Politics

Platner, the socialists’ latest con man

The mad and bad Roman emperor, Caligula, made his horse a senator. So the scope for mad and bad political choices is wide. After winning the Democratic primary in Maine on Tuesday, essentially unopposed, Graham Platner is feeling his oats. And he might gallop all the way to the U.S. Senate in November, despite being manifestly unsuitable for the job. It would be a mad and bad decision by the Pine Tree State’s voters to send him there.

America’s 250th birthday celebration is replacing history with toxic myth

This year’s events will be a mélange of Trumpian egotism, Maga populism and Christian nationalism

Man charged with attempted murder after Belfast knife attack

Hadi Alodid, 30, further charged with possessing a knife in a public place and making threats to kill on same day

The party that wants to save democracy can't count its own votes

In Focus delivers deeper coverage of the political, cultural, and ideological issues shaping America. Published daily by senior writers and experts, these in-depth pieces go beyond the headlines to give readers the full picture. You can find our full list of In Focus pieces here.

Trump CA coal export terminal plan faces green legal resistance

President Donald Trump’s plan to build a coal export terminal in California is likely to spur legal challenges from environmentalists.

Which way, Republican?

Former Vice President Mike Pence recently wrote a crucial op-ed for the Wall Street Journal titled “A Republican Time for Choosing.” He points out that the Republican Party is engaged in an internal clash: the conservatism of President Ronald Reagan versus the populism of President Donald Trump. Conservatism is represented by the principles in Reagan’s three-legged stool: Christian values, free markets, and an internationally engaged foreign policy. Pence defines populism as “progressivism in disguise.”

Fidelity Month: We Are Only Indivisible Under God

Next month, we will celebrate 250 years of triumph and prosperity.

Latino voters are warning Republicans not to take 2024 for granted

In 2024, Latino voters played a decisive role in determining control of Congress and the White House in several key battleground states, helping fuel historic Republican gains with the electorate. But that support cannot be taken for granted. Persistent concerns about affordability and economic uncertainty are creating real headwinds leading into the 2026 midterm elections.

Car bomb kills senior Russian military official near Moscow

Video appears to show Col Damir Davydov’s BMW bursting into flames and bystanders pulling him from wreckage

The vanishing of Nicolás Maduro: how the former dictator is being erased from Venezuela

Billboards are being painted over and former allies seem eager to forget the man they once glorified

Cleaning Up Biden’s Obamacare Subsidy Fraud

Medicaid fraud in blue states has dominated headlines recently, but the problem is not new. From its earliest reviews of Obamacare enrollment controls, the Government Accountability Office found that President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act was highly susceptible to fraud. President Joe Biden made fraud easier and more lucrative with his COVID-19 subsidy bonuses, and fraud has since exploded, especially in red states that did not build their own online marketplaces. President Donald Trump has taken steps to roll back Obamacare fraud, but a new report from Paragon Health Institute shows the problem is persistent and more should be done.

Rank Punditry You Can’t Refuse

Members can share articles with friends & family to bypass the paywall.