All Bad Things Must Come to an End?

 

Friends, no one talks about the Russia-Ukraine conflict anymore, because it's become part of the background noise of national and international politics, but subtle changes may be occurring in the balance of power there that could portend an end, of sorts, to the war.  I sure hope so, although the conclusion we get may not be the one we seek.

 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/world/articles/why-russia-believes-finally-crush-060000416.html 

 

In other news, there was a debate here in the Empire State between incumbent Governor Kathy Hochul and her Republican challenger Bruce Blakeman.  Hochul, as is her wont, railed against President Trump, which, in a blue state, may sadly be all she needs to do to best her opponent.  Time will tell.

 

https://nypost.com/2026/10/14/us-news/fact-checking-hochul-blakeman-ny-gov-debate-ice-gas-wells-and-fired-corrections-officers/ 

 

Finally, Fox's latest poll is out, and it spells trouble with a capital "T" for Republicans!  It shows the dastardly Dems ahead by 9 points in the so-called generic ballot, and Trump's approval rating circling the drain.  Could the GOP outperform expectations?  You bet, but at this stage that's not saying much!

 

https://static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/10/fox_october-9-12-2026_complete_national_topline_october-14-release.pdf 

What To Do About Yemen?

 

Friends, as you no doubt noticed, the Houthis in Yemen recently launched a brazen attack on the main airport in Riyadh, the capital city of Saudi Arabia.  How can a bunch of upstart zealots in the hills of Yemen strike at the heart of "The Kingdom"???   It's a puzzlement.  These Houthis have been in control of most of the populated areas of Yemen for some time, and the internationally recognized and supported government there has been unable to tame them.  Saudi airstrikes haven't changed the equation much.  How can a ragtag group backed only by Iran achieve so much success, and even threaten a vital maritime chokepoint like the Bab al-Mandab Strait at the bottom of the Red Sea?  I think the time has come for the U.S. to join the fight against the Houthis.  Not with ground troops, of course, but with intelligence, airpower, and naval forces.  They ought to be seen as Iranian proxies as well as a serious menace in their own right.  Down with the Houthis!!!  Down with the mullahs!!!  Up with the USA (and those reasonable types who get along with us)!!!

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cr4g1pwxxlq1o 

Fun in the Sun

 

Friends, America just gets better and better thanks to DJT -- not that most Americans appear to have noticed.  Case in point: President Trump is offering one of his trademark golf clubs in Florida as a "presidential retreat" for future Commanders-in-Chief.  What a swell guy!  No doubt Democrats would burn it all to the ground if they got half a chance, which they may...  All this harkens back to the days when President Truman would visit the "Little White House" in Key West, Florida.  A nice tradition, if you ask me!

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9gkvxjvl7v3o 

 

In yet more good news, the number of people filing for unemployment is low, low, low, signaling that we are close to "full employment", despite all the doom-saying that you hear about the job market and everything else.

 

https://www.breitbart.com/economy/2026/10/08/jobless-claims-october/ 

 

Lastly, crime is a scourge that has been a top-tier issue in American politics, but no more...  Now the media only covers (alleged) outrages committed by federal agents.  Crimes committed by (self-motivated) thugs and maniacs just don't have much cachet these days.  To be fair, there are a lot fewer crimes to cover...thanks to President Trump!  The bottom line is that we are all safer because of the anti-crime measures this administration has taken.  We Republicans have the good sense and grace to admit it.  The Democrats never will and never would.

 

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/4756837/trump-remove-worst-of-worst-golden-age-public-safety/ 

Blue Alert! Blue Alert!

 

Friends, it sure looks like, come election day, those dastardly Dems might be storming Congress and seizing control of both houses, if the polls are to be believed.  This horrific prospect is just one of the topics that Brian and I cover on this week's Newsmakers show.  We also update you on the status of the Iran conflict, the sensational allegations swirling around Cornell University, the dramatic turn that the recent Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv took, the botched execution in Tennessee and the political fallout it has produced, and the red hot debate over the future of AI and data centers in the U.S.  I mean...wow!  We really do bring you the world, huh???

 

https://wysl.podbean.com/e/newsmakers-10-3-26/ 

 

As you ponder for whom, or whether, to cast a ballot this November, bear in mind that, despite the doom and gloom that the media peddles, a lot is going well in America.  Here's a case in point: DJT, in his second term, has made historic reductions to the size of the federal workforce.  Kudos to President Trump!!!  You better believe that, if America elects more Democrats, one of their first orders of business will be growing, rather than shrinking, the federal bureaucracy.  It's their lifeblood, after all...

 

https://nypost.com/2026/10/02/opinion/the-good-news-on-federal-workers-you-probably-never-heard-about/ 

The Unfriendly Skies

 

Friends, I'm sure by now you've heard the harrowing tale of a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv that almost crashed due to the Islamist mania of one of its pilots.  Luckily, the other pilot, and various passengers, managed to salvage the situation and save the lives of everyone on board.  Kudos to the captain of the flight, an Indian national who was stabbed but still had the presence of mind to do what needed to be done.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cje3r3z7g0zzo 

 

In other news, some lefties are discovering that "equity" in our public schools, which invariably comes at the expense of educational rigor, might not be in the best interests of every child, including their own!  Well, elite lefties found this out years ago, and they've addressed the problem by sending their kids to private school, while insisting that everyone not "of means" be saddled with ineffectual, doctrinaire public schools.  And in most of the country that's exactly how it is: for most parents, private school and/or homeschooling are kept intentionally out of reach by the education establishment.

 

https://thehill.com/opinion/education/6118105-nikole-hannah-jones-just-ran-head-first-into-the-great-dumbing-down/?tbref=hp  

Deal Me OUT!

 

Friends, unsurprisingly, the moderates in Iran want to talk turkey with Trump.  They say that the previous deal -- the U.S./Iranian "memorandum of understanding" -- was just fine, and we should go back to it.  Well, that may or may not be the case, but since the hardliners won't accept any such deal, and will literally blow it up the first chance they get, what's the point?  I believe Trump is right to rebuff these entreaties, despite the fact that he's probably hurting Republican chances in the midterms by doing so.  Of course, Trump probably knows that, whatever he does vis-a-vis Iran, the press will say he's wrong.  If he makes peace, they'll say he "surrendered".  If he escalates the military conflict, they'll say he's a bloody-minded warmonger who picked a fight for no reason.  Bottom line: the only deal that Trump should make with Iran is one that permanently neutralizes the Islamic Republic as a threat.  Otherwise, let's tighten those screws until the Iranian people give the mullahs their walking papers...  This is now a fight to the finish!

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqgmrr9ekr7ko 

Green with Envy?

 

Friends, views certainly differ on the new security agreement that the U.S. has reached with Denmark and Greenland.  Some say it will guarantee American hegemony permanently and at little cost to the USA.  Others say that there was already plenty of security cooperation with the Danes and Greenlanders, and never much prospect of a Russian or Chinese conquest of Greenland.  I'll let you decide for yourselves.

 

https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/09/greenland-bases-forever/ 

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9dr74g32g8go 

 

Greenland was one of several topics that DJT covered during his big speech at the UN today.  He also threatened Iran with "annihilation", as per usual, but also expressed optimism that a deal will be struck, also as per usual.  He's probably right, though, that the regime might come back to the table after the midterms, after which they (wrongly) assume that the Democrats will be in power and able to help them out. The Dems may well be in control of Congress, but Congress will have precious little ability to influence our conflict with Iran.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c6rm903e22lgo 

 

Oh, and you might also want to check out my latest article, which focuses on a bill languishing on the oversized desk of New York Governor Kathy Hochul: 

 

https://www.oleantimesherald.com/2026/09/21/hochuls-chance-practice-preaches-affordable-housing/ 

Where's the Beef???

 

Friends, although this Trump-like buffalo may not have the answers I seek, I believe it's reasonable to ask whether some of Trump's boasts online have any relationship to reality.  For instance, President Trump has announced that CNN, MSNOW, and Politico will be "banned" from the White House, because they are major sources of fake news.  Well, no kidding!  Trump tried this back in his first term with Jim Acosta, the CNN White House reporter, who was temporarily ejected from the White House but soon returned because federal judges felt that he had a constitutional right to be there.  So what's Trump's plan this time to get around the courts?  We don't know.  Perhaps there is no plan, but I would say that one of my biggest gripes about Trump's second term thus far is that he has utterly failed to impose any discipline on the media regarding its twisting of the facts and its blatant and scurrilous campaign of slander against him.  Consequences have repeatedly been threatened --like taking ABC off the air -- but they invariably come to naught.  Well, the media has gotten the message that Trump is a paper tiger, and thus they, the Fourth Estate, can get away with anything and everything.  This is unacceptable!!!  Even if Trump and Republicans can't "ban" certain alleged news outlets, they can certainly stop answering their questions.  Indeed, we should have taken that step a long time ago.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c6e30580jqjpo 

 

In a similar vein, all Trump's brave talk of annexing Greenland, and plenty of other places, has fallen flat, and now we appear ready to ink an agreement with Denmark that will give us the lead in providing security for Greenland, but which will not give us sovereignty over Greenland.  Sounds like a great deal for...Greenland and Denmark!  Again, sorry, President Trump, but empty threats apparently don't achieve much, other than diminishing your own credibility.  Think before you speak!  That's my advice.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c63d7lexyym1o 

The Finance Nerds Have Spoken!

 

Friends, it's official: the Fed has raised interest rates for the first time in three years.  Big deal, you say (while rolling your eyes)?  Hey, sarcasm is the laziest form of humor, you know.  It really isn't a big deal, in itself.  A quarter point here or there won't cause anyone to panic.  What this means, though, is that: A) our long struggle against inflation isn't over, by a long shot, and B) the Fed probably realizes that no one will be buying our government bonds going forward unless we pay a decent rate of interest.  Fair enough.  The problem, as I've pointed out countless times before, is that America's business model, and particularly its spendthrift public finances, are based on easy credit.  When that credit becomes less easy, well, the consequences could eventually be profound.  Eventually, but not today...so relax!

 

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/16/fed-rate-decision-september-2026.html 

25 Years Later

 

Friends, not only was the legacy of the 9/11 attacks a major topic in the news this past week, but I happened to visit the 9/11 Memorial and Museum the day before the 25th anniversary!  It was...sobering, and of course very impactful for anyone who lived through that day.  My sense of normalcy was shattered in the space of a few hours.  I'm sure you can relate.  One can certainly debate whether our reactions to those events were entirely rational or appropriate, but that those events, and the consequences thereof, were historic, well, no one can question that.  I invite your reflections on the big anniversary!

 

 

In other news, we notched another FABULOUS Newsmakers show this week, covering everything from the cultural significance of the decline of broadcast television, to the evolving U.S. strategy to contain (or destroy) the Islamic Republic of Iran, to the ongoing battles over tariffs (foreign AND domestic).  Check it out!

 

https://wysl.podbean.com/e/newsmakers-9-12-26/