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Some against school choice program

National Columnists

Choice and competition are two of the hallmarks of the American economy. When stores compete, customers win. Turns out this is also true for schools. That's an inviolable law of economics. A corollary is that monopolies tend to put customers last. This is all happening at a time when public monopoly schools are showing flat or negative performance despite more funding than ever before. This is one reason why so many states are turning to the new model of school choice, with public funds going to scholarships and charter schools, and tax incentives for charitable donations to ...

TPS provides loophole for immigrants

National Columnists

The last two decades have been a continuous adventure in redefining the phrase "white supremacy" to include less and less pertinent things. The latest is that the Supreme Court has allegedly joined forces with Trump to "advance an authoritarian, white-supremacist agenda" – in the words of Illinois Democratic Rep. Delia Ramirez – by saying he can end so-called Temporary Protected Status for immigrants. A headline in the The Nation read, "The Supreme Court Once Again Endorses Trump's Racism." The court decision is facially correct in that the law says that TPS designations or ...

We stand to lose in Hegstad's war on diversity

National Columnists

Is Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth resegregating the military? I hear that question a lot since the news broke that our nation's current secretary of defense has actively blocked or delayed the promotions of dozens of senior military officers – with women and people of color disproportionately affected. The Pentagon's recent track record on promotions is in keeping with broader efforts by the Trump administration to push back DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) policies in government, academia and the private sector. It also comes at a time when the Trump administration has made ...

Mamdani doesn't have victory yet

National Columnists

Yes, Mayor Zohran Mamdani's socialist picks just knocked off some Democratic incumbents in New York City. They included surprising defeats, especially that of Rep. Adriano Espaillat, chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Espaillat lost to Darializa Avila Chevalier, whose social media swims with past calls to abolish the police, free prisoners and stop deportations for any reason, presumably including murder. It's not like Espaillat's district was dominated by the young professionals who flocked to Mamdani. His electorate is 52% Hispanic and includes such non-hipster ...

War and constitutional indifference

National Columnists

Since its inception, the government of the United States has inexorably exceeded its powers under the Constitution. All three branches have been complicit in a consistent pattern of constitutional indifference. Congress has regulated in areas of governance nowhere articulated in the Constitution. Its general regulatory powers were granted to address interstate commerce, but during the FDR years, the Supreme Court ruled that Congress can regulate events that affect interstate commerce. This has resulted in federal regulation of matters too infinitesimal to measure, that are not ...

When political rhetoric meets strategic reality

National Columnists

One of the dangers of war is that political rhetoric often collides with strategic reality. After military strikes, escalating tensions and a conflict that many believed would fundamentally alter the balance of power in the Middle East, we appear to be arriving at a familiar destination: negotiations, concessions and an Iranian regime that remains standing. That reality deserves a serious conversation. Supporters of the administration will rightly point out that Iran has suffered significant military and strategic setbacks. Key facilities have been targeted. Military assets ...