Analysis

Medicaid Reality vs. Rhetoric

Medicaid "Cuts" Debate: Fiscal Reality vs. Political Rhetoric The 2025 budget reconciliation bill, H.R. 1, the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" (OBBBA), has sparked intense debate over Medicaid funding. A July 4, 2025, Wall Street Journal (WSJ) opinion piece, "No One Is ‘Gutting’ the Safety Net", argues that Republican proposals are pragmatic reforms to ensure Medicaid’s sustainability, not destructive cuts. In my columns, "Monday Misleading Math" (June 30, 2025) and "The Myth of Medicaid Cuts: Explaining Baseline Budgeting" (March 2, 2025), I reinforce this, framing the changes as reductions in growth, akin to the 1990s Medicare reforms. This column synthesizes these…

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A Precarious Fiscal Precipice

The Fiscal Trifecta Threatening America’s Future The United States stands at a precarious fiscal precipice, grappling with three interlocking threats: defaulting on the national debt, the looming insolvency of Social Security and Medicare, and the inexorable rise of long-term debt. Each challenge carries distinct origins, timelines, and consequences, yet their convergence forms a fiscal time bomb that threatens economic stability and social welfare. With Social Security’s insolvency now a mere eight years away-compared to a 36-year horizon in 2005-the urgency for reform has reached a critical juncture. Alan Greenspan’s 1996 warning of “truly wrenching” adjustments resonates with renewed force, as procrastination…

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A Partial Triumph for Gun Rights

The Big Beautiful Bill and the Ongoing Battle for NFA Reform On July 4, 2025, President Donald Trump signed H.R.1, the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," into law, marking a pivotal yet divisive milestone for Second Amendment advocates nationwide. This expansive omnibus legisla A Lament and Prayer for Camp Mystic The Guadalupe River floods ravaged the Texas Hill Country, claiming at least 69 lives, including 21 children, with 11 girls and one counselor still missing from Camp Mystic as of Sunday morning. The river surged 26 feet in 45 minutes, destroying homes, cabins, and lives with little warning. Parents grieve children…

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Zohran Mamdani’s Radicalism Unmasked

Antisemitism, Communism, and a Democratic Party in Peril Zohran Mamdani’s stunning defeat of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the June 2025 New York City Democratic mayoral primary has sparked outrage, branding the Democratic socialist an antisemite and communist whose rhetoric and policies threaten the city’s cohesion and the Democratic Party’s future. His refusal to denounce “globalize the intifada,” which he framed as a call for Palestinian equality while equating “intifada” to “struggle”-a term that translates to Mein Kampf’s “struggle”-has drawn fierce criticism from Jewish leaders, moderates, and conservatives. His Meet the Press (June 29, 2025) claim, “I don’t think we should…

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You Can’t Predict Ball

You Can't Predict Ball: The Texas Rangers’ 2025 Season As the Texas Rangers hit the halfway mark of the 2025 season with a 41-43 record, they embody a peculiar paradox that could define their year: a pitching staff that’s the envy of the American League, paired with an offense that’s been maddeningly inconsistent. This stark disparity-elite arms contrasted with anemic bats-has created a season of extremes, where the Rangers’ fortunes hinge on a “magic number” of four runs. With a postseason probability of just 35%, their path to October hangs in the balance, and their ability to close the gap between…

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The AI Moratorium is Unconstitutional

Constitutional Concerns Surrounding the AI Moratorium in the Senate Budget Reconciliation Bill Introduction The rapid proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies has introduced novel challenges to child safety online, particularly through AI-generated content like deepfake pornography and harmful chatbot interactions. States have historically played a critical role in regulating content to protect minors, as affirmed by the Supreme Court’s decision in Free Speech Coalition, Inc. v. Paxton (606 U.S. (2025)), which upheld Texas’s H.B. 1181, a law requiring age verification for websites hosting content deemed obscene for minors. However, a proposed 10-year moratorium on state AI laws, embedded in the U.S.…

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Paxton Decision Affirms State Power to Shield Kids from Online Pornography

An Originalist Victory in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton On June 27, 2025, the Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision in Free Speech Coalition, Inc. v. Paxton, 606 U.S. ___, upheld Texas’s H.B. 1181, a law requiring age verification for websites with material deemed “obscene for minors.” From an originalist perspective, interpreting the Constitution by its 1791 public meaning, this ruling affirms state authority to protect societal welfare while honoring the First Amendment’s core protections. The majority opinion, authored by Justice Clarence Thomas and joined by Chief Justice Roberts and Justices Alito, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Barrett, applied intermediate scrutiny, aligning with the Founding-era…

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A Victory for Parents Rights

Parental Rights Upheld: An Originalist Victory in the Landmark Mahmoud v. Taylor In its landmark 6-3 decision in Mahmoud v. Taylor (2025), the Supreme Court bolstered parental rights under the First Amendment’s Free Exercise Clause, shielding families from state-mandated curricula that clash with their religious beliefs. From an originalist perspective, interpreting t Like this post? Become a Citizen Producer! he Constitution by its 1791 text and public meaning, this ruling echoes the Framers’ commitment to protecting religious liberty from government overreach. Yet, it also sparks debate about balancing individual rights with state authority over education-a tension rooted in Founding-era principles. Drawing…

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Trump v. CASA, Inc. is an Originalist Triumph

The Supreme Court’s Rebuke of Universal Injunctions: An Originalist Victory in Trump v. CASA, Inc. On June 27, 2025, the Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision in Trump v. CASA, Inc., authored by Justice Amy Coney Barrett, decisively curtailed the use of universal (nationwide) injunctions in legal challenges to President Trump’s Executive Order No. 14160, which seeks to redefine birthright citizenship under the Fourteenth Amendment. From an originalist perspective, rooted in the Constitution and statutes like the Judiciary Act of 1789, this ruling stands as a triumph for confining judicial remedies to their historical limits, thereby preserving the separation of powers envisioned by…

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Ensuring Election Integrity

Ensuring Election Integrity: The Case for Voter ID, the SAVE Act, Voter Roll Maintenance, and Stronger Penalties In an era of polarized politics and heightened scrutiny over electoral processes, the integrity of our elections is paramount. Free and fair elections are the bedrock of democracy, ensuring that every citi Quick Takes: Friday Findings Welcome to today’s Quick Takes, where we dive into pressing issues with sharp analysis. First, we scrutinize Natasha Bertrand’s reporting on the DIA leaker controversy, questioning her credibility amid a history of selective narratives and conflicting evidence from the CIA, Israel’s Atomic Energy Commission, and the IAEA on…

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