mile, seven-turn course will wind through the streets of Washington, D.C., circling the National Mall<\/a>. Practice and qualifying races will be held Saturday, leading up to Sunday\u2019s iconic 147-lap, roughly 250-mile race. <\/p>

Street closures and parking restrictions<\/a> will also be in effect for D.C. drivers, and much of the National Mall will be inaccessible.<\/p>

Sponsors Verizon, Gulfstream, and Delta even powered a special suite experience<\/a> on the track. More than 70 luxury suites will surround the street circuit.\u00a0<\/p>

The climate-controlled suites are complete with executive restrooms, enclosed elevators, extensive views, and premium food and beverage options. First-class concierge service is also available for all suite guests.<\/p>

The Washington Examiner broke down all 60 sponsors by industry. <\/p>Motorsports & AutomotiveAndrettiArrow | McLarenBMax and OnlyBullsChevroletDiscount TireDroplightHondaIndyCarJuncos Hollinger RacingMeyer Shank RacingPenskePenske CorporationAviation, Aerospace & AirlinesAir National GuardAirlines for AmericaBoeingDeltaGulfstreamUnited AirlinesTechnology, IT & TelecommunicationsAmazon Web ServicesCiscoDXCEpoch Concepts | Dell TechnologiesFCN Inc. Tech SolutionsNTTStarlinkVerizonCyber & TechBitdeerThreatLockerDefense, Security & GovernmentBooz AllenForterra | Second FrontU.S. Border PatrolConstruction, Engineering & InfrastructureClark ConstructionHNTBWillScotMetroEnergy, Oil & GasAESAmerican Petroleum InstituteShellWashington GasBanking, Finance & Financial TechnologyPinnacleRobinhoodWells FargoProfessional Services, Consulting & InsuranceGallagherKPMGSidleyFood, Beverage & Consumer ProductsAltriaConstellation BrandsPMI | U.S. Businesses of Philip Morris InternationalSplendaMedia, Sports & EntertainmentFox SportsMonumental SportsReal Estate, Hospitality & EventsEvents DCHendricks Commercial Properties | Geronimo Hospitality GroupHarbingerInProductionThe 94 ClubRetail & Business OrganizationsCintasNational Retail FederationGovernment & Economic DevelopmentAmerican LegionIndiana Economic Development Corp.

The American Legion is offering free access to the American Legion Hospitality area for veterans and military members. Military or veteran ID is required for entry, along with a valid race ticket for the Stripes area.<\/p>

The hospitality area is located on the National Mall at the corner of 4th Street NW and Madison Drive NW, behind the National Gallery of Art. One guest is permitted to accompany each service member. Advance registration<\/a> is required for entry.<\/p>

FREEDOM 250 GRAND PRIX PREVIEW: WHAT TO KNOW IF YOU\u2019RE ATTENDING THE FASTEST WEEKEND IN DC<\/a><\/p>

Practice races begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday, and Sunday\u2019s Grand Prix starts at 1 p.m.<\/p>

The Washington Examiner reached out to Freedom 250 for comment. <\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP26068714982427-1.jpg?w=696" }, {"Articles":[ {"id":"4694220-1787292000", "title":"Trump talked for a week. Six capitals moved", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fop-eds%2F4694220%2Fstrait-of-hormuz-controlled-chaos-foreign-policy%2F", "byline":"Emzari Gelashvili", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"Start with the week itself, in order. On Aug. 14, at a police training center in Garden City, New York, President Donald Trump told a room of law enforcement officers that once Iran is finished, “pretty soon I’ll be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States.” He added the sentence that was […]", "description":""

Start with the week itself, in order.<\/p>

On Aug. 14, at a police training center in Garden City, New York, President Donald Trump<\/a> told a room of law enforcement officers that once Iran<\/a> is finished, \"pretty soon I'll be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States.\" He added the sentence that was not a joke: \"We have the blockade. No ships get through unless we want them to.\" Then he asked Americans to accept a higher price at the pump as the cost of keeping a very evil country from a nuclear weapon<\/a>.<\/p>

On the fifteenth, he posted a photograph of himself standing beside Kim Jong Un, with the note that the two of them get along great.<\/p>

TRUMP\u2019S HORMUZ TOLL LASTED 24 HOURS. THE PRECEDENT DOESN\u2019T EXPIRE<\/a><\/p>

On the sixteenth, Jared Kushner sat for roughly two hours in Cairo with Khalil al-Hayya, the man who became Hamas's senior political leader in July, to talk about disarmament.<\/p>

On the seventeenth, Trump posted a meme of Kim at a telephone, captioned \"we cool, right,\" and attached no words of his own. That same day, Kushner was in Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu<\/a>.<\/p>

On the eighteenth came a graphic of the strait beneath a banner reading NEW U.S. TERRITORY. Hours earlier, Israeli aircraft had struck an air base in Idlib that a Turkish delegation had visited the day before \u2014 and it was the American envoy, Tom Barrack, who publicly named Israel as the author and called it an unnecessary escalation.<\/p>

On the nineteenth, the president declared the June understanding with Tehran finished and announced what he called an economic D-Day: \"the most crushing economic operation ever taken against any country,\" in his words, with consequences promised for any nation whose banks, airports, ship registries, or front companies keep Iran afloat. You know who you are, he wrote.<\/p>

Six days. Most of it was typing.<\/p>The method has a name

I have written before that these stretches are not hesitation but operational pauses<\/a> \u2014 intervals in which the shooting stops and nothing else does. And I have called the wider method controlled chaos<\/a>, which does not mean every event is scripted from one desk. It means the visible signal and the eventual result do not arrive in the order observers expect. One thing is thought, a second is said, a third is done, and a fourth result arrives.<\/p>

The cost of sorting out which signal is real falls on whoever has to respond. That is not a side effect of the method. It is the product.<\/p>

So sort them.<\/p>Who each signal was for

The blockade language and the economic D-Day were aimed at Tehran, and beyond Tehran at Beijing. More than 80% of Iran's oil exports go to China. When Trump wrote \u201cyou know who you are,\u201d the list he attached \u2014 oil smuggling, swap lines, cash transfers, exchange houses, ship registries, front companies \u2014 describes the machinery by which sanctioned crude reaches a buyer, and most of those buyers are Chinese<\/a>. Not one item on that list is a weapon.<\/p>

Moscow got its notice separately. On Aug. 7, the Senate passed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, which would authorize tariffs of up to 100% on the largest buyers of Russian energy. Ukrainian drones have since stopped grain and crude loading at Novorossiysk, a port that moved Central Asian and Chinese cargo as well as Russian.<\/p>

Pyongyang got two friendly posts inside three days, at the precise moment American pressure elsewhere was at maximum. Read that as sentiment if you like. Read it as a cheap way to keep one adversary quiet while the others are busy, and it reads better.<\/p>

Ankara received the quietest signal of the week \u2014 and the sharpest. On Aug. 7, Turkey signed a mutual-defense pact in Mecca<\/a> with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, giving Ankara a new foothold across the Gulf. Eleven days later, Israeli jets struck a Syrian air base that a Turkish delegation had inspected the day before. Washington's response was to name Israel in public and then open a trilateral deconfliction channel between Israel, Syria, and Turkey. Ankara kept its new standing. It also acquired an American chaperone.<\/p>

And Hamas got Kushner in a room.<\/p>

That last one deserves more attention than it received. Hamas did not send a spokesman; the president's son-in-law sat with its most senior political figure, and the subject was disarmament. Organizations do not open that conversation while they still believe a patron is coming. Hezbollah has watched the Lebanese army begin locating its weapons. The Houthis declared a blockade of Saudi Arabia in July and have discovered that closing a sea lane is easier than surviving the response. What all three now share is the discovery that neither Tehran, nor Beijing, nor Moscow is in a position to shield them.<\/p>What it is worth, and to whom

Israel votes on Oct. 27. A prime minister facing that electorate has spent the month watching Iranians reach a contract, Hezbollah's arsenal shrink, and a disarmament conversation open with Hamas<\/a>. In the same week, Washington publicly rebuked him over Syria. Ankara read the strike its own way: Turkey's communications directorate accused him of pursuing expansionist and destabilizing policies ahead of an Israeli election. The gains help him with one part of his coalition. Being accused by Ankara of confronting Turkey too hard, eleven weeks before a vote, does not obviously hurt him with another.<\/p>

The United States votes on Nov. 3. And here the ledger is harder.<\/p>

Gasoline on Aug. 14 averaged $4.08 a gallon, 29% above a year earlier. Two weeks before, Quinnipiac had the president's approval at 32%, the lowest it has ever recorded for him. Forty-nine percent of voters said they were worse off financially than a year ago. Sixty percent opposed the military action against Iran; 66% said it had not been worth fighting.<\/p>

Into that, at a rally for a Republican<\/a> candidate for governor, Trump asked for more money at the pump.<\/p>

Presidents do not do that. Presidents promise cheaper gasoline. They blame speculators, open the reserve, fly to Riyadh. This one did the reverse in public, on camera, 11 weeks out, and in the same breath claimed the chokepoint that sets the price.<\/p>

Which is the question the week actually poses. Not whether he can annex a strait \u2014 he cannot \u2014 but what he believes he is buying with the eleven weeks, and whether the voters being asked to fund it have been told what the purchase is.<\/p>The part nobody prices

There is one more thing worth noticing about the method, and it is the reason it works.<\/p>

Nobody can hedge against all of it at once. A Chinese refiner cannot tell whether the ship-registry warning is real. A Russian exporter cannot tell whether the tariff bill clears the House. Hamas cannot tell whether Kushner speaks for a settlement or for a deadline. And when the noise gets thin, there is always a forgotten file to reopen \u2014 Cuba, Greenland<\/a>, a hemisphere away from wherever anyone is looking.<\/p>

In June, Washington and Tehran actually reached a memorandum of understanding: the strait reopens, Iran reaffirms it will not build a weapon, the blockade lifts, sanctions drop. Sixty days to convert it into an agreement. The blockade eased. Then it came back.<\/p>

So a deal to reopen Hormuz has existed once already. It did not survive. And in the months since, the United States has become the one large energy supplier nobody is shooting at, signing long-term contracts on the strength of a single fact: American cargo arrives.<\/p>

Ask it plainly, because Trump nearly asked it himself on the fourteenth. Who benefits from reopening the strait, and who signs the contracts while it stays shut?<\/p>

I spent my career in Georgia's<\/a> security services, and later in its parliament, representing a district on the line with the Russian-occupied territories. I learned there that the decisions that move a map are rarely the ones announced from a podium. They arrive as a customs schedule, a maintenance notice, an insurance condition \u2014 and by the time anyone names them as policy, the leverage has already moved.<\/p>

What was unusual about this week is how much of it was said out loud.<\/p>

The posts will be quoted for a while, because they are funny.<\/p>

TRUMP IS DOING THE ONE THING CLINTON, BUSH, OBAMA, AND BIDEN REFUSED TO DO FOR UKRAINE<\/a><\/p>

The gasoline<\/a> line will not be quoted at all, because it is not.<\/p>

That is usually the one to watch.<\/p>

Emzari Gelashvili is a former senior official in Georgia's state security, defense, and interior ministries, with a career in counterintelligence focused on Russian and Iranian intelligence operations. He served in the Georgian Parliament from 2008 to 2012.<\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP26231794808612.jpg?w=696" }, {"Articles":[ {"id":"4694682-1787292000", "title":"What’s behind Russia’s escalation against the UK", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fop-eds%2F4694682%2Freasons-behind-russian-escalation-united-kingdom%2F", "byline":"Ani Chkhikvadze", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"Following reports that Ukraine had used drones made by two British companies to strike oil and logistics facilities inside Russia, Moscow’s embassy in London accused the United Kingdom of deliberately escalating the war. It promised “consequences” would follow. The deeper the U.K. became involved in the war, Russia said, “the higher the price it will […]", "description":""

Following reports that Ukraine<\/a> had used drones made by two British companies to strike oil and logistics facilities inside Russia<\/a>, Moscow\u2019s embassy in London accused the United Kingdom<\/a> of deliberately escalating the war. It promised \"consequences\" would follow. The deeper the U.K. became involved in the war, Russia said, \u201cthe higher the price it will pay.\u201d<\/p>

What that price might be was left unstated. But that is the point. A vague threat invites the British public to imagine everything from cyber disruption to more Novichok nerve agent-laden assassinations to a Russian strike on London. Moscow wants the warning repeated widely; the fear does the rest.<\/p>

The U.K. has armed Ukraine since before Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. It has provided a wide range of weaponry, including more powerful Storm Shadow cruise missiles. The newly reported Nyan drone<\/a>, produced by BAE Systems, carries a relatively small payload over a range of more than 150 miles. Ukraine is using such weapons against the depots and logistics networks that sustain Russia\u2019s war. Russia, meanwhile, continues to bombard Ukrainian cities with ballistic missiles and drones. \u00a0<\/p>

Moscow wants British voters to associate their government's support for Ukraine with increasingly intolerable danger at home. It wants the fear of uncontrolled escalation to lead to public pressure on the U.K. government to retreat. The warnings are intended to widen existing political divisions and make assistance to Kyiv appear reckless.<\/p>

Yet the Kremlin has already repeatedly crossed U.K. red lines.<\/p>

In 2018, Russian military intelligence officers traveled to the U.K. and used the Novichok nerve agent in an attempt to kill a Russian intelligence defector, Sergei Skripal. While Skripal survived, he, his daughter, and a responding police officer were all seriously injured. Another innocent Briton was killed<\/a> when she found the callously discarded Novichok delivery weapon. On top of this, a Russian network recruited local men to burn a Ukraine-linked warehouse in east London in 2024 and discussed further arson and kidnapping. That July, an incendiary parcel caught fire at a DHL facility in Birmingham as part of a suspected Russian operation to target cargo planes. And Russian hackers relentlessly target British institutions, infrastructure, and public trust. These actions are calibrated to hurt Britain while remaining below the threshold of conventional war.<\/p>

Yet Moscow\u2019s confidence in issuing such threats also reflects weaknesses created in London. <\/p>

The once formidable British Army has shrunk to around 80,000 active personnel, roughly half its 1991 strength. Parliament recently\u00a0found\u00a0that while Britain can respond to limited crises, its ability to sustain forces <\/a>in a prolonged, high-intensity war is doubtful. Underinvestment did not create Russian aggression. It did, however, weaken deterrence and give Moscow reason to believe that threats can impose political costs on Britain. The government is now promising increased spending<\/a>, but the question remains open as to whether it will be sufficient.<\/p>

LINCOLN PROJECT STRUGGLES TO STAY RELEVANT DURING TRUMP\u2019S SECOND TERM<\/a><\/p>

U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham<\/a> said this week that his country would continue to support Ukraine \u201c100%\u201d because it is no fair-weather friend. He is correct to do so. Giving way after Moscow threatens consequences would reward its intimidation campaign and encourage the Kremlin to return with greater threats in the future.<\/p>

London should continue arming Kyiv while strengthening its own defenses.<\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/AP26155635369897.jpg?w=696" }, {"Articles":[ {"id":"4694992-1787292000", "title":"Why did a GOP House candidate register as Cuba’s foreign agent?", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Frestoring-america%2Fcourage-strength-optimism%2F4694992%2Fgop-house-candidate-vic-mellor-registered-cuba-foreign-agent%2F", "byline":"Ron MacCammon", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"Vic Mellor wants to represent Rhode Island’s 2nd Congressional District. In late May, mid-campaign, he flew to Havana, delivered humanitarian supplies, and met twice over lengthy dinners with Raul Guillermo Rodriguez Castro, grandson of former Cuban leader Raul Castro. Three weeks later, he registered with the Justice Department as a foreign agent for two arms of the Cuban […]", "description":""

Vic Mellor<\/a> wants to\u00a0represent\u00a0Rhode Island's 2nd Congressional District. In\u00a0late May<\/a>, mid-campaign, he flew to Havana<\/a>, delivered humanitarian supplies, and met twice over lengthy dinners with Raul Guillermo Rodriguez Castro, grandson of former Cuban leader Raul Castro<\/a>. Three weeks later, he registered with the Justice Department<\/a> as a foreign agent for two arms of the Cuban government.<\/p>

Rodriguez Castro, known as \u201cEl Cangrejo,\u201d is a security official tied to Raul Castro\u2019s Interior Ministry apparatus and an unusual back-channel between Havana and Washington. CIA Director\u00a0John Ratcliffe\u00a0met with him<\/a> in Havana in May, and\u00a0Axios\u00a0reports Secretary of State Marco Rubio<\/a> has too.<\/p>

Mellor submitted two Foreign Agent Registration Act filings on June 16 under the same registration number. The first names Cuba\u2019s\u00a0Ministry of Foreign Affairs<\/a>\u00a0and describes his work as \u201cimproving Cuban-American relations,\u201d suggesting \u201ccontent ideas,\u201d and discussing how Cubans and Americans communicate. The field identifying the Cuban official he dealt with says simply \u201cUnknown.\u201d<\/p>

The\u00a0second filing<\/a>\u00a0names Rodriguez Castro and is more revealing: \u201cinformational materials and dissemination,\u201d sample social media content and strategy, and \u201cexpectations and relationship building.\u201d Rodriguez Castro serves inside the Ministry of the Interior\u2019s General Directorate for Personal Security, the\u00a0MININT<\/a>\u00a0directorate that has protected Cuba\u2019s<\/a> leadership since the 1960s.<\/p>

That isn\u2019t where a government normally workshops public messaging. Tellingly, it\u2019s the filing with an actual name attached, while the diplomatic channel has none.<\/p>

Mellor\u2019s account of how he got there hasn\u2019t held up well. He told\u00a0USA Today\u00a0he went at the urging<\/a> of the Cuban-American National Chamber of Commerce, a Miami-based exile business group. Its vice president, Rafael Sixto, responded that the organization \u201cdid not in any way endorse or urge\u201d the trip and \u201cstrongly opposes any meeting with any member of the current Cuban regime.\u201d<\/p>

The\u00a0State Department\u00a0has kept its distance, saying Mellor \u201cis not authorized to speak on behalf of the United States government.\u201d\u00a0Rep.\u00a0Seth Magaziner (R-RI), the incumbent Mellor hopes to unseat<\/a>, calls him \u201ca registered agent of a foreign dictatorship\u201d who \u201cshould not represent Rhode Island<\/a> in Congress.\u201d<\/p>

Mellor\u2019s defense has remained consistent: he registered because federal transparency law required it, took no money, traveled as a private citizen pursuing Rhode Island export opportunities, and supports the administration\u2019s Cuba policy.<\/p>

That doesn\u2019t easily square with the chamber\u2019s denial or with a filing routed through a leadership protection directorate. But it\u2019s his case.<\/p>

To understand why\u00a0Mellor\u00a0might do this, it helps to look at who he is<\/a>. He\u2019s 56, a Woonsocket native and former Marine who built wealth in Florida through\u00a0a concrete business<\/a> \u2014 by his count, 17 companies over three decades.\u00a0His firm<\/a>, like many others, struggled amid the housing downturn and filed\u00a0Chapter 11<\/a>\u00a0bankruptcy in 2010.\u00a0<\/p>

But Florida licensing records from\u00a0June 2026<\/a>\u00a0still list him as the primary licensee behind American Precast in Venice, so it appears he never fully left the trade. Now, after three decades in Florida, he is running for Rhode Island\u2019s 2nd from a rented house in the district.<\/p>

For roughly five years, he also operated as an informal\u00a0\"chief of staff<\/a>\"\u00a0to retired Gen.\u00a0Michael Flynn, accompanying him through the\u00a0ReAwaken America<\/a>\u00a0circuit. He built a media operation premised on \u201cunfiltered access to information\u201d and opened a Sarasota gathering place,\u00a0The Hollow<\/a>, characterized as a \u201cplayground for the far right.\u201d<\/p>

That pattern matters more than any explanation he\u2019s offered for Havana. Much of Mellor\u2019s public life follows one instinct: build his own channel rather than work through one, trusting his judgment over institutional process. He\u2019s self-funding a campaign he says could cost\u00a0$8 million<\/a>, and he was present at the\u00a0Jan. 6, 2021<\/a>,\u00a0march. Flying to Havana on his own initiative fits the same mold.<\/p>

There\u2019s a complication Mellor can\u2019t entrepreneur his way around. Under\u00a018 U.S.C. \u00a7 219<\/a>, a sitting member of Congress can\u2019t act as an agent of a foreign principal required to register under FARA. Any relationship with Cuban officials would have to end before he took office.<\/p>

That collision may never arrive. Mellor must first win a contested Sept. 9 primary against\u00a0Dr.\u00a0Stephen Skoly<\/a>, then unseat Magaziner in a district where Republicans have struggled. None of that softens the immediate political cost. For Magaziner, this is an attack line requiring almost no explanation.<\/p>

Which raises the more interesting question: What did the Cubans think they were getting from Mellor?<\/p>

Money was almost certainly not the point; his filing says none changed hands. And the personal-security connection argues against a broad public-relations campaign as the whole explanation. Content ideas and messaging comparisons aren\u2019t the obvious reason to involve the directorate guarding Cuba\u2019s leadership.<\/p>

That points toward something narrower: a line into Washington. Rubio is a uniquely difficult adversary for Havana. He knows the regime and its methods and cannot easily be sold promises of reform or accommodation. That creates an incentive to look around him \u2014 toward President Donald Trump or Vice President JD Vance \u2014 through people already connected to their political world. Mellor isn\u2019t a Cuba expert or a Republican foreign-policy figure, but he has spent years beside Flynn and sits inside that ecosystem.<\/p>

Mellor denies exactly this. \u201cI\u2019m not back-channeling and I\u2019m not going to circumvent Marco Rubio,\u201d he told USA Today. \u201cRubio\u2019s been doing an amazing job. A conversation isn\u2019t betrayal.\u201d<\/p>

It is an unusually specific denial, considering the possibilities raised by his own filing.<\/p>

There\u2019s a separate question of why Mellor said yes, and the desire for significance may explain that better than access does. His post-concrete career has involved building a personal mythology: Flynn\u2019s confidant, founder of his own truth-telling media brand, self-funded outsider who answers to no party. Being the American in the room as Cuba\u2019s leadership maneuvers around Washington offers something larger: a chance to become part of the story himself.<\/p>

If Mellor sees himself helping open a channel between Havana and the Trump administration, that isn\u2019t merely access. It\u2019s a legacy claim, one that pays off in reputation whether he wins or loses. His still-active Florida <\/a>precast business means the payoff might not be purely symbolic either.<\/p>

CUBAN FOREIGN AGENT RUNNING FOR CONGRESS CLAIMS CONFLICTING RESIDENCIES<\/a><\/p>

There\u2019s no public evidence that Mellor carried messages to Trump or Vance, or that either knew anything about his activities. The point is different. He represents the kind of unconventional intermediary a government might explore when the conventional door is closed. And Cuba has spent six decades learning how to survive closed doors.<\/p>

That may be the most important part of the Havana detour. Mellor apparently believed he\u2019d found a way to build his own channel to Cuba. It\u2019s worth considering whether Havana believed it had found a channel of its own: one that costs little if he loses, but might someday lead around Rubio and toward the two men sitting above him.<\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP22272701190195.jpg?w=696" }, {"Articles":[ {"id":"4695000-1787292000", "title":"Democrats use recalls to pan RFK Jr.’s tenure as HHS secretary", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fpolicy%2Fhealthcare%2F4695000%2Fdemocrat-recall-rfk-jr-hhs-complete-disaster-headquarters-contamination%2F", "byline":"David Zimmermann", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"The Democratic Party is calling for the resignation of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as recalls of various foods plague the nation. Some recently recalled grocery items due to contamination involving bacteria or parasites include iceberg lettuce, jalapenos, granola, salmon, and ricotta cheese. “RFK Jr.’s time as HHS Secretary has been […]", "description":""

The Democratic Party<\/a> is calling for the resignation of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.<\/a> as recalls of various foods plague the nation.<\/p>

Some recently recalled grocery items due to contamination involving bacteria or parasites include iceberg lettuce, jalapenos, granola, salmon, and ricotta cheese.<\/p>

\"RFK Jr.'s time as HHS Secretary has been a complete disaster. He must resign,\" the Democratic Party's official X account posted<\/a> with a long list of the recalled foods.<\/p>

Headquarters, the rapid-response X account associated with former Vice President Kamala Harris<\/a>, specifically pointed out the recall of Seattle-baked sourdough bread<\/a> over possible contamination by metal shards. The account also warned that frozen blueberries<\/a> may lead to death.<\/p>

The Food and Drug Administration<\/a>, which falls under the Department of Health and Human Services<\/a>, is monitoring the different food recalls.<\/p>

As he faces public and congressional scrutiny on this issue, Kennedy has defended the Trump administration's<\/a> handling of the situation. The secretary has also urged Congress<\/a> to give the FDA more authority and resources to manage the nation's food supply more effectively.<\/p>

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer<\/a> (D-NY) is unhappy with how the administration has handled the recalls caused by major outbreaks in recent weeks.<\/p>

\"Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and RFK Jr. bragged about their gutting of the federal government \u2013 including the FDA. It's their entire philosophy,\" Schumer wrote on X<\/a>. \"The result? DEADLY BLUEBERRIES, the most recent in a string of food recalls that are endangering the health of millions of Americans.\"<\/p>

RFK JR. LAUNCHES FEDERAL PLAN TO FIGHT LYME DISEASE WITH DENNIS QUAID<\/a><\/p>

Sen. Ruben Gallego<\/a> (D-AZ) made a similar statement<\/a>, accusing Republicans of \"making the country sicker and poorer\" while millions of American parents are \"freaked out.\"<\/p>

Kennedy is a major proponent of the Make America Healthy Again<\/a> movement in his official HHS role, so the food recalls detract from his public health messaging.<\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP26222724643963.jpg?w=696" }, {"Articles":[ {"id":"4695040-1787292000", "title":"‘Shield from the Majority’ is under attack in Alaska ", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Frestoring-america%2Ffairness-justice%2F4695040%2Fshield-from-the-majority-under-attack-alaska%2F", "byline":"Connor Bolster and J. Marc Wheat", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"Since before the nation’s founding, Americans have engaged in political speech and advocacy anonymously. Anonymity helps to protect speakers from reprisals, violent or otherwise. It also removes a possible distraction from the contents of the message: the identity and reputation of the speaker. But private and public actors alike around the country are chipping away […]", "description":""

Since before the nation\u2019s founding, Americans have engaged in political speech<\/a> and advocacy anonymously. Anonymity helps to protect speakers from reprisals, violent or otherwise. It also removes a possible distraction from the contents of the message: the identity and reputation of the speaker.<\/p>

But private and public actors alike around the country are chipping away at this essential element of speech and advocacy in America. A group is now asking the Supreme Court<\/a> to hear its case against Alaska and to recognize, again, the First Amendment <\/a>right to associate and to speak anonymously.<\/p>

Government collection and misuse of private information is rampant. In New York City, Zohran Mamdani\u2019s<\/a> administration posted a searchable database of over a million entries containing property owners\u2019 names and addresses. In Washington, D.C., the Securities and Exchange Commission operates a database called the Consolidated Audit Trail designed to track every stock trade in America back to the trader\u2019s name, address, and birthdate. In New Mexico, regulators are trying to force the Rio Grande Foundation to hand over the names of its donors for publishing a candidate scorecard.<\/p>

Clearly, many government officials see Americans' private information as a tool to be wielded toward political ends.<\/p>

The Founding Fathers saw anonymity in political speech as a cultural norm necessary to avoid persecution. Thomas Paine\u2019s Common Sense was published pseudonymously to protect the author from prosecution for treason. Likewise, the Federalist Papers, written to promote ratification of the Constitution<\/a>, and the Anti-Federalist Papers written in response, were both published under pseudonyms. The authors desired anonymity because they wanted their arguments assessed according to their merits, not authorial identity.<\/p>

When people fear that their identities will be revealed to the public, many will become less likely to exercise their rights to freely speak and associate. The Supreme Court recognized as much in a critical case from the Civil Rights era.<\/p>

In NAACP v. Alabama<\/a> (1958), the Supreme Court unanimously agreed that Alabama could not compel the NAACP to disclose its membership and donor lists. As the court found, doing so would have exposed the NAACP to retaliation, particularly since, at the time, physical violence, cross burnings, and threats of bombings by groups such as the KKK were common. Justice John Marshall Harlan II noted that forced disclosure exposed members to \"economic reprisals, loss of employment, threat of physical coercion, and other manifestations of public hostility.\"<\/p>

Decades later, the Supreme Court reaffirmed that ruling in Americans for Prosperity Foundation v. Bonta (2021), holding that California\u2019s donor disclosure rule for nonprofit organizations was unconstitutional. The nonprofit groups in that case had provided evidence<\/a> that they and their supporters faced threats of violence and harassment for their political views and advocacy. Such dangers, as the court explained, \u201care heightened in the 21st century and seem to grow with each passing year.\u201d<\/p>

US MINT ROLLS OUT FREEDOM 250 GRAND PRIX MEDAL<\/a><\/p>

Now, some states, including Alaska<\/a>, require that those engaging in certain forms of political speech include in their messages the personal information of donors. The Alaska Policy Forum is now asking the Supreme Court to review its case after the state sought to penalize APF for failing to register with the state and include the donor disclosures in communications that did not even meet the statute\u2019s criteria for election-related speech. APF should win its case for several reasons, one of which is that its donors have a right to associate with one another and to speak through the organization anonymously. Like the founder\u2019s pseudonyms, associational speech allows Americans to be civically engaged without making themselves targets of harassment. The First Amendment protects that right.<\/p>

The Supreme Court has already recognized the right to anonymous association and, in McIntyre v. Ohio Elections Commission<\/a> (1995), labeled anonymity \u201ca shield from the tyranny of the majority.\u201d As it has in cases like NAACP v. Alabama and Bonta, the court should take up Alaska Policy Forum v. Alaska Public Offices Commission and yet again ensure that the First Amendment is a robust shield for liberty.<\/p>

J. Marc Wheat is general counsel at Advancing American Freedom. <\/p>

Connor Bolster is an intern at Advancing American Freedom.<\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AP23249826674305-e1761844746684.jpg?w=696" }, {"Articles":[ {"id":"4695104-1787292000", "title":"The Minsky Moment: Rising rates threaten credit, AI, and stocks", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Frestoring-america%2Ffaith-freedom-self-reliance%2F4695104%2Fminsky-moment-rising-borrowing-rates-threaten-credit-ai-stocks-investment%2F", "byline":"Desmond Lachman", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"Hyman Minsky, the late Columbia University credit cycle expert, taught us that a long credit and asset-market boom fueled by cheap money inevitably leads to a moment when those markets flip and panic selling sets in. All too often, those moments came when interest rates started to increase at a rapid pace. In turn, defaults […]", "description":""

Hyman Minsky, the late Columbia University credit cycle expert, taught us that a long credit and asset-market boom fueled by cheap money<\/a> inevitably leads to a moment when those markets<\/a> flip and panic selling sets in. All too often, those moments came when interest rates started to increase at a rapid pace. In turn, defaults become very much more common as borrowers find it difficult to service their debt<\/a> when they have to roll over low-interest-rate loans at very much higher interest rates. At the same time, stock markets at high valuations lose their appeal as high-yielding government bonds offer a more attractive and less risky investment alternative.<\/p>

If ever we have had a long credit and asset market boom, it must have been over the past five years, when those markets were propelled higher by cheap central bank money in the wake of the 2020 COVID-19 <\/a>economic recession. While it is always difficult to predict the precise moment when the market bust occurs, the recent rise in long-term interest rates to multiyear highs both at home and abroad would suggest that we cannot be far off from another Minsky moment.<\/p>

This would seem to be especially the case considering the excesses in the private credit and the artificial intelligence<\/a> debt markets as well as the close to record high valuations at which the U.S. stock market<\/a> currently trades.<\/p>

Beginning in 2020, unusually low interest rates both at home and abroad fueled a strong U.S. and worldwide credit and stock market boom. In response to the 2020 recession, the Federal Reserve engaged in yet another round of massive quantitative easing, reducing the 10-year Treasury bond yield to below 1%.<\/p>

Meanwhile, through its yield control policy, the Bank of Japan reduced long-term Japanese government bond rates to close to 0%, and something similar occurred with European interest rates in response to the European Central Bank\u2019s government bond-market buying activity.<\/p>

Fast forward to today, and it appears that the low-interest-rate party has come to a sudden end. Long-term government borrowing rates both at home and abroad have skyrocketed to multidecade highs on the back of market concerns about large budget deficits, high inflation, and the prospect of massive AI company debt issuance. With little prospect for improvement on any of these fronts, the 10-year Treasury bond rate has spiked to 4.75%, and the 30-year rate has climbed to a 19-year high of 5.33%. Meanwhile, Japanese long-term bond yields are at four-decade highs, and those in Europe are at their highest since the 2010 European sovereign debt market crisis.<\/p>

One reason for concern about rising long-term interest rates <\/a>is that they could spell trouble for the $2 trillion private credit market, which could spread to the rest of the financial system. Even before the most recent interest rate spike, Fitch rating agency warned that private credit defaults had hit a multiyear high of 6% in July.<\/p>

Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve has reported an acceleration in withdrawals from private credit funds, forcing those funds to impose their contractual 5% redemption caps. With little prospect of long-term interest rates declining anytime soon, there is a real risk that in the months immediately ahead, problems in the private credit market will intensify. This would seem to be especially the case, considering the strong pressure for additional defense spending that will cause a further widening in the budget deficit.<\/p>

High long-term interest rates could also constitute a strong headwind for the AI investment boom. Over the past year, that boom has accounted for around one-third of U.S. economic growth and a major part of the increase in overall investment. The maintenance of high long-term interest rates, coupled with high energy costs, could raise questions about the economic rationale for a meaningful part of that investment surge.<\/p>

If high interest rates spell trouble for the credit market, they certainly spell trouble for the stock market, especially at today\u2019s nosebleed levels. By any measure, today\u2019s stock market valuations are at similar levels to those that preceded the 2001 bursting of the\u00a0dot.com<\/a>\u00a0bubble.<\/p>

It is not only that corporate earnings will now need to be discounted at higher interest rate levels, or that relatively risk-free government bonds at higher interest rates will offer greater competition to stocks in investment portfolios. It is also that high interest rates may cause earnings growth to slow by constituting a headwind to overall economic growth.<\/p>

DEMOCRATS NARROW CONVENTION CITY SHORTLIST<\/a><\/p>

Unfortunately, at this stage, there is little that policymakers can do to prevent a day of reckoning in the markets. That train has long since left the station.<\/p>

However, what they can do is to make contingency plans now as to how to mitigate the financial and economic damage that could flow from a disorderly credit and stock market.<\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/stocks-plunge-e1787256542805.jpg?w=696" }, {"Articles":[ {"id":"4695305-1787292000", "title":"Virginia Democrat bought second home outside of her congressional district after promising to relocate", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fnews%2Finvestigations%2F4695305%2Fvirginia-democrat-second-home-outside-district-promising-to-relocate%2F", "byline":"Mia Cathell", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"Ex-Virginia Democratic Rep. Elaine Luria promised constituents more than four years ago that she planned on relocating to the state’s 2nd Congressional District, where the former Democratic congresswoman is running again in 2026, after an earlier census-triggered redistricting cycle placed her primary residence outside its borders. But a Washington Examiner review of city property records […]", "description":""

Ex-Virginia<\/a> Democratic Rep. Elaine Luria promised constituents more than four years ago that she planned on relocating to the state\u2019s 2nd Congressional District, where the former Democratic congresswoman is running again<\/a> in 2026, after an earlier census-triggered redistricting<\/a> cycle placed her primary residence outside its borders.<\/p>

But a Washington Examiner review of city property records reveal that Luria still does not live in the district she wants to represent and has since bought a second home beyond district bounds.<\/p>

In 2022, Luria assured<\/a> voters that she would be \u201cworking out the logistics\u201d to move into a house she claimed to own in Virginia Beach because her Norfolk home was drawn out of the then-newly configured 2nd Congressional District.<\/p>

Luria\u2019s redrawn district<\/a>, which pulled in all of Virginia Beach, now abuts nearby Norfolk, while the state\u2019s 3rd Congressional District<\/a> absorbed Norfolk entirely. Today, the ousted two-term U.S. representative, who is vying this year to reclaim her 2nd District seat following a 2022 upset, has yet to leave Virginia\u2019s 3rd Congressional District despite her past promises to move the district over.<\/p>

FORMER VIRGINIA HOUSE DEMOCRAT LAUNCHES COMEBACK BID AFTER ELECTIONS GIVE PARTY BOOST IN STATE<\/a><\/p>

According to Norfolk real estate records reviewed by the Washington Examiner, it appears Luria never moved out of the affluent coastal town \u2014 as she vowed to do on the 2022 campaign trail \u2014 and later purchased another residential property down the street in the same Norfolk neighborhood.<\/p>

In fact, the two Norfolk homes both owned by Luria are one house number apart, though situated several doors down from each other.<\/p>

Norfolk land records indicate that Luria acquired the second four-bedroom brick house in 2024 at a sale price of $777,000. Meanwhile, she has kept her neighboring two-story stucco home and recently completed a $200,000 expansion project in May, according to a city-issued permit to increase the first property\u2019s square footage.<\/p>

Luria\u2019s husband, Robert Blondin, continues to list their original stucco house address as his home residence on campaign contribution forms. Federal Election Commission filings<\/a> show that\u00a0Blondin, a retired Navy commander, wrote down that Norfolk address for the $7,000 he has donated so far to his wife\u2019s 2026 comeback campaign.<\/p>

Blondin and Luria, also a retired Navy commander originally from Alabama, met during their military service and settled together in Norfolk, a major Virginia port city home to the world\u2019s largest naval station<\/a>.<\/p>

In response to a Washington Examiner inquiry into Luria choosing to remain in Virginia\u2019s solidly blue<\/a> 3rd Congressional District, the Luria campaign said she was forced out of her home district due to the state\u2019s 2021 redistricting process.<\/p>

\u201cAfter her four years in Congress,\u201d a spokesperson for the Luria campaign said, \u201cElaine was deliberately drawn out of Virginia\u2019s Second Congressional District after representing the majority of this district and delivering for her community.\u201d<\/p>

The campaign spokesperson added that \u201cElaine is proud to call Hampton Roads<\/a> home like so many other veterans and military families,\u201d referring to a region comprising the greater Norfolk-Virginia Beach metropolitan area.<\/p>

\u201cThis is yet another pathetic attempt by the Kiggans campaign to distract Virginians from Kiggans\u2019 record of raising prices on working families and standing in lockstep with Donald Trump as he uses the Oval Office to enrich himself and his family and start reckless wars,\u201d the Luria spokesperson told the Washington Examiner.<\/p>

In 2021, the boundaries of Luria\u2019s district were altered under a court-approved congressional map<\/a> that was intended to be politically neutral.<\/p>

That year, the new bipartisan Virginia Redistricting Commission was unable to agree on a map after repeatedly splitting along party lines, so the Supreme Court of Virginia stepped in and appointed two independent special masters to take over the map\u2019s design.<\/p>

As a result, Democrat-aligned areas, including northern portions of Norfolk, were removed from the 2nd Congressional District while it gained generally Republican-leaning territories, consequently shifting Luria\u2019s already competitive<\/a> jurisdiction rightward. Luria was ultimately sent packing, losing<\/a> to her GOP challenger, fellow Navy veteran Jen Kiggans, by about 4 percentage points.<\/p>

Luria told<\/a> reporters when she was running for reelection in 2022 that she had plans in motion to move to a property in Virginia Beach by the end of the year once she figured out the logistics.<\/p>

\u201cI have deep ties across the newly drawn district, which is home to over half a million of the same constituents I proudly represent today,\u201d she said at the time. \u201cI culminated my Navy career of 20 years by commanding a unit based in the district and grew a successful family business at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront.\u201d<\/p>

Luria\u2019s father was at one point involved in the family scrap iron and steel brokerage, Luria Company. According to a 2026 financial disclosure report<\/a> required of congressional candidates with investment holdings, Luria made as much as $1 million last year from a similarly-named, now-dissolved company located in Norfolk. Luria disclosed owning 100% interest in the Norfolk-based business called the Luria Company LLC.<\/p>

Blondin and Luria also operated the Mermaid Factory, a retail shop in Norfolk<\/a> selling customizable mermaid statues that customers can hand-paint. Mermaids are the official symbol of Norfolk<\/a>. In addition to the Norfolk location, Luria opened another Mermaid Factory site on Virginia Beach\u2019s oceanfront<\/a>.<\/p>

It is unclear which Virginia Beach home Luria was referencing in 2022. Virginia Beach property records show that her parents had a low-rise condominium there but Luria\u2019s mother sold it in 2024 following the death of her father<\/a>. An obituary for Luria\u2019s father said the couple recently relocated to Virginia Beach before he died of cancer. Luria\u2019s mother says<\/a> she is now living in Norfolk too, with her daughter close by.<\/p>

Luria\u2019s current fundraising committee lists a P.O. box<\/a> in Virginia Beach as its mailing address, the same one<\/a> her previous campaign used.<\/p>

Candidates are technically allowed to run for Congress in a district they do not currently reside in. Congressional prospects simply need to be \u201can inhabitant of that state,\u201d according to candidacy qualifications<\/a> stipulated by the Constitution.<\/p>

MEET THE DEMOCRATS HOPING TO FLIP VIRGINIA\u2019S MOST COMPETITIVE HOUSE SEATS IN NOVEMBER<\/a><\/p>

Luria clinched the Democratic nomination in a landslide Aug. 4 primary win and is set to go against Kiggans for a highly anticipated rematch in the November general election. The tight House race is rated a complete toss-up<\/a>, favoring neither Luria nor Kiggans, who had a narrow edge the first time the two faced off.<\/p>

With only four congressional seats standing between Democrats and recapturing the lower chamber, the party is betting on Luria to defeat Kiggans<\/a> and flip the swing district back to blue.<\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/elaine-luria-district-housing.jpg?w=696" }, {"Articles":[ {"id":"4694886-1787291100", "title":"We owe $40 trillion — $120,000 each", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fpremium%2F4694886%2Fwe-owe-40-trillion-national-debt%2F", "byline":"Hugo Gurdon", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"News that the national debt has risen above $40 trillion resonated like a ringing bell in my mind. It registered that America is 16 times deeper in its fiscal hole than it was when I first reported on this chronic ailment back in the late 1980s. I’ve just reread one of my dispatches from Wall […]", "description":""

News that the national debt<\/a> has risen above $40 trillion<\/a> resonated like a ringing bell in my mind. It registered that America is 16 times deeper in its fiscal hole than it was when I first reported on this chronic ailment back in the late 1980s.<\/p>

I\u2019ve just reread one of my dispatches from Wall Street<\/a> to Fleet Street, written in early 1989, when the $2.6 trillion debt and related alarm over the $155 billion annual budget deficit<\/a> were causing ructions between President George H.W. Bush<\/a> and Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan<\/a>.<\/p>

Bush had just taken office, elected on a promise not to raise taxes, and hoped the country\u2019s economic growth would eliminate deficit spending by 1993. Greenspan said the president\u2019s deficit-cutting plans were based on misguided assumptions.<\/p>

It seems almost quaint now, looking back on what was then regarded as a fiscal emergency. This July, deficit spending for the previous 12 months was $1.9 trillion; that\u2019s $158 billion a month, slightly more than the sum by which we overspent in the whole year when Bush and Greenspan were arguing.<\/p>

It\u2019s not just the numbers that make the comparison between then and now so striking. It\u2019s also the attitude of the public and its elected representatives at both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue.<\/p>

Although Americans and their government were clearly living beyond their means in the last century, they at least recognized it as a problem. There was a widespread, if facile, feeling that \u201csomething must be done.\u201d There was talk of a national debt summit.<\/p>

No such worry is detectable today either in the White House<\/a> or on Capitol Hill. A few, still, small, voices of disquiet may faintly be heard here and there, but President Donald Trump<\/a> is evidently uninterested in spending cuts, which are unpopular, and in Congress<\/a>, the fight, if it can be called anything so vigorous, is not about cuts but about restraining spending growth.<\/p>

Out in election land, socialism<\/a> is a rising tide, particularly among young voters who, because their economic prospects are not as good as those of their parents, increasingly want government to provide them with free stuff. But in America, as our 16th president<\/a> noted, government is of, by, and for the people. So the feds pay for things, as magical socialist thinking desires, it means the people \u2014 all of us \u2014 are the ones who\u2019ll be reaching into our wallets. The government is us, not someone else. It can\u2019t give us anything of net value. All it can do is take money out of one of our pockets and put it back into the other.<\/p>

THE LEFTIST \u2018OMNICAUSE\u2019 LIES TO US EVERY DAY <\/a><\/p>

In a time of relative peace and abundant prosperity, we are overspending by as much as we did to win the war against Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. It\u2019s reasonable to rack up deficits in such a titanic struggle as that, but we now rack them up just to pay our day-to-day living expenses. There are 335 million Americans \u2014 each of us owes more than $119,000.<\/p>

That resonant clang of $40 trillion in debt should reverberate in all our heads, especially in the minds of those we elect to govern the nation on our behalf. As John Donne cautioned in 1623, \u201csend not to know for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee.\u201d<\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/iStock-2202163011.jpg?w=696" }, {"Articles":[ {"id":"4692671-1787290200", "title":"Bread lines or bread winning? The Democratic Party’s fatal leftward drift", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fpremium%2F4692671%2Fdemocrats-socialism-vs-capitalism-economic-shift%2F", "byline":"Peter Cordi", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"The Democratic Party as we know it is on the verge of collapse, nearly ready to capitulate to the ideology responsible for more deaths in the 20th century than 10 COVID-19 pandemics. It’s not just a small fringe of leftists anymore — according to a new poll, 58% of Democrats have a positive view of […]", "description":""

The Democratic Party<\/a> as we know it is on the verge of collapse, nearly ready to capitulate to the ideology responsible for more deaths in the 20th century than 10 COVID-19 pandemics. It\u2019s not just a small fringe of leftists anymore \u2014 according to a new poll, 58% of Democrats have a positive view of socialism<\/a>, while 50% view capitalism negatively.<\/p>

What should be (but isn\u2019t) more astonishing is that the more educated a Democrat is, the more likely he or she is to support socialism. Just having a college degree boosts the favorability rating to 71%, per the CBS News Poll. Were they not taught about the horrors of socialism? Evidently not, based on its 18% disapproval rating. But if you\u2019ve stepped onto a college campus in the last decade, you\u2019d know communism<\/a> is practically a prerequisite for becoming a faculty member<\/a> at most schools.<\/p>

The Democratic Party has not always been this way. Going back to 2010, more Democrats supported capitalism<\/a> (51%) than socialism (50%), per Gallup. In 2012, 55% favored capitalism compared to 51% for socialism. The far-left shift began in 2016, when socialism beat out capitalism for the first time. And now, there\u2019s never been such a wide favorability gap between socialism and capitalism before. The recent CBS poll showed a 26-point gap among Democrats, with 58% supporting socialism and 32% supporting capitalism. A Gallup poll from last year showed a 24-point gap, which was the largest at the time, with 66% for socialism and 42% for capitalism.<\/p>

This leftward shift doesn\u2019t just show up in the economy. The Democrats used to support strong borders, the nuclear family, Israel, and the Second Amendment. Not too long ago, former President Barack Obama was elected while opposing gay marriage. Today, the Left is all about \u201cgender transitions\u201d for children, open borders, banning guns, racial Marxism<\/a>, Hamas apologetics, and abortion up until birth. Republicans have also become more liberal over time \u2014 with many today supporting abortion, gay marriage, and an expanded social safety net. Yet, the liberal media would have you believe the Republicans have gone off the rails and are mainstreaming right-wing extremism. The word for that is \u201cprojection.\u201d<\/p>

The victims of socialism<\/a> have been warning America<\/a> not to make the mistakes their countries have made. From Latin America to Eastern Europe to Asia, the socialist experiment has been tried. The results? Concentration camps, mass killings, bread lines, and mass starvation to the point where, in the case of Venezuela, they were eating zoo animals<\/a>. Socialism hasn\u2019t worked, not even one time! Capitalism, despite its flaws, has lifted over 1 billion people out of poverty since 1990 alone. Why aren\u2019t they teaching that in college?<\/p>

BELTWAY CONFIDENTIAL: WITH ABDUL EL SAYED WIN, MICHIGAN DEMOCRATS FALL TO THE MAMDANI LEFT<\/a><\/p>

The Left has weaponized the \u201caffordability crisis,\u201d a crisis largely of their own making through overspending and overregulation, and their proposed solution is to double and triple down on the socialistic policies that brought us the $20 burrito<\/a>. If liberals really want to bring costs down, more capitalism is the answer. Let\u2019s stop throwing money at problems, expecting them to go away \u2014 such as California\u2019s $24 billion homelessness program<\/a> that resulted in a 20% larger homeless population \u2014 and instead reduce the government\u2019s burden on business, a proven solution that creates jobs and wealth and cuts costs.<\/p>

So what\u2019ll it be, Democrats? Bread lines or bread winning? There\u2019s the Democratic Socialists of America path to Soviet Russia, where you can virtue signal<\/a> your way to the gulags, and there\u2019s the \u201ccold, callous\u201d capitalist path to prosperity. The latter will make America great again for everyone of every background. The former will score you social credit points in the regime. Choose wisely.<\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/YL.Breadline.082626.jpg?w=696" }, {"Articles":[ {"id":"4691477-1787289300", "title":"Hulu’s ‘Furious’ is a riveting, brilliantly acted character study", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fmagazine%2F4691477%2Ffurious-hulu-series-review%2F", "byline":"Graham Hillard", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"A small moment in Hulu’s riveting new series Furious reveals the depth of the show’s preoccupation with female revenge. Investigating a crime scene with an officer who is also her abusive former boyfriend, FBI agent Alice Black (Emmy Rossum) secures a pair of blood-stained scissors and hands them over to her ex. Yet, just for […]", "description":""

<\/p>

A small moment in Hulu's<\/a> riveting new series Furious reveals the depth of the show\u2019s preoccupation with female revenge. Investigating a crime scene with an officer who is also her abusive former boyfriend, FBI<\/a> agent Alice Black (Emmy Rossum) secures a pair of blood-stained scissors and hands them over to her ex. Yet, just for an instant, we see something darker in her expression. She\u2019d clearly prefer to stab him in his guilt-ridden face. <\/p>

The harm men do to women<\/a> \u2014 and that women do back to them \u2014 is the dominant theme of Hulu\u2019s eight-part production, now streaming weekly following its premiere in late July. Alice, an FBI rookie who once worked for the New York City Police Department<\/a>, has been called in to investigate a homicide disguised as a drug overdose. The dead man was the son of a prominent billionaire. Could his new girlfriend, strangely absent from neighborhood security footage, be to blame? <\/p>

That young woman, played by a startlingly good Lola Petticrew (Say Nothing), goes by many names over the course of the series but is billed as Catherine Grace. A former victim of child sex trafficking, Catherine has developed a murderous modus operandi: track down, seduce, and poison the men responsible for her ill treatment. Through the first four episodes alone, at least as many bodies pile up, killed or left for dead by a woman who invites explicit comparison to the mythological sufferer Medusa. \u201cShe\u2019s a victim,\u201d one fed says of our lethal antiheroine, \u201cbut it doesn\u2019t make her a good person. It turns her into a monster.\u201d <\/p>

Furious is, on its surface, a simple cat-and-mouse thriller of the kind regularly produced for big and small screens. But the show is also a character study of greater-than-usual sophistication \u2014 a worthy heir to its most famous forerunner, the Oscar-winning film<\/a> version of The Silence of the Lambs (1991). A pitiless scourge of the Epstein class, Catherine is also a compassionate nurse to Alden (Steve Way), a muscular dystrophy patient for whom she works as a home healthcare aide. Alice, for her part, is nearly as fascinating as Jodie Foster\u2019s iconic Clarice Starling. Having survived a childhood not entirely unlike that of the woman whom she pursues, the young agent is similarly contradictory and fierce. <\/p>

The show\u2019s supporting players inhabit a layered headspace of their own. NYPD detective Marshall Connelly (Jake Lacy), the aforementioned bad ex, is plainly a villain but is just as visibly consumed with regret. Though we wish she could, it is no affront to believability that Alice can\u2019t make herself stop loving him. Also intriguing is Scoot McNairy (Halt and Catch Fire) as Detective Danny Kelly, a once-close friend torn between rescuing Alice and abandoning her to her folly. Best of all is journeywoman Quincy Tyler Bernstine, who gives an award-worthy performance as Nora Washington, Alice\u2019s wise and funny FBI mentor. Asked by our protagonist to account for her erudition, Nora serves up the quip of the series: \u201cI\u2019m not a former cop, I went to a fancy school, and I\u2019m very smart.\u201d Trust me, the moment comes off as endearing rather than smug. <\/p>

Furious needs its lighter scenes to deliver us from what could otherwise be an oppressive tone. Even with them, the series is not for the faint of heart. Note, for instance, the brutality with which Catherine dispatches an abuse-enabling lawyer played by Campbell Scott. What separates the show from lesser efforts is that it is too intelligent to allow its emotional palette to fade entirely to gray. Yes, the series is often violent, but it is also clever, surprising, amusing, and oddly sweet. <\/p>

Created by veteran showrunner Elizabeth Meriwether (New Girl), Furious is loosely based on Bob Rafelson\u2019s 1987 neo-noir thriller Black Widow, in which Debra Winger\u2019s Justice Department<\/a> analyst pursues Theresa Russell\u2019s serial killer of men. As befits its era, that film assigns Russell\u2019s character no motive beyond a love of money. She wants it, and her victims have it. Furious, no less a representative of our own age, is unable to fathom female violence except as an outgrowth of righteous wrath. A line from Nora gives away the game: \u201cObviously any woman who becomes a serial killer is a victim of something.\u201d Obviously? They should have told that to Rafelson, the Five Easy Pieces (1970) auteur who died in 2022, whose near-perfect picture spends a drum-tight 102 minutes demonstrating the opposite. <\/p>

Ah, but we would have better luck spitting into the wind than denouncing a television<\/a> show for its concessions to vogue anxieties. Coming in 2050: a Catherine who kills male-featured anthropomorphic bots. The miracle of Furious is that it succeeds despite its paternalistic treatment of the fairer sex \u2014 despite, for that matter, stretching Rafelson\u2019s taut tale to a now-standard six hours and change. The show\u2019s writing and pacing are simply too good to be brought low. And one would have to go back to the 1980s-era police procedural Cagney & Lacey to find two overlapping female performances this strong. Tyne Daly and Sharon Gless, winners between them of six Lead Actress Emmys in a row, may finally have met their match. <\/p>

REVIEW: WILL FERRELL'S 'THE HAWK' IS UNFUNNY AND UNINSPIRED<\/a><\/p>

It is difficult to overstate how effective Furious's two stars are in this production. Having wasted her youth on Showtime\u2019s execrable satire Shameless (2011-2021), Rossum now establishes herself as a masterful portrayer of psychological weakness and strength. Her Alice is a hypnotically self-destructive figure. Petticrew, meanwhile, builds on her much-praised work in Say Nothing, Hulu\u2019s 2024 Irish Republican Army drama based on a book by Patrick Radden Keefe. As she did on that show, the young woman gives an utterly fearless performance as an ingenue pushed by circumstances to the emotional brink. <\/p>

But perhaps even I am now letting Catherine off the hook. The character is, after all, irredeemably wicked, never mind the arguably more outrageous evils that men have done to her. Looked at a certain way, the figure of Catherine exists to show us the person whom Alice might herself have become. Except Alice doesn\u2019t. Take that as the show\u2019s most important lesson. We always have a choice. <\/p>

Graham Hillard is the TV critic for the Washington Examiner magazine.<\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/LA.TV_.082626.jpg?w=696" }, {"Articles":[ {"id":"4695737-1787288707", "title":"Storms and possible tornadoes pummel the Northeast US, flooding roads and damaging beaches", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fnews%2F4695737%2Fstorms-and-possible-tornadoes-pummel-northeast%2F", "byline":"Associated Press", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"NEW YORK (AP) — Heavy rain and winds pounded the Northeast U.S. on Thursday as storms tore through a beach on Long Island, stranded dozens of people in their cars in New Jersey and knocked out power in parts of Delaware’s capital city. Photos and video shared on social media show debris thrown in the air and […]", "description":""

NEW YORK (AP) \u2014 Heavy rain and winds pounded the Northeast U.S. on Thursday as storms<\/a> tore through a beach on Long Island, stranded dozens of people in their cars in New Jersey and knocked out power in parts of Delaware\u2019s capital city.<\/p>

Photos and video shared on social media show debris thrown in the air and pummeling rain as a possible tornado touched down at Atlantic Beach on Long Island\u2019s outer barrier. It tore apart a major beach club, leaving broken beach chairs and wood beams littered across the shoreline.<\/p>

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said there were no reports of serious injuries or deaths, but there had been damage to property and a search team was making sure no one was trapped in the cabanas. He declared a state of emergency.<\/p>

\u201cThere are reports of people trapped in their vehicles due to flooding in the south shore, and first responders are assisting in their rescue,\u201d he said in a statement.<\/p>

The Sun and Surf Beach Club said buildings had been significantly damaged and it temporarily closed that club and nearby Silver Point.<\/p>

The National Weather Service had warned of waterspouts, tornado-like hazards that happen over water, in the area but wasn\u2019t able to immediately confirm a tornado on the beach.<\/p>

Bryan Ramsey, a meteorologist for the weather service in New York, said the storm was moving East offshore Thursday evening and was expected to taper over the next several hours.<\/p>

In other parts of New York, flooding caused part of the Long Island Expressway in Queens to close in both directions, according to New York City Emergency Management. Photos on social media showed lines of stopped cars as emergency crews traversed the water.<\/p>

In Jersey City, New Jersey, emergency crews rescued 69 people trapped in cars that had been overtaken by flash flooding Thursday, said Mayor James Solomon. Emergency crews waded through roads with knee-high water with small inflatable boats to help those stranded.<\/p>

A likely tornado touched down in Dover, Delaware, and caused significant damage across the city, the police department reported. There were no reports of serious injuries, police said.<\/p>

\u201cDover \u2014 please take this seriously. Stay home. Stay safe,\u201d the department said on Facebook.<\/p>

Photos and video online show fallen trees, downed power lines and flooded roads.<\/p>

The Delaware Electric Cooperative said more than 1,000 customers didn\u2019t have power in the northern part of its service area, but within a few hours most of the outages had been fixed.<\/p>

<\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Summer-storms-New-Jersey-e1787302897184.webp?w=696" }, {"Articles":[ {"id":"4692334-1787288400", "title":"Ben Jones, 1941-2026", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fpremium%2F4692334%2Fben-jones-dukes-of-hazzard-cooter-dead%2F", "byline":"Jack Hunter", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"Ben Jones, known to millions as the country boy mechanic Cooter Davenport in the 1980s television series The Dukes of Hazzard, died on Aug. 9. His wife said on social media that Jones suffered a heart attack in his home in Washington, Virginia, while waiting to watch an Atlanta Braves baseball game. They were his […]", "description":""

<\/p>

Ben Jones, known to millions as the country boy mechanic Cooter Davenport in the 1980s television series<\/a> The Dukes of Hazzard, died on Aug. 9.<\/p>

His wife said on social media that Jones suffered a heart attack in his home in Washington, Virginia<\/a>, while waiting to watch an Atlanta<\/a> Braves baseball game. They were his favorite team. He was 84.<\/p>

Before Jones would turn his acting career into a political one, he was \u201cCrazy Cooter<\/a>\u201d Davenport, his CB handle for all seven seasons of the series that ran from 1979 to 1985. (\u201cBreaker one, breaker one. I might be crazy but I ain't dumb. Crazy Cooter coming at you,\u201d was the character\u2019s famous refrain.)<\/p>

A constant companion and accomplice to the Duke Boys, Bo Duke (John Schneider) and Luke Duke (Tom Wopat), in fictional Hazzard County, Georgia, Cooter would try to help the family do good while navigating the corrupt Mayor Boss Hogg and his band of clumsy cops. Ever resourceful, it was often Davenport who was getting Bo and Luke out of a jam.<\/p>

Jones\u2019s character made a big impression on a then-youthful American Generation X in the show\u2019s first run and also on generations beyond when it went into syndication.<\/p>

The hourlong, primetime, Southern-friendly CBS show originally surprised many industry experts when it became a pop culture<\/a> phenomenon averaging<\/a> about 40 million viewers on Friday nights. \u201cIt's become a permanent part of Americana, like Mickey Mouse or I Love Lucy,\u201d Jones would tell Fox News in January 2024.<\/p>

Born in North Carolina<\/a> and raised in Portsmouth, Virginia, Jones\u2019s Georgia<\/a> connection went beyond Hazzard and baseball<\/a> \u2014 he was elected to Congress<\/a> in 1988 as a Democrat serving Georgia\u2019s 4th District near Atlanta and was reelected in 1990. After being redistricted out, he ran against future House Speaker Newt Gingrich<\/a> in 1994 but was defeated in what would become a banner year<\/a> for the GOP.<\/p>

Jones used his Cooter persona in his campaigns, running as a centrist, populist Democrat.<\/p>

Central to the Dukes and Jones\u2019 own Southern heritage was the controversial Confederate<\/a> battle flag, which adorned the top of the General Lee, a 1969 Dodge Charger, that was basically its own character, a symbol he defended<\/a> throughout his life. \u201cI'm a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. I'm also a life member of the NAACP,\u201d Jones, who in his younger years had also been part of the civil rights movement, said in 2020.<\/p>

\u201cAnd then you see a Ku Klux Klansman waving a rebel flag and he likely has no teeth and no sense and they're pathetic people,\u201d Jones also noted. \u201cThey're sad people, and they p*** me off. And so yeah, they are desecrating a flag that my people died under.\u201d<\/p>

\u201cOur show is the sweetest, harmless, colorblind, good guys always win, nobody gets hurt,\u201d he said of the flag's appearance on the TV program. \u201cAnd it had a huge black audience.\u201d<\/p>

Jones published a biography in 2008 titled Redneck Boy in the Promised Land: The Confessions of \u2018Crazy Cooter\u2019 about his personal life, his experiences on the show, and in Congress.<\/p>

The actor and politician always seemed to relish his character, becoming somewhat of an unofficial ambassador<\/a> of the Dukes\u2019 brand until the end, opening three \u201cCooter\u2019s\u201d country stores near his home in Virginia and also in Nashville and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Fans could purchase memorabilia or even get to experience one of the many General Lee cars used in the series.<\/p>

\u201cThe Dukes of Hazzard lost another integral part of their cast today,\u201d Wopat of Luke Duke fame posted<\/a> on his Instagram of Jones\u2019 passing. \u201cBen Jones was a fine friend and a fierce advocate of all the best things we can offer in the entertainment business.\u201d<\/p>

\u201cHe will be sorely missed,\u201d Wopat added.<\/p>

By more people than is probably measurable. The news of Jones\u2019s passing led some on social media to lament<\/a> that part of their childhood<\/a> had died along with him.<\/p>

DANIEL OLIVER, 1939-2026 <\/a><\/p>

Rep. Andy Barr<\/a> (R-KY), the Republican nominee to replace retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell<\/a> (R-KY),  paid tribute on X, writing<\/a>, \u201cAs an 80\u2019s kid, Congressman Ben Jones will always be \u2018Cooter\u2019 to me.\u201d<\/p>

To this \u201980s kid writer and, no doubt, countless others, too.<\/p>

Jack Hunter (@jackhunter74<\/a>)  is the former political editor of Rare.us and co-authored the 2011 book The Tea Party Goes to Washington with Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY).<\/p>

<\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Obit.082626.jpg?w=696" }, {"Articles":[ {"id":"4692521-1787288400", "title":"Building data centers right", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fopinion%2Feditorials%2F4692521%2Fbuilding-data-centers-right%2F", "byline":"Washington Examiner", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"Infrastructure for the future economy is being built, but not in states controlled by the Democratic Party. Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA) joined Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) this week in banning new data center construction. They join Democratic governors in 10 other states that have passed legislation or signed executive orders making it harder for investors […]", "description":""

Infrastructure for the future economy is being built, but not in states controlled by the Democratic Party<\/a>. Gov. Josh Shapiro<\/a> (D-PA) joined Gov. Kathy Hochul<\/a> (D-NY) this week in banning new data center<\/a> construction. They join Democratic governors in 10 other states that have passed legislation or signed executive orders making it harder for investors to create jobs and develop new power<\/a> generation in their state.<\/p>

States governed by Republicans, including Indiana, Louisiana, Texas, and Utah, are creating hundreds of thousands of new jobs while also adding capacity and reliability to local electricity<\/a> grids.<\/p>

On Monday, OpenAI, the artificial intelligence company, announced that it will lease eight gigawatts of computing capacity at the PORTS-Pike Technology Campus in Pike County, Ohio. SB Energy, an energy and infrastructure company backed by the Japanese conglomerate SoftBank, will build, own, and operate the campus, while chipmaker Nvidia will supply the AI computing infrastructure. The project is expected to create 35,000 construction jobs during its six-year buildout and 2,500 permanent operating jobs.<\/p>

Gov. Mike DeWine (R-OH) has approached the project with proper prudence. Data centers are the future, he says, but they must \u201cpay their own way.\u201d His advice to communities is to \u201ccut a good deal,\u201d conserve water, protect ratepayers, and then build.<\/p>

Pike County Commissioner Tony Montgomery has embraced that approach, calling PORTS-Pike a \u201cgame changer\u201d that can help keep his struggling Appalachian community \u201calive\u201d and \u201cviable.\u201d<\/p>

Energy is the biggest concern for many residents, and PORTS-Pike is addressing it directly. SoftBank and SB Energy plan 10 gigawatts of new power generation, including at least 9.2 gigawatts of natural gas generation. SB Energy is also paying for $4.2 billion in new AEP Ohio transmission infrastructure, including high-voltage lines and substations. A dedicated data center rate is supposed to ensure that the project, not the people of Ohio, pays those costs, while excess generation and transmission capacity can serve the broader grid, making electricity more affordable and reliable for the entire community.<\/p>

Water is being handled in a similar sensible fashion. The campus will use closed-loop, air-cooled systems that recirculate water instead of cooling towers that continually evaporate it. Once the system is filled, water consumption should be comparable to that of an office building supporting a similar number of people.<\/p>

Compare Ohio\u2019s action with Democratic rhetoric. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) says data centers will drive up electricity costs and that AI will have a \u201ccatastrophic impact\u201d on working-class people and has called for a nationwide moratorium on new AI data centers. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), who introduced the House version of Sanders\u2019s moratorium bill, says data centers are causing \u201cexistential harm\u201d and that Congress must \u201cchoose humanity over profit.\u201d (On a side note, it would be interesting to know how much more of the word \u201cexistential\u201c is used these days than it was 10 years ago \u2014 it has spread across political rhetoric, like a nasty rash).<\/p>

This Democratic campaign against data centers turned public opinion sharply against them, including among some Republicans. Gallup found 71% of the public opposed building AI data centers in their local area, with 56% of Democrats, 48% of independents, and 39% of Republicans strongly opposed. A Reuters-Ipsos poll similarly found 57% opposed a data center in their community, including about two-thirds of Democrats and half of Republicans. Most importantly, 77% worried that data centers would raise electricity prices.<\/p>

Despite Democrats\u2019 best efforts, the public has not turned against building altogether. An Echelon Insights poll found 68% would welcome an Amazon distribution center in their community, 67% a traditional factory, and 49% a semiconductor plant, but just 27% an AI data center. Months of warnings about strained water supplies and higher electric bills have clearly taken a toll. Those risks are real when developers are allowed to shift infrastructure costs onto surrounding communities, but PORTS-Pike shows they can be addressed.<\/p>

Communities that manage those risks are already seeing benefits. Amazon\u2019s $10 billion Wharton County, Texas, project promises thousands of construction jobs and hundreds of permanent jobs. Oregon officials say Amazon facilities have significantly increased Port of Morrow property tax and payment-in-lieu-of-tax revenue. And in Ellendale, North Dakota, data center development helped push sales tax collections from roughly $400,000 annually before the boom to $3.5 million in just the first seven months of 2026.<\/p>

The question, then, is whether elected officials want to manage these projects responsibly or simply stop them from being built. Ohio voters will face that choice in November. Democrat Sherrod Brown has called for a moratorium on new data center development while hammering Sen. Jon Husted (R-OH) for arguing that local governments and residents should decide whether to welcome projects and negotiate the benefits.<\/p>

DEMOCRATS EMBRACE SOCIALIST CALL TO ABOLISH ICE<\/a><\/p>

Data centers are not inevitable. Governments can welcome them, make developers pay their own way, and enjoy the jobs, investment, tax revenue, and technological advantages they bring \u2014 or they can regulate and prohibit them out of existence. PORTS-Pike shows that the legitimate concerns surrounding data centers can be addressed.<\/p>

America should be building the infrastructure of the digital economy, not finding new reasons to stop.<\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP26204679108052.jpg?w=696" }, {"Articles":[ {"id":"4694658-1787288400", "title":"Trump lawyer fights latest instance of lawfare from Obama judge in Florida", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fnews%2Fjustice%2F4694658%2Ftrump-lawyer-fights-lawfare-obama-judge-florida%2F", "byline":"Kaelan Deese", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"President Donald Trump is asking a federal appeals court to overturn sanctions arising from his settlement with the IRS and Treasury Department, as a new brief on the docket is drawing attention to an unusual punishment imposed on one of his personal attorneys. Trump filed his latest response over U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams’s order to the U.S. Court […]", "description":""

President Donald Trump<\/a> is asking a federal appeals court to overturn sanctions arising from his settlement with the IRS<\/a> and Treasury Department, as a new brief on the docket is drawing attention to an unusual punishment imposed on one of his personal attorneys.<\/p>

Trump filed his latest response<\/a> over U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams\u2019s order to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit last week. His overarching dispute contends that the federal judge, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, overstepped her authority by reopening the case after the parties had dismissed it.<\/p>

Williams\u2019s order restricted future use of Trump's settlement with the IRS in government proceedings, referred Trump attorney Alejandro Brito to the Florida Bar, and barred attorney Daniel Epstein for one year from seeking permission to represent clients in the Southern District of Florida<\/a> \u2014 even though he was never actually admitted as counsel of record in the case.<\/p>

America First Legal focused on Epstein\u2019s punishment in an amicus brief filed<\/a> on Wednesday. The group is supporting Trump and Epstein\u2019s request to place the sanctions on hold while the appeal proceeds.<\/p>

\u201cWhat the court did in this case sets a dangerous precedent,\" AFL President Gene Hamilton told the Washington Examiner. \"Judges do not get to weaponize their authority against attorneys based on their views of the parties those attorneys represent.\"<\/p>

The dispute stems from Trump\u2019s settlement with the IRS<\/a> and Treasury Department<\/a>. After the lawsuit was dismissed, 35 former federal judges asked Williams to reopen it and accused the parties of collusion.<\/p>

Williams agreed to revisit the case. She found that the lawsuit was not a genuine dispute between opposing sides because Trump oversees the executive branch agencies he sued. She concluded the case had been brought in bad faith and imposed sanctions on Trump, his lawyers, and others involved.<\/p>

But Epstein was never admitted to practice in Williams\u2019s court and never became counsel of record. Instead, his name only appeared on the complaint with a note that he intended to seek temporary admission, but he never signed, filed, or submitted the document.<\/p>

Williams also acknowledged as much that Epstein \u201ccould not\u201d have signed the complaint because he was not admitted to practice before the court. Nevertheless, her decision to impose sanctions prompted AFL to accuse the judge of improperly using the court to police filings by attorneys not even before her bench.<\/p>

AFL also contends Epstein never received personal notice that he faced a punishment limiting his ability to represent clients.<\/p>

A spokesman for Trump\u2019s legal team told the Washington Examiner the original lawsuit against the IRS was necessary after \"a rogue, politically-motivated employee\" leaked confidential tax information about Trump, his family, and the Trump Organization.<\/p>

\"President Trump continues to hold those who wrong America and Americans accountable,\" the spokesman said.<\/p>

While Trump's appeal challenges Williams\u2019s sanctions as a whole, AFL\u2019s brief places Epstein\u2019s treatment at the center of the dispute.<\/p>

\"We are proud to stand with those targeted by this unprecedented order, and we will continue fighting to vindicate their rights and defend the rule of law,\" Hamilton added in his statement.<\/p>

Trump\u2019s allies say it marked another example of judges and bar authorities using professional punishment against people surrounding the president instead of simply deciding the legal issues before them.<\/p>

The recent sanctions against Epstein and others on Trump's personal legal team coincided with separate disciplinary pressure on the Department of Homeland Security's general counsel, James Percival.<\/p>

On Wednesday, nearly 130 former federal and state judges filed a Florida Bar complaint<\/a> against Percival over his social media criticism of judges who ruled against Trump administration immigration policies. Earlier this month, he created a thread on X naming what he describes as the \"worst of the worst\" list for judges, a move that drew the ire of the coalition of judges.<\/p>

JEFF CLARK'S YEARSLONG DISBARMENT FIGHT TESTS REACH OF DC BAR OVER TRUMP DOJ<\/a><\/p>

In response to the complaint against him, Percival joked about creating a new award for former Florida Supreme Court Justice Peggy Quince, who led the complaint effort against him in the Sunshine State.<\/p>

\"I will be creating a new award. The award is called the Justice Peggy Quince Lifetime Achievement Award for Worst of the Worst Judging. I am now accepting nominees!\" Percival posted<\/a> on X.<\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP25251444623596.jpg?w=696" }, {"Articles":[ {"id":"4694753-1787288400", "title":"Paige Cognetti’s past opposition to police cooperation with ICE resurfaces in Pennsylvania House race", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fnews%2Fcampaigns%2Fcongressional%2F4694753%2Fpaige-cognetti-ice-cooperation-comments-pennsylvania-house-race%2F", "byline":"Samantha-Jo Roth", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"Scranton, Pennsylvania, Mayor Paige Cognetti’s past comments supporting the separation of local police from federal immigration enforcement are drawing new scrutiny as the Democrat campaigns for Congress on a message of political independence in one of the country’s most competitive House races. Cognetti, who is challenging freshman Republican Rep. Rob Bresnahan in Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional […]", "description":""

Scranton, Pennsylvania, Mayor Paige Cognetti's<\/a> past comments supporting the separation of local police from federal immigration <\/a>enforcement are drawing new scrutiny as the Democrat campaigns for Congress on a message of political independence in one of the country\u2019s most competitive House<\/a> races.<\/p>

Cognetti, who is challenging freshman Republican Rep. Rob Bresnahan in Pennsylvania\u2019s<\/a> 8th Congressional District, has repeatedly emphasized her willingness to break with her own party and revived the \u201cPaige Against the Machine\u201d message that helped propel her first campaign for mayor.<\/p>

But Republicans are pointing to comments Cognetti made in 2020, during her first year as mayor, as evidence that her record is more liberal than the image she is presenting to voters.<\/p>

During a June 2020 interview with Black Scranton<\/a>, Cognetti discussed the Scranton Police Department\u2019s relationship with Immigration and Customs Enforcement<\/a> and said city police were not involved in federal immigration raids.<\/p>

\u201cWe don\u2019t want to be a part of those,\u201d Cognetti said. \u201cThe Scranton Police Department is not going to be a part of an ICE raid, which is a good thing; we shouldn't be.\u201d<\/p>

Cognetti also stressed at the time that Scranton was not a sanctuary city<\/a>, while saying she was pleased it had developed a reputation as a welcoming community.<\/p>

\u201cI am glad that we have a reputation for being welcoming. I want to more and more be that city,\u201d Cognetti said. \u201cThere are ways we definitely, definitely need to make sure that we are more welcoming, but we are not technically a sanctuary city on the books.\u201d<\/p>

The conversation also turned to Scranton\u2019s decision not to participate in a federal program that would have more closely aligned local resources with the Trump administration\u2019s<\/a> immigration enforcement efforts. Cognetti initially said she could \u201cargue it both ways\u201d when asked which approach was preferable and noted that her administration had not revisited the decision during her first several months in office.<\/p>

But she later said her \u201cgut reaction\u201d was that she preferred Scranton not participate, citing concerns that involving local officers in federal immigration enforcement could undermine trust between police and residents.<\/p>

\u201cI like that we\u2019re not opted in because I don\u2019t want the Scranton police officers to go do something in the community they don\u2019t believe in,\u201d Cognetti said. She added that she did not want police to \u201cbuild trust with our community and then completely break the trust because we\u2019re told by a federal agent what we have to do.\u201d<\/p>

Cognetti\u2019s campaign pushed back against Republicans\u2019 characterization of her record, pointing to more recent comments in which the mayor has supported securing the border and said that local officials would not interfere with lawful federal immigration enforcement.<\/p>

\u201cPaige first ran for mayor as an independent outsider against a corrupt Democratic machine, so she\u2019s no stranger to calling out politicians from either party when they get it wrong,\u201d a Cognetti campaign spokesperson said, speaking to the Washington Examiner. \u201cLike a lot of Northeastern Pennsylvanians, she has seen what the scourge of fentanyl has done to our community and has said that [former President Joe Biden] didn\u2019t do enough to secure the southern border.\u201d<\/p>

The spokesperson added that Cognetti \u201csupports a secure border and removing violent criminals from our streets.\u201d<\/p>

The campaign also pointed to comments Cognetti made in January 2025<\/a>, when she reiterated that Scranton is not a sanctuary city and said her administration would not obstruct lawful ICE activity.<\/p>

\u201cIt\u2019s important to note too that Scranton is not a sanctuary city, Lackawanna County is not a sanctuary county, so if ICE comes in with lawful warrants, they will execute those warrants,\u201d Cognetti told local television station WBRE.<\/p>

\u201cWe would never stand in the way of the lawful procedures of the federal ICE agency,\u201d she added.<\/p>

Cognetti has also criticized the Biden administration\u2019s handling of the southern border. In a January interview with the Contrarian, she called what happened at the border during the early years of the Biden administration \u201ca huge misstep<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>

\u201cThe secure border is a very, very important thing,\u201d Cognetti said. \u201cI think that was a huge misstep during the Biden administration that they let happen, what they let happen in the first couple of years. It was really terrible.\u201d<\/p>

Her concerns about the border predate her congressional campaign. In 2021, Cognetti said the federal government needed<\/a> \u201cbetter control at our borders\u201d while discussing the flow of fentanyl into northeastern Pennsylvania.<\/p>

The Bresnahan campaign argued that the 2020 ICE comments undercut the moderate image Cognetti has sought to project.<\/p>

\u201cPaige Cognetti is a raging, Harvard-educated liberal from Portland whose recent fake moderate act is nothing but a ploy to distract voters from the fact that up to this point, she has embraced and passed every left-wing litmus test, including non-cooperation with ICE, with flying colors,\u201d Bresnahan campaign spokeswoman Samantha Bullock said in a statement provided to the Washington Examiner.<\/p>

The dispute over immigration comes as Republicans have stepped up a broader effort to challenge Cognetti\u2019s record on policing and public safety. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) traveled to the district Wednesday to campaign alongside Bresnahan and local law enforcement<\/a> officials, where he emphasized Republicans\u2019 support for police and vowed the party would continue to \u201cback the blue.\u201d<\/p>

Bresnahan used the appearance to accuse Cognetti\u2019s administration of cutting funding<\/a> available for police guns and ammunition. His campaign has also pointed to mandatory unconscious-bias training<\/a> for Scranton police officers and Cognetti-backed diversity and equity initiatives as evidence of what it argues is a broader liberal record.<\/p>

The broader budget picture is more complicated. Scranton records<\/a> show overall police spending increased 21.5% between 2020 and 2024, while funding for ammunition increased from $20,000 to $50,000 during Cognetti\u2019s first year in office.<\/p>

Cognetti\u2019s campaign has also pointed to an analysis of federal and state crime data<\/a> that found serious crime in Scranton declined 4.1% from the beginning of 2021 through 2025. The campaign says her administration has invested more than $5 million in police training, recruitment, and technology. Scranton Police Chief Thomas Carroll recently told local television station WVIA that he has had \u201cfull support <\/a>from this administration at every turn.\u201d<\/p>

Cognetti has sought to turn the race toward Bresnahan\u2019s record in Congress, making the incumbent\u2019s stock trading<\/a> a central part of her campaign against him. She has accused Bresnahan of failing to live up to earlier rhetoric supporting restrictions on lawmakers trading individual stocks.<\/p>

The race is expected to be among the most competitive House contests in the country as Democrats seek to retake the majority. The Cook Political Report rates the contest<\/a> a \u201cToss Up\u201d and gives the northeastern Pennsylvania district a Republican partisan voting index of R+4.<\/p>

Bresnahan narrowly flipped the seat for Republicans in 2024, defeating longtime Democratic Rep. Matt Cartwright with 50.8% of the vote. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, carried the district by 9 percentage points over former Vice President Kamala Harris.<\/p>

THREE-TIME PENNSYLVANIA TRUMP VOTER SAYS HE\u2019S VOTING FOR DEMOCRATIC HOUSE CANDIDATE IN NEW AD<\/a><\/p>

Democrats view the freshman Republican as one of their top targets as the battle for control of the House plays out in a small number of closely divided districts.\u00a0<\/p>

Recent polling has also pointed to a tight contest. A Democratic House Majority PAC poll released in June showed Cognetti leading Bresnahan<\/a> 47% to 45%, within the survey\u2019s margin of error.<\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/image-collage-ao3pngd9q-1787244115166.jpg?1787232714&w=696" }, {"Articles":[ {"id":"4695727-1787278939", "title":"Mikie Sherrill claims it’s ‘easier to get an AR-15’ than an abortion at bill signing ceremony in New Jersey", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fnews%2F4695727%2Fmikie-sherrill-easier-to-get-ar-15-than-abortion%2F", "byline":"Washington Examiner Staff", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill signed a shield law bill on Thursday aimed at protecting access to individuals seeking “reproductive and gender affirming healthcare” in her state. While speaking about the legislation at a Planned Parenthood in Montclair, New Jersey, Sherrill lamented her perceived difficulties about abortion access in the United States, commenting that it’s […]", "description":""

New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill<\/a> signed a shield law bill on Thursday aimed at protecting access to individuals seeking \u201creproductive and gender affirming healthcare\u201d in her state. While speaking about the legislation at a Planned Parenthood<\/a> in Montclair, New Jersey<\/a>, Sherrill lamented her perceived difficulties about abortion access in the United States, commenting that it\u2019s easier to get an AR-15 gun than an abortion in the country.\u00a0<\/p>

\u201cI came here to this Planned Parenthood right after Trump\u2019s hand-picked Supreme Court overturned Roe and turned back the clock on our rights,\u201d Sherrill said while speaking at the bill signing ceremony. \u201cWe knew then that states like New Jersey would have to stand in the breach and protect freedoms that generations of women have fought for. In the past four years, 13 states \u2026 have enacted total abortion bans. It\u2019s easier to get an AR-15 in the United States than it is to get an abortion. And the attack on reproductive healthcare is literally killing women.\u201d<\/p>

The legislation<\/a> prohibits New Jersey from extraditing people who could be under criminal investigation in other states for receiving abortions or gender-affirming care. It passed<\/a> both the New Jersey Senate and the New Jersey General Assembly in June. In the Senate, it passed 25-15, and in the General Assembly, 55-23. The bill \u201csecures protections for patients and providers accessing and providing reproductive healthcare services,\u201d reads the legislative document\u2019s official synopsis. It \u201cestablishes [the] right of residents to reproductive healthcare activity that is restricted in other states.\u201d<\/p>

Sherrill touted the bill as the Garden State serving as a line of defense for \u201cfreedoms.\u201d<\/p>

\u201cWe have seen attacks from the Trump administration and other states on access to reproductive and gender affirming healthcare, and attempts to impose restrictions across state borders,\u201d said Sherrill. \u201cHere in New Jersey, we are standing firm in defense of reproductive freedoms \u2013 including the right to choose and the right to receive gender-affirming care.\u201d <\/p>

The bill prohibits individuals from interfering<\/a> with \u201creproductive healthcare services,\u201d stipulating that a person should be considered \u201cguilty of interference\u201d if any person purposely \u201cphysically obstructs any person seeking to enter into or exit 17 from a healthcare services facility.\u201d Additionally, interference charges would include restricting \u201canother\u2019s access to or receipt or provision of reproductive healthcare services or to intimidate the person from becoming or remaining a patient, provider, volunteer, or assistant of reproductive healthcare services, if the conduct would cause a reasonable person to be intimidated.\u201d<\/p>

Sherill also criticized two Republican governors for their state\u2019s legislation on abortion. She warned that her state would offer sanctuary to individuals who left those states to travel to New Jersey to \u201caccess care.\u201d<\/p>

MIKIE SHERRILL STUMPS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE AND MASSACHUSETTS FOR SETH MOULTON AND OTHERS<\/a><\/p>

\u201cIf Greg Abbott or Ron DeSantis tries to investigate someone who came to New Jersey to access care, we will protect anyone seeking care that is legal here in New Jersey from investigations in other states,\u201d said Sherrill.<\/p>

She expressed assurance that her state would welcome anyone seeking abortion services or gender-affirming care. <\/p>

\u201cNo one should fear intimidation or violence for seeking healthcare, and no healthcare professional should fear punishment from another state for providing care that is legal in New Jersey,\u201d Sherrill said. \u201cWith this legislation, we are making clear that New Jersey will protect patients, providers, and the fundamental freedom to make personal healthcare decisions.\u201d <\/p>

<\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/AP26020645159569-e1787293378627.jpg?w=696" }, {"Articles":[ {"id":"4695608-1787267822", "title":"Bernie Sanders wades into Florida Senate race with endorsement for Angie Nixon", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fnews%2Fcampaigns%2Fcongressional%2F4695608%2Fbernie-sanders-endorses-angie-nixon-florida-senate%2F", "byline":"Molly Parks", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) endorsed socialist state Rep. Angie Nixon in her bid to be Florida‘s next U.S. senator on Thursday. Sanders’s endorsement comes after Nixon’s shocking upset win against retired Army Lt. Col. and polling favorite Alex Vindman, who far outpaced Nixon in funding but fell by a double-digit margin. Nixon has campaigned on […]", "description":""

Sen. Bernie Sanders<\/a> (I-VT) endorsed socialist state Rep. Angie Nixon<\/a> in her bid to be Florida<\/a>'s next U.S. senator on Thursday.<\/p>

Sanders's endorsement comes after Nixon's shocking upset win against retired Army Lt. Col. and polling favorite Alex Vindman, who far outpaced Nixon in funding but fell by a double-digit margin. Nixon has campaigned<\/a> on raising taxes on the wealthy to pay for her plans for \"Medicare for all,\" free childcare, and a nationwide rent freeze, a platform Sanders calls \"real change.\"<\/p>

\"Angie Nixon is proof that organized people can take on organized money \u2014 and win. Outspent more than 16 to 1, she won in a landslide. Working people all over this country are sick and tired of status quo politics and status quo policies. They want change, real change,\" Sanders said in a statement.<\/p>

Nixon will take on Sen. Ashley Moody<\/a> (R-FL), who was tapped by Gov. Ron DeSantis<\/a> (R-FL) to fill Secretary of State Marco Rubio<\/a>'s unexpired term in the Senate, in the November general election. Moody is widely seen as the heavy favorite in the red state.<\/p>

Nixon, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America<\/a>, is the latest socialist firebrand to score a victory in the 2026 Democratic primaries, notching another win for the leftist faction of the party against the centrist establishment.<\/p>

Though Sanders did not endorse her before the primary, she joins the ranks of fellow leftist Senate candidates backed by the Vermont senator who are hoping to break into the rank and file of the upper chamber's Democratic caucus after the midterm elections. Sanders has backed leftist candidates and federal political newcomers Abdul el Sayed<\/a> and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan<\/a> in their respective bids for Michigan<\/a> and Minnesota<\/a>'s open Senate seats.<\/p>

FIVE TAKEAWAYS FROM FLORIDA, ALASKA, AND WYOMING PRIMARY ELECTIONS<\/a><\/p>

While Minnesota's Senate race has a \"likely Democratic\" forecast and Michigan sits as a toss-up, according to<\/a> the Cook Political Report, Nixon's election in Florida is a long shot and rated as a \"Solid Republican\" seat.<\/p>

The limited general election polls with Moody against Nixon have<\/a> Moody leading.<\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/image-collage-9diibhy7v-1787278709416-e1787282042407.jpg?1787267634&w=696" }, {"Articles":[ {"id":"4695546-1787261094", "title":"Trump tells Michael Cohen he was ‘weaponized’ in hush money trial", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fnews%2Fwhite-house%2F4695546%2Ftrump-michael-cohen-hush-money-trial%2F", "byline":"Molly Parks", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"President Donald Trump touted his former attorney Michael Cohen for retracting his 2024 testimony in Trump’s hush money trial, insisting that the justice system was “weaponized” against Cohen. In a much-anticipated radio interview, Trump and Cohen reunited after years of turmoil. Their relationship started as a closely allied lawyer-client relationship and turned into a feud […]", "description":""

President Donald Trump<\/a> touted his former attorney Michael Cohen<\/a> for retracting<\/a> his 2024 testimony<\/a> in Trump's hush money trial, insisting that the justice system was \"weaponized\" against Cohen.<\/p>

In a much-anticipated radio interview, Trump and Cohen reunited after years of turmoil. Their relationship started as a closely allied lawyer-client relationship and turned into a feud where Cohen testified against the president. Prosecutors hailed Cohen as a key witness in People of the State of New York v. Trump, which led to Trump being found guilty on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records<\/a> related to hush money payments.<\/p>

In the friendly interview, Trump said New York Attorney General Letitia James<\/a> and Manhattan prosecutor Alvin Bragg <\/a>weaponized the justice system against Cohen.<\/p>

\"Tish James and Alvin Bragg, what they did to you, and they used you, and what you did was actually a brave thing, because you said what they did was wrong,\" Trump said<\/a> to Cohen. \"You agreed that your testimony \u2014 they forced you to say things that you didn't want to say. They forced you to say things that were false because they have a threat with jail and every other thing.\"<\/p>

\"They weaponized government against you and against others, Michael,\" Trump continued. \"There were plenty of others too, and it's a disgrace. And I think it's so amazing that you came out and you told the story, and people respect you for doing it.\"<\/p>

Trump and Cohen remained in each other's good graces throughout the initial 15-minute segment<\/a> of the 77 WABC interview that aired Thursday, with the remainder set to air on Sunday. Their positive rapport showed a massive swing in their relationship from when Trump called<\/a> Cohen a \"rat\" in 2018.<\/p>

\"I respect the fact that you recanted everything you said,\" Trump said to Cohen. \"That's a big, that's a big thing that you did. That's a very big thing. It's very good for the country.\"<\/p>

Trump took to Truth Social <\/a>after the radio segment aired, reposting<\/a> a comment by the Washington Examiner's Byron York, who paraphrased a quote from CNN legal analyst Elie Honig: \"CNN legal analyst Elie Honig: Michael Cohen's latest statements demolish the factual basis of the hush money prosecution and conviction of President Trump.\"<\/p>

In a clip on Thursday, Honig spoke to Cohen's retraction, saying \"anyone who cheered that hush money prosecution of Donald Trump two years ago has nothing left to stand on.\"<\/p>

WHERE TRUMP\u2019S HUSH MONEY APPEAL STANDS TWO YEARS POST-CONVICTION<\/a><\/p>

\"Now Michael Cohen has said publicly that he 'felt' important, 'felt pressured and coerced by prosecutors.' So where do you stand on Michael Cohen now?\" Honig said. \"If you believe he's a truth teller, then he felt pressured and coerced by prosecutors. That's not acceptable. If you believe he's a liar, then your case is built on a liar.\"<\/p>

Trump's hush money prosecution is currently going through an appeals process in multiple courts, two years after the unprecedented conviction came down in the Empire State.<\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/collage-maker-24-oct-2023-03-12-pm-4285-e1787279825935.jpg?w=696" }, {"Articles":[ {"id":"4695532-1787259746", "title":"Democratic voters reject Resistance stars", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fdaily-memo%2F4695532%2Fdemocratic-voters-reject-resistance-stars%2F", "byline":"Byron York", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"DEMOCRATIC VOTERS REJECT RESISTANCE STARS. There has been a lot of commentary on the differences between Resistance 1.0, the effort by anti-Trump activists to bring down President Donald Trump in his first term, and Resistance 2.0, the effort by anti-Trump activists to bring down Trump in his second term. There are some tactical contrasts, but the […]", "description":""

DEMOCRATIC VOTERS REJECT RESISTANCE STARS.\u00a0There has been a lot of commentary on the differences between Resistance 1.0, the effort by anti-Trump activists to bring down President Donald Trump<\/a> in his first term, and Resistance 2.0, the effort by anti-Trump activists to bring down Trump in his second term. There are some tactical contrasts, but the simple fact is, they're still at it.<\/p>

This year's election season\u00a0has featured two much-lauded figures of Resistance 1.0 as they tried to use their anti-Trump agitation as a springboard to public office. Alex Vindman, the former National Security Council staffer who in 2019 set off the first Trump impeachment<\/a>, ran for Senate in Florida<\/a>, and George Conway, the lawyer who talked E. Jean Carroll into suing Trump, ran for the House in New York.\u00a0<\/p>

Both suffered crushing defeats in Democratic primaries. <\/p>

Conway ran\u00a0in New York's 12th Congressional District, in Manhattan, the seat vacated by the retirement of Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler. There were a lot of candidates. Conway finished fifth, with 6.1% of the vote. A wealthy lawyer, Conway loaned his campaign $2 million for the run. In all, he spent $5.7 million.<\/p>

The money allowed Conway\u00a0to mount a vanity campaign, to publicly fantasize about getting Trump, and to pound his chest about the massive damage judgment against Trump in the Carroll trial. \"Hi, Donald! It's me, George Conway,\" began one ad<\/a>. \"I cost you $88 million f***ing dollars, and I've only just gotten started.\" For his next act, Conway promised to put Trump in jail.<\/p>

Conway obviously thought\u00a0the theme might work in New York's 12th, in which Kamala Harris beat Trump 81% to 17% in the 2024 presidential election. But of course all Democrats in the race promised to oppose Trump. The Democratic voters' job was to choose the best. Conway was not their first<\/a>, or their second, or their third, or their fourth choice. Instead, the primary winner was a member of the New York state Assembly named Micah C. Lasher, who pledged to stand up to Trump.<\/p>

The other Resistance star\u00a0to face-plant was Alexander Vindman, who in 2019, as an active-duty Army lieutenant colonel on the staff of the National Security Council, set in motion the first impeachment of Trump. Vindman, who was privy to some of the president's calls with world leaders, felt that Trump had committed some sort of unspecified violation in a conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Vindman relayed secret information to a friend in the CIA, who came up with a \"whistleblower\" complaint against the president.<\/p>

The idea of a whistleblower complaint\u00a0was preposterous because \"there was no scenario in which the president, as head of the executive branch, was covered by any whistleblower law.\" (The line is from my book\u00a0Obsession<\/a>, which delved into the first-term efforts to remove Trump.) There was simply no provision in the law that would allow it. But Congress can do what it wants, and Democrats, who controlled the House and were frustrated by the recent collapse of the Russia investigation, adopted Vindman's cause. The impeachment went on.<\/p>

Vindman testified in private and in public\u00a0but refused to detail precisely how he got the impeachment ball rolling. Democrats defended him and pushed back against Republicans who sought to know to whom Vindman had given the story of the Trump-Zelensky call. \"All the facts point that Vindman here is the coefficient, that he sparked this whole thing,\" said a senior Republican aide<\/a> involved in the impeachment. \"For all intents and purposes, Vindman is the whistleblower here, but he was able to get somebody else to do his dirty work for him.\u201d<\/p>

The impeachment failed,\u00a0of course. Under pressure from the Trump administration, Vindman retired from the military and began trading on his notoriety. He wrote a memoir called Here, Right Matters, with the title based on his congressional testimony. He started a company called Here Right Matters LLC. It did well; in a financial disclosure form<\/a> this year, Vindman listed around $1.5 million in income from that and other ventures. The Alexander Vindman business did pretty well.<\/p>

The next step\u00a0would be politics. Vindman moved to Florida and ran for the Senate as a Democrat. When he jumped into the race in January, his announcement video<\/a> began with news clips from his role in the Trump impeachment. A moment later, Vindman said, as pictures of his congressional testimony played: \"The last time you saw me was here, swearing an oath to tell the truth about a president who broke his. See, my family came to America as refugees to escape tyranny. And I sure as hell was not going to bow down to some wannabe tyrant. This president unleashed a reign of terror and retribution, not just against me and my family, but against all of us.\u201d<\/p>

No subtlety there;\u00a0the Hero of the Resistance had arrived to take on Donald Trump! Vindman raised $16 million for his campaign, while his socialist opponent, Angie Nixon, raised a little less than $1 million. Vindman immediately became a heavy favorite to win the Democratic nomination. He remained the favorite until Election Day, when Nixon shocked the political world by trouncing Vindman<\/a>, 56% to 44%.<\/p>

Once again, the Resistance 1.0 magic did not work. As it had been in Manhattan, only on a far larger scale, Florida Democratic voters just didn't care that a candidate had led one of the many unsuccessful efforts to drive Trump out of office from 2017 to 2021. That doesn't mean they like or support Trump; they absolutely don't. But it does mean that all the excitement that George Conway and Alexander Vindman and their allies stirred up in the wayback time of Trump I truly came to nothing.<\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/image-collage-j1uqsm13d-1787273716237-e1787274025155.jpg?1787259615&w=696" }, {"Articles":[ {"id":"4695391-1787255319", "title":"Mike Rogers backs data center moratorium as some GOP candidates shift against AI", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fnews%2Fcampaigns%2Fcongressional%2F4695391%2Fmike-rogers-data-center-moratorium%2F", "byline":"Molly Parks", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"Michigan‘s Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers backed the prospect of a data center moratorium in the Wolverine State, becoming the latest GOP politician to criticize the rapid spread of AI infrastructure ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. “I think we need to take a pause, probably, and make sure that we’re answering all the questions […]", "description":""

Michigan<\/a>'s Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers<\/a> backed the prospect of a data center<\/a> moratorium in the Wolverine State, becoming the latest GOP politician to criticize the rapid spread of AI<\/a> infrastructure ahead of the 2026 midterm elections<\/a>.<\/p>

\"I think we need to take a pause, probably, and make sure that we're answering all the questions that people have,\" Rogers said on Thursday in response to a question about his thoughts on data centers.<\/p>

The former congressman then told<\/a> the Detroit News that he supports a full, one-year moratorium<\/a> on new data center expansion in Michigan, throwing his support behind a policy that has been backed by several politicians on both sides of the aisle, but also lamented by many officials in favor of AI development. Gov. Kathy Hochul<\/a> (D-NY) made New York<\/a> the first state to implement a yearlong moratorium, aiming to curb the rapid expansion of data centers.<\/p>

Data centers have become a focal point of the 2026 election<\/a> cycle, as voters voice concerns about the impacts the structures may have on their power grids and local water supply. At the same time, the domestic AI industry has emphasized the importance of data center expansion as the United States competes with China<\/a> in the global AI race.<\/p>

The push-and-pull over data centers has made it one of the most divisive issues of the midterm elections, especially in Midwestern states that have seen multiple industries dramatically change the region and its local workforce.<\/p>

In Michigan, Democratic Senate candidate Abdul el Sayed<\/a> has called for a halt on data center development until the federal government adopts new regulations on the matter. He has outlined<\/a> his own \"terms of engagement\" for data centers to follow and said<\/a> in late July, \"Until we have those terms of engagement at the federal level, I stand with local and state elected officials saying that we cannot approve any more of these until we have federal-level guardrails.\"<\/p>

Rogers and el Sayed are locked in for what is expected to be a neck and neck race to fill retiring Sen. Gary Peters<\/a>'s (D-MI) seat. Election forecasters have labeled the seat a toss-up<\/a>.<\/p>

REPUBLICANS START TO TURN ON DATA CENTERS AS MIDTERM ELECTIONS APPROACH<\/a><\/p>

A Politico\/Public First poll from July told a grim story for data centers' public perception<\/a>, with support for the AI hubs dropping across the board, particularly among Democrats. According to a memo obtained by Axios, the National Republican Senatorial Committee has caught wind of these trends<\/a>, warning AI companies that data centers have been dropping in popularity and Democrats have been campaigning on this.<\/p>

Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-WI), Wisconsin's Republican nominee for governor, has also delved into anti-data center rhetoric spreading among Midwestern Republicans, centering his first general election campaign ad<\/a> on the topic. In the video, he calls his Democratic opponent David Crowley \"Data Center David Crowley.\"<\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP26208643978073.jpg?w=696" }, {"Articles":[ {"id":"4695482-1787254727", "title":"Aisha Wahab wins California House special election in defiance of AIPAC money flood", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fnews%2Fcampaigns%2Fcongressional%2F4695482%2Faisha-wahab-election-victory-aipac%2F", "byline":"Joseph Nepomuceno", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"Democratic state Sen. Aisha Wahab won the special election for former Rep. Eric Swalwell‘s seat in California‘s 14th Congressional District, after the American Israel Public Affairs Committee dumped $4.4 million into the race. Wahab earned 53.1% of the vote by Thursday evening, according to the Associated Press, after winning the primary by 26 points. Her […]", "description":""

Democratic state Sen. Aisha Wahab won the special election for former Rep. Eric Swalwell<\/a>'s seat in California<\/a>'s 14th Congressional District, after the American Israel Public Affairs Committee dumped<\/a> $4.4 million into the race.<\/p>

Wahab earned 53.1% of the vote by Thursday evening, according to the Associated Press, after winning the primary by 26 points. Her opponent, AIPAC-backed Democratic mayor Melissa Hernandez, won 46.9% of the vote. The progressive state senator will only serve in the House of Representatives<\/a> until January with this election victory. Wahab and Hernandez will face off again in the November election for a full two-year term.<\/p>

When asked by a moderator in an April debate whether she saw Israeli actions in Gaza as a genocide, Wahab answered<\/a> \"yes.\" Hernandez refused to answer yes or no and said \"Israel had the right to defend itself.\" However, the mayor also said, \"The destruction in Gaza has gone too far.\"<\/p>

AIPAC's large expenditure raised eyebrows, especially considering the limited time Wahab will serve in the seat thanks to this win. However, some analysts view the race as an attempt by AIPAC to send a message, which failed.<\/p>

\u201cWhy spend millions against a candidate who won by 26 points?\u201d progressive political analyst and radio host Thom Hartmann previously told the Washington Examiner. \u201cBecause the seat was never the point.\u201d<\/p>

AIPAC\u2019S $4.4 MILLION GAMBLE ON A CALIFORNIA SPECIAL ELECTION<\/a><\/p>

The defeat follows a mixed record for the Israeli advocacy organization in the 2026 midterm season.<\/a> The group lost in the Michigan<\/a> Senate race, where the progressive critic of Israel, Abdul el Sayed<\/a>, won the election despite AIPAC spending over $30 million to support Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) and oppose el Sayed's candidacy. However, the organization also scored wins in Missouri, where Rep. Wesley Bell (D-MO) defeated progressive former Rep. Cori Bush in the Democratic primary election. <\/p>

The seat Wahab won was opened when Swalwell resigned from his post due to allegations of sexual misconduct. The FBI seized<\/a> the former representative's electronic devices on Thursday, as part of a federal criminal investigation into the allegations.<\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP26231144396667.jpg?w=696" }, {"Articles":[ {"id":"4694422-1787252272", "title":"Scams involving AI bots posing as immigration lawyers rise amid deportations", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fpolicy%2Fimmigration%2F4694422%2Fscams-involving-ai-bots-posing-as-immigration-lawyers-rise-amid-deportations%2F", "byline":"Anna Giaritelli", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"Artificial intelligence bots posing as immigration lawyers are increasingly prevalent on social media, where their goal is to trick immigrants and their families into paying out thousands of dollars. Nearly a year after the American Bar Association issued a warning to immigrants in the United States to be on guard against individuals using AI profiles […]", "description":""

Artificial intelligence bots posing as immigration lawyers are increasingly prevalent on social media<\/a>, where their goal is to trick immigrants and their families into paying out thousands of dollars.<\/p>

Nearly a year after the American Bar Association issued a warning to immigrants<\/a> in the United States to be on guard against individuals using AI<\/a> profiles and chatbots to solicit money for immigration services, the number of known incidents appears to have grown, based on anecdotal accounts.<\/p>

On Aug. 26, 2025, the ABA issued<\/a> a formal notice that it had seen a \"sharp increase in the number of individuals fraudulently posing as immigration attorneys, often falsely stating they work for reputable legal services organizations, including the ABA, or that they have special relationships with government officials.\"<\/p>

The family of a woman detained at the Adelanto detention center in California told<\/a> the Fox News affiliate in Los Angeles that they found what they thought was a solid immigration lawyer on Facebook who turned out to be an AI-generated avatar that stole thousands of dollars from them.<\/p>

The family, who spoke anonymously through former congressional candidate Marena Lin, said they were told by someone they thought was a real immigration attorney that if they paid a $4,355 bond, their loved one would be released from the ICE detention center. <\/p>

It was not until later that they discovered the paperwork they had submitted to the AI bot posing as a lawyer was never filed with the court.<\/p>

Angel Leal is a well-known immigration lawyer in South Florida who has been targeted by AI through fake videos purporting to show him discussing immigration legal matters and telling those who need representation to call him for help on WhatsApp.<\/p>

Leal told<\/a> NBC-6 in Miami that he was aware of the imposter scam and had seen bogus videos of him across social media channels. To date, more than 6,000 scams involving Leal have been found online.<\/p>

\u201cThis vulnerable population is being hurt in this fashion, in my name, and that\u2019s what most distressing to me and really what\u2019s got me at my wits\u2019 end,\u201d Leal said.<\/p>

The American Immigration Lawyers Association\u2019s Charity Anastasio told WLRN the scams were increasingly prevalent in immigrant circles.<\/p>

\u201c\u200aI've seen it run the gamut,\u201d Anastasio said. \u201c\u200aThey can just impersonate you with technologies that anybody can buy very cheaply, and they can prop up a fake website or a fake set of ads on Facebook or WhatsApp.\u201d<\/p>

The ABA said the damage caused by these AI scams is not just financial, but can ruin a person's chances of being approved for processes such as a visa or asylum.<\/p>

HALF OF TRUMP 2024 VOTERS HAPPY WITH DEPORTATIONS: POLL<\/a><\/p>

\"Their actions cause irreparable damage to immigration cases, drain immigrants\u2019 limited financial resources and leave victims vulnerable to detention or removal,\" said Adonia Simpson, ABA deputy director for policy. \"Victims of immigration services fraud face real and irreversible consequences.\"<\/p>

Given that these scams are occurring online, states have passed laws to prosecute anyone caught practicing immigration law illegally. However, those penalties are limited to misdemeanor charges and small fines.<\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/iStock-2198245733-e1761597587388.jpg?w=696" }, {"Articles":[ {"id":"4695476-1787251929", "title":"‘I’d win by 25 points’: Trump rejects poor polling and says Americans ‘respect’ Iran war", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fnews%2Fwhite-house%2F4695476%2Fwin-25-points-trump-poll-iran-war%2F", "byline":"Molly Parks", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"President Donald Trump rejected Democratic criticism of the Iran war on Thursday, saying he believes Americans appreciate his administration’s efforts to prevent the Islamic regime from obtaining a nuclear weapon. “I think the public sees what we’re doing, because Iran can never have a nuclear weapon — very simple,” Trump said in a radio interview […]", "description":""

President Donald Trump<\/a> rejected Democratic criticism of the Iran<\/a> war on Thursday, saying he believes Americans appreciate his administration's efforts to prevent the Islamic regime from obtaining a nuclear weapon.<\/p>

\"I think the public sees what we're doing, because Iran can never have a nuclear weapon \u2014 very simple,\" Trump said in a radio interview with Michael Cohen<\/a> on Thursday. \"I think the public sees it, and I think they appreciate it and they respect it.\"<\/p>

With affordability<\/a> being the buzzword of the 2026 midterm elections<\/a>, Democrats have used the high energy price stemming from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz<\/a> as an attack line on the campaign trail against Republicans and the Trump administration agenda. A mid-August Reuters-Ipsos poll<\/a> showed a decline in the president's approval rating<\/a>, pinning it on voters' fears of a prolonged war with Iran.<\/p>

As the president defends the war in Iran, Republicans running for election this fall have largely avoided the topic, given recent polling on the war, as they preach their policies on affordability. While Republicans have largely avoided the Iran war and the related topic of energy affordability, they have touted their tax relief efforts through the passing of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.<\/p>

The Reuters poll had pinned Trump's approval rating at 33%, marking a 31-percentage-point difference between his approval and disapproval ratings<\/a>. Another mid-August YouGov\/Economist\u00a0poll also had the president's approval rating at 33%<\/a>.<\/p>

But Trump rejected these low polling numbers in his Thursday evening interview with Cohen, his former lawyer, saying that he is doing well in \"the real polls.\"<\/p>

\"I think that we're doing really well in the polls, the real polls,\" Trump said. \"If I were running today, I think I'd win by 25 points. I think we'd win by a lot.\"<\/p>

Trump called<\/a> the current polling on his approval rating \"crooked\" and emphasized that there are \"a lot of people that see how good things are.\" He doubled down on the war with Iran and how important the conflict has been to preventing a nuclear Iran, despite negative press coverage of the war.<\/p>

\"With Iran, they will never have a nuclear weapon,\" Trump said. \"We're controlling, essentially controlling, and soon controlling the straits. We're doing very well with Iran. The press doesn't like to say that, although a lot of the press does say it.\"<\/p>

\"The navy's gone, the air force is gone, the leadership is gone,\" Trump continued. \"Part of the problem is so many of the leaders are gone. It's not easy to make a deal \u2014 nobody knows who's leading.\"<\/p>

FREEDOM 250 GRAND PRIX PREVIEW: WHAT TO KNOW IF YOU\u2019RE ATTENDING THE FASTEST WEEKEND IN DC<\/a><\/p>

Trump's appearance on Cohen's 77 WABC radio show comes as the latest point in their storied history. Cohen, formerly Trump's personal lawyer and close ally during his first presidential term, ultimately went toe-to-toe with the president as the two turned on each other once Cohen became the target of a federal investigation.<\/p>

Cohen ultimately served three years in prison on charges<\/a> of tax evasion, making false statements, and campaign finance violations. The remainder of the Thursday evening interview and the much-anticipated reunion between the two will be aired in full on Sunday.<\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/trump-poor-polling-denial.jpg?w=696" }, {"Articles":[ {"id":"4694334-1787251539", "title":"‘Definition of evil’: Satanist child abuse cult leader tied to 30 victims worldwide", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fnews%2Fcrime%2F4694334%2Fdefinition-of-evil-satanist-child-abuse-cult-leader-tied-to-30-victims-worldwide%2F", "byline":"Hudson Crozier", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"A saga of drugs, death, and abuse has ended with 77 years in prison for an online cult leader who sexually preyed on children. But federal authorities warn his “nihilistic” movement is far from over. Prosecutors won a 77-year sentence on Wednesday for 27-year-old Kyle Spitze on charges of producing child pornography, possessing and accessing […]", "description":""

A saga of drugs, death, and abuse has ended with 77 years in prison for an online cult leader who sexually preyed on children. But federal authorities warn his \"nihilistic\" movement is far from over.<\/p>

Prosecutors won a 77-year sentence on Wednesday for 27-year-old Kyle Spitze on charges<\/a> of producing child pornography, possessing and accessing the material, and abetting the distribution of animal crush videos. Spitze helped lead the online groups \"764\" and \"HarmNation,\" which befriended and manipulated children<\/a> to harm themselves, perform sexual acts, torture animals, or otherwise degrade themselves on camera, according to the Department of Justice<\/a>.<\/p>

The sentence concludes the DOJ's push for maximum punishment after multiple delays<\/a> since Spitze pleaded guilty to his crimes in December 2024. Court records detail how Spitze harmed at least 30 victims worldwide \u2014 including two who died by suicide \u2014 with the backing of his father and fellow predators in group chats. His actions contributed to a rising form of sadistic crime the DOJ dubs \"nihilistic violent extremism,\" leading to what officials said was the longest-ever federal sentence for this kind of terrorist.<\/p>Unmasking 'Criminal'

The FBI<\/a> became aware of Spitze's online crimes through his troubled home life and desire for fame, according to a DOJ sentencing memo<\/a> to the court.<\/p>

Discord, a gaming platform where Spitze met victims under the alias \"Criminal,\" told the FBI in December 2023 about him and other users involved in child exploitation. As the FBI worked to identify \"Criminal,\" Spitze gained notoriety in early 2024 by posting a video of an abusive interaction with his mother's boyfriend in their home. The footage showed Spitze provoking the man into shooting him in the ear, prompting Spitze to later appear on a YouTube channel \"to paint himself as a victim,\" the DOJ wrote. <\/p>

Federal agents began piecing together who Spitze was as \"numerous comments on YouTube identified the defendant as a pedophile,\" the DOJ said. His mother's boyfriend ultimately died by suicide in a standoff with police, and Spitze found his mother dead from drug abuse<\/a> in a Knoxville hotel room days before Spitze's arrest. \"Instead of calling 911 for help after finding his mother unconscious in her own blood, the defendant made two graphic videos of the scene where his mother died and shared them to social media and online messaging applications,\" the DOJ's memo says.<\/p>

The scope of Spizte's cruelty to children became clearer when agents jailed him and searched his iPhone in February 2024, according to an FBI affidavit<\/a>. Investigators found he had no job and spent endless hours targeting children \"to promote his content and elevate his status in [HarmNation] and 764,\" the sentencing memo says. <\/p>

Spitze had created photo albums with labels such as \"cut signs\" showing victims' self-harm, the affidavit found. In addition to sexualizing themselves, his victims were coerced into killing and mutilating animals, including one who left a chicken in a bathtub \"with the entrails pulled out to spell the defendant\u2019s moniker, 'crim,'\" according to the DOJ's memo.<\/p>

\"One of the defendant\u2019s victims, a 15-year-old female who was known to 'belong' to the defendant, is seen licking a toilet, her arms visibly bleeding from numerous wounds, believed to be self-afflicted,\" the memo said about one video. <\/p>

The predation did not stop once Spitze was behind bars, court records show. His father, Michael Spitze, was sentenced to 70 months<\/a> in federal prison in May after admitting<\/a> to trying to tamper with witnesses during his son's incarceration.<\/p>

Prosecutors caught the elder Spitze helping his son contact four minor victims to try silencing them with gifts or orders to destroy evidence. \"Just don\u2019t tell anyone where you are getting $$ please,\" Michael Spitze wrote in one message to a child. \"Would not look right to many folks.\"<\/p>

The DOJ and defense lawyers<\/a> tied the father's actions to drug abuse, noting that Kyle dealt with the same habit. \"Defendant saw his son go down the same path doing nothing to stop it,\" prosecutors wrote in May.<\/p>

Eleven of Spitze's 30 victims were never identified, prosecutors said. Two ended their lives after he contacted them from jail, while another fled her home country. One victim wrote in an impact statement that she could hardly stand leaving her room or house due to the trauma of her abuse.<\/p>

\"After leaving school to recover, I was in one of the most vulnerable states of my life,\" yet another victim wrote. \"I had spent much of my teenage years being sexually extorted. \u2026 I lived in fear.\"<\/p>'He is completely remorseless'

The FBI terms groups such as 764 as \"nihilistic violent extremists\" rather than more typical terrorists motivated by race, religion, or politics. \"They want to sow chaos and facilitate the destruction of society,\" the bureau said in a February warning to parents<\/a>. <\/p>

764 was created on Discord<\/a> by Texas teenager Bradley Cadenhead<\/a> in 2020<\/a>, taking on Satanist-inspired themes and symbolism. The federal government's arrests of offenders in this category rose by 500% in 2025, FBI Director Kash Patel said while announcing Spitze's sentence.<\/p>

Spitze advanced his ideology in jail by creating a \"devil worship group\" with other inmates called \"Colts Harmnation,\" prosecutors said in a second sentencing memo<\/a>. Correctional officers found that he had convinced other inmates in 2024 to perform sexual acts as part of the cult, with one carving the group's symbol into his body. Spitze admitted to hiding a razor inside a personal Bible and pleaded guilty to several prison-related offenses over the incidents, according to the DOJ.<\/p>

Defense attorney Jonathan Cooper objected<\/a> to \"everything\" the DOJ said about the prison cult in a responding motion, despite officials hearing the entire story from those involved. \"The level of government hyperbole has now, hopefully, reached a final pitch,\" Cooper wrote. <\/p>

Spitze could continue posing a danger in prison if officials are not careful, researcher Becca Spinks told the Washington Examiner. Spinks has spent years investigating and documenting nihilistic violent extremists and reported<\/a> Spitze's concerning online footprint to law enforcement. <\/p>

\"Kyle has been seeking out mentally ill people in jail to cut themselves and do other things for him as part of his new 'devil worship cult,'\" she said. \"That's the DOJ's wording, not mine. He even modeled the name off of Harm Nation, the 764 splinter group, which was the basis for all the DOJ's evidence against him.<\/p>

\"He's completely remorseless,\" Spinks told the Washington Examiner. <\/p>

In an unusually passionate tone for a court filing, prosecutors asked George W. Bush-appointed<\/a> Judge Thomas Varlan for the maximum allowed punishment.<\/p>

\"Congratulations, you have our attention! Society is shocked and appalled at your actions and your [nihilistic violent extremist] ideology,\" they wrote about Spitze. \"Society is aware of the permanent physical and emotional scars you and your 764\/HN members have given to the vulnerable young teen girls all over the world. Society is aware that you made sport of placing young minors in your own special 'hell' simply for the crime of being an insecure teenaged girl.\"<\/p>

\"You will receive a sentence that reflects the seriousness of your crimes!\" the memo declared.<\/p>

EL SAYED TOUTS ENDORSEMENT FROM FROM LOBBYISTS TIED TO TERRORIST FINANCING: 'DEEPLY GRATEFUL'<\/a><\/p>

Prosecutors acknowledged that Spitze has long suffered from drug addiction \u2014 but convinced the judge that none of his circumstances allow for leniency.<\/p>

\"The defendant is the definition of evil,\" they wrote.<\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP26216533003142.jpg?w=696" }, {"Articles":[ {"id":"4694907-1787250600", "title":"House Republican campaign arm posts best year-to-date fundraising haul in committee history", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fnews%2Fcampaigns%2Fcongressional%2F4694907%2Fhouse-republican-campaign-arm-posts-best-year-to-date-fundraising%2F", "byline":"James A. Downs", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"EXCLUSIVE — The National Republican Congressional Committee raised $7.9 million in July, bringing the committee’s on-hand total to $92.3 million, according to figures first shared with the Washington Examiner. The monthly total also brings the NRCC to $90.6 million raised for the year, the most ever at the July year-to-date mark, according to the committee. […]", "description":""

EXCLUSIVE \u2014 The National Republican<\/a> Congressional Committee raised $7.9 million in July, bringing the committee\u2019s on-hand total to $92.3 million, according to figures first shared with the Washington Examiner.<\/p>

The monthly total also brings the NRCC to $90.6 million raised for the year, the most ever at the July year-to-date mark, according to the committee. It has raised more than $200 million for the cycle, with 75 days before Election Day<\/a>, and has $10 million more in the bank than its Democratic counterpart.<\/p>

\u201cHouse Republicans are building a war chest. Democrats are building a socialist bailout fund,\u201d committee spokesman Mike Marinella told the Washington Examiner in a statement.<\/p>

House Republicans are protecting a three-seat majority this November and are contending with the fact that the party that controls the White House typically loses seats during midterm elections. The last time the party in the White House gained seats in the midterms was in 2002, when Republicans gained eight seats. Republicans lost 41 seats during Trump\u2019s first midterm in 2018. Democrats lost nine seats in 2022.<\/p>

Still, the NRCC argued it was \u201cin the strongest position this committee has ever been\u201d in a strategy memo<\/a> published last month. <\/p>

That memo pointed to the NRCC\u2019s fundraising advantage and a favorable battlefield, made even more favorable by several states redrawing their congressional maps over the last two years. Democrats have to win in areas where President Donald Trump<\/a> averaged 53% in order to win the House, according to an NRCC analysis. That number was 47% in 2018.<\/p>

The GOP is also expected to draw a contrast with the handful of socialist candidates Democrats have nominated in deep-blue areas across the country. Speaker Mike Johnson has called the agenda the \"Contrast for America\" and dubbed the election a referendum on \"common sense versus crazy.\" <\/p>

Republicans have held a steady fundraising advantage over their Democratic counterparts throughout the election cycle. <\/p>

The committee is also boasting its incumbents\u2019 fundraising prowess. Battleground Republicans finished the second quarter with an average of $3.8 million on hand, compared to swing-district Democratic incumbents, who finished Q2 with an average of $2.7 million in the bank.<\/p>

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee on Thursday announced raising $12.3 million in July and has $80.1 million on hand. It has raised more than $210 million for the cycle.<\/p>

The Republican National Committee<\/a> raised $19.4 million in July and ended the month with $130.3 million on hand, the highest amount in committee history, the Washington Examiner reported<\/a> Thursday.<\/p>

A YOUTH MOVEMENT IS COMING FOR THE 2028 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION<\/a><\/p>

The Democratic National Committee, which has not yet released its numbers, had just $16.3 million on hand and was more than $18 million in debt as of June.<\/p>

Because of a recent landmark Supreme Court ruling, party committees can limitlessly coordinate with candidates on campaign operations, including TV ads and voter contact, a move that is likely to benefit Republicans given their cash advantage.<\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/nrcc-maga-majority.jpg?w=696" }, {"Articles":[ {"id":"4695180-1787249615", "title":"Desperate Smithsonian eyes loophole for Latino museum", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Frestoring-america%2Fequality-not-elitism%2F4695180%2Fdesperate-smithsonian-eyes-loophole-latino-museum%2F", "byline":"Mike Gonzalez", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"The Smithsonian Institution is trying to use a loophole to sneak in a building for a yet-to-be-built controversial museum that remains homeless: the National Museum of the American Latino. It is an act of desperation by a museum complex beset with accusations of bias. The building, according to several sources, is the Arts and Industries […]", "description":""

The Smithsonian Institution<\/a> is trying to use a loophole to sneak in a building for a yet-to-be-built controversial museum that remains homeless: the National Museum of the American Latino<\/a>. It is an act of desperation by a museum complex beset with accusations of bias.<\/p>

The building, according to several sources, is the Arts and Industries Building, on the National Mall right next to the Smithsonian\u2019s iconic \u201cCastle,\u201d which houses the institution\u2019s administrative offices.<\/p>

The Smithsonian already owns the AIB, which is why giving it to the Latino museum would avert the need for legislation, and thus a debate in Congress.<\/p>

So pressed is the Smithsonian to jam in this decision that it is considering calling an emergency, unscheduled meeting of its Board of Regents to rubber-stamp the AIB decision.<\/p>

There\u2019s some history here, as the Latino museum\u2019s own leadership has already snubbed the AIB.<\/p>

The\u00a02020 act<\/a>\u00a0authorizing the museum already included the AIB among the sites for consideration by the museum leaders, along with other places. The other sites are owned by the National Park Service, however, so transferring ownership would require legislation.<\/p>

So why did the Latino museum\u2019s leaders not accept the AIB immediately? Apparently because they wanted to have their own property developed in a supposedly Hispanic<\/a> style, just as the Indian and African American museums had their buildings designed in a style that suited their leaders.<\/p>

There is no \u201cLatino architecture,\u201d of course, just as there is no \u201cLatino music\u201d or \u201cLatino cuisine.\u201d It\u2019s a synthetic, government category created by the Office of Management and Budget in 1977 and slapped on the decennial census for the first time in 1980. The Indian museum faced the same problem, so it sent its architects\u00a0to consult<\/a>\u00a0with \u201cNative American tribes from all over North and South America to determine what elements were essential for the museum.\u201d<\/p>

But choosing brutalist architecture from Mexico<\/a> is a lower priority now. With the leadership of the Smithsonian coming under fierce criticism from the Trump administration and Congress for hijacking an institution that the public entrusted to them, and exploiting it to carry out a political agenda \u2014 to bring about societal change \u2014 the AIB may be the only option.<\/p>

Legislative action to pass a bill authorizing land to build this museum has gone nowhere, and support for the Smithsonian leadership is tanking with many Republicans in Congress, as the institution and its leadership, particularly Secretary Lonnie Bunch III and the director of the National Museum of American History, Anthea Hartig, come under the spotlight.<\/p>

Last month, the White House issued a report recounting in detail how the American history museum, one of the Smithsonian\u2019s signature destinations, engages in leftist activism in everything from gender and racial theories to illegal immigration<\/a>. That report followed and preceded separate executive orders demanding that the Smithsonian change course.<\/p>

There were also two congressional hearings, by the Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency and the House Committee on Administration, at which I testified.<\/p>

Even left-wing commentators and\u00a0publications<\/a>\u00a0have begun to question whether the Smithsonian, the world\u2019s largest museum complex, serves the public by skewing its exhibits toward the Left<\/a>.<\/p>

As for the Latino museum, it has made it crystal clear that if Congress ever allows it to come into being, it too will be a hothouse for radical activism. It\u2019s already proven to be so contentious that the House Appropriations Committee defunded it for a few weeks in 2023.<\/p>

It was authorized by Congress because the enabling act was tucked into the vast\u00a0fiscal 2021 omnibus bill<\/a>\u00a0signed in the last month of President Donald Trump\u2019s first term. Since then, it has received roughly $10.39 million annually through the Interior appropriations bill.<\/p>

And just as the Latino museum was authorized covertly, literally in the middle of the night, the Smithsonian leadership now wants to give it new digs by stealth.<\/p>

How much would this cost the hard-put taxpayer? Retrofitting the AIB somehow will cost almost $1 billion, and about $50 million a year to operate, according to estimates that I have received.<\/p>

And for what?\u00a0This report<\/a>\u00a0the Heritage Foundation<\/a> just published, showing entries from the\u00a0\u00a1Presente!\u00a0exhibition which opened in 2022 and is still online, reveals exactly how the Latino museum would be nothing but an incubator of grievances if Congress allows it to be built.<\/p>

From an LGBT agenda to open borders and Marxist messaging, and an unrelenting anti-American bias, the Latino museum would refute and violate the spirit and letter of its\u00a0authorizing legislation<\/a>, which begins:<\/p>

\"The United States is a symbol of democracy, freedom, and economic opportunity around the world, and the legacy of Latinos is deeply rooted in the very fabric of the history, democracy, freedom, and economic opportunity of the United States.\"<\/p>

HISTORY WITH A WARNING LABEL: TRUMP IS RIGHT ABOUT WHO TELLS AMERICA'S STORY<\/a><\/p>

That statute gives the Board of Regents the ultimate authority to choose a site for the museum, and it\u2019s not clear how the regents would approve the transfer. However, the statute also requires that they consult a number of officials, including the chair of the National Capital Planning Commission, the director of the National Park Service, the chair of the Commission of Fine Arts, and other Trump appointees.<\/p>

Not allowing Bunch and his acolytes to hand the AIB to the Latino museum would be a first step to de-authorizing the museum and halting its work. The next step, obviously, is firing Bunch, Hartig, and the other leaders.<\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/anthea-hartig-smithsonian.jpg?w=696" }, {"Articles":[ {"id":"4695276-1787247313", "title":"Walmart using billions in Trump tariff refunds to cut prices at stores", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fnews%2F4695276%2Fwalmart-trump-tariff-refunds-price-cuts%2F", "byline":"Emily Hallas", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"Walmart on Thursday released a quarterly earnings report indicating it received roughly $3 billion in tariff refunds from the Trump administration, revealing that it passed some of the reimbursement on to shoppers through price cuts.  Walmart said the government has returned all but about $100 million of the $2.9 billion it was owed in refunds […]", "description":""

Walmart<\/a> on Thursday released a quarterly earnings report indicating it received roughly $3 billion in tariff<\/a> refunds from the Trump administration, revealing that it passed some of the reimbursement on to shoppers through price cuts.\u00a0<\/p>

Walmart said the government has returned all but about $100 million of the $2.9 billion it was owed in refunds for tariffs the company paid that were reversed by the Supreme Court <\/a>earlier this year. Those \u201cLiberation Day\u201d tariffs, issued by President Donald Trump<\/a> in April 2025, were ruled to have an unlawful underlying basis by the high court in February.\u00a0<\/p>

In its update on the financial performance of the largest retailer in the United States, Walmart CEO John Furner said it is using the refunds to spur spending by lowering prices at locations nationwide. Walmart delivered 11,000 rollbacks, or temporary price cuts, in its second quarter, compared to 7,200 in the first quarter, he said during the company\u2019s earnings call. The company hopes to see the impact of the strategy in its third quarter.\u00a0<\/p>

The announcement comes as Walmart warned that consumers are grappling with a higher cost of living, driven by rising fuel prices spurred by the war in Iran<\/a>. For Walmart, fuel price spikes have led the company to project it will face over $2 billion in added costs this year.\u00a0<\/p>

\"We're investing heavily in price because customers need us to and because we believe it drives market share gains over time,\" Walmart\u2019s chief financial officer, John David Rainey, said. <\/p>

\u201cAs you go through month by month in the last quarter, you can tell when fuel prices increased and got above $4, and perhaps there\u2019s a psychological impact to that, that there are choices that consumers are making,\u201d he continued. \u201cIt\u2019s why we have leaned so heavily into lower prices \u2026 there\u2019s a psychological impact to that. That there are choices that consumers are making.\u201d<\/p>

\u201cCustomers tell us they\u2019re still feeling some pressure,\u201d Furner added. \u201cHaving the best prices across a basket of goods helps us continue to build trust with our customers and members by helping them save money at a time when many households are carefully managing their budgets.\u201d<\/p>

Walmart\u2019s U.S. same-store sales growth came in at 2.6% on Thursday, which was less than the 3.5% increase Wall Street expected, according to FactSet. The development marked the slowest sales growth in six years, as Walmart grappled with the pandemic, and led the company\u2019s stock to plunge by around 10% during Thursday morning trading.\u00a0<\/p>

Other fiscal indicators were more positive in the company\u2019s quarterly earnings report, with the retailer saying that revenue rose 5.9% in its fiscal second quarter, and e-commerce sales jumped 23% globally.<\/p>

\u201cOur business is strong<\/a>,\u201d Rainey told CNBC. \u201cWe feel really good about the progress we\u2019re making.\u201d<\/p>

 \u201cConsumers are still spending, and real wage growth is keeping pace, and so they\u2019ve been very resilient in this environment,\u201d he added. \u201cBut all that said, we would love to be able to bring prices down more and see less pressure on their wallets.\u201d<\/p>

TRUMP PAUSES 50% TARIFFS ON CANADA HOURS BEFORE DEADLINE<\/a><\/p>

Walmart\u2019s share of the tariff refunds is part of $100 billion<\/a> in reimbursements the U.S. has doled out to businesses as of July 31. <\/p>

Customs and Border Protection is processing the refunds through its new Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries portal, where around 300,000 companies<\/a> can apply for up to $175 billion in reimbursements for tariffs they paid.<\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/AP25155720147415.webp?w=696" }, {"Articles":[ {"id":"4694202-1787247272", "title":"Melania Trump announces $2 million scholarship to benefit foster children", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fnews%2Fwhite-house%2F4694202%2Fmelania-trump-fostering-the-future-program-scholarship%2F", "byline":"Mabinty Quarshie", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"First lady Melania Trump announced a $2 million donation from IndyCar and Fox Corporation to fund scholarships at Indiana University and Purdue University as part of her Fostering the Future initiative, a program designed to give children transitioning out of foster care expanded educational opportunity. “Our mission is simple yet transformational: provide every young person […]", "description":""

First lady Melania Trump<\/a> announced a $2 million donation from IndyCar and Fox<\/a> Corporation to fund scholarships at Indiana University and Purdue University as part of her Fostering the Future initiative, a program designed to give children transitioning out of foster care expanded educational opportunity. <\/p>

\"Our mission is simple yet transformational: provide every young person from the foster care community the chance to earn a college education, launch a meaningful career, and achieve lasting financial independence,\" Trump said while speaking in the Rose Garden on Thursday.<\/p>

President Donald Trump<\/a> attended the Rose Garden event on Thursday but did not deliver remarks. Roger Penske, founder and chairman of the Penske Corporation, praised the first lady's commitment to the younger generation in his speech.<\/p>

Six-time IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon, eight-time IndyCar Series winner Alexander Rossi, IndyCar Series race winner Graham Rahal, and seven-time IndyCar Series race winner Scott McLaughlin presented the first lady with a red, white, and blue helmet with her name on it and the phrase \"Be Best.\"<\/p>

The event comes just days before Sunday\u2019s Freedom 250 Grand Prix race this weekend in Washington. According to Trump's office, every race car in the Freedom 250 Grand Prix will feature a specially designed \"Be Best\" logo as part of their collaboration. <\/p>

Fox Sports CEO Eric Shanks thanked Melania Trump for \"making a powerful impact for these kids.\"<\/p>

\"Together, we aren't just creating pathways for these incredible students; we are also making history this weekend,\" he continued. \"This is going to be a celebration of our great country, unlike any other. So, President Trump and first lady, thank you for allowing us to have a race in your backyard. It takes incredible partners to pull off an event of this scale while lifting up our next generation at the same time.\"<\/p>

The collaboration with IndyCar and Fox Corporation will also bring the first lady\u2019s Fostering the Future network to 26 academic institutions nationwide, joining leading universities such as the Ohio State University, University of Wisconsin, Arizona State University, University of Georgia, University of Texas, Louisiana State University, University of Alabama, and University of Florida.<\/p>

The first lady has often prioritized the more than 400,000 children estimated to be in foster care as part of her role in the second\u00a0Trump administration<\/a>.<\/p>

Trump has also strategically structured her appearances during the president's second term to children-focused events and rare occasions, which she alluded to on Thursday.<\/p>

FREEDOM 250 GRAND PRIX PREVIEW: WHAT TO KNOW IF YOU\u2019RE ATTENDING THE FASTEST WEEKEND IN DC<\/a><\/p>

\"Good afternoon. I heard you missed me. Here I am,\" she said to the laughter of the crowd.<\/p>

The first lady wore a bright-red Dior pencil skirt with a sky-blue oversized shirt by Michael Kors and Manolo suede pumps, according to a White House pool report.<\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP26232721417553.jpg?w=696" }, {"Articles":[ {"id":"4695357-1787246590", "title":"Bond markets shrug off Treasury intervention, with yields rebounding", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fnews%2F4695357%2Fbond-markets-shrug-off-treasury-intervention-yields-rebounding-counterbalance%2F", "byline":"Zach Halaschak", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"The market shrugged off the Treasury Department’s attempt to lower long-term bond yields, raising the question of what the Trump administration might do next. Yields on 30-year Treasury securities have recently pushed to levels not seen in some two decades, a sign that investors might be growing increasingly concerned about the government’s fiscal health. In […]", "description":""

The market shrugged off the Treasury Department's<\/a> attempt to lower long-term bond<\/a> yields, raising the question of what the Trump administration<\/a> might do next.<\/p>

Yields on 30-year Treasury securities have recently pushed to levels not seen in some two decades, a sign that investors might be growing increasingly concerned about the government's fiscal health. In response, the Treasury announced<\/a> it would \u201cat least double\u201d the size of its debt buybacks from $2 billion to $4 billion.<\/p>

THE DEFICIT, EXPLAINED: WHAT IT IS, WHY IT\u2019S GROWING, AND HOW TO FIX IT<\/a><\/p>

That move, designed to lower longer-term yields, caused those rates to temporarily fall in response, but yields then climbed back on Thursday, erasing much of the decline following the Treasury announcement.<\/p>

Ryan Young, a senior economist at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, told the Washington Examiner that the rising yields are a sign of unease from investors and emphasized that this week the national debt just crossed the milestone<\/a> of $40 trillion.<\/p>

\u201cIf investors are looking at buying a 10-year bond or a 30-year bond, they're thinking, \u2018Am I going to get my money back in 10 years or 30 years?\u2019\u201d Young said. \u201cThat's not as risk-free as it used to be, which is why the government is having to offer higher and higher premiums to entice people to take on that now riskier debt.\u201d<\/p>

The 30-year bond yield was as high as 5.26% on Thursday and was as high as 5.33% earlier in the week. The yield on that long-term bond has generally been rising over the past several years, and was as low as 1.94% just five years ago.<\/p>

The last time the 30-year yield was this high was in the early 2000s, before the financial crisis and the Great Recession.<\/p>

Yields on the benchmark 10-year bond were also up. They are around 4.7% as of Thursday afternoon, after punching as high as 4.75% earlier in the week. That is up from the 4.15% level it was at just at the start of the year.<\/p>

Bessent discussed the move in an interview with CNBC on Thursday.<\/p>

\u201cWe're trying to signal that we think that this is a thinly traded area of the market, that we're in August, and there's been a lot of corporate issuance that's influenced the market,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd we believe that there are many underlying factors in turn that the market is not looking at, and we are going to make a market in these.\u201d<\/p>

In the Thursday interview, Bessent said the higher yields \u201cdon't reflect the underlying fundamentals\u201d and that the administration will soon be announcing an \u201cincreased focus on fiscal consolidation.\u201d<\/p>

And the higher yields could mean the Treasury might become even more involved in trying to tamp down the long-term bond yields. Bessent has suggested the buybacks could increase.<\/p>

\u201cWe\u2019re going to increase the size of the buyback,\u201d he said. \u201cI would note that it could be more than the 4 billion per issue.\u201d<\/p>

Jai Kedia, an economist at the Cato Institute, told the Washington Examiner that there are various reasons yields are rising.<\/p>

\u201cWhat the bond market is telling you is inflation is too high, there's competition from corporate bonds because our corporate sector is doing very well in some respects, particularly AI and data centers,\u201d he said, \u201cand we have a debt that just hit $40 trillion, and they're not happy about that and want to be compensated for the risk of holding the instruments that fund that debt.<\/p>

\u201cAnd those are real structural, in some cases, problems, in some cases, just market forces at work,\u201d Kedia added.<\/p>

And the Treasury intervention of $4 billion might not be enough to provide much of a counterbalance to all those factors at play.<\/p>

Mark Hamrick, chief economic analyst for the Hamrick Brief, told the Washington Examiner that there would need to be a \u201cmuch more meaningful intervention\u201d in the marketplace in order to have a sustained lowering of yields.<\/p>

Kedia also said that the move by the Treasury is marginal, given the fiscal landscape.<\/p>

\u201cWhen you have a debt that's $40 trillion, increasing your price commitment from $2 billion to $4 billion is like trying to dig your way out of a trench with a teaspoon,\u201d he quipped.<\/p>

Young said that a better way to bring down yields would be if the government made a concerted effort toward balancing the budget and enacted significant fiscal reforms, such as lowering spending on entitlement programs. He said that even \u201ccredible gestures\u201d toward doing so would help.<\/p>

He also said there are a variety of ways to do entitlement reform across the political spectrum, and depending on the balance of power in Congress.<\/p>

\u201cWhatever mix of those that we do, even if it's not perfect, would reassure markets that the government is at least taking its finances more seriously than it is now, and that we do a lot to lower interest rates and calm investors,\u201d Young said.<\/p>

The debt hitting $40 trillion rang alarm bells this week, with some longtime advocates of balancing the budget calling on Congress to act.<\/p>

\u200b\u200bThe situation is tricky for lawmakers because if they were to make tough decisions, such as raising taxes or dramatically cutting spending on popular programs to balance the budget, they could be used against them by a political opponent and get voted out of office.<\/p>

\u2018SLOGGING ALONG\u2019: PROSPECTS FOR THE HOUSING MARKET IN THE YEAR AHEAD<\/a><\/p>

Former Rep. Carolyn Bourdeaux heads the Concord Center and told the Washington Examiner that serious work is needed. She also warned that the situation could spiral out of control absent any action by lawmakers.<\/p>

\u201cAnybody who's serious in Washington knows that this is going to require both expenditure cuts and revenue increases, and you can see the problem there,\u201d Bourdeaux said. \u201cNobody wants to put any of those kinds of ideas on the table \u2026 even though everybody behind the scenes, behind closed doors, understands that this is necessary.\"<\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/060326_WEX_SCOTT_BESSENT-9-e1780502777715.jpg?w=696" }, {"Articles":[ {"id":"4695155-1787245868", "title":"ActBlue cofounder pleads the Fifth during House deposition", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fnews%2F4695155%2Factblue-cofounder-matt-debergalis-pleads-fifth-house-deposition%2F", "byline":"Kaelan Deese", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"ActBlue cofounder Matt DeBergalis invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination multiple times on Thursday during a closed-door deposition in a congressional investigation of the Democratic fundraising platform. The interview before the House Administration, House Judiciary, and Oversight and Government Reform committees lasted less than half an hour, according to two sources familiar with the hearing. […]", "description":""

ActBlue<\/a>\u00a0cofounder Matt DeBergalis invoked his Fifth Amendment<\/a> right against self-incrimination multiple times on Thursday during a closed-door deposition in a congressional investigation of the Democratic fundraising platform.<\/p>

The interview before the House Administration, House Judiciary<\/a>, and Oversight and Government Reform committees lasted less than half an hour, according to two sources familiar with the hearing. Lawmakers had sought testimony from the cofounder of Democrats' largest fundraising<\/a> apparatus as part of a joint Republican-led inquiry into allegations that ActBlue\u2019s fraud-prevention practices allowed fraudulent or foreign donations to enter U.S. political campaigns.<\/p>

The development was first reported by Fox News, which reported DeBergalis was seen entering and leaving the committee room within roughly 25 minutes<\/a>.<\/p>

ActBlue has repeatedly denied violating the law and has rejected claims that it knowingly permitted illegal foreign contributions.<\/p>

Still, the response \u2014 or lack thereof \u2014 prompted suspicions among Republican lawmakers in Washington.<\/p>

\"What is ActBlue hiding?\" Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ) posted to X Thursday afternoon.<\/p>

Republicans have examined whether ActBlue adequately verified donors and whether the organization misled Congress about its safeguards. The House Administration Committee opened its investigation in 2023, focusing in part on ActBlue\u2019s previous practice of not requiring donors to provide the security code, known as a CVV, printed on their credit cards. The platform has since made CVV verification mandatory.<\/p>

A report released by the committees in April detailed that ActBlue employees allegedly knew<\/a> foreign and domestic actors were exploiting the platform, but did not treat the threat seriously. The committees have also subpoenaed current and former ActBlue employees. ActBlue\u2019s current chief executive, Regina Wallace-Jones, invoked the Fifth Amendment during a public congressional hearing in June.<\/p>

ACTBLUE CEO PLEADS THE FIFTH DURING CONGRESSIONAL QUESTIONING ABOUT FOREIGN DONATIONS<\/a><\/p>

The investigation comes less than three months before the 2026 midterm elections<\/a>. Democratic candidates and organizations continue to use ActBlue, which reportedly processed $586 million for Democratic candidates, causes, and groups during the second quarter of 2026. The platform says it has raised roughly $20 billion since its creation.<\/p>

Democrats<\/a> and their allies have characterized the investigations as partisan efforts intended to weaken the party\u2019s campaign finance infrastructure before the midterm elections. Republicans say the inquiry is intended to determine whether foreign money or fraudulent donations have entered federal campaigns and whether ActBlue accurately described its safeguards to Congress.<\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/actblue.jpg?w=696" }, {"Articles":[ {"id":"4695074-1787245110", "title":"Arizona GOP leader seeks hearing on taxpayer risk in Paramount merger case", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fnews%2Fbusiness%2F4695074%2Farizona-gop-hearing-paramount-merger%2F", "byline":"David Zimmermann and Kaelan Deese", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"EXCLUSIVE — Arizona Republican Senate President Warren Petersen is calling for a public hearing on the potential cost that state taxpayers may have to bear if a court grants Paramount Skydance‘s $1.88 billion bond request in its legal battle against a multistate antitrust lawsuit. Earlier this week, Paramount filed a motion seeking the hefty bond […]", "description":""

EXCLUSIVE \u2014 Arizona<\/a> Republican Senate President Warren Petersen is calling for a public hearing on the potential cost that state taxpayers may have to bear if a court grants Paramount Skydance<\/a>'s $1.88 billion bond request in its legal battle against a multistate antitrust<\/a> lawsuit.<\/p>

Earlier this week, Paramount filed a motion<\/a> seeking the hefty bond that would cover the company's financial losses from an injunction blocking its pending merger<\/a> with Warner Bros. Discovery. Twelve blue states, led by California<\/a>, and the Writers Guild of America would be on the hook financially if the bond is granted by a federal judge. The bond will be paid to Paramount should it win the antitrust case. Arizona is one of the plaintiffs suing to halt the merger.<\/p>

Petersen criticized Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, whom he is running to replace, for joining the lawsuit and potentially putting taxpayer money at risk.<\/p>

\"Protecting consumers should never mean handing taxpayers a surprise bill, and while the court has not ordered Arizona to post a bond, Kris Mayes needs to explain whether state money is at risk and how much,\" Petersen said in a statement after the Washington Examiner contacted the state Senate president for a response.<\/p>

\"The Senate has received no fiscal or legal analysis from her office, so I support a public hearing where the Attorney General and State Treasurer can explain the potential cost, the safeguards in place, and whether legislative approval would be required,\" he added. \"Arizonans deserve those answers before they\u2019re asked to pay a dime.\"<\/p>

Mayes is the Democratic state attorney general seeking reelection this year, and Kimberly Yee is the Republican state treasurer. Yee did not return a request for comment.<\/p>

It's not immediately clear whether other leaders in states involved in the litigation shared similar concerns to the state Senate's Republican leadership in Arizona.<\/p>

However, Petersen's call for a public hearing adds pressure on his colleagues to press the state attorney general for answers about the possible taxpayer liability during a contentious time in the merger's lawsuit, as Petersen mounts a campaign against Mayes.<\/p>

California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who is leading the lawsuit against the merger, accused Paramount of blackmailing the states into backing down by seeking the $1.88 billion bond. Bonta has also been critical of Paramount's reported threat to leave California if the state does not agree to settlement talks by Oct. 1.<\/p>

For every day after Sept. 30, Paramount accrues roughly $7 million in \"ticking fees\" paid to Warner Bros. shareholders as long as the transaction is not closed. As of now, the two film studios can't close the deal until June 2027 or the end of the March 2027 trial. But that outcome is dependent on whether they win the case. By the time it goes to trial next year, Paramount will have accrued over $1 billion in ticking fees.<\/p>

PARAMOUNT SEEKS $1.88 BILLION BOND TO COVER FINANCIAL LOSSES FROM BLOCKED MERGER<\/a><\/p>

The states argue Paramount and Warner Bros. violate federal antitrust law, namely the Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914, if they combine into one entity, reducing theatrical competition and cutting thousands of jobs in the entertainment<\/a> industry. About 4,500 film and television jobs in Hollywood<\/a> could be eliminated if the merger closes, according to<\/a> a new report from the Los Angeles<\/a> County government.<\/p>

The rest of the state plaintiffs attached to the lawsuit alongside California and Arizona are Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, and Washington.<\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP26013009971476.jpg?w=696" }, {"Articles":[ {"id":"4695048-1787243065", "title":"CNN clashes built Scott Jennings for the White House briefing room. But is the risk worth the reward?", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fnews%2Fwhite-house%2F4695048%2Fscott-jennings-cnn-experience-press-secretary-sweepstakes%2F", "byline":"Christian Datoc and Naomi Lim", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"Scott Jennings has spent years sparring with the Left and the media as a CNN commentator, developing a combative highlight reel that could have him prepared for the White House briefing room should he leave his lucrative cable news network contract to become President Donald Trump’s next press secretary. Jennings’s defenses of Trump on CNN, […]", "description":""

Scott Jennings has spent years sparring with the Left and the media as a CNN<\/a> commentator, developing a combative highlight reel that could have him prepared for the White House <\/a>briefing room should he leave his lucrative cable news network contract to become President Donald Trump's next press secretary.<\/p>

Jennings's defenses of Trump on CNN, where he has worked since 2017, could be a preview of his approach to an oft-hostile White House press corps should he become the president\u2019s top spokesman.<\/p>

But sources close to the White House raise questions over whether the ex-aide to former President George W. Bush<\/a> and Sen. Mitch McConnell<\/a> (R-KY) is ready for the off-camera parts of the role, particularly when he is already a prominent talking head, reportedly earning more than $500,000 a year, and hosts a popular podcast.<\/p>

One of those sources told the Washington Examiner that Jennings was on their short list to replace outgoing press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who earns the federally mandated salary cap of $195,200 for full-time White House employees, even before she announced her decision to spend more time with her young family.<\/p>

Leavitt gave birth to her second child, a daughter named Viviana, in May.<\/p>

\u201cIt\u2019s all the non-TV stuff that could be either a vulnerability or just something he doesn\u2019t want to do,\u201d the source said of Jennings. \u201cBriefings are maybe once a week. All the other story strategy and random fires is most of the job, which I don\u2019t know he would want to do.\u201d A second source expressed shock to the Washington Examiner that Jennings would \u201ceven want\u201d to be press secretary.<\/p>

But Jennings\u2019s stock has risen amid reports on Thursday that he met with White House chief of staff Susie Wiles <\/a>last weekend and circulated clips of him defending Trump staffer Natalie Harp<\/a> among his possible colleagues this week.<\/p>

Sen. Jon Ossoff<\/a> (D-GA) appeared to reference an extramarital relationship between Trump and Harp last weekend during a campaign rally.<\/p>

Some say the role might not be worth the headaches for the well-paid pundit.<\/p>

\u201cHe has more to lose than gain, considering he doesn\u2019t have a well-established relationship with the president,\u201d the source said of Jennings. \u201cThere\u2019s a chance he\u2019s there for a few months and the president sours on him and decides he actually wants a woman in the role and discards Scott, and then Scott gave up a CNN contributorship and radio show for what? Sure, he could get them back, but going to work for Trump could harm his image if Trump doesn\u2019t end up liking him.\u201d<\/p>

But to the source\u2019s point, working for Trump does have its own very specific occupational hazards. For instance, former White House press secretary Sean Spicer<\/a> had to grapple with the repercussions of his infamous assertion that, during Trump\u2019s first term, the president drew \"the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration, period, both in person and around the globe.\"<\/p>

\"If you ask me for one thing that I probably want a do-over on, that's it,\u201d Spicer told NPR in 2017. \u201cThere was nobody happy with me that night.\"<\/p>

The source added that while Jennings \"would be great at skewering media behind the podium,\u201d this person was \u201cnot sure he has the other credentials to do the job,\u201d including managing reporter relationships or \u201chaving the balls to tell Trump \u2018no.\u2019\u201d<\/p>

\u201cFrom what it sounds like, Karoline did do both of those things,\u201d the source said.<\/p>

Jennings did not respond to a request for comment from the Washington Examiner, but he does have a cordial relationship with Trump. The pair spent time together for the Republican strategist\u2019s book, A Revolution of Common Sense, before it was published last year.<\/p>

\"He's defending me all the time on CNN,\" Trump said of Jennings at a rally in Michigan last year. \"He defends me really well, but he can't go too far because if he goes too far, he'll get fired.\"<\/p>

Jennings has, however, criticized Trump in the past, even if sparingly. He wrote an op-ed in 2021 contending that the president was responsible for the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.<\/p>

\u201cPresident Donald Trump caused this insurrection with his lies and conspiracy theories about the election process being rigged against him,\u201d Jennings wrote for CNN<\/a> at the time. \"I\u2019m ashamed and embarrassed for our country, and for any Republican who fails to condemn this shameful behavior.\u201d<\/p>

TRUMP EYES WHITE HOUSE INSIDERS TO REPLACE OUTGOING LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS CHIEF<\/a><\/p>

Still, a third source told the Washington Examiner that Jennings needs to ask himself whether, if he were to become the White House press secretary, he is \u201cgoing to be in a better spot two years from now.\u201d<\/p>

\u201cIf Scott Jennings wanted to run for office, like with Sarah [Huckabee Sanders]<\/a>, it's a different conversation,\u201d the source said. \u201cBut if you want to be a media commentator, a talking head, for the rest of your life, I don't know what you really get out of it.\u201d<\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP21301756916793.jpg?w=696" }, {"Articles":[ {"id":"4695009-1787243055", "title":"FBI foils New York woman’s alleged ISIS attack plan on state capitol", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fnews%2Fcrime%2F4695009%2Ffbi-new-york-oath-to-isis-state-capitol-asked-for-help-making-explosives%2F", "byline":"Claire Carter", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"The FBI stopped a New York woman’s alleged Islamic State group-inspired plan to bomb the New York State Capitol building in Albany. Jessica Bowie, 35, is facing federal charges for allegedly attempting to provide material support to the terrorist group ISIS after a confidential informant told the FBI that Bowie had reached out for help […]", "description":""

The FBI<\/a> stopped a New York<\/a> woman's alleged Islamic State group<\/a>-inspired plan to bomb the New York State Capitol building in Albany.<\/p>

Jessica Bowie, 35, is facing federal charges for allegedly attempting to provide material support to the terrorist group ISIS after a confidential informant told the FBI that Bowie had reached out for help making explosives.<\/p>

Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York John Sarcone praised the FBI's work during a press conference on Thursday, adding that Bowie's arrest should send a message to anyone being radicalized. <\/p>

\"I want the American people to know this: Today's announcement will have a chilling effect on anyone in this country who is being radicalized or considering acts of violence, and on our enemies whose governments support death to America,\" he said. \"We are vigilant, we are prepared, and just as we stopped this defendant, we will continue to disrupt plots and protect the American people.\"<\/p>

According to the criminal complaint, Bowie converted to Islam five years ago and changed her name to an honorific Islamic name, Aisha Saif. The complaint says she later used social media to communicate her support for terrorism.<\/p>

\"Praise be to Allah for September 11th,\" Bowie said to another user in May. <\/p>

Investigators uncovered audio files of Bowie pledging her allegiance to ISIS, which the FBI identified from a reference to the current leader of the terrorist group. Bowie allegedly told other users about her oath and shared the audio file of her reciting the pledge with them.<\/p>

On July 16, Bowie began communicating with a confidential informant and asked for help making explosives to \"target my state capitol,\" the complaint said. <\/p>

\"Ideally in a way I could get away with and hop on plane after,\" Bowie said. \"But idk if it's doable.\" <\/p>

The complaint details that Bowie told the informant that she supported the Islamic State by \"spreading information online, helping and encouraging others to take byah.\" Byah is the term for the ISIS oath.<\/p>

Bowie also sent the informant photos of the New York State Capitol and circled the area she intended to cause harm with the explosive. She then allegedly performed surveillance on the area between July 21 and Aug. 9. <\/p>

\"I want to destroy as much of the building as possible to kill the senators while they are meeting,\" Bowie said. \"I want them to lose a lot of important documents as well.<\/p>

\"I want it to have an effect on the American system and destroy some of the taghut,\" she said, taghut meaning anything worshipped instead of Allah, according to the complaint.<\/p>

Bowie planned to put the bomb in a delivery bag and escape to Syria after detonating it, the complaint alleges. She allegedly pledged to return and carry out further attacks.<\/p>

FBI INVESTIGATED THEN-ATTORNEY GENERAL JEFF SESSIONS ONE DAY AFTER COMEY\u2019S FIRING, DECLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS SHOW<\/a><\/p>

The FBI said Bowie paid an informant for a gun, tendered cash for a bomb maker, and provided additional funding when it was requested. Bowie was arrested on Wednesday. <\/p>

Bowie faces up to 20 years in prison for allegedly providing support to a terrorist organization. She will make her first court appearance Thursday. <\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/AP24108569217016-scaled-e1787257016479.webp?w=696" }, {"id":"3132228-1724374758", "title":"Delegates express disappointment at Beyonce no-show but say Harris ‘made up for it’", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fnews%2F3132228%2Fdnc-delegates-disappointment-beyonce-no-show%2F", "byline":"Hailey Bullis, Mabinty Quarshie and Samantha-Jo Roth", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"CHICAGO — Hopes that Beyonce would make a surprise appearance on the closing night of the Democratic National Convention were dashed after the night ended with no sign of the “Freedom” singer. The evening was packed with celebrities, with musicians such as Pink and the Chicks taking the stage on the grand finale of the […]", "description":""

CHICAGO\u2014HopesthatBeyonce<\\\/a>wouldmakeasurpriseappearanceontheclosingnightoftheDemocraticNationalConvention<\\\/a>weredashedafterthenightendedwithnosignofthe\u201cFreedom\u201dsinger<\\\/p>

Theeveningwaspackedwithcelebrities<\\\/a>,withmusicianssuchasPinkandtheChickstakingthestageonthegrandfinaleoftheDNCTheeventdrewsomanyattendeesthattheconventionfloorwascompletelyclosedoffhoursbeforeVicePresidentKamalaHarristookthestagetodelivertheDNC\u2019sclosingspeechTheA-listerdelegatesandattendeesweremostexcitedtosee,however,wasBeyonceSpeculationmountedthroughouttheweek,andhitafeverpitchThursday,thatBeyoncewouldperformonthefinalnightoftheDNCMarylanddelegateRoxanneBrown,45,saidshewasletdownthatBeyoncedidnotendupappearingHowever,BrownsaidthattheletdownwasOK,though,because\u201cKamalamadeupforit\u201d\u201cIwasdisappointedbecauseIwaslookingforwardtoseeingBeyonce,butIwasmostlookingforwardtowatchinghistory,whichisanominationofourfirstblackfemalepresident,\u201dBrownsaid<\\\/p>

AnotherMarylanddelegate,LilyQi,60,saidshewouldhavelovedtoseethepopsensation,butsheechoedBrown\u2019ssentimentthatsupportingHarriswasthemostimportantpartofthenight\u201cIwouldhavelovedtoseeherandherenergy,andshe'sanicon,aculturalicon,asIunderstand,\u201dQisaid\u201cButyouknow,thisisnotwhyI'mhere,ofcourse,right?IamheretomakesurethatKamalaHarrisiselected\u201d<\\\/p>

EricaHarrison,astay-at-homemotherfromNorthCarolina,capturedtheanticipation\\\"IwasgettingexcitedItoldmyhusband,IthoughtthatBeyoncewouldcomeoutandperformandsing'Freedom,'butIwaswrong\\\"<\\\/p>

\\\"TheentirethingwasasurrealmomentI'mstillonahigh,\\\"shesaid\\\"SoeventhoughBeyoncedidn'tcome,shewouldhavejustbeenalittlecherryontopButeverythingelsewasamazing\\\"RumorshadbeenswirlingthattheDNCwouldfeatureaspecialguestfordays,withmusicianTaylorSwiftalsobeingfloatedasapossibilityButBeyoncewasthechieffigurespeculatedtomakeanappearanceExcitementoverthepossibilityofBeyonce'sDNCappearancehitafeverpitchThursdayafterWhiteHousepoliticaldirectorEmilyRuizpostedabeeemoji,whichislinkedtoBeyonceasherfanbaseisreferredtoasthe\u201cBeyHive\u201dRuizlaterpostedanapology,saying,\u201cSorryguysmy6-year-oldtookmyphone\u201d<\\\/p>

DemocraticPartyChairmanJaimeHarrisonalsododgedconfirmingordenying<\\\/a>whetherBeyoncewouldappearduringanappearanceonCBSMorningsConflictingreportsaboutwhetherornottheiconicsingerwouldappearwerepublishedbymultipleoutletsTMZpublishedareportearlieronThursdaysayingthatmultiplesourcestoldtheoutletshewouldbethesurpriseperformerspeculatedHowever,asthefinalnight\u2019sprogrammingwasunderway,arepresentativeforBeyoncetoldtheHollywoodReporterthatshewas\u201cneverscheduledtobethere\u201dandthat\u201cthereportofaperformanceisuntrue\u201dAWashingtonExaminerreporteroverheardattendeesexitingtheUnitedCenterexpressingdisappointmentthesingerdidn\u2019tshow,withoneexclaiming,\u201cButwedidn\u2019tgetBeyonce!\u201dNevertheless,MainedelegateEricBestsaidwhilehewantedto\u201cbeabletobragtomykidsthatIwastherewhenBeyonceshowedup,\u201dhedidnotfeellikehis\u201clifewasdiminishedbythefactthatshedidn't\u201d<\\\/p>

CLICKHERETOREADMOREFROMTHEWASHINGTONEXAMINER<\\\/a><\\\/p>

NewYorkdelegateAliciaHyndman,52,saidshethoughtitwasforthebestthatBeyoncedidn\u2019tshow<\\\/p>

\u201cIfeltifBeyoncecame,itwouldhavebeentoocelebrity,\u201dHyndmansaid\u201cIthinkwouldhavebeenplayingintotheopposition'splaybooklikebigHollywood\u201d<\\\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/beyonce_noshow_dnc.webp?w=696" } {"id":"3085609-1721196000", "title":"Sen. Whitehouse’s attacks on fossil energy producers are incoherent", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fopinion%2F3085609%2Fsen-whitehouse-attacks-fossil-energy-producers-incoherent%2F", "byline":"Benjamin Zycher", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"It might seem difficult to take positions on a prominent issue diametrically opposed and equally preposterous. But Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), a man whose Pavlovian opposition to the U.S. fossil energy producers has led him into incoherence rare even by Beltway standards, has achieved just such a magical trick. Whitehouse, the chairman of the Senate […]", "description":""

ItmightseemdifficulttotakepositionsonaprominentissuediametricallyopposedandequallypreposterousButSenSheldonWhitehouse(D-RI),amanwhosePavlovianoppositiontotheUSfossilenergyproducershasledhimintoincoherencerareevenbyBeltwaystandards,hasachievedjustsuchamagicaltrick<\\\/p>

Whitehouse,thechairmanoftheSenateBudgetCommittee,foryearshasaccused<\\\/a>themajorUSfossilenergyproducersofcreatingthepurportedclimate\u201ccrisis\u201dandhidingtheirknowledge<\\\/a>ofanddeceivingthepublic<\\\/a>abouttheimpactsofgreenhousegasemissionsTranslation:Fordecades,theUSfossilenergysectorhasproducedtoomuchenergyandthustoomanygreenhousegasemissions\u00a0<\\\/p>

Alas,thatstanceissoyesterdayWhitehouse\u2019snewargument<\\\/a>isthat\u201coilandgascompaniescouldbeengagingincollusive,anti-competitiveactivitieswithOPEC+thatwouldraisecrudeoilprices\u201dSonowtheUSfossilenergyproducersincahootswithOPEC+mightbeproducingtoolittle\u00a0<\\\/p>

WithrespecttoWhitehouse\u2019scollusionargument:PerhapsWhitehouseshouldcallPresidentJoeBidenasawitnessforaBudgetCommitteehearing,asitwasBidenwhoinOctober2022asked<\\\/a>theSaudistodelayascheduledproductioncutuntilafterthemidtermelections\u00a0<\\\/p>

Moregenerally,itistheBidenadministrationthathastakenhundredsofactions<\\\/a>makingUSfossilenergyproductionmoredifficultandcostlyItistheBidenadministrationthathastriedtohidetheattendantadversepriceeffectsbyusing<\\\/a>theStrategicPetroleumReserve<\\\/a>andothergovernmentstockpiles<\\\/a>tomanipulateshort-runsuppliesinawhollyadhocfashion\u2014thatis,forpurelypoliticalpurposes\u00a0<\\\/p>

IfUSproducersare\u201ccolluding\u201dwithOPEC+torestrictoutput,theyaredoingaratherbadjobofitSinceMarch2021,whenrealUSgrossdomesticproductgrowthwasabout5%,UScrudeoiloutput<\\\/a>hasincreasedby13%USnaturalgasproduction<\\\/a>hasincreasedbymorethan5%USrefinerycapacityutilization<\\\/a>hasincreasedfrom819%to897%,refineryuse<\\\/a>ofcrudeoilandotherinputshasincreasedby107%,andrefineryoutput<\\\/a>ofproductshasincreasedby8%OPEC+output<\\\/a>isaboutthesameasinearly2021,whilenon-USoutput<\\\/a>intherestoftheworldhasincreasedbyalmost4%<\\\/p>

WithrespecttoWhitehouse\u2019sclimate\u201cresponsibility\u201dand\u201cdeception\u201dassertions:USgreenhousegasemissionsfromallcombustionoffossilfuels<\\\/a>areabout74%oftotalUSgreenhousegasemissions<\\\/a>EliminationofallUSfossilfuelcombustionemissionswouldreduceglobaltemperaturesin2100by0077degreesCelcius,applyingtheEnvironmentalProtectionAgencyclimatemodel<\\\/a>underrealisticassumptionsThateffectwouldnotbedetectable<\\\/p>

Accordingly,someoneshouldaskWhitehousetoexplaintheprecisesenseinwhichUSfossilenergyproducersare\u201cresponsible\u201dfortheassertedclimatecrisis(forwhich,bytheway,thereisnoevidence<\\\/a>)ThatistherelevantquestioninparticulargiventhatreducedoutputbyUSproducerswouldbeoffsetlargelyorwhollywithincreasedproductionbyforeignproducers\u00a0<\\\/p>

Whitehousecontinues<\\\/a>,\u201cFordecades,thefossilfuelindustryhasknownabouttheeconomicandclimateharmsofitsproducts\u201dTheIntergovernmentalPanelonClimateChangeinits1990FirstAssessmentReportmadeitclearthatitcouldnotexplainwhytemperatureswerehigher5,000-6,000yearsagodespitenoevidenceofanincreaseingreenhousegasconcentrationsFastforwardtotheSixthAssessmentReport<\\\/a>:IPCCstillcannotnarrowdownthe\u201clikely\u201drangeofclimateeffectsofincreasedgreenhousegasconcentrationsAndtheIPCCclimatemodels<\\\/a>continuetooverstatetheatmospherictemperaturerecordbyafactorofover23<\\\/a>\u00a0<\\\/p>

Inshort,accordingtoWhitehousethefossilenergyproducersfordecadeshave\u201cknown\u201dthingsthatwerenotknownin1990andarenotknownnowTheyareproducingtoolittleenergyandtoomuchSucharetheSchr\u00f6dinger-likefruitsofastancewhollyideological,impervioustofacts,andoblivioustotherealinvestmentandeconomicharmcausedbytheBeltwayblamegame<\\\/p>

Whitehouse\u2019s\u201cinvestigations\u201dhaveproducednousefulinformationbutgobsofBeltwaypropaganda:\u201cIfitisanelectionyear,thefossilenergyproducersmustbeguiltyofsomething\u201dIsthisthebesthecando?Theevidencesaysyes<\\\/p>

CLICKHERETOREADMOREFROMRESTORINGAMERICA<\\\/a><\\\/p>

BenjaminZycherisaseniorfellowattheAmericanEnterpriseInstitute<\\\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/AP22080625251491.jpg?w=696" } {"id":"3081706-1720960622", "title":"DHS pressed for clarity on Secret Service protocols to ‘assess threats’ after Trump rally shooting", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fnews%2F3081706%2Fdhs-pressed-clarity-secret-service-protocols-trump-rally-shooting%2F", "byline":"Cami Mondeaux", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green (R-TN) is pressing the Department of Homeland Security to provide clarity on how Secret Service members are trained to respond to threats after a shooting broke out at former President Donald Trump’s rally on Saturday. In a letter sent to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Sunday, Green pressed […]", "description":""

HouseHomelandSecurityCommitteeChairmanMarkGreen(R-TN)ispressingtheDepartmentofHomelandSecuritytoprovideclarityonhowSecretServicemembersaretrainedtorespondtothreatsafterashootingbrokeout<\\\/a>atformerPresidentDonaldTrump'srallyonSaturday<\\\/p>

Inaletter<\\\/a>senttoDHSSecretaryAlejandroMayorkasonSunday,GreenpressedthetopBidenadministrationofficialtoprovideinformationoranydocumentationrelatedtosecuritydetailatTrump'srally<\\\/a>inButler,PennsylvaniaGreenpraisedthe\\\"swiftresponse\\\"oftheSecretServicemembersbutarguedtheDHSmustbeinvestigatedforsomereportsthatsuggestthedepartmentrebuffed\\\"multiplerequests\\\"fromTrump'ssecurityteamto\\\"increaseprotectiveservices\\\"aheadoftheevent<\\\/p>

\u201cTheseriousnessofthissecurityfailureandchillingmomentinournation\u2019shistorycannotbeunderstated,\\\"Greenwrote\\\"AstheUSSecretService(USSS)investigates,theCommitteeonHomelandSecurity(Committee)isdedicatedtoconductingrigorousoversighttoensurethattheAmericanpeoplereceiveanswersandpresidentialcandidatesreceiveproperandadequateprotection\\\"<\\\/p>

Greenoutlinedanumberofquestionshewantstobeansweredbythedepartment,includingaccesstoalldocumentsandcommunicationswithintheDHSandSecretServicerelatedto\\\"anypotentialincreaseoradditionofprotectiveresourcestoPresidentTrump\u2019ssecuritydetail\\\"frommid-Novembertothepresentday<\\\/p>

TheletteralsorequestsinformationonSecretService<\\\/a>rulesofengagementprotocols\u201ctoassessandneutralizethreats\u201dafterconcernswereraisedabouthowtheshooter\\\"wasabletoaccessarooftopwithinrangeanddirectlineofsightofwherePresidentTrumpwasspeaking\\\"<\\\/p>

Green'srequestscomeaslawmakersfrombothpartieshaverespondedswiftlytotheshootingandhavebeguntoreconsidersecurityprotocolsinCongressHouseRepublicansarescheduledtohaveabriefingwiththesergeant-at-armsonSundayafternoon,onelawmakertoldtheWashingtonExaminer<\\\/p>

RepsRitchieTorres(D-NY)andMikeLawler(R-NY)alsoannouncedtheywouldbeintroducingabillthatwouldprovideenhancedSecretServiceprotectiontoTrumpaswellasPresidentJoeBidenandRobertFKennedyJr<\\\/a>whileonthecampaigntrail<\\\/p>

\\\"Asreportscontinuetoemerge,it\u2019sclearthatmoreprotectionisneededforallmajorcandidatesforpresident,\\\"thetwosaidinajointstatement\\\"That\u2019swhywe\u2019replanningonintroducingbipartisanlegislationprovidingPresidentJoeBiden,formerPresidentDonaldTrump,andpresidentialcandidateRobertKennedyJrwithenhancedSecretServiceprotectionAnythinglesswouldbeadisservicetoourdemocracy\u201d<\\\/p>

TheFBIidentifiedtheshooterasThomasMatthewCrooks,20,ofBethel,Pennsylvania,onSundaymorningCrooksdiedshortlyaftertheshootingafterbeing\\\"neutralized\\\"bytheSecretService,agencyspokesmanAnthonyGuglielmisaidinastatementAtleastonerallyattendeewasalsokilled<\\\/p>

Trumpwastakentoanearbyhospital<\\\/a>tobetreatedafterconfirminghewaspiercedintheupperpartofhisrightear<\\\/p>

CLICKHERETOREADMOREFROMTHEWASHINGTONEXAMINER<\\\/a><\\\/p>

\u201cIknewimmediatelythatsomethingwaswronginthatIheardawhizzingsound,shots,andimmediatelyfeltthebulletrippingthroughtheskinMuchbleedingtookplace,\u201dhewroteinaTruthSocialPost<\\\/p>

Theformerpresident<\\\/a>isinstableconditionTrumplaterflewtoNewJerseyafterbeingreleasedfromthehospitalHeisexpectedtotraveltoMilwaukeefortheRepublicanNationalConventionthatbeginsonMonday<\\\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/secret-service-44.webp?w=696" } {"id":"3077696-1720701634", "title":"Johnson quiets initial concerns about fundraising prowess by raising $23.5 million in second quarter", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fnews%2Fcampaigns%2Fcongressional%2F3077696%2Fjohnson-quiets-initial-concerns-about-fundraising-prowess-by-raising-23-5-million-in-second-quarter%2F", "byline":"Cami Mondeaux", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) raised $23.5 million in the second quarter of 2024, outperforming expectations and continuing to quiet initial concerns about his fundraising prowess when he took the gavel last October. More than $17 million of that haul went toward Johnson’s committees with the remaining $6.5 million going toward individual members and GOP […]", "description":""

HouseSpeakerMikeJohnson<\\\/a>(R-LA)raised$235millioninthesecondquarterof2024,outperformingexpectationsandcontinuingtoquietinitialconcernsabouthisfundraising<\\\/a>prowesswhenhetookthegavellastOctober<\\\/p>

Morethan$17millionofthathaulwenttowardJohnson'scommitteeswiththeremaining$65milliongoingtowardindividualmembersandGOPcandidatesAdditionally,Johnsonhasnowtransferredmorethan$16milliontotheNationalRepublicanCongressionalCommittee<\\\/a>thiscycleaspartofeffortstogrowtheparty'sslimHousemajoritynextyear<\\\/p>

\u201cWithcommonsensesolutions,strongcandidates,andmomentumgrowingeveryday,anotherextraordinaryquartershowsRepublicansareexpandingourbaseandenergizedtowinupanddowntheballotinNovember,\u201dJohnsonsaidinastatement\u201cAswegatherinMilwaukeenextweektoofficiallynominatePresidentDonaldTrump,ourPartyhasneverbeenmoreunifiedandequippedwiththeresourcesneededtogrowtheHousemajority,wintheSenate,andwintheWhiteHouse\u201d<\\\/p>

CLICKHERETOREADMOREFROMTHEWASHINGTONEXAMINER<\\\/a><\\\/p>

Johnson'ssecond-quarterhaulbuildsonotherHouseGOPleaders'fundraisingforatotalof$45millionraisedduringthesecondquarter,whencombiningthespeaker'snumberswithHouseMajorityLeaderSteveScalise(R-LA),MinorityWhipTomEmmer(R-MN),andGOPChairwomanEliseStefanik(R-NY)<\\\/p>

Johnson'sfundraisingstillfallsslightlybehindhispredecessor,formerSpeakerKevinMcCarthy<\\\/a>(R-CA),butthehighnumbersofferhopetoRepublicansthatthespeakerisabletoraiselargesumsforthepartydespiteonlyholdingthegavelforninemonths<\\\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/AP24178017398020-scaled.webp?w=696" } {"id":"3074143-1720513167", "title":"State program spends $1 million to get 37 ‘disadvantaged’ people drivers licenses", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fnews%2F3074143%2Fstate-program-spends-1-million-to-get-37-disadvantaged-people-drivers-licenses%2F", "byline":"TJ Martinell | The Center Square", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"(The Center Square) – A program set up in King County through the state Department of Licensing and funded by the state Legislature has spent nearly $1 million teaching “disadvantaged” women to drive, with just 37 women actually obtaining their license in a five-month period. King County contracts with Mujer al Volante, a nonprofit organization in […]", "description":""

(TheCenterSquare)\u00a0\u2013AprogramsetupinKingCountythroughthestateDepartmentofLicensingandfundedbythestateLegislaturehasspentnearly$1millionteaching\u201cdisadvantaged\u201dwomentodrive,withjust37womenactuallyobtainingtheirlicenseinafive-monthperiod<\\\/p>

KingCountycontractswithMujeralVolante,anonprofitorganizationinSeattlethatofferssupportservicestorefugeeandimmigrantwomenIn2022,theLegislaturegaveDOL$350,000toalsocontractwiththenonprofit,withanadditional$2millionappropriatedearlierthisyearinthestatetransportationbudget<\\\/p>

TheDriversLicenseAssistanceProgram\u201cTakingtheSteeringWheelofMyLife\u201dprovidesqualifyingapplicantsassistancetowardobtainingadriver\u2019slicenseToqualify,apersonmustbeawomanor\u201cnonbinary,\u201danimmigrant,asylee,orrefugee,andbeclassifiedas\\\"low-income\\\"<\\\/p>

SincetheprogramstartedinDecember,therehavebeen522individualswhohavegonethroughtheprogramHowever,just37ofthemhavesuccessfullypassedthewrittenanddrivingexamsInJanuary,therewere101participantsandonlyoneofthemobtainedtheirlicenseInApril,therewere132participants,13ofwhichgottheirlicense<\\\/p>

WhenTheCenterSquarereachedouttoDOLforcomment,CommunicationsManagerChristineAnthonywrotethat\u201cwecontractedwithMujeralVolanteinDecemberof2023,andthisisthefirstreporttotheLegislatureThisisanewprogramweareadministering,andwewillcontinuetoworkwiththeorganizationandmonitortheirprogress\u201d<\\\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/AP24014160536170-1-scaled.jpg?w=696" } {"id":"3072819-1720443053", "title":"Sorry, progressives, but facts can’t be racist", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fopinion%2F3072819%2Fsorry-progressives-but-facts-cant-be-racist%2F", "byline":"Brad Polumbo", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"Facts cannot be racist. But that hasn’t stopped many liberal media figures and Democratic politicians from trying to insist otherwise after one conservative writer dared to point out what we all know about Vice President Kamala Harris: She wouldn’t be where she is now without the movement for DEI, also known as diversity, equity, and […]", "description":""

FactscannotberacistButthathasn\u2019tstoppedmanyliberalmedia<\\\/a>figuresandDemocraticpoliticiansfromtryingtoinsistotherwiseafteroneconservativewriterdaredtopointoutwhatweallknowaboutVicePresidentKamalaHarris<\\\/a>:Shewouldn\u2019tbewheresheisnowwithoutthemovementforDEI<\\\/a>,alsoknownasdiversity,equity,andinclusion\u00a0<\\\/p>

Inanarticle<\\\/a>thatwentviral,CharlesGasparinowrotethatifsheissuccessfullyputforwardasPresidentJoeBiden\u2019s<\\\/a>successor,Harriswillbe\u201cthecountry\u2019sfirstDEIpresident\u201dSufficeittosay,thisdidnotgooverwell\u00a0<\\\/p>

GovGavinNewsom(D-CA)tweeted<\\\/a>outtheheadlineandsaid,\u201cThisisstraight-upracist\u201d\u00a0<\\\/p>

Meanwhile,theaccount\u201cRacismWatchDog\u201dsharedthearticleandsaid<\\\/a>,\u201cBarkbarkbark,\u201dinapostthat47millionpeoplehaveseen\u00a0<\\\/p>

Anotherviraltweet<\\\/a>accusedthearticleof\u201cfindingawaytospellthenwordwithonly3characters\u201d<\\\/p>

Yougettheidea:HowdareconservativeslabelKamalaHarrisadiversitypickThat\u2019sobviouslyracistandhateful! <\\\/p>

There\u2019sjustoneproblem,howeverItisafactthatHarriswasselectedtobeBiden\u2019svicepresidentinpartduetoherraceandgenderItisafactthatifshehadbeenawhitemalebutotherwiseremainedaCaliforniasenator,Harrisneverwould\u2019vebeenselectedashisrunningmate\u00a0<\\\/p>

Youdon\u2019thavetotakemywordforitJustaskBidenDuringthe2020presidentialcampaign,Bidenopenlysaid,inexplicitterms<\\\/a>,thathewasonlyconsideringwomentobehisvicepresident,andhestronglyimplied<\\\/a>thathewouldfavorawomanofcolor\u00a0<\\\/p>

That\u2019sright:Weknowforafactthat,butforhergender,Harrisneverwould\u2019vebeenselectedasvicepresident(Andifnotforthat,shecertainlywouldn\u2019tbeattheforefrontoftheconversationforapotentialBidenreplacement)So,tocallheradiversityor\u201cDEI\u201dpickisnotanopinionthatcanbecharacterizedasracist:Itisanobservationofafact\u00a0<\\\/p>

WhenIpointedthisoutonX,manyofthesameliberalsandprogressivesgotupsetwithmeaswell <\\\/p>

ButafactthatupsetspeoplecontinuestobeafactAndnoneoftheircounterargumentschangethefactthatHarris,nomatterhowonefeelsaboutit,oweshercurrentpositioninparttotheDemocrats\u2019blatantidentitypoliticsandopenlydiscriminatorypursuitofdiversity\u00a0<\\\/p>

SomecriticspointedoutthatHarrisisn\u2019tunqualifiedforvicepresident,arguingthatasaformersenatorandstateattorneygeneral,shehassimilarqualificationstopastvicepresidentialpicks,suchasBidenwhenheservedunderPresidentBarackObamaYetthisissomethingofanonsequiturbecausetosaythatHarriswasadiversityselectionisnottosayshe\u2019stotallyunqualifiedforthejob\u00a0<\\\/p>

Forexample,SupremeCourtJusticeKetanjiBrownJacksonisobjectivelya\u201cdiversitypick\u201dbecauseBidenopenlysaidhewasonlyconsideringblackwomenforthejobYetJacksonisalsoeminentlyqualifiedfortheposition\u2014shewassimplyelevatedaboveothersduetoherimmutablecharacteristicsThesetwothingscananddocoexistwithregularity\u00a0<\\\/p>

DEIpicksrarely,ifever,resultinasituationwheresomeonetotallyunqualifiedispickedforajobButsomeoneisadiversityhireif,butforherimmutablecharacteristics,shewouldnothavebeengiventheroleunderastrictlymeritocraticselectionAndthatisalmostcertainlythecaseforHarrisAfterall,accordingtoBidenhimself,shewasselectedthroughaprocessinwhichmorethanhalfofthealternatives,males,wereruledoutduetotheirgenderandwhitefemaleswereseeminglydisfavoredThatleftonlyherandahandfulofotherminoritywomen<\\\/a>whowerehigh-rankingDemocraticofficialsfromwhichBidencouldchoose<\\\/p>

Andbeyondheridentity,Harrisdidn\u2019taddmuchtotheticketShewasn\u2019tfromaswingstateShehadneverwonacompetitiveelectionagainstaRepublicanShewasn\u2019tpopularwiththeDemocraticbase,havingfailedhorrificallyinherownpresidentialbidShewasn\u2019tevenpopularintheprimarywithblackvoters,agroupfromwhomBidenalreadyhadstrongsupportAndshewaspronetocringeworthymomentsandhadthecampaigntrailcharismaofawettowel\u00a0<\\\/p>

Harris\u2019smain\u201cvalueadd\u201dforBiden\u2019sticketwasthatshewasawomanofcolorWeallknewitthen,andweallknowitnow <\\\/p>

AnothercounterargumentisthatvicepresidentsareoftenselectedduetofactorsnotdirectlyrelatedtomeritThatmaybetrue,butitshouldn\u2019tbeAnditdoesn\u2019tmakeracialfavoritismanylessmorallydetestableItalsodoesn\u2019tmakethechargethatHarrisisaDEIpicklesstrueIfanything,itjustofferscontexttobetterunderstandthesignificanceofthistruth\u00a0<\\\/p>

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So,too,somecriticshaveyelled,\u201cButTrump!\u201d,astheyarewonttodo,andtheyhavepointedoutthatPresidentDonaldTrumpdidsomethingsimilarwhenheappointedSupremeCourtJusticeAmyConeyBarrettafterpromisingtoappointawomanYetthiswhataboutismisn\u2019tarefutationoftheactualchargeItjustmeansthatBarrettwasalsoaDEIpick,assomeacknowledgedatthetime(IftheirpointwasjustthatRepublicanscanbehypocrites,they\u2019dhavenoargumentfromme!)<\\\/p>

WesimplycannotletDemocratsandprogressivesmakenoticingfactstheyfindinconvenientoff-limitsbythrowingaroundfalsechargesofracismNomatterhowhardsomeontheLeftinsist,factscanneverberacist,andthemomentwecavetothatridiculousframing,welosetheabilitytodiscussthetruthandcedethepoliticalconversationtowhoeveriswillingtocry\u201cvictim\u201dtheloudest <\\\/p>

BradPolumbo(@Brad_Polumbo<\\\/a>)isanindependentjournalist,YouTuber<\\\/a>,andaco-founderofBASEDPolitics<\\\/a><\\\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/AP24188824437913-scaled.webp?w=696" } {"id":"3071849-1720418400", "title":"Increasing economic growth should be top priority", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fopinion%2F3071849%2Fincreasing-economic-growth-should-be-top-priority%2F", "byline":"Bruce Thompson", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"For the past three and a half years, the U.S. economy has struggled under the economic policies of the Biden administration and congressional Democrats.  Increased taxes, spending, deficits, and debt have produced higher prices, lower wages, soaring interest rates, and slower economic growth. For typical American families, the Biden administration’s policies have resulted in lower […]", "description":""

Forthepastthreeandahalfyears,theUSeconomy<\\\/a>hasstruggledundertheeconomic<\\\/a>policiesoftheBidenadministration<\\\/a>andcongressionalDemocrats\u00a0<\\\/p>

Increasedtaxes,spending,deficits,anddebthaveproducedhigherprices,lowerwages,soaringinterestrates,andslowereconomicgrowthFortypicalAmericanfamilies,theBidenadministration'spolicieshaveresultedinlowerstandardsoflivinganddashedhopesofabetterfuture <\\\/p>

Whiletheinflation<\\\/a>ratehaseasedfromits91%peak,thehighestlevelin40years,pricesarestillup20%sinceBidentookoffice,faroutpacingtheincreaseinwages<\\\/p>

MillionsofAmericansarefinanciallystressed,unabletobuyahome,payofftheirdebt,orsaveforthefuture<\\\/a>Householddebt<\\\/a>isatanall-timehigh,up$3trillion,or21%,sincethefirstquarterof2021\u00a0<\\\/p>

Alongwiththesehighprices,theUSeconomyisstuckinaslowgrowthrutThelatestnumbers<\\\/a>showtheeconomyisslowingunderhighinterestratesandpersistentinflation,withpersonalspendingandcapitalgoodsordersweakening\u00a0<\\\/p>

Realgrossdomesticproduct(GDP)grewatonly14%<\\\/a>\u00a0lastquarter,theslowestgrowthinnearlytwoyearsInthelastninequarters,economicgrowthhasaveragedonlyhalfourhistoricgrowthrate\u00a0<\\\/p>

TheUSneedstoadoptpro-growthpoliciestoencouragefastereconomicgrowthButifBidenandcongressionalDemocratsaregivenanotherchanceinNovember,wefaceevenhighertaxes,morespending,andslowergrowthTheyarealreadyplanningtoleveragethe2025<\\\/a>debateoverextendingthe2017taxcutstoforcethelargesttaxincreaseinourhistory\u00a0<\\\/p>

TheyaredraftingplanstoraisetaxesonindividualtaxpayersandAmericanbusinesses,actions,whichcouldtiptheeconomyintoarecessionandresultinlargerdeficitsanddebt<\\\/a><\\\/p>

TheBidenadministration\u2019smostharmfulproposalwouldraisetheUScorporatetaxratetooneofthehighestintheworldThiswouldbeamajoreconomicmistakeIncreasingthecorporaterateisthemosteconomicallydamagingtaxincrease,andraisingthistax<\\\/a>inaweakeconomywouldcauseittolosemorerevenuethanitgained,likelytriggeringaneventualeconomiccollapse<\\\/p>

Numerousstudieshaveshownthatraisingthecorporateratewouldhaveaharmfuleffectonworkingfamilies,loweringtheirwagesandincomes,increasingthepricestheypay,andreducingtheirretirement<\\\/a>\u00a0savingsAFederalReservestudy<\\\/a>foundthatahighercorporatetaxratewouldbe\u201cuniformlyharmful\u201dtoworkingpeople,leadingto\u201csignificantreductions\u201cintheirjobsandincomes<\\\/p>

IncreasingthecorporatetaxratewouldalsoputUScompaniesatasignificantcompetitivedisadvantageagainstourglobalcompetitorsUndertheBidenadministration,theUSrate<\\\/a>wouldbehigherthaneveryothercountrywecompeteagainst,reducinginvestmentinAmericaandshiftingprofitsandjobsoverseas\u00a0<\\\/p>

Americansfacedsimilarfinancialchallengesofhighprices,stagnantgrowth,andsoaringtaxesandspending44yearsagoTheRepublicanPartyplatformin1980statedthatnothingwasmoreimportantthaneconomicgrowth,andendorsedtheReaganeconomicrecoveryprogram<\\\/a>oflowertaxratesandspendingcuts\u00a0<\\\/p>

Oncepassed,theReagantaxcuts<\\\/a>andspendingreformskickedoffaneconomicboom,withrealGDPgrowthreaching\u00a07%in1983and8%in1984,andaveragingnearly5%ayearthrough1988Inflationdroppedfrom11%to4%andnearly20millionjobswerecreatedinthelargestpeacetimeexpansioninUShistory\u00a0<\\\/p>

TheReagantaxcutsweremodeledaftertheKennedytaxcutsinthe1960s,whichalsosetoffaneconomicgrowthboom,withrealgrowthaveragingmorethan5%ayearTheReagan-Kennedytaxcutsledtoextendedperiodsofunprecedentedeconomicgrowth<\\\/a>andahigherstandardoflivingforallAmericans\u00a0<\\\/p>

Underourcurrentpathofhightaxesandspending,theeconomicoutlookisdimTheCongressionalBudgetOffice(CBO)isforecasting<\\\/a>10yearsofdismalandweakgrowthaveraging18%ayear,\u00a0muchlowerthanthe35%averageannualgrowththeUSexperiencedfrom1960to2000Ifthathappens,wewillhaveadecadeoflowerincomes,fewerjobs,andcountlesslostopportunities<\\\/a>\u00a0<\\\/p>

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ButitdoesnothavetobethiswayAswehaveseen,aneconomicpolicyoflowtaxratesandfiscalrestraintcanincreaseinvestment,productivity,andoutput,leadingtohigherincomesandfastergrowthPro-growthtaxpoliciesthatincreasetheincentivetowork,save,andinvest,alongwithspendingrestraint,wouldimproveeconomicgrowth,gettingusoutofourslowgrowthrutandreturningtheeconomytoitshistoricgrowthrate<\\\/a> <\\\/p>

Highereconomicgrowthwouldgeneratetrillionsofdollarsofeconomicactivity,leadingtohigherwagesandincomes,betterjobsandopportunities,andmoreprosperityforallAmericansWecannotsettleforanother10yearsofsubpargrowthIncreasingeconomicgrowthshouldbeourtoppriority <\\\/p>

BruceThompsonwasaUSSenateaide,assistantsecretaryofTreasuryforlegislativeaffairs,andthedirectorofgovernmentrelationsforMerrillLynchfor22years<\\\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/AP23315572079441.jpg?w=696" } {"id":"3069418-1720072800", "title":"Is the American dream dead? My family’s story proves otherwise", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fopinion%2F3069418%2Fis-the-american-dream-dead-my-familys-story-proves-otherwise%2F", "byline":"Hera Varmah", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"The American dream has been woven into countless narratives throughout my life, shaped by the inspiring stories shared by my family members and friends who came to the United States in search of a better life. This Independence Day, it might be tempting to think this dream is now elusive as division and discouragement spread across […]", "description":""

TheAmericandreamhasbeenwovenintocountlessnarrativesthroughoutmylife,shapedbytheinspiringstoriessharedbymyfamilymembersandfriendswhocametotheUnitedStatesinsearchofabetterlifeThisIndependenceDay<\\\/a>,itmightbetemptingtothinkthisdreamisnowelusive asdivision<\\\/a>anddiscouragement<\\\/a>spreadacrossourcountry<\\\/p>

Butmylifeprovesitcanstillbeareality\u2014ifwestrivetomakeitone <\\\/p>

Thoseofusfromimmigrantcommunitiesarefamiliarwiththepromiseofopportunity,enshrinedbytheFoundingFathersintheDeclarationofIndependenceandencapsulatedintheidealsoflife,liberty,andthepursuitofhappinessFamilieslikeminehaveworkedurgentlytorealizethispromise<\\\/p>

Growingup,myfamilyof12childrenborntoimmigrantparentsfacedmanyobstaclesWecouldhavetakenthewrongpath,butwewerefortunatetoliveinastatethatgaveusaccesstoatop-tiereducationatCatholicprivateschools,magnetschools,andtraditionalpublicschools,inwhicheachofusfoundwhatweneededtochaseourdreams <\\\/p>

Asayounggirl,Ididn\u2019tbelieveIwasintelligentorthatIcouldexcelinschoolEventhoughmyparentshadfaithinme,IwasconvincedIwouldfailIfocusedonsports,thinkingitwastheonlyareainwhichIcouldsucceedIthoughtmysiblingswouldgoontobesuccessfulwhileIremainedstuckinpoverty<\\\/p>

Butthankstoscholarshipopportunitiesinmystate,Imetteacherswhosawmypotentialandsupportedme,helpingmegainconfidenceAndIwasabletobuildfriendshipswithothersfromdifferentbackgroundsandbeliefsystems <\\\/p>

Today,Iamacollegegraduateworkingatanationalpolicyorganization,fightingforchildrenlikemeIwentfromfeelinginadequateasayounggirltotestifyingbeforeCongressatage24\u00a0<\\\/p>

MysiblingsandIareafulfillmentofmygrandparents\u2019dreamsWeallhavedifferentopinions,careers,hopes,anddreams,butweareallachievingourgoalsFourofusarecollegegraduates,twoareengineers,oneisinmedicalschool,sixareuniversitystudents,andtwoarehighschoolstudents <\\\/p>

ThisIndependenceDay,Iwantmyfamily\u2019sstorytobethenorm,notanexception<\\\/p>

Iwantmygenerationtoreignitethespiritofstrivingforgreatnessintheircareers,nurturingtheirfamilies,orpursuingwhateverversionoftheAmericandreamtheymightholdNegativityanddoommaydrivenewscycles,butsuccessstoriesaboundwhenchildrenaregivenopportunityWemustsharethesestories\u2014andmakethempossible<\\\/p>

ConsidermyfriendandcolleagueGissell,afirst-generationAmericanborninDelawarebutraisedinMexicointheearly2000sAt14yearsold,shereturnedwithoutherparentstoMilwaukee,Wisconsin,topursuehereducationThankstoCristoReyJesuitHighSchool,whichshewasabletoattendbecauseofWisconsin\u2019sschoolchoiceprogram,Gissellovercamenumerousobstacles,includingthedifficultdecisiontoforgoafullscholarshiptoGeorgetownUniversitytobringhertwoteenagesistersfromMexicoinsteadandcareforthem <\\\/p>

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ShewentontoearnadoublefullscholarshiptoMarquetteUniversityandbecamethefirstcollegegraduateinherfamilythisMaySheisstillbuildingherAmericandreamasshepursuesacareerinpolicy<\\\/p>

OurstoriesprovetheAmericandreamisaliveandwellifonlywegivechildrenthechancetochaseitThismeansgrantingthemaccesstoqualityeducationandopportunitiesregardlessoftheirbackgroundorZIPcodeThisIndependenceDay,let\u2019srededicateourselvestothatgoal<\\\/p>

HeraVarmahisagraduateofFlorida\u2019staxcreditscholarshipprogramsandanexternalrelationsassociateattheAmericanFederationforChildren<\\\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/iStock-1399726385.jpg?w=696" } {"id":"3069580-1720021085", "title":"Three times Biden disregarded the ‘limits of presidential power’", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fopinion%2F3069580%2Fthree-times-biden-disregarded-the-limits-of-presidential-power%2F", "byline":"Andrea Ruth", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"Fresh off his humiliating performance at the presidential debate, President Joe Biden found the energy to deliver brief remarks to a nationally televised audience over the Supreme Court‘s presidential immunity case.  In a four-minute address that resembled a campaign ad more than a formal statement, Biden, who took no questions, condemned the Supreme Court’s decision. […]", "description":""

Freshoffhishumiliatingperformanceatthepresidentialdebate,PresidentJoeBiden<\\\/a>foundtheenergytodeliverbriefremarkstoanationallytelevisedaudienceovertheSupremeCourt<\\\/a>'spresidentialimmunitycase\u00a0<\\\/p>

Inafour-minuteaddressthatresembledacampaignadmorethanaformalstatement,Biden,whotooknoquestions,condemnedtheSupremeCourt'sdecisionHiscommentsechoedthoseofJusticeSoniaSotomayor<\\\/a>,employingfear-inducinglanguagesuchas\\\"fundamentallychanged\\\"andotherphrasessuggestingasignificantshiftbutalsoallowingforpossibleretreats,suchas\\\"forallpracticalpurposes,\\\"\\\"almostcertainly,\\\"and\\\"virtuallynolimits\\\"<\\\/p>

OnethingBidensaidstoodout<\\\/a>\\\"IknowIwillrespectthelimitsofthepresidentialpower,asIhaveforthreeandahalfyears,\\\"hesaid<\\\/p>

ThisstatementisinstarkcontrasttohisactionsInreality,thepresidenthasconsistentlypushedtheboundariesofhispower,particularlyduringthefirsttwoyearsofhispresidency,whenhefrequentlydisregardedtheseparationofpowers <\\\/p>

Rentmoratorium<\\\/p>

ThefirstinstanceinwhichBidenignoredthelimitsofpresidentialpowerwaswhenheallowedtheCOVID-erarentmoratoriumtoremaininplaceHewonaninitial5-4decisionStill,JusticeBrettKavanaugh<\\\/a>warnedheonlyallowedittocontinuetomaintainanorderlytransitionandthatanyfurtherreliefwouldrequire\\\"clearandspecificcongressionalauthorization(vianewlegislation)\\\"TheBidenadministrationignoredthewarningandtriedtoextendthemoratoriumagainTheSupremeCourtstruckitdown\u00a0<\\\/p>

Vaccinemandate<\\\/p>

Inanotherinstance,theBidenadministrationattemptedtoforceprivatecompaniestomandateemployeevaccinations,arguingithadtheauthoritytouseOccupationalSafetyandHealthAdministrationregulationstoenforceitTheSupremeCourtdisagreed,strikingdownthemandateandrulingtheagencyexceededitsauthorityThecourtwrote,\\\"AlthoughCongress<\\\/a>hasindisputablygivenOSHAthepowertoregulateoccupationaldangers,ithasnotgiventhatagencythepowertoregulatepublichealthmorebroadly\\\"\u00a0<\\\/p>

Studentdebtrelief<\\\/p>

Thoughacademics,scholars,andformerHouseSpeakerNancyPelosisaidBidendidnothavetheauthoritytoimplementstudentdebtreliefunilaterally,thepresidentchosetodoitanywayOnceagain,theSupremeCourttoldhim\\\"no,\\\"remindinghiminyetanotherinstancethathewasnotrespectingthelimitsofpresidentialpowerChiefJusticeJohnRoberts<\\\/a>rejectedtheadministration'sargumentithadauthorityunderthe2003HEROESActtoimplementtheplanRobertswrote,\\\"Thequestionhereisnotwhethersomethingshouldbedone;itiswhohastheauthoritytodoit\\\"\u00a0<\\\/p>

Thecourtinvokedthe\\\"majorquestion\\\"doctrine,whichstatesthatifCongresswantstogiveagenciestheauthoritytomakedecisionsofvasteconomicandpoliticalsignificance,itmustsaysoclearlyRobertssaidtheHEROESActdidn'tauthorizedebtreliefatall <\\\/p>

RatherthangotoCongressandasklawmakerstodraftlegislationfordebtrelief,BidenattemptedabackdoortoimplementstudentdebtforgivenessTheadministrationdevisedanewschemeitfeltwouldinsulateitfromjudicialreviewBidenhadtheaudacitytoboastaboutitHesaid,\\\"TheSupremeCourtblockedme,butitdidnotstopme\\\" <\\\/p>

However,twofederaljudgesinseparatestates,KansasandMissouri,blockedthenewSavingonaValuableEducationplanenactedbytheDepartmentofEducation<\\\/a>Statessued,arguingtheadministrationonceagainoversteppeditsauthorityWhilethe10thCircuitCourtofAppealstemporarilyliftedtheKansasjudge'sbanonthenewrepaymentplan,theinjunctionisstillinplaceinMissouriThejudgesinbothcasessaidtheadministrationcouldnotshowCongressauthorizedthenewplan\u00a0<\\\/p>

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Thejudgesinthetwocases,USDistrictJudgeDanielDCrabtreeinKansasandUSDistrictJudgeJohnARossinMissouri,werebothappointedbyPresidentBarackObama<\\\/a>So,anycomplaintsteamBidenmighthaveaboutthejudges'politicalmotivationsfallflat<\\\/p>

PointingouthowwrongformerPresidentDonaldTrumpiswhenitcomestorestraintsonexecutivepowerisnotavalidwayforBidentoexcusehislackofrestraint,anditisabald-facedlieforhimtosayhe'srespectedthelimitsofpresidentialpowerduringhisterm<\\\/p>

AndreaRuthisacontributortothe WashingtonExaminer magazine<\\\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/AP24184012822003-scaled.webp?w=696" } {"id":"3065773-1719900000", "title":"Fairfax County Public Schools leadership displays disdain for parents — again", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fopinion%2F3065773%2Ffairfax-county-public-schools-leadership-displays-disdain-for-parents-again%2F", "byline":"Stephanie Lundquist-Arora", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"Last Thursday, as the first presidential debate was making national headlines, Fairfax County School Board members held a meeting during which they voted on controversial changes to family life education curriculum. The takeaway for the few of us able to attend or watch it virtually was that the district’s leadership hates parents — or, at […]", "description":""

LastThursday,asthefirstpresidentialdebate<\\\/a>wasmakingnationalheadlines,FairfaxCountySchoolBoard<\\\/a>membersheldameetingduringwhichtheyvotedoncontroversialchangestofamilylifeeducationcurriculumThetakeawayforthefewofusabletoattendorwatchitvirtuallywasthatthedistrict\u2019sleadershiphatesparents\u2014or,attheveryleast,isseverelyinconveniencedbyus<\\\/p>

DarcyHealy,oneofthespeakersduringpubliccomment,deliveredanimpassionedstatementthatrepresentshowmanyparentsinFairfaxCountyarefeelingShesaid<\\\/a>,\u201cWeareparents,andwewantyoutolistentous,butwefeelthatthat\u2019sjustnothappening\u2026ThesurveythatwasdoneinMayandJune[shows]80%areagainstthisco-edsituationLet\u2019scontinuetodebatethisDon\u2019tdoitoverthesummerAnddon\u2019tdothevoteontheeveningofthepresidentialdebateThisisanimportanttopicShowusthatyouwantittobeimportant\u201d<\\\/p>

HealyisrightInsurveysboththisyear<\\\/a>andlastyear<\\\/a>,parentsandcommunitymembersmadeitclearthattheydidnotsupportco-edsexeducationorgenderideologyinstructionintheirchildren\u2019selementaryclassroomsSeveralcommunitymembersmadethisexactpointduringthelasttwoschoolboardmeetings\u2019publiccommentperiodsonJune13andJune27<\\\/p>

Insteadofbeinginclusiveandacceptingcommunityfeedback,theFairfaxCountySchoolBoardwashostile\u2014mostnotablyamongthem,theboard\u2019svicechairwoman,MelanieMeren<\\\/a><\\\/p>

First,Merenspokeindignantlyaboutthecurriculum\u2019sopt-outoptionShesaid<\\\/a>,\u201cAnd,youknow,whatIwanttoconveyisthatweneedtomakedecisionsofcurriculumforthebenefitof,youknow,asmanychildrenaspossibleAndthisiswhyparentsandfamilieshavetheoptiontooptoutiftheydon\u2019tfeelthecontentisappropriatefortheirchildrenwhenitcomestofamilylifeeducation\u201d<\\\/p>

Butwhyincludeunwanted,politicalnonsensesuchasgenderideologyinapublicschooldistrict\u2019ssexeducationcurriculumandthenplacetheburdenofoptingoutontheparents?Here\u2019swhy:becausedistrictleadershipknowsthatmanyparentsarepreoccupiedwithourmanyotherobligationsandwillforgettocompletetheextraadministrativetaskofoptingoutourchildrenfromcurriculumlessons<\\\/p>

Districtleadersshouldnotbeexperimentingwithourchildren,butsincetheyseemtoinsistondoingso,thiscurriculumshouldrequireparentstooptinratherthanoptout<\\\/p>

Merenthendeliveredanangryrantabouttheillegitimacyofthecommunity\u2019sfeedbackmechanismsShesaid<\\\/a>,\u201cIalsodowanttounderscorethatthecommentsthathavebeenreferredtoasasurvey,um,itactuallywasnotasurveyTherewasacallforpubliccomments\u2026TherewasalsonotamethodologytoensurethatcommentswereuniquecontributorsSo,ofthe2,500comments,it\u2019sunknownhowmanywerecontributedmorethanonce\u201d<\\\/p>

Thetakeawayisthatifthedistrict\u2019sleadersdon\u2019tlikecommunityfeedback,theyblamethecommentforumLastyear,forexample,KarlFrisch<\\\/a>,theschoolboardchairman,similarlydismissed<\\\/a>thesurveyasfeedbackfrom\u201cRedditwarriors\u201d<\\\/p>

Incontrast,IlryongMoon,aschoolboardmemberwhodoesnotappeartobecompletelydisgustedandinconveniencedbythedistrict\u2019sparents,seemedtorealizetheabsurdityofhiscolleagues\u2019commentsrightawayTheat-largememberresponded<\\\/a>thatiftherewasaproblemwiththefeedbackmechanismforcommunityinput,itwastheboard\u2019sresponsibilitytofixtheprocessMoonfurthersaidhevaluedcommunityinputandthankedthe2,539surveyrespondentsfortheirtime<\\\/p>

Unfortunately,inspiteofthenegativefeedbackontheproposal,schoolboardmembers,includingMoon,votedtoincludegenderideologyinstructionintheseventhgradefamilylifeeducationcurriculumAndtheydidnotvoteagainstgenderideologyindoctrinationforelementaryschoolchildrenTheyinsteadpostponedthatdecision\u2014perhapsinthehopesthattheycanpassitwhenfewerparentsarepayingattention<\\\/p>

Orevenworse,theywillincludesuchmeasuressurreptitiouslyandwithoutavoteActingonher\u201cmajoritydoesn\u2019talwaysdictate\u201dphilosophy,FairfaxCountyPublicSchoolsSuperintendentMichelleReidhasalreadyusedaback-door,anti-democratic,administrativemethodtointroduceco-edinstructionforsexeducationinthedistrict\u2019snewpilotprogram<\\\/a>in14elementaryschoolsthatshelikelyintendstoexpand\u00a0<\\\/p>

Andso,toHealyIsay,Ifeelyourpain,andwewillcontinuetodebatethisButsadly,itseemsthatReid,Frisch,Meren,andtheirtyrannicalleftistactivistminorityhavealreadydecidedwhatisbestforourchildrenTheyseemtobelievethatwe,theparents,areroadblocksobstructingtheirpath,tobecircumventedorrunover<\\\/p>

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StephanieLundquist-AroraisacontributorfortheWashingtonExaminer,amotherinFairfaxCounty,Virginia,anauthor,andtheFairfaxchapterleaderoftheIndependentWomen\u2019sNetwork<\\\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/iStock-473628448-scaled.jpg?w=696" } {"id":"3060911-1719468000", "title":"How Ben Sasse could transform education", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fopinion%2F3060911%2Fhow-ben-sasse-could-transform-education%2F", "byline":"Max Eden", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"In late 2022, former Republican Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse was appointed president of the University of Florida. The media mostly ran with artificially inflated stories of student protests. But Sasse’s supporters were optimistic that he could prove a transformative leader.  To date, he’s kept a relatively low public profile. But Sasse has just been handed […]", "description":""

Inlate2022,formerRepublicanNebraska<\\\/a>SenBenSassewasappointedpresidentoftheUniversityofFloridaThemediamostlyranwithartificiallyinflatedstoriesofstudentprotestsButSasse\u2019ssupporterswereoptimisticthathecouldproveatransformativeleader\u00a0<\\\/p>

Todate,he\u2019skeptarelativelylowpublicprofileButSassehasjustbeenhandedagoldenopportunitytoremodelnotonlyhighereducation,butsubstantiallyimprovepublicK-12educationalongwithitWeshouldknowsoonwhetherhe\u2019lltakeit<\\\/p>

Fordecades,conservativeshavecomplainedaboutteachers\u2019colleges,whereeducatorsandadministratorsmustreceivecertificationTheevidenceprovesthatthey\u2019reawasteoftimeandmoneythatconfersnobenefitonnewteachersWorsethanthat,they\u2019vedevolvedintolittlemorethancriticalracetheory-indoctrinationcampsIt\u2019sratherinsanethatredstatesstillrequireteacherstobesteepedinanti-white,anti-American,anti-achievementdogmabeforeenteringapublicschoolclassroom<\\\/p>

Butmostdo,forthreereasonsFirst,statelegislatorstendtobeintimidatedbypeoplewhohave\u201cPhD\u2019s,\u201deveniftheyhavePhD\u2019sinnonsenseSecond,legislatorsaretypicallyreticenttorocktheboatattheiralmamatersAndthird,eveniflegislatorshadthewill,transformationalleaderswhocouldoverhaulateachers\u2019collegearefewandfarbetween<\\\/p>

Noneoftheselimitingconditions,however,applytotheUF<\\\/p>

TheFloridalegislaturepassedHouseBill1291lastmonth,whichmandatesthatstate-approvedteacher-preparationprogramsmaynotbe\u201cbasedontheoriesthatsystemicracism,sexism,oppression,andprivilegeareinherentintheinstitutionsoftheUnitedStates\u201dInstead,theseprogramsmustteach\u201cmasteryofacademicprogramcontent\u201dand\u201cinstructionalstrategies\u201dFancythat\u2014schoolsofeducationthatteachteacherstoteach,ratherthanbesocialjusticewarriorsThislawgoesintoeffectonJuly1<\\\/p>

AstheClaremontInstituterecentlydocumented<\\\/a>,theUF\u2019sCollegeofEducationisradicallyoutofcompliancewithstatelawUF\u2019sCollegeofEducationwentaswokeasanyteachers\u2019collegecouldget\u2014rightunderDeSantis\u2019snoseIn2020,itjettisonedrequirementsforthingssuchas\u201cCoreTeachingStrategies,\u201d\u201cMusicfortheElementaryChild,\u201dand\u201cArtEducation\u201dwith,respectively,\u201cEquityPedagogyFoundations,\u201d\u201cEquityPedagogyApplications\u201dand\u201cStudyingEquityPedagogy\u201dMathandscience?Theysimplyweren\u2019t\u201cinclusive\u201denough<\\\/p>

Whichistosay\u2014everythingwasinfusedwithCRTRequiredcoursereadingsincludethingssuchas\u201cTheFirstDayofSchool:ACRTStory,\u201d\u201cWhiteGirlTeaching,\u201d\u201cRaisingRaceQuestions:WhitenessandInquiryinEducation,\u201dandrequiredvideosincludedonecalled\u201cTheUrgencyofIntersectionality\u201d<\\\/p>

So,whatwillSassedo?Atraditionalcollegepresidentwouldtrytoruninterferenceforhisinstitution,makecosmeticchanges,anddohisbesttocontinuetoviolatethespiritofthelawwhilepretendingtoadheretoitsletterSassedoesn\u2019tneedtoplayitthisway,thoughHecan,andshould,seethatbetweentheFloridalawandtheClaremontreporthehasbeendealttwoaces<\\\/p>

Bygoinghard-wokerightunderDeSantis\u2019snose,theleadershipofUF\u2019sCollegeofEducationhasclearlyindicatedthattheydon\u2019tseethemselvesasFloridastategovernmentemployeesSo,theyshouldn\u2019tbeTheyshouldallbefiredTheCollegeofEducationshouldbefundamentallyreworked,roottobranch<\\\/p>

ThepossibilitieshereareincredibleAtminimum,Sassecouldrequirehisteachers\u2019collegetoactuallyhelpteachersteachBestpracticesinclassroommanagementandstudentdiscipline,rigorousinstructioninthescienceofreading,andadditionalcontentareaknowledgeforscience,math,orhistoryteachersshouldbeatoppriority<\\\/p>

ButUFcouldgofarbeyondteachingthebasicsFloridahasaburgeoningprivateandmicro-schoolsectorthankstoitsuniversaleducationsavingsaccountUFcouldofferateacherentrepreneurshiptrackFlorida\u2019sclassicaleducationsector,inparticular,isthrivingUFcouldofferteachersrigoroustraininginclassicalmethodsAndbelieveitornot,teachersarerarelytrainedtoactuallydeliveraparticularcurriculumUFcoulddothat,too<\\\/p>

WhymustateachermovetoGainesvilletogetaUFdegree?UFcouldsetupsatellitecentersineveryFloridacounty,andreworktheirprogramtosupportteacherapprenticeshipsWhat\u2019smore\u2014whylimitthattoFlorida?Withteachercertificationreciprocityagreements,UFcouldcolonize(wecanusethatword;it\u2019sFlorida)teachereducationnationally<\\\/p>

WhenMitchDanielswaspresidentofPurdueUniversity,heprovedthatcollegescouldbeeffectivelyadministered\u2014thatendlesstuitionincreasesresultedfromexecutiveincompetence,notaninexorablelawoffinanceSasse\u2019slegacycouldbetoprovethatsomeoneotherthanDanielscandothistooOr,itcouldbetopioneerwaysinwhichstateflagshipuniversitiescandrivedramaticimprovementinpubliceducation\u2014waysthatcouldandshouldbeemulatedineveryredstateinAmericaiftheywork\u00a0<\\\/p>

Here\u2019shopinghegetsstartednextmonthonhistransformationallegacy<\\\/p>

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MaxEdenisaresearchfellowattheAmericanEnterpriseInstitute<\\\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/AP23008729452093-scaled.jpg?w=696" } {"id":"3057090-1719295200", "title":"Biden’s Gaza pier is an abject failure", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fopinion%2F3057090%2Fbiden-gaza-pier-abject-failure%2F", "byline":"John Hannah", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"Choose your label to describe what’s become of President Joe Biden’s Gaza pier: Dumpster fire. Boondoggle. White elephant. Whatever you call it, the project is a bona fide failure. It seems destined to be a textbook example of what happens when the political imperative to “do something” overwhelms serious planning.  The latest news is that […]", "description":""

Chooseyourlabeltodescribewhat\u2019sbecomeofPresidentJoeBiden\u2019s<\\\/a>Gazapier<\\\/a>:DumpsterfireBoondoggleWhiteelephantWhateveryoucallit,theprojectisabonafidefailureItseemsdestinedtobeatextbookexampleofwhathappenswhenthepoliticalimperativeto\u201cdosomething\u201doverwhelmsseriousplanning\u00a0<\\\/p>

Thelatestnews<\\\/a>isthatthepiermaybeterminatedaheadofscheduleErectedinmid-MaybytheUSmilitarytodeliverseaborneassistance,thepier\u2019soperationsrepeatedlyhavebeeninterruptedbyroughwaters\u00a0<\\\/p>

Astormbroke<\\\/a>thepierapartonlydaysaftergoingintoserviceAftermillionsofdollarsofrepairs<\\\/a>,itwasthrownbackintoactionDayslater,forecastsofchoppywatersledthemilitarytotow<\\\/a>thepiertosafeharborIt\u2019sjustreturned<\\\/a>toserviceathirdtime,thoughit\u2019shardnottobelievethattheproject\u2019sdaysarenumbered\u00a0<\\\/p>

MotherNaturemayendupbeingtheproximatecauseofthepier\u2019sdemise,butithasn\u2019tbeentheonlyproblemfoilingtheeffortSecurityhasalsobeenamajorproblemInthebrieftimethefacilityactuallyfunctioned,therelativelysmallamountsofassistancemakingittoshorewerebeingwidelylootedbydesperatemobs\u00a0<\\\/p>

AllofthesechallengeswereforecastwellinadvanceThiswashardlyacaseinwhichofficialsstruggledtomakesenseofwhatformerSecretaryofDefenseDonaldRumsfeldfamouslydescribed<\\\/a>asthe\u201cknownunknowns\u201dandthe\u201cunknownunknowns\u201dOnthecontrary,theobstaclesposedbyGaza\u2019sheavyseasandlackofsecuritywereobvioustoanyonetrackingevents\u00a0<\\\/p>

Inotherwords,BidenandhisteamwereoperatingintheeasiestpartofRumsfeld\u2019smatrix:thelandof\u201cknownknowns\u201d\u2014problemsthatweknowwithcertaintywillariseandthatrequiresolutionsinadvance<\\\/p>

IwaspartofagroupthathaddiscussionslastDecemberwiththeUSteaminchargeofgettinghumanitarianaidintoGazaWeaskedaboutthefeasibilityofamaritimechannelInsomanywords,weweretolditwasadumbideaWatersnearGazaarenotoriouslytreacherousTheeffortwouldbewithinrangeofHamas\u2019sgunsTheamountofaidthatcouldbedeliveredbyseawouldbeadropinthebucketofwhatwasneededFarbettertofocusondramaticallyexpandinglandroutesintoGaza,weweretold\u00a0<\\\/p>

Thatwasn\u2019ttheonlyexpertadvicetheadministrationdisregardedReportingsuggests<\\\/a>theUSmilitaryfirstlearnedofBiden\u2019sdecisiontobuildthepieronlywhenheannounceditinhisMarch7StateoftheUnionaddressButatthetime,plannersstillhadnoanswersastohowsuchaprojectcouldbesuccessfullyexecuted<\\\/p>

Toppingtheirconcernswassecurityandmakingsurethatoncesuppliesmadeittoshore,theycouldbesafelydeliveredintothehandsofsufferingGazansItwasalreadywidelyunderstoodthatthebiggestchallengewasnotgettingadequatesuppliesoffoodintoGazabutmakingsureitreachedinnocentcivilianswithoutfirstbeingdiverted<\\\/p>

Remarkably,Bidenandhisteamdidn\u2019tdemandasolutiontothesecurityproblembeforemakingthepierthecenterpieceofamajorpresidentialinitiativeNordidtheybothertodeveloponeinthetwomonthsthatittookthemilitarytogetthepierintoplaceWiththeeyesoftheworldwatchingandUScredibilityontheline,theadministration\u2019sapproachtoawell-definedsetofchallengesthatcouldmakeorbreaktheeffortseemedtoamounttolittlemorethanhopingthingswouldworkout<\\\/p>

Alas,theyhaven\u2019tInstead,thepierhasbecomeahumiliatinginternetmeme<\\\/a>andjoke\u2014andatapricetagofmorethan$200millioninUStaxpayerfundsandmonthsofeffortby1,000troops\u00a0<\\\/p>

Onitsface,thisappearstobeaclassiccaseofabreakdowninsoundpolicymakingAtthetimeofBiden\u2019sannouncement,criticismofhissupportforIsraelwasreachingfeverpitchPicturesofGaza\u2019sdevastationdominatedheadlinesImportantparts<\\\/a>ofBiden\u2019sDemocraticcoalitionwerethreateningnottosupporthisreelection\u00a0<\\\/p>

It\u2019snothardtoimaginethatwithintheWhiteHousepressurecooker,thepanicto\u201cdosomething\u201dforsufferingPalestiniansandshowpresidentialleadershipbygoingovertheheadsofaseeminglyrecalcitrantIsraelileadershipbecameoverwhelmingSomethingbighadtobeannouncedintheStateoftheUnion\u2014regardlessofwhetherallthehardquestionshadbeenanswered<\\\/p>

Understandable?PerhapsAcceptable?NoGoodintentionsarenotenoughHopeisneverastrategy,especiallynotfortheworld\u2019sgreatestdemocracywhoseresolve,reliability,andcompetencehaveneverbeeningreaterdoubtWesimplycan\u2019taffordself-inflictedmistakessuchasBiden\u2019spier\u2014mistakesthatobserverssawcomingmilesaway <\\\/p>

Figuringouthowthingswentsobadlyawryshouldbeatarget-richenvironmentforcongressionaloversight  <\\\/p>

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JohnHannahisaseniorfellowattheJewishInstituteforNationalSecurityofAmericaandformernationalsecurityadvisertoVicePresidentDickCheney<\\\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/AP24139591326544.jpg?w=696" } {"id":"3052740-1718960078", "title":"Rubio’s rapport with Latino voters could drive Trump to victory", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fnews%2F3052740%2Fmarco-rubio-latino-voters-trump-victory%2F", "byline":"Ross O'Keefe", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"Former President Donald Trump‘s interest in selecting Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) as his vice president is setting off alarm bells for Democrats. The Florida senator and one-time rival of Trump has turned into a reliable ally and offers the former president a direct line to a bloc Republicans have been flirting with taking from Democrats […]", "description":""

FormerPresidentDonaldTrump<\\\/a>'sinterestinselectingSenMarcoRubio<\\\/a>(R-FL)ashisvicepresidentissettingoffalarmbellsforDemocrats<\\\/p>

TheFloridasenatorandone-timerivalofTrumphasturnedintoareliableallyandofferstheformerpresidentadirectlinetoablocRepublicanshavebeenflirtingwithtakingfromDemocratsforyears\u2014 LatinoandHispanicvotersWhileLatinoandHispanicvotersaren'tamonolith,creatingin-roadswiththemwouldputseveralstatesDemocratshavetakenforgrantedinrecentcyclesinplay,MichaelLaRosa,whoisaformerpresssecretaryforfirstladyJillBidenandspecialassistanttoPresidentJoeBiden,wrote<\\\/a>inanop-edfortheNewYorkTimes<\\\/p>

\\\"ButthereissomethingLatinovotershaveincommon:theirLatinAmericanrootsandthepridethatcomesfromcastingavoteforsomeonewholooksandtalkslikethem,\\\"LaRosawrote\\\"MrRubiowouldbreakasignificantculturalbarrierasthefirstLatinoonanationalticket\\\"<\\\/p>

RubiocouldhelpTrumpconvincelargeLatinoconstituenciesinswingstatesArizonaandNevadawhileshoringupRepublican-leaningFloridaItalsocouldmakenormallyDemocraticNewMexico,whichhasthelargestproportionofHispanicsintheUnitedStates,interesting<\\\/p>

TherehasbeensomedoubtaboutwhetherRubiocouldserveasTrump'svicepresident,giventhe12thAmendmentdoesn'tallowforapresidentandvicepresidenttobefromthesamestate,inthiscase,Florida,withoutlosingitselectoralvotes<\\\/p>

LaRosasaidthisconcernis\\\"overblown,\\\"citingformerVicePresidentDickCheney'sresidentialswitchfromTexastoWyoming,andhethinksRubiocoulddosomethingsimilar<\\\/p>

LaRosasaidTrumpselectingRubiowouldbetakingapageoutofBiden's2020campaignplaybookWhenheselectedVicePresidentKamalaHarris,hemadethechoicetoappealtovotersofcolor,amovethatworkedasblackwomenturnedoutfortheBiden-Harristicket<\\\/p>

AndwinningoverHispanicandLatinovoterswillmatterinstateswheretheymakeupsmallersharesoftheelectoratebutwheretheracesarestillconsideredtightTrumpisbeatingBideninPennsylvaniabymorethan2pointsintheRealClearPoliticsaverage<\\\/a>\u2014\u00a0astateBidencan'taffordtoloseifheplanstorepeathis2020success<\\\/p>

LaRosaargued,\\\"Therearevoterswhomaketheirchoicebecausetheywanttobeapartofhistoryandbreakgroundmorethan,say,thattheyagreewiththecandidate,ortheticket,onspecificpolicies\\\"Latinoscouldbethosevoters,andthat'swhyhesaidRubioscareshimandshouldscareDemocratsthisNovember<\\\/p>

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TheFloridasenatorisonemaninathrong<\\\/a>ofTrumpvicepresidentialcandidates,someofwhomrecentlyreceivedvettingmaterialsfromthecampaign<\\\/p>

TheWashingtonExaminercontactedtheTrumpcampaignandRubio'sofficebutreceivednoresponse<\\\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/AP22310815339264-scaled.jpg?w=696" } {"id":"3047141-1718618746", "title":"Torres mocks Bowman’s fire alarm stunt in hint he’s abandoning fellow Democrat", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fnews%2Fcampaigns%2Fcongressional%2F3047141%2Ftorres-mocks-bowman-fire-alarm-hint-abandoning-democrat%2F", "byline":"Elaine Mallon", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) is in the middle of a brutal primary fight, and a fellow New York Democrat looks like he is on the cusp of endorsing the “Squad” member’s opponent. Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY), a fiercely pro-Israel member of Congress, got into a spat with Bowman over the weekend after the Israel critic […]", "description":""

RepJamaalBowman<\\\/a>(D-NY)isinthemiddleofabrutalprimaryfight,andafellowNewYork<\\\/a>Democratlookslikeheisonthecuspofendorsingthe\u201cSquad\u201dmember\u2019sopponent<\\\/p>

RepRitchieTorres(D-NY),afiercelypro-Israel<\\\/a>memberofCongress,gotintoaspatwithBowmanovertheweekendaftertheIsraelcriticquestionedthesincerityofTorres\u2019ssupportfortheJewishstateTorreswasquicktohitbackatBowman,pokingfunatthelawmaker\u2019sstuntofpullingafirealarmintheCapitolwhileonhiswaytoavotethatwouldpreventagovernmentshutdownlastSeptember<\\\/p>

\u201cAsforJamaalBowman,IcareasmuchabouthisopiniononmeasIdoabouthisopiniononhowtoproperlypullafirealarmorhisopiniononhowtoremaininCongress,\u201dTorrestold<\\\/a>theNewYorkPost\u201cHisopinionisworsethanarubberstamp\u2014itleavesnoimpression,muchlikehislegislativerecordorhisrecentattendancerecord\u201d<\\\/p>

BowmansaidontheNightSchoolpodcast<\\\/a>hostedbyMarcLamontHillthatTorresonlystandsinsupportofIsraelbecauseofthe\u201cpoweroftheIsraellobby\u201d<\\\/p>

\u201cRitchieisverycalculatinginthiswayRitchie\u2014hejustseemstobealwaysplotting,alwayscalculatingsomething,\u201dBowmansaid<\\\/p>

Bowman\u2019sattackonTorres,atwo-termrepresentativeoftheBronx,appearedunprovokedastheneighboringrepresentativehadsteeredclearofweighinginonBowman\u2019scontest<\\\/p>

Butinthemiddleoftheepisode,HillaskedBowmantocommentonwhyTorresfallsinlinewithBowmanoneverymatterexceptforwhenitcomestoIsrael<\\\/p>

\u201cHowcansomeonebesoprogressiveonsomanyissuesandnotseetheinjusticegoingoninPalestineinthesameway?\u201dHillasked<\\\/p>

HillmadethecommentthatTorres\u201ctweetstoNetanyahulikeheisNetanyahu\u2019slonglostcousin\u201d<\\\/p>

\u201cSoifIwasdoingthatwhenIfirstgotin,mybankaccountfirstofallwouldbeflushed,\u201dBowmansaid<\\\/p>

Bowman\u2019scriticismsofIsraelasitwageswarwithHamashaveputhiminavulnerablepositionwiththelargecontingentofJewishsupportersinhisdistrict<\\\/p>

TheAmericanIsraelPublicAffairsCommittee,aninfluentialpro-IsraelPAC,hasspentmillionsofdollarsattackingBowman,helpinggiveWestchesterCountyExecutiveGeorgeLatimeraboostinhischallengetounseatthetwo-termcongressmanBowmanistrailingLatimerby17points,according<\\\/a>toarecentpoll<\\\/p>

PriortoservingasUSrepresentativefortheBronx,TorreswasaNewYorkCityCouncilmemberfor10yearsHenotedhispublicsupportforIsraeldatesbackto2015,whenhetookatripthere <\\\/p>

Hesaidoneofthereasonshedidn\u2019tjointhe\u201cSquad\u201dafterbeingelectedin2020washebelievedthatsomeofthemembers\u2019supportfortheBDSmovementwasantisemitic<\\\/p>

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\u201cIhaveageneralruleofnotweighinginagainstacongressionalDemocratwhohasnotweighedinagainstme,\u201dTorressaid\u201cButBowman\u2019sgratuitousattackonmycharactermightcausemetorethinkthatrule\u201d<\\\/p>

NewYork\u2019sprimarywillbeonJune25<\\\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/AP24165005433095.jpg?w=696" } {"id":"3004139-1715721649", "title":"Biden greenlights $1 billion weapon shipment to Israel week after withholding bombs", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fnews%2Fwhite-house%2F3004139%2Fbiden-greenlights-weapon-shipment-israel-after-withholding-bombs%2F", "byline":"Brady Knox", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"The Biden administration announced its approval of a $1 billion weapon shipment to Israel just one week after President Joe Biden announced he would withhold a weapons shipment if Israel launched an offensive into Rafah. The administration notified Congress of the move on Tuesday, the Washington Examiner independently confirmed. Officials told the Wall Street Journal […]", "description":""

TheBidenadministration<\\\/a>announceditsapprovalofa$1billionweaponshipmenttoIsrael<\\\/a>justoneweekafterPresidentJoeBidenannouncedhewouldwithholdaweaponsshipmentifIsraellaunchedanoffensiveintoRafah<\\\/p>

TheadministrationnotifiedCongressofthemoveonTuesday,theWashingtonExaminerindependentlyconfirmed<\\\/p>

Officialstold<\\\/a>theWallStreetJournalthatthepackageincludesoffensiveweapons,including$700millionintankammunition,$500millionintacticalvehicles,and$60millioninmortarroundsAdditionalstepsmustbetakenbeforetheweaponsareapprovedanddelivered<\\\/p>

ThemovewasforeshadowedbynationalsecurityadviserJohnKirby,speakingwithreporterslastweek<\\\/p>

\\\"[Biden]alsosaidyesterdaythathewillcontinuetoensurethatIsraelhasallofthemilitarymeansitneedstodefenditselfagainstallofitsenemies,includingHamas,\\\"hesaid\\\"Forhim,thisisverystraightforward:He\u2019sgoingtocontinuetoprovideIsraelwithallofthecapabilitiesitneeds,buthedoesnotwantcertaincategoriesofAmericanweaponsusedinaparticulartypeofoperationinaparticularplaceAndagain,hehasbeenclearandconsistentwiththat\\\"<\\\/p>

KirbyfurtherclarifiedthatIsraelhasnotyetlaunchedaRafahoperationthatcrossesBiden'sredlineBidensaidlastweekhewouldwithholdspecific2,000-poundbombsfromIsraelifthecountryexpandedoperationsintoRafah,wherePalestinianrefugeeshavefledduetothewar<\\\/p>

IsraelbegananoffensiveintoRafahlastweek,whichhascontinuedwithairstrikesandgroundoperationsIt'sunclearwhatBiden'sredlineregardingRafahis<\\\/p>

HouseSpeakerMikeJohnson(R-LA)signaledthatthelowerchamberwassatisfiedwithBiden'saction<\\\/p>

\u201cIthinkit\u2019simportantforustoexpressagainthewillofCongressonthematterandsoIdon\u2019tthinkwe\u2019llbechangingwhatwedoonthelegislation,\u201dhetoldreportersTuesdayevening<\\\/p>

Tuesday'smovetoapproveanothermajorweaponsshipmentislikelytoloseBidenthegoodwillhereceivedfromprogressiveDemocraticalliesafterhisannouncementthatoffensiveweaponswouldbewithheld,whichinturndrewhimirefromRepublicansandpro-IsraelDemocrats<\\\/p>

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Bidenhasattemptedtobalancethepassionsofpro-IsraelDemocratswiththevehementoppositionofpro-PalestinianDemocratsduringIsrael'scampaigninGazaTheinvasionofRafahhasemergedasanewflashpoint,withtheBidenadministrationrepeatedlywarningIsraeloftheconsequencesifitlaunchesanall-outassaultonthearea<\\\/p>

CamiMondeauxandNaomiLimcontributedtothisreport<\\\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/AP24128020312504-1-scaled.jpg?w=696" } {"id":"2872560-1709100613", "title":"Great Stakes: Michigan union and blue-collar workers in the driver’s seat for the presidency", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fnews%2F2872560%2Fmichigan-union-blue-collar-workers-drivers-seat-presidency%2F", "byline":"Naomi Lim", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"Michigan voters have an outsize impact on who will win the White House and which party will carry the House and Senate in 2024. In this series, Great Stakes: The fight to be hailed as victors in Michigan, the Washington Examiner will look at the thorny politics and unique matters that will swing the critical battleground state. Part four, […]", "description":""

MichiganvotershaveanoutsizeimpactonwhowillwintheWhiteHouseandwhichpartywillcarrytheHouseandSenatein2024Inthisseries, GreatStakes:ThefighttobehailedasvictorsinMichigan, the WashingtonExaminer willlookatthethornypoliticsanduniquemattersthatwillswingthecriticalbattlegroundstatePartfour,below,examineshowtheeconomyandunionvotewilldeterminewhowinstheexpectedrematchbetweenPresidentJoeBidenandformerPresidentDonaldTrump<\\\/p>

SHELBYTOWNSHIP,Michigan\u2014PresidentJoeBiden<\\\/a>andformerPresidentDonaldTrump<\\\/a>'seconomic<\\\/a>pitchestoMichigan<\\\/a>'sblue-collarvoters,particularlythestate'shalfamillionunion<\\\/a>members,coulddecidethe2024generalelection<\\\/a>asthisweek'sprimaryunderscoresthelikelynominees'respectiveweaknessesbeforeNovember<\\\/p>

IfTrumpcancompetewithBidenforthosevotersinplacessuchasMichigan'sfamedMacombCounty<\\\/a>,asformerPresidentRonaldReagan<\\\/a>didin1980withso-calledReaganDemocrats,hecouldwinthestate's15ElectoralCollege<\\\/a>votesandreclaimtheWhiteHouse<\\\/a>thiselectioncycle<\\\/p>

TrumpnotonlyhastowinMacombCounty,ashedidin2016and2020,buthealsohasto\\\"winwithamargin\\\"tocounterthepartsofMichiganwherehecouldunderperform,accordingtoRepublicanstrategistJamieRoe,thelongtimechiefofstafftoformerRepublicanRepCandiceMiller<\\\/p>

Tuesday'sRepublicanprimaryemphasizedTrump'sloosegripon30to40%ofhisparty,withformerUSAmbassadortotheUnitedNations<\\\/a>NikkiHaley<\\\/a>holdinghimto70%ofthevoteMeanwhile,Bidennettedabout80%oftheDemocraticprimaryvoteduetoan\\\"uncommitted<\\\/a>\\\"protestvote<\\\/p>

MacombCountyvotedforGovGretchenWhitmer<\\\/a>(D-MI)in2022,\\\"buteverytimeTrump'sbeenontheballot,therearepartsoftheelectoratethatcomeout\\\"forhim\\\"thatreallydon'tcomeoutforawholelotofotherpeople,\\\"RoetoldtheWashingtonExaminer<\\\/p>

ThosepeopleincludeunionworkersdespiteMichigan-basedUnitedAutoWorkers<\\\/a>PresidentShawnFain,forexample,endorsingBidenlastmonth<\\\/p>

TerryBowman,Trump's2016campaignMichiganco-chairmanand2020WorkersforTrumpnationalchairman,hasalsoworkedfortheFordMotorCompany<\\\/a>foralmostthreedecadesBowmannowchairstheboardofthenonpoliticalInstitutefortheAmericanWorker,buthecontendedwhatisgoodforunionofficialsdoesnot\\\"necessarilymeanthatit'sgoodfortherankandfile\\\"<\\\/p>

\\\"Theylike[Trump]personallyasacandidateandjustasaperson,\\\"Bowmansaid\\\"Secondly,wedonowhaveahistoryofDonaldTrump'spolicies,andgoinginto2024,Ithinkworkershavelookedat:WhatdidDonaldTrumpdoforblue-collarautoworkers<\\\/a>,andwhathasJoeBidendoneforblue-collarworkers?\\\"<\\\/p>

OneofBiden'smorepoliticallyproblematicpolicieshasbeenhisdesiretohave50%ofallnewvehiclesalesbeingelectricmodels<\\\/a>by2030,thoughpolicyanalystsdisagreeregardingitsworkforceconsequencesSimultaneously,BowmanwastemporarilylaidoffthisweekbecauseFord'sRawsonvillePlantinYpsilanti,Michigan,whichbuildsbatteriesforthemaker'selectricF-150Lightning,isreducingproductionandshifts<\\\/p>

\\\"Wehavethousands,ortensofthousandsofworkersintheautoindustryinAmericathatworkintransmissionplantsandinengineplants,\\\"Bowmansaid\\\"There'smorejobscomingintotheassemblyofbatteries,butit'snotgoingtobeonaone-for-onebasisEvenwiththegovernmentsubsidies,thedemandforthesetrucksisjustnotthere\\\"<\\\/p>

TrumpreceivingmoresupportfromindustrialunionworkersthanRepublicanstraditionallydois\\\"partofalongertransformationalongeducationallinesbetweenthepoliticalparties,\\\"accordingtoMichiganStateUniversityInstituteofPublicPolicyandSocialResearchDirectorMatthewGrossmannButthatdoesnothelpBiden,whothisweekhadalmost52,000Democratsmarkthemselvesas\\\"uncommitted\\\"inprotestoftheIsrael<\\\/a>-Hamas<\\\/a>warinsteadofvotingforhim<\\\/p>

\\\"It'sasmallerproportionoftheMichiganeconomythanitusedtobe,butitstillhasalotofculturalresonancebecauselotsofpeoplehavefamilymemberswhoworkfortheautoindustryorsupporttheUAW,\\\"Grossmannsaid<\\\/p>

MarkGaffney,aformerpresidentofMichigan's AFL-CIO<\\\/a>,aunionfederation,concededothertypesoflaborgroupshavebecomelesspoliticallypowerfulastheirmembershiphasdeclined,inadditiontothosemembersbeing\\\"moreindependent\\\"<\\\/p>

\\\"Youngermemberstendtobeevenmoreindependent,\\\"Gaffneysaid,addingthatTrump'soppositiontotheNorthAmericanFreeTradeAgreementappealedtoindustrialunionmembersafteryearsoftheirleadershipdescribingsuchdealsasbad<\\\/p>

\\\"SoalongcomesTrump,andwhetherhefollowsthroughoneverythingthathesaysornotisdebatable,butheconvincespeoplethathe'stalkingtheirlanguage,\\\"Gaffneycontinued\\\"Sowecouldhavelost,insomeunions,asmanyas40%ofourmemberslasttimeAndthat'saprettybignumber\\\"<\\\/p>

ButJackieKelly-Smith,MacombCountyDemocraticCommittee'sblackcaucuschairwomanandaretiredUAWworker,wasmoreoptimisticconcerningBiden'sprospectsinthecommunity,citinghimtakingpartinlastfall'sstrike<\\\/p>

\\\"We'vehadthisgoingonsinceIgothiredbyGeneralMotors<\\\/a>in1975,\\\"Kelly-Smithsaid\\\"TheyfeelasthoughmyunionshouldnotendorsesomeonethatIdon'twanttovoteforOntheotherhand,youhavetheunionsayingwe'regoingtoendorsethosethatallowustocontinuetorepresent,negotiate,andbargain,andthat'snotalwaysaRepublicanpresidentTrumpdidn'tcareifwewentbankrupt\\\"<\\\/p>

Morebroadly,theeconomy,alongwithborder<\\\/a>securityandabortion<\\\/a>access,coulddeterminetheelection,withpollsdemonstratingdisapprovalofBiden'seconomicapproachForinstance,Biden'seconomicapprovalratingisroughlynetnegative16percentagepoints,with40%approvingand56%disapproving<\\\/p>

MichiganstateRepKarenTwinsett,aDemocratwhorepresentspartsofDetroitandDearborninneighboringWayneCounty,anothercriticalregion,recognizedthatBiden'seconomy,or\\\"Bidenomics,\\\"<\\\/a>hasbeendetrimentaltoherconstituents<\\\/p>

\\\"Whenyou'retalkingaboutsomebodyinthepresidency,normally,thesethingsdon'tbotheryouuntilthey'rehittingyouathome,likegasprices<\\\/a>orwhatever,\\\"Twinsettsaid\\\"Everydaypeopledon'tthinkaboutthatstuff,butwhenyougotothegrocerystore,you'refeelingit\\\"<\\\/p>

Inresponse,stateRepErinByrnes(D-MI),whorepresentsotherpartsofDearborn,imploredBidentoemphasize\\\"corporategreedthathasbeenmasqueradingasinflation\\\"<\\\/p>

\\\"Inflation<\\\/a>isreal,butalsocorporationshaveuppedtheirpricesexponentiallysincethepandemichit,\\\"Byrnessaid\\\"Iftheydon'tcallitoutanddon'tactonit,peoplewillfeellikethey'retryingtopullthewoolovertheireyes\\\"<\\\/p>

ButRepTimWalberg(R-MI),thedeanofMichigan'scongressionaldelegationinWashington,andformerstateSenTomBarrett,whoiscontestingMichigan's7thCongressionalDistrictagain,arguedBidenomics'sdamagehasalreadybeendoneForWalberg,fromthefivetownhallsheledlastweekbeforehisinterviewwiththeWashingtonExaminer,itis\\\"veryclear\\\"thatBidenomicsis\\\"notworking,\\\"especiallyrelatedtointerestrates<\\\/a>andenergycosts<\\\/a>,andthatonlya\\\"verysignificantturnaround\\\"couldimproveBiden'spopularity<\\\/p>

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BarrettadditionallydownplayedtheimportanceofBiden'sunionendorsementsaftertheInternationalBrotherhoodofTeamsters<\\\/a>'spoliticalactioncommitteedonated$45,000totheRepublicanNationalCommittee'sconventionfundTheTeamstershaveyettoendorseacandidate<\\\/p>

\\\"ThenationalunionleadershipisalwaysgoingtoendorseDemocrats,andtheUAWwasalwaysgoingtoendorseBiden,\\\"Barrettsaid\\\"Itwasjustaquestionofwhennowtheyhadbecomefrustratedwithhimoverhiselectricvehiclemandatesandotherthingsthatreallydisadvantagedunionworkersandautoplantsbecausetheirjobsaren'tgoingtobearoundIwouldsayyouraverageorstereotypicalUAWworkerisprobablysomebodywhocaresaboutcrimeintheircommunities,caresabouttheborderawholeheckofalot\\\"<\\\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/AP24023837150822-1-scaled.jpg?w=696" } {"id":"4691490-1787119200", "title":"Trump is right to send allies the bill. Cutting our own drills is the wrong currency", "sharelink":"https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fop-eds%2F4691490%2Ftrump-south-korea-burden-sharing-military-exercises-freedom-shield%2F", "byline":"Burak Oktenli", "publishDate":"Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:21:00 -0500", "synopsis":"Within a matter of days, Washington produced three snapshots of the hidden bill from the Iran war. The Pentagon signed a $22.9 billion contract to expand Tomahawk production. The Navy dispatched the USS George Washington from the Western Pacific to relieve the USS Abraham Lincoln after a punishing deployment. Then, President Donald Trump said he […]", "description":""

Withinamatterofdays,WashingtonproducedthreesnapshotsofthehiddenbillfromtheIranwarThePentagon<\\\/a>signeda$229billioncontracttoexpandTomahawkproductionTheNavy<\\\/a>dispatchedtheUSSGeorgeWashingtonfromtheWesternPacifictorelievetheUSSAbrahamLincolnafterapunishingdeploymentThen,PresidentDonaldTrump<\\\/a>saidhehadscaledbackmilitaryexerciseswithSouthKoreabecauseSeouldeclinedtohelpinIranandwasnotpayingenoughforUSprotection<\\\/p>

ThefirsttwodevelopmentsexplainwhyTrumpisrighttodemandmorefromAmerica'salliesThethirdshowshownottocollectthebill<\\\/p>

Thisisnotanabstractburden-sharingdebateTheLincolndeployedinNovemberand,bylastweek,hadspentmorethaneightmonthsawayand208continuousdaysatseaNavyleadersacknowledgedthesignificantstrainonservicemembersandtheirfamiliesTheTomahawkagreementisdesignedtolastsevenyearsandraiseannualproductionabove1,000missilesThebillforsustainedAmericanpowerispaidinsailors'health,shipavailability,munitionsinventories,andindustrialcapacity<\\\/p>

Alliancescannotbeone-wayinsurancepoliciesAnallythatbenefitsfromAmericanforces,extendeddeterrence,intelligence<\\\/a>,andlogisticscannotassumethateverycrisisbeyonditsneighborhoodisexclusivelyWashington'sproblemTrumphasspentyearsforcingalliestoconfrontthatimbalance,andtheLincoln'sdeploymentandtheTomahawkledgershowwhytheargumentismorethanrhetoric<\\\/p>

ThatdoesnotmeaneveryallymustsendcombatforcesintoeveryAmericanoperationAlliancesarenotblankchecksineitherdirectionApartnercandeclineonemissionandstilloweananswertothebroaderburdenitleavestheUnitedStatescarryingTherelevantquestioniswhatalternativecontributionwouldleavethecombinedforcestrongerratherthanmerelyregisteringpoliticaldispleasure<\\\/p>

ButtheannualexercisesontheKoreanPeninsulaarenotagratuityhandedtoSeoulFreedomShieldtrainsAmericanaswellasSouthKorean<\\\/a>forcesItrehearsescombinedcommandandcontrol,all-domainoperations,interoperability,rapidresponse,andthetransitionofwartimeoperationalcontrolUSForcesKoreadescribestheexerciseasameansofstrengtheningreadiness,deterringaggression,andmaintainingstabilityacrossNortheastAsia<\\\/p>

CuttingthattrainingbecauseSeouldeclinedtojoinaMiddleEasternoperationdoesnotmakeSouthKoreapayItmakesAmericanandalliedforceslesspracticedagainstNorthKoreaAtthesamemoment,sendingtheGeorgeWashingtonwestwardtorelievetheLincolndrawsanIndo-PacificassetintoaMiddleEasternrecoverycycleTheadministrationischargingaMiddleEasternbilltoanIndo-Pacificdeterrenceaccount<\\\/p>

EverymajordeploymenthasanopportunitycostAcarriersenttoonetheaterisunavailableinanotherAmissilefiredtodaybecomesaproductionrequirementtomorrowAsailorkeptatseaforanothermonthisareadinessandretentionbillthateventuallycomesdueBurden-sharingshouldreducethosecosts,notcreateaseconddeficitsomewhereelse<\\\/p>

SeoulwasentitledtodeclineacombatroleinIranThatdoesnotendtheburden-sharingconversation;itchangestheformofpaymentWashingtonshouldaskforanothercontributionwithmeasurablemilitaryvalue:greaterdirectcost-sharing,expandedmunitionsproduction,shipyardandmaintenancecapacity,logisticsandbasingsupport,sanctionsenforcement,airandmissiledefense<\\\/a>,oralargershareofmissionsinitsownregion<\\\/p>

Theprincipleshouldbesimple:alliedburden-sharingmustaddcapacityorreducetheAmericanburdenItshouldnottransferAmericanriskfromonetheatertoanother<\\\/p>

TheWhiteHouse<\\\/a>couldformalizethatprinciplewithanalliedcontributionledgerForeverymajorcontingency,partnerswouldbeofferedamenuofcontributionsratherthanabinarydemandtojointhefightorbepunishedelsewhereEachcontributionwouldbejudgedagainstthreequestions:Doesitadddeployablecapacity?DoesitshortenAmericanrecoveryorreplenishmenttime?Doesitreducetheneedtopullforcesfromanothertheater?Iftheanswerisyes,itisrealburden-sharingIftheresultissimplylesscombinedtraining,itispunishmentpaidforbythejointforce<\\\/p>

Trump'stransactionalinstinctisusefulbecausealliancesarebothtransactionsandcommitmentsButagoodtransactionpreservestheassetthatmakesrepaymentvaluableAnallianceisnotcharityDeterrenceisnotadebt-collectionagency<\\\/p>

IFSOUTHKOREAWON\u2019TDEFENDHORMUZ,TRUMPSHOULDPULLTHENUCLEARUMBRELLA<\\\/a><\\\/p>

SouthKoreamayowetheUS<\\\/a>moreThejointforceshouldnotpaytheinvoice<\\\/p>

TheLincolnandtheTomahawkcontractshowwhyAmericaneedsitsalliestocarrymoreoftheloadThelessonistocollectmorecapabilityfromthem,nottosubtractcapabilityfromourselvesTrumpisrighttosendalliesthebillKorea'sdeterrenceisthewrongcurrency<\\\/p>

BurakOktenliisanindependentresearcherbasedinWashington,DCHeholdsabachelor'sdegreeincomputerscienceandengineeringfromtheUniversityofSouthFloridaandanMBA,andiscompletingamaster'sofprofessionalstudiesinappliedintelligenceatGeorgetownUniversityHiswritingfocusesondefensestrategy,allianceburden-sharing,militarytechnology,andthegovernanceofautonomoussystems<\\\/p>"", "image":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP17340170126240.jpg?w=696" } ]}