Good morning, it’s Monday, May 21, 2018. On this date in 1935, the world lost a humanitarian, author, educator, philosopher, social worker, champion of children’s and women’s rights, and peace advocate extraordinaire. That list only begins to describe Jane Addams, whose dedication to bettering society prompted high praise from all corners. In its obituary that appeared 83 years ago tomorrow, […]

Good morning, it’s Wednesday, May 16, 2018. As a girl growing up in Missouri, Harry and Bess Truman’s only child sang as a soloist at Trinity Episcopal Church in Independence. Impressed, although perhaps not unbiased, the choir director there encouraged the young lady, Margaret Truman, to get formal voice lessons. She followed this advice both before and after attending George […]

Iran Nuke Deal and the Peter Drucker Rule. In a column, I consider a business guru’s dictum that doesn’t translate well to presidential governance, as Donald Trump may soon learn. Blasting Donnelly, Trump Previews Campaigner-in-Chief Role. James Arkin writes that the president’s appearance, and his line of attack, at last week’s Indiana rally for Mike Braun is likely a template […]

Good morning, it’s Monday, May 14, 2018. On this date 114 years ago, the Olympic Games opened in St. Louis. This was the third Olympiad of the modern era, the concept having been revived in Athens in 1896. The first time the United States hosted, however, was not a success. Few foreign athletes bothered to make the trek to the […]

Good morning, it’s Friday, May 11, 2018. On this date in 138 years ago, an angry group of American farmers protesting inequity and injustice gathered at the California railroad village of Hanford in the Central Valley. You could say the men were part of “the Resistance” (and, interestingly, that they were protesting an obscene presence in their lives that would […]

Good morning, it’s Thursday, April 19, 2018. In yesterday’s newsletter I wrote about a famous chapter in America’s founding — the midnight ride of Paul Revere — and today, in a passage reprised from my recent book, I’ll continue the story of “the shots heard ’round the world.” Alarmed about the militancy blossoming in Boston and surrounding towns, British Gen. […]

Good morning, it’s Monday, April 9, 2018. On this date in 1959, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration introduced this country’s first astronauts to the media. Selected from 32 immensely qualified finalists, these seven brave Americans were chosen because leaders of the new agency believed they combined the mental makeup of Jackie Robinson and the flying ability of Chuck Yeager. […]

Good morning. It’s Thursday, March 15 — the Ides of March, a day that in traditional Western literature, if not necessarily modern U.S. politics, recalls Julius Caesar’s death in ancient Rome. Are there relevant lessons, either from ancient Rome or William Shakespeare’s famous play, for our time? No matter how many of today’s world leaders alarm you, it’s a matter […]

In Pa. Election, Trump Jr. Emphasizes High Stakes. James Arkin has this Election Day preview of the closely watched House race. The Untold Story of Israeli Innovation. Peter Berkowitz reviews Avi Jorisch’s “Thou Shalt Innovate: How Israeli Ingenuity Repairs the World.” Burger-Flipping Robot Mocks the Wage Assumptions of Left and Right. John Tamny explains in RealClearMarkets. Trump’s Tariffs Won’t Help […]

Good morning, it’s Tuesday, March 13, 2018. Eighty-three years ago today, Nicholas and Helen Oprian, first-generation Romanian immigrants living in San Francisco, welcomed their only child into the world. They named her Virginia, a nice American name. She was my mother. Mom has been gone these past two years, and I’ve written about her before, so here we are at […]

Trump Imposes Tariffs, Openly Defying GOP. Caitlin Huey-Burns has the story. The Takeaway: Democrats’ Favorability Falls. Tom Bevan’s weekly roundup of polling data points is here. Why Medicaid Expansion Is a Bad Deal for Virginians. Brooklyn Roberts asserts that other states’ experiences with expanded rolls provide warning signs for the Old Dominion. Tariffs Threaten American Manufacturing. John Bozzella and Dennis […]

Good morning, it’s Wednesday, March 7. Forty-four years ago today, the pressure was closing in on Richard Milhous Nixon. A grand jury had indicted seven former administration officials in the burgeoning Watergate scandal and named the president himself an unindicted co-conspirator. Talk of impeachment was heard on Capitol Hill. And although Dick Nixon was no favorite in Hollywood, he was […]

Good morning, it’s Tuesday, March 6. Fifty years ago today, a written communication was sent from the White House to Capitol Hill about the poverty and lack of opportunity within the nation’s Native American population. Under the signature of President Lyndon B. Johnson, this communication was titled “Special Message to the Congress on the Problems of the American Indian: The […]

Good morning, it’s March 1, 2018. On this date in 1872, Yellowstone National Park came into existence. The land wasn’t new, of course. Neither was the sense of awe that its many splendors evoked in human visitors. What was new a century-and-a-half ago was the idea that such wondrous places should be preserved by the government in something approaching their […]

Good morning, it’s Friday, February 23, 2018. Seventy-three years ago today, the U.S. Marines raised the American flag atop Mt. Suribachi on the Pacific island of Iwo Jima. Captured on film by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal, the image became an instant classic that helped buck up a war-weary nation. It is still an iconic symbol of the war in […]

Senate Votes Underscore Parties’ Immigration Litmus Tests. Caitlin Huey-Burns reports on the seemingly intractable divisions that led to failure of three bills yesterday. The Takeaway: No N.Y. State of Mind for 2020. Tom Bevan’s weekly polling roundup highlights New York voters’ reluctance to see three of their more prominent politicians seek the Oval Office. After Shootings, Trump Says He’ll Work […]

Good morning, it’s Friday, February 16, 2018. Nine years ago today, a modern version of the Boston Tea Party emerged in U.S. politics. It took place in Seattle, not at Boston Harbor, and although it didn’t have anything to do with tea or British trade tariffs, it certainly concerned taxation. Taxes have long been a touchstone for fiscal conservatives in […]

President Trump: Let’s Message Better on Abuse of Women. Steve Cortes urges the president to make amends for his tone-deaf response to the allegations against Rob Porter. An Open Letter to Paul Ryan on DACA. Morton Kondracke reminds the House speaker of his words praising the late Jack Kemp’s welcoming stance on immigration. DACA Deal Must Put Pragmatism Over Principle. […]

Good morning, it’s Thursday, February 15, 2018. Today, Americans must absorb the shock — and resist the numbness that comes with familiarity — of another mass school shooting by a murderous young man with an assault rifle. As of this writing, the names of the victims have not been made public except for the assistant football coach at Florida’s Stoneman […]

“Attacking” the FBI: An Unalienable American Right. In a column, I remind both Democrats and the media that criticizing the bureau’s excesses is hardly a Trump-era development. GOP Eyes Trump District as Minn. Democrat Retires. James Arkin has details on the ramifications of Rep. Rick Nolan’s decision to leave Congress. Former CIA Director Brennan’s Perjury Peril. In RealClearInvestigations, Paul Sperry […]