Supporters of President Trump take part in a rally to protest the results of the election, in Washington, D.C., December 12, 2020. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters) We should pray that the dangerous mindset of this ‘stop the steal’ gathering remains marginal on the right. A toxic ideological cocktail of grievance, paranoia, and self-exculpatory rage was on display

NRPLUS MEMBER ARTICLE H aving exhausted all other options, Donald Trump and the die-hard supporters of “Stop the Steal” have settled on the notion of getting Congress to count alternative slates of electors from seven states — Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin — who cast their states’ votes for Trump despite

A man wearing a protective face mask walks as snow begins to fall in Times Square in New York City, December 16, 2020. (Jeenah Moon/Reuters) The sheer endlessness of this is mind-numbing. Imagine that a new religion emerged on earth in the last year, universally adopted and vaguely compulsory. Everyone on earth was obliged to

Earlier this month, the English High Court ruled in a landmark case that under-16s were not able to give informed consent to “experimental” and “life-changing” puberty-blocking drugs, which transgender activists and lobby groups claim are essential. (You can read more about the case and the courageous young woman who brought it before the court here.)

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) walks through the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., December 16, 2020. (Erin Scott/Reuters) Congressional Democrats have agreed to take direct aid for state and local governments out of a new coronavirus relief package in exchange for Republicans dropping their demand for liability protections for businesses. The idea

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard speaks during a news conference in N.Y., October 2019. (Brendan McDermid/Reuters) Last week, Hawaii representative Tulsi Gabbard introduced not one but two substantial pieces of pro-life legislation. One measure from the Democratic congresswoman is intended “to protect pain-capable unborn children.” The legislative text is not yet available, but it is likely along

FBI Deputy Assistant Director Peter Strzok is seated prior to testifying before House Committees in Washington, D.C., July, 2018. (Joshua Roberts/Reuters) In newly declassified messages, ex-FBI agent Peter Strzok, who oversaw the bureau’s investigation into the Trump campaign’s potential ties to Russia, touted the Steele dossier’s ability to “influence” media. Senate Republicans on Thursday released

Researchers work in a lab run by Moderna Inc. (Moderna Inc./Handout via Reuters) A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel voted Thursday to endorse Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine and recommended that the agency move forward with emergency authorization. In a 20-0 vote, with one abstention, the panel found that the safety and efficacy of the vaccine

Rep. Deb Haaland, D., N.M., attends a ceremonial swearing-in on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., January 3, 2019. (Joshua Roberts/Reuters) Joe Biden will nominate Representative Deb Haaland (D., N.M.) to be Secretary of Interior, according to multiple reports on Thursday. The appointment of Haaland to Biden’s cabinet would further thin the Democrats’ majority in the

President-elect Joe Biden speaks from Biden’s transition headquarters in Wilmington, Del., December 14, 2020. (Mike Segar/Reuters) Fans of ESG might be in for a rude awakening as their rhetorical dream becomes a mandatory reality. Politicized investing, especially of the “environmental, social, and governance” (ESG) variety, has experienced some regulatory pushback during the last year, but

Medical personnel administer free coronavirus tests at a state run drive-through testing site in El Paso, Texas, November 23, 2020. (Ivan Pierre Aguirre/Reuters) The U.S. saw record numbers of daily coronavirus cases and deaths on Wednesday, even as the first vaccine for the illness is being distributed to health care workers across the country. According

Jill Biden speaks during a drive-in campaign rally held by former Vice President Joe Biden at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Penn., November 2, 2020. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters) Her dissertation is not an addition to the sum total of human knowledge. You can tell someone is smarting from an inferiority complex when he insists on being addressed

Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger attends the European premiere of The Lion King in London, England, July 14, 2019. (Henry Nicholls/Reuters) Joe Biden may appoint Disney CEO Bob Iger as ambassador to China or the United Kingdom, sources told the Hollywood Reporter on Wednesday. The news comes as Disney’s extensive footprint in China has drawn

Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert Wilkie holds a briefing at the White House, November 8, 2019. (Leah Millis/Reuters) The six largest veterans groups in the U.S. joined together on Wednesday in calling for the ousting of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Robert Wilkie over a report that found he mishandled a congressional aide’s claim that she

A member of the New York Police Department stands outside a Planned Parenthood clinic in N.Y., November 28, 2015. (Andrew Kelly/Reuters) Newsweek reports that executives from Planned Parenthood are expecting to see the incoming presidential administration immediately enact all of the abortion organization’s policy preferences. And why shouldn’t they? Planned Parenthood Action, the group’s political-action

If he had his way, New York governor Andrew Cuomo would do to the Constitution what he’s already done to the elderly of his state. This week, he signed a bill banning the sale of “hate symbols” such as the Confederate flag, swastikas, and “white supremacist” imagery on state property. Of course, neither Cuomo nor

Paul McCartney explains how he put together a new album on which, for the third time, he plays all of the instruments. After McCartney (1970) and McCartney II (1980), Paul’s lockdown album, out this week, is McCartney III, made alone in a studio except for two tech aides. “I’m actually quite good at playing …

Welcome to “The Tuesday,” a weekly newsletter about politics, language, culture, and the enduring relevance of John Adams. If you would like to subscribe to “The Tuesday” — and I would be grateful to you if you would — please follow this link. Different Clowns, Same Circus Republicans stung by … Read More

(maroke/Getty Images) Teachers’ unions deserve every bit of scorn that they get and more. In the New York Times, the head of the country’s largest teachers’ union whines that parents are attempting to “bully” teachers back into schools: “We don’t want to be in the business of putting a hierarchy in place,” said Becky Pringle,

Attorney General William Barr arrives to testify on Capitol Hill, April 9, 2019. (Aaron P. Bernstein/Reuters) ‘I cannot do my job here at the department with a constant background commentary that undercuts me.” That was Attorney General Bill Barr ten months ago, bemoaning President Trump’s penchant for spouting off about ongoing Justice Department investigations and

Yesterday was the tragic anniversary of the ghastly 2012 massacre of 20 young children and six faculty at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. And though mass shootings account for only a fraction of gun deaths in the United States — which are still at historic lows — the terroristic nature and moral

When Mike Dukakis was asked by CNN’s blunt Bernard Shaw during the 1988 presidential debates whether he would support the death penalty if his wife, Kitty, had been raped and murdered, the Massachusetts governor famously responded, “No, I don’t, Bernard, and I think you know that I’ve opposed the death … Read More

Sometimes it is difficult to explain why freedom of speech is so important. Why should someone say something that might cause offense or upset? Surely it is better to restrict dangerous words in the same way you would restrict dangerous behavior? The problem with this stance is severalfold. Once you start proscribing objectionable words or

NRPLUS MEMBER ARTICLE P resident-elect Joe Biden has pledged to reverse the immigration policies implemented by the Trump administration. His campaign site’s immigration page says he will “take urgent action to undo Trump’s damage and reclaim America’s values.” As Rich Lowry has written, “Biden will move on all fronts to loosen immigration controls.” Despite what

When Mike Dukakis was asked by CNN’s blunt Bernard Shaw during the 1988 presidential debates whether he would support the death penalty if his wife, Kitty, had been raped and murdered, the Massachusetts governor famously responded, “No, I don’t, Bernard, and I think you know that I’ve opposed the death … Read More

Former CIA director John Brennan was once hailed as “Obama’s conscience,” because Brennan personally made the solemn judgments about who lived or died in the expansion of our drone-warfare program. In the years since, Brennan has revealed himself as a voluble lunatic personality on Twitter. I try not to think about men such as Brennan

President Donald Trump listens with Vice President Mike Pence as Attorney General William Barr addresses the coronavirus task force daily briefing at the White House, March 23, 2020. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters) Attorney General William Barr will leave his post shortly before Christmas, President Donald Trump announced Monday. “Just had a very nice meeting with Attorney General

Dr. Michelle Chester from Northwell Health prepares to administer a Pfizer coronavirus disease vaccine at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park, N.Y., December 14, 2020. (Brendan Mcdermid/Reuters) Mainstream journalists celebrated news of the country’s first COVID-19 vaccinations on Monday after claiming for months that the Trump administration’s push to deliver a vaccine

If there is one lesson conservatives claim to have learned from the last few election cycles, it is that the Democrats are the party of elites. In both 2016 and 2020, President Trump performed well among voters, especially non-Hispanic white voters, without a college degree. This has led to some speculation that … Read More

NRPLUS MEMBER ARTICLE I t’s hard to change the Constitution. But it’s not so hard to get legal experts to talk about how they want to change the Constitution. So in a fun exercise, the National Constitution Center (NCC) recently asked teams of heavy-hitting conservative, liberal, and libertarian scholars to rewrite the document however they