Fisking the NY Times on Skrmetti

A Fisking of The New York Times’ Article on United States v. Skrmetti: A Synthesized Narrative The New York Times article, “How a Landmark Case on Gender-Affirming Care for Minors Was Built on Flawed Politics and Uncertain Science”, published on June 19, 2025, provides a detailed account of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision in United States v. Skrmetti, upholding Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming medical care for minors. The piece frames the ruling as a significant setback for transgender rights, attributing it to a conservative backlash and a strategic misstep by transgender advocates. While the article offers a nuanced perspective, blending…

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Summary of Newsom v. Trump, 9th Circuit Stay

Summary of Newsom v. Trump from an Originalist Perspective From an originalist perspective, which emphasizes interpreting the Constitution based on its original meaning at the time of ratification, the Ninth Circuit's decision in Newsom v. Trump (filed June 19, 2025) aligns with the constitutional framework of federal authority over the militia as understood in 1787-1788, particularly through the lens of Congress’s enumerated powers and historical judicial interpretations like Martin v. Mott (1827). Below is a summary of the case through this perspective: Summary of the Case The State of California and Governor Gavin Newsom challenged President Donald J. Trump’s invocation of…

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Fisking Sen. Ron Johnson’s 2025 Budget Reconciliation Analysis

Analysis of "FY 2025 Budget Reconciliation: Facts, Figures, and Analysis" by Senator Ron Johnson Introduction Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) authored the "FY 2025 Budget Reconciliation: Facts, Figures, and Analysis" report, released on June 18, 2025, which examines the U.S. federal budget’s fiscal challenges. Notably, Johnson is also recognized for producing an immigration chart that gained historical significance during a July 13, 2024, campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Former President Donald Trump, unscripted, turned to reference this chart on illegal immigration-originally shared with him by Johnson during an April 2024 plane ride-when he was grazed by a bullet in an assassination attempt.…

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China’s Role in 2020’s Election Fraud

China’s Shadow and the Silenced Questions How Weakened Ballot Security and Stifled Debate Left the 2020 Election Vulnerable The 2020 U.S. presidential election unfolded under the shadow of a global pandemic widely believed to have originated in China. To protect public health, 47 states and the District of Columbia expanded mail-in voting, a move that boosted voter turnout to a historic 68% but introduced vulnerabilities that may have allowed foreign interference to influence close races. Recently declassified FBI documents allege that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) exploited these loosened election protocols by producing nearly 20,000 counterfeit U.S. driver’s licenses to facilitate…

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The Iran Conundrum

The Iran Conundrum: A Tale of Three Presidents and a Regime on the Brink As the Middle East teeters on the edge of seismic change in June 2025, the escalating Israel-Iran conflict and the specter of a collapsing Iranian regime have thrust U.S. foreign policy into sharp focus. The actions of Presidents Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden toward Iran-spanning the Green Revolution, nuclear diplomacy, financial dealings, and the current crisis-reveal starkly different approaches to a regime that has defied easy solutions for decades. With Israel’s relentless strikes on Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure, President Trump’s bold moves at the…

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The Modern Slave Trade in North Africa

The Modern Slave Trade in North Africa A Story of Exploitation, Complicity, and Resilience Beneath the vast expanse of the Sahara, a modern tragedy unfolds, one that resurrects the specter of the ancient Trans-Saharan slave trade while thriving in the chaos of the 21st century. Across North Africa-Libya’s lawless detention centers, Mauritania’s caste-bound villages, and subtler exploitations in Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia-an estimated 1–2 million people, including 100,000–200,000 children, are ensnared in modern slavery. Black sub-Saharan African migrants and Mauritania’s Haratin (Black Moors) bear the brunt, sold in open markets, forced into grueling labor, or bound by hereditary chains. This…

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It’s Time to Cut the Capital Gains Tax

Analysis: Capital Gains Tax Cuts and the Prospects for H.R. 1 The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1), poised to reshape America’s economic landscape through reconciliation, presents a rare opportunity to ignite robust growth by including a capital gains tax cut. Whether modeled on Sen. Ted Cruz’s inflation-indexing approach or James Kay’s tiered-rate structure, a capital gains cut is a critical investment-focused complement to the bill’s consumption-driven tax relief, such as eliminating taxes on tips and overtime. This dual strategy maximizes economic impact, spurring both spending and investment to deliver unparalleled bang for the buck. The Taxpayer Relief Act of…

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Trump Wins on Tariffs

Update to My Originalist Critique Federal Circuit Grants Stay and Expedites En Banc Review of Trump Tariff Cases In my article "The Trump Tariffs Stay", I provide below an expanded analysis of my original points, incorporating today's Federal Circuit order granting a stay and expediting en banc review in V.O.S. Selections, Inc. v. Trump (2025-1812) and State of Oregon v. Trump (2025-1813). This expansion deepens my originalist critique, reflects the updated legal developments, and maintains my first-person perspective as the article’s author. 1. My Originalist Concern: Separation of Powers and Executive Authority In my article, I argued that the Trump tariff…

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The Federal Budget Process

How Congress Passes a Budget Editorial Note: The June 2, 2025, post, "Learning About Congressional Budgeting," focuses on Congress’s role in budgeting, particularly the budget resolution and committee actions. This post broadly covers the entire federal budget process, including the President’s proposal and agency roles. The former is Congress-specific, while this is more comprehensive. The federal budgeting process in the United States is a sprawling, intricate endeavor, a high-stakes balancing act where lawmakers navigate competing priorities to keep the government humming. Under “regular order,” as outlined by the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974, Congress follows a deliberate, structured…

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Supreme Court Roundup

Supreme Court Roundup, 6/5/2025 In a series of landmark U.S. Supreme Court decisions in 2025, the Court addressed critical issues of discrimination, liability, religious liberty, jurisdiction, and class-action certification. In Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Services, the Court unanimously struck down the Sixth Circuit’s “background circumstances” rule, affirming that Title VII protects all individuals from workplace discrimination equally, regardless of majority or minority status. Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. v. Estados Unidos Mexicanos saw the Court uphold the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, dismissing Mexico’s lawsuit against U.S. gun manufacturers for failing to prove intentional aiding and abetting…

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