Riding High

 

Happy New Year, friends!!!  2025 was a challenging year for me and my loved ones, for purely personal reasons, but it was a very, very good year for America and for the world, by and large.  The U.S. economy and stock market boomed, despite the best efforts of leftists and "journalists" to tank them both.  Scores of woke policies at the federal, state, local, and private sector levels were abolished, transgenderism went into headlong retreat, the federal workforce shrank by 10%, taxes were lowered, crime went down, inflation remained modest, the border became a downright boring place, 2.5 million illegal immigrants left the country either voluntarily or otherwise, tariffs reordered our trading relations with the rest of the world, the Supreme Court backed up President Trump the vast majority of the time, and, most surprising of all, Democrats staved off complete mental breakdowns by convincing themselves that, despite everything I just mentioned, they are winning!  Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!!!  It just goes to show you that the human spirit is nothing if not resilient, and delusionally so, where absolutely necessary.  May the Year of Our Lord 2026 continue to bless this great nation, and may it bring peace and healing to those parts of the world most in need of it.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c050j896q2do 

 

In other news, it's a popular misconception that, because the Constitution says that state legislatures get to decide on Congressional redistricting, this is how the process actually works.  Not really.  Redistricting is actually more of a dialectic process involving state legislatures, yes, but also state and federal courts, the latter of which get, as per usual, the final say.  Thus, when one "arm" of the process doesn't give you, or your party, what you want, you can always try another.  The Dems, since they're not idiots, are well aware of this, and they've been plying these various levers of power very successfully for a long time.  The recent kerfuffle in Utah is a good example.  It's about time we learned from their example!

 

https://amac.us/newsline/politics/the-judicial-coup-in-utah-is-a-warning-to-the-nation/ 

Battle of the Sexes, Part Deux

 

Friends, what better way to decide the relative merits of men and women than by pitting the world's best female tennis player against a hobbled, aging, washed-up shell of a man on the other side of the court?  Heck, why not give the man a smaller area to hit the ball into as well?  Both in the iconic 1973 matchup between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs, and in the recent matchup between Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios, the playing field was anything but level.  In 1973, this gamesmanship had the desired effect, and King defeated Riggs, and women have been crowing about "girl power" ever since.  Now, though, in 2025, Kyrgios easily defeated the decidedly manish "woman" Sabalenka, casting doubt, for the first time ever, on the inherent superiority of women!  My my.  How the tables are turned.  My take, in case you can't decipher all the sarcasm, is that a fixed, unequal contest between a man and a woman proves nothing about anything, and the whole exercise was silly from the start.

 

https://www.breitbart.com/sports/2025/12/28/battle-of-the-sexes-nick-kyrgios-easily-beats-aryna-sabalenka-in-tennis-match/ 

 

https://www.history.com/articles/billie-jean-king-wins-the-battle-of-the-sexes-40-years-ago 

 

In other news, there appears to be progress in negotiations to end the Russia-Ukraine War.  As a sweetener, the U.S. is offering Ukraine "security guarantees".  I'm not sure I like the sound of that.  Why can't those he-men in Europe do the heavy lifting???

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c36z615y443o 

 

Finally, I forgot to post the last Newsmakers interview featuring moi!  Oops.  It was recorded almost a week ago, but luckily we covered a lot of topics that are still timely.  For instance, Brian and I analyzed the upcoming 1970 midterm elections, which I feel are going to be very exciting!  I also expressed a desire to fly in one of those newfangled 747 "jumbo jets".  That would be a trip.  I just hope the Jackson 5 aren't on board, though.  I feel like the size and heft of their afros might compromise the plane's ability to get off the ground...

 

https://wysl.podbean.com/e/newsmakers-12-27-25/ 

The Reason of Our Discontent

 

Friends, today I share with you two articles about A.I. -- one of them shared with me by the incomparable Jack -- which make similar points: we are becoming overly dependent on the assistance of bots and increasingly incapable of critical thought.  Well, sure.  There's an element of truth to the argument, and most people who use A.I. use it as a crutch, i.e. as a way to get things done with minimum thought and exertion on their own part.  And crutches can be bad, because, if you spend your life hobbling around on them, you may never learn to walk or sprint on your own two feet.  The problem with the argument, however, is that crutches come in many forms.  Not so long ago the main crutch students, and humans in general, were using was internet search engines.  They too can do much of our work for us, and they've become increasingly adept at it.  Before that, intellectual purists lamented the use of word processing programs, spellcheck, and the like, which made the process of writing much easier, and could fix problems of grammar, spelling, syntax, etc. that previously we had to fix ourselves.  Before that, there were libraries, which collected in one place much of the wisdom that we might need to complete an intellectual task, and not uncommonly there were librarians lurking in those libraries who, if you were even a little bit nice to them, would do much of the heavy lifting involved in research, and sometimes writing too.  Of course, students, and humans in general, have often relied on their friends and co-workers, who might have been better writers or thinkers that they were, to complete intellectual tasks for them.  People can be crutches too, lest we forget.  And then there's the biggest obstacle of all to genuine critical thinking: the tendency of almost all of us to idealize the intellectual labors done by those we regard as smarter than ourselves.  Think about the educational process itself, which more often than not involves drinking deep of the intellectual achievements of "great" thinkers, from Aristotle to Zola, who may have been brainy, sure, but none of whom had or have all the answers we seek.  In countless ways, even when we seem to be thinking hard about weighty questions, we're very often soaking up the intellectual habits and prejudices of others and then replicating them in our own work.  Truly creative thinking, in the sense of original thinking, is a very rare thing, and that's precisely why people like schools of thought, or political ideologies, or religious dogmas, to spoon feed them "truth", so that they don't have to go find it themselves.  Is A.I. a "crutch", therefore?  Sure it is, or at least it can be.  But crutches and intellectual laziness are nothing new, and so there's no reason to suppose A.I. is a game changer in that regard.  And, speaking of "reason", it's always a useful exercise to ask: what is it, and do those who claim to have a monopoly on it -- leftists are especially guilty of this conceit -- have any better understanding of it than the man on the street, or even the man in the gutter.  My view, since you asked so nicely, has always been that raw reason is a nice and beautiful thing, but, as Aristotle said, it, i.e. reason, moves nothing.  Reason helps us process information, but it doesn't suggest or validate any values.  It doesn't set priorities.  Indeed, A.I., which is something akin to pure thought or basic computational ability, doesn't have any sense of direction or purpose either.  It does, and refuses to do, whatever we humans tell it to do, or not to do.  It's a tool, and we humans, especially those of us who own Big Tech companies or know how to write sophisticated code, are still in the driver's seat, therefore.  We decide what goals and moral parameters prevail in the world of A.I., or at least that has always been the case up to now.  What I conclude from all this is that human beings have always been fundamentally lazy, in the sense that they invariably prefer to complete any task with minimal effort and maximum assistance from technology.  We've also always been a lot less rational, when you get right down to it, than Enlightenment blowhards liked to claim.  Spend an afternoon with a self-satisfied "progressive", and I defy you NOT to conclude that their supposedly rational worldview is, in fact, just a pastiche of petty hatreds and naive, unexamined assumptions, almost all of which they acquired by brainlessly vacuuming them up from left-leaning luminaries who enjoy telling others what to think.  Now, if that's the pinnacle of human reason, which supposedly A.I. is in the process of undermining, maybe we'll all be better off when our brains turn to mush!  Those are my two cents.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/dec/26/ai-dark-ages-enlightenment 

 

https://thefederalist.com/2025/12/25/artificial-intelligence-in-the-classroom-destroys-actual-intelligence-in-students/ 

 

In other news, according to Senator Jim Banks, the U.S. military has its groove back, because of the leadership of President Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.  That's good to hear.  Certainly, we've got wokeism on the run, and that's something to celebrate.

 

https://americanmind.org/salvo/americas-military-is-back/ 

 

Finally, kudos to Honduras' president-elect, Nasry Asfura, the preferred candidate of one Donald J. Trump, and therefore a good friend to the USA.  Once again, we see the Americas moving in a Trumpward direction, which begs the question: why are we even bothering with those stuffy, socialistic Europeans???

 

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/12/26/marco-rubio-congratulates-honduran-president-elect-nasry-asfura 

Joyeux Noel!

 

Friends, Merry Christmas!  May the true spirit of the season, in which presumably President Trump excels BIGLY, be amongst you all.  Lest ye forget, the biggest present you have ever received did not come under the tree...but it's okay to give and receive the occasional capitalistic bauble as well.  It keeps the economy humming along!

Bing Bang Boom!

 

Friends, today there's good news and bad news, much like every day, come to think of it.  Today we learned that the Trump economy is BOOMING, notching 4.3% growth in the third quarter and exceeding all expectations.  That's something to celebrate, no?  And it's sure to filter down to almost all Americans in the long term, since a rising tide lifts all boats, generally speaking.  But there's bad news too.  Consumer confidence, by one measure, actually went down simultaneously, and consumer sentiment was really dragging already.  What do we learn from this strange confluence of data points?  Simple.  We learn that Trump is doing a terrific job as the chief steward of the U.S. economy.  We also learn, however, that the mainstream media and leftists in general are doing a great job of spoiling America's fun and convincing their fellow Americans that, in reality, everything sucks and times have never been so tough.  Trump is pushing back on this false narrative, of course, but he can only do so much.  The Trump haters have plenty of powerful megaphones of their own, and they live, almost literally, in an alternate reality where economic pain totally overshadows economic progress.  And most of them are rich and doing just fine!  Perception is everything, and we need to work harder to get the majority of Americans to realize, before it's too late, how good they have it.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c62n9ynzrdpo 

 

https://www.breitbart.com/economy/2025/12/23/trump-boom-u-s-economy-grows-4-3-smashing-expectations/ 

 

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/consumer-confidence-slides-in-december-as-bad-vibes-about-the-economy-persist-162546840.html 

Battle Ready!

 

Friends, exciting news!  President Trump has ordered the construction of "Trump class" battleships, bristling with high-tech armaments and simply way, way better and Trumpier than anything that has ever graced the murky deep before.  Bravo!  I'm all for a U.S. Navy that is not only powerful but majestic and awe-inspiring.  What's more, we may need Trump's "golden fleet" when we go to war with Denmark in order to conquer Greenland.  Okay, a tugboat would probably suffice to take out the Danes, but better safe than sorry!  Take note that today DJT appointed a special envoy to coordinate our Greenland acquisition strategy, which, I fear, will have to incorporate the use of force at some stage, because those snotty Europeans are not giving up their great big hunk of ice just because we ask them nicely.

 

https://apnews.com/article/trump-navy-golden-fleet-battleship-0940368b39b19f03abe8689ebad08380?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-us 

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckgmd132ge4o 

 

In other news, the Dems may have a competitive presidential primary looming in 2028, but most signs point to a fairly uneventful contest on the GOP side.  J.D. Vance is towering over all other prospects.  At this stage, he has my full support, although it is, lest we forget, a long way to 2028 and much can change.  Maybe Elon will toss his (aluminum foil) hat into the ring?

 

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/12/22/jd-vance-towers-over-potential-2028-gop-primary-field-turning-point-straw-poll/ 

The Empire Strikes Backward

 

Friends, today we got some surprising news for New York State Republicans like Yours Truly.  We were anticipating a battle royal between our sitting Governor Kathy Hochul and GOP Congresswoman Elise Stefanik.  Now it seems Stefanik won't run for Governor, and she won't even run for reelection to the House!  Instead, she plans to "spend more time with her family", which is the sort of thing one says when concealing an ulterior motive, but perhaps in this case it happens to be the truth?  The psychic costs of serving as a public official are shockingly high, so maybe the pressure simply got to Stefanik in the end...  Here's hoping the NYS Republican Party can find a new champion to lead the charge against Hochul, because our state sure could use new leadership.

 

https://apnews.com/article/stefanik-new-york-governor-trump-12fe84b3eb8548c9ce57712022835663?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-us 

 

In other news, DJT has waved his magic wand and lowered the price of prescription drugs!  Good for him.  He's also bringing more pharmaceutical manfacturing back to the USA.  Sounds like a win-win to me!

 

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/12/19/nine-pharma-companies-ink-deals-with-trump-to-lower-drug-prices.html 

 

We now know who the shooter at Brown University was, and it turns out he was an immigrant admitted under the "diversity visa" program, whereby we pick new Americans by lottery.  Sounds like a terrific idea, right?  Why waste any brain cells on the topic of immigration when we can let the wheel of fate decide for us?  Well, if you can't detect my sarcasm, you're just not trying very hard.  This program was always a terrible idea, and hopefully this tragic incident is the wake-up call we needed in order to end it once and for all.

 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/noem-alleged-brown-shooter-diversity-visa-lottery/ 

 

Lastly, the DOJ has begun peppering us with "Epstein files", as per the law that was passed by Congress weeks ago, and I'm sure this avalanche of documentation will put the matter to rest...NOT!  The Dems will keep beating this drum for as long as their core supporters continue to lap up Epstein conspiracy theories, which in my estimation is several more years, at least!

 

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/12/19/doj-begins-releasing-thousands-more-epstein-file-documents/ 

The Trump Effect

 

Friends, kudos to President Trump, who tonight wisely addressed the nation directly, conveying a message of positivity and touting a sterling economic record that few Americans are remotely aware of.  Trump shared numerous statistics documenting wage gains and price declines.  Of course, Trump haters will scoff, but, for at least as long as Trump spoke, he was able to circumvent the talking heads whose soul purpose is to undermine and denigrate him, and thereby to counter lies with truth.  I've often wondered why Trump doesn't make primetime speeches like this more often.  Sure, they don't reach everyone, but if even a sliver of independents and persuadable voters tuned in, the upside could be substantial -- and, more importantly, Trump has literally nothing to lose by making the attempt.  Here's hoping that we'll hear much more from our incomparable Commander-in-Chief in the next three years, and that Trump supporters will pick up where he left off, and spread the word that, on the economy, help is not only on the way -- it's already here!

 

https://nypost.com/2025/12/17/us-news/trump-tells-america-im-fixing-bidens-mess-in-chart-filled-primetime-address/ 

Make the Americas Great Again!

 

Friends, tonight I wish to convey my congratulations and good wishes to the people of Chile, a beautiful and prosperous nation, who have voted to move the country firmly to the right, electing as their next president an ally and admirer of our own Donald J. Trump.  Some say Chile's lurch to the right means a reinstitution of quasi-fascist, Pinochet-style rule.  Well, this ain't 1973, and this time Chile's embrace of "far-right" principles and policies is entirely voluntary, so that's a big difference.  In any case, it's heartening to see so many Latin Americans rejecting Marxism and upholding the values of freedom, capitalist competition, national sovereignty, law and order, and the supremacy of family and God over victimology and secular humanism.  Let's hope that soon we will be able to add Venezuela to the long list of American states, including our own, which have come to their senses!

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0kde07lvvro 

The Woke Leviathan

 

Friends, my latest article is hot off the presses (which exist mainly in my mind, and are VERY hot!).  I tackle the issue of Netflix's proposed takeover of Warner Brothers, which I find...appalling.  See what you make of my point of view.

 

A Pox on the House of Netflix!

The recent announcement that Warner Brothers, a Hollywood institution for over a century, will be acquired by Netflix, one of the wokest Big Tech companies around, should set off alarm bells for anyone who cares about the future of America and our popular culture. The Trump Administration simply cannot allow this merger from leftist Hades (much worse than regular Hades) to proceed.

Netflix's catalog of offenses against decency and traditional values is voluminous. Take, for instance, its trumpeting of the trans agenda...to kids, no less! Netflix's constant nods to identity politics, moreover, make much of its programming unwatchable to anyone who didn't ooze “joy” the moment Kamala(!) became the Democratic Party annointee for president... Meanwhile, Netflix's fascination with leftist narratives, from climate change to “undocumented” immigrants, has laid bare its ideological bias. These manifold sins, in combination with the low quality and limited scope of Netflix's offerings, made it an easy decision for me to cut the (digital) cord to Netflix years ago, and I've never looked back.

Warner Brothers, sadly, is proving less discerning. For reasons that beggar belief, it has accepted an inferior offer from Netflix, spurning a much larger bundle of cash from Paramount, the entertainment giant piloted by David Ellison, the son of Larry Ellison, who is, in case you've forgotten, an open and shameless supporter of (gasp!) President Donald Trump. Hmm. Now that seems odd: a mainstream Hollywood studio has chosen to climb into bed with a famously liberal streaming service, and the financial interests of Warner Brothers' shareholders be damned! Nothing fishy there. The fact that Warner Brothers controls CNN, a failed news network that nonetheless manages to irritate Trump and Republicans on a regular basis, might help to explain why the Ellisons and Paramount had to be denied. The last thing some people want is news networks that report the news, as opposed to TDS-inspired fever dreams.

Luckily, there is hope that this freakish union can be thwarted before American popular culture succumbs once and for all to “progressive” degeneracy. For one thing, Pam Bondi's DOJ, and more specifically its antitrust division, will have something to say about whether the proposed Warner Brothers/Netflix merger harms competition in the entertainment industry and/or represents an illegal monopoly. There are ample reasons to think that it does. President Trump has expressed concern on this point.

What's more, Warner Brothers' shareholders, and other interested parties, can pursue legal action to prevent the merger by arguing that it pointedly ignored, or even deliberately violated, the fiduciary obligation of Warner Brothers' executives, if they sell the company, to seek the best possible deal and the highest possible price. Paramount made six separate offers to Warner Brothers, each more generous than the last, but in the end Warner Brothers' CEO, David Zaslav, spurned the Ellisons and inked an agreement with the people who brought us Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp instead. Very logical! Nice stewardship of the Warner Brothers legacy, Dave. And who needs money, anyway? It's highly overrated, from what I hear.

We can only hope that these political, legal, and financial countermeasures to the proposed Warner Brothers/Netflix merger manage to head off this unholy alliance before it's too late. Otherwise, you could find yourself paying more and more for “entertainment” that is worse and worse, and which doesn't even pretend to promote or respect the values you hold dear. As Bugs Bunny (a Warner Brothers property) would say, that's “what's up, Doc”, and the sooner we organize ourselves to avert this calamity, the better!

Dr. Nicholas L. Waddy is a history professor at SUNY Alfred and blogs at: www.waddyisright.com. He appears on the Newsmakers show on WLEA/WYSL.

 

And here it is at Townhall:

 

https://townhall.com/columnists/nicholaswaddy/2025/12/13/a-pox-on-the-house-of-netflix-n2667823 

 

***

 

And don't miss out on this week's Newsmakers show, which features none other than me!  Brian and I cover U.S./EU tensions, the heartening Republican victory in Tennessee's 7th Congressional district, the resilient Trump economy and the phony "affordability" crisis, the seizure of the oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, the tremendous decline in the number of illegal immigrants in the U.S., the Netflix/Warner Brothers boondoggle, and Time Magazine's homage to the "architects of A.I.", as well as A.I.'s potential impact on the job market.

 

Holy moly!  Is there anything we didn't cover?  Hardly seems so! 

 

https://wysl.podbean.com/e/newsmakers-12-13-25/ 

 

In other news, Republican efforts to redistrict their way to an enhanced, or at least stable, majority in the House of Representatives have been dealt a major setback, as Indiana state senators, including a majority of Republicans (!), voted against a plan that would have, or could have, added two more seats to the GOP tally.  Why would Republicans balk?  Apparently they felt "bullied", the poor dears, and they find the idea of mid-cycle redistricting icky and impolite.  Well, Democrats have been gerrymandering their brains out for decades...so much so that they have precious little left to gerrymander, so why can't Republicans see the writing on the wall?  Midwestern pride?  Homespun self-satisfaction?  Maybe even a touch of closet TDS?  I don't know the answer, but I hope cooler heads prevail and Indiana revisits this issue soon.

 

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/12/12/trump-signals-support-for-primary-challenges-after-indiana-gop-rejects-redistricting-bill/  

The Future Is Now(ish)

 

Friends, Time magazine, which I guess is still a thing, has named the "Architects of A.I." as its Person of the Year, which kinda makes sense, given all the hype around A.I., but what this means is that Elon Musk is co-Person of the Year, and who saw that coming after his brief, cozy relationship with DJT, and then the nasty breakup between them???  I guess the bottom line is that changes in technology are fundamentally transforming the nature of human civilization, and in many ways the "nerds" are now more relevant than the politicians.  Is that good news or bad?  You decide.

 

https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2025/12/11/time-names-the-architects-of-ai-as-2025-person-of-the-year/ 

 

The U.S. has seized a great big oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, and the message is clear: we will no longer look the other way when rogue states engage in illegal, illegitimate trade.  More to the point, Venezuelan President Maduro's days may be numbered.  Let's hope so.

 

https://www.wsj.com/world/americas/u-s-seizes-oil-tanker-off-venezuela-in-escalation-of-pressure-on-maduro-regime-ec2cd0b6?st=ZdBjG1 

 

Finally, U.S. immigration policy sure has undergone a sea change in the last ten months!  600,000+ illegals have been deported, and maybe as many as two million have self-deported.  These are huge numbers, and they're having measurable effects on the job market, housing prices, etc.  Meanwhile, the Trump Adiministration is smoothing the path for rich foreigners to come live (and spend) in the USA, which is okay by me.  Sure, we need the numbers to stay manageable, but wealthy investors are an asset to this country, in a way that aspiring fry cooks and welfare queens are not.  Keep up the good work, Don!

 

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/12/11/trumps-dhs-celebrates-record-breaking-over-2-5-million-illegals-leaving-us/ 

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj4q1lddj8go 

Times Are Tough...Or Are They?

 

Friends, the mainstream media labored mightily in the leadup to the 2025 elections to convince voters that we're in a recession, jobs are scarce, and prices are ever-so-high!  In other words, the media and its leftist masters wanted to capitalize on economic unease to defeat the GOP, and it worked.  Of course, as I have (convincingly) argued elsewhere, it's all malarkey, as old man Biden would say.  The economy is doing just fine, the job market isn't great, but it isn't dreadful either, and inflation is well under control, with wage gains more than accounting for rising prices.  President Trump, in any case, is in a difficult position.  He can't deny or minimize the economic headwinds that some Americans face, but neither can he afford for the economic successes of his administration to be ignored by the public.  He has to be sympathetic to those who are suffering, but also he needs to be a cheerleader for an American economy that in many ways ought to sell itself, but won't, for obvious reasons.  Luckily, the elections are behind us, which means the media can afford to ease up a bit on the doom and gloom.  The result is higher approval ratings for Trump, and an opportunity to sell a new message of hope and opportunity to the American people.  With any luck, Trump can pull it off.  He's going back on the road, campaign-style, to do so, which is a positive sign, because Trump does best when he's speaking directly to the voters, without the filter of the talking heads.  Bon chance, DJT!

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c04vqyl13rlo 

 

https://www.realclearpolling.com/polls/approval/donald-trump/approval-rating 

 

In other news, the incomparable Jack recommends this article to you, about the decline of the "climate cult".  I agree with almost all of it, except the assumption that, because climate catastrophism is false, it will inevitably fail and be recognized for what it is: deception.  No -- unfortunately, phony scandals and crises can be sustained for years, even decades, if the forces behind them are powerful and clever enough.  Climate change is still, for much of the world's population, an existential threat, not necessarily to their lives or livelihoods, but to their fragile emotions, and as such I expect that we'll be hearing about it for a long time to come.  Young people have proven especially vulnerable to this chimera.  Nonetheless, as the article makes plain, the political salience of climate alarmism does seem to be in decline, and that's something to celebrate.

 

https://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/5630192-the-climate-cults-dissolution-is-inevitable/?tbref=hp 

Is "the Old Country" On Its Last Legs?

 

Friends, it's been clear for some time that Europe is struggling in many ways: economically, politically, and culturally.  Its inability to make babies, and its reliance on Third World immigration to keep population levels stable, is one sign of civilizational decay.  Its moribund, socialist economies are another.  This week, though, the EU launched a major attack on X, which, coupled with various other machinations against US-based Big Tech companies, may signal a doubling down on the Euro-elite's penchant for censorship and soft authoritarianism.  The Eurocrats are peeved by the resurgence of Trumpism in the USA, of course, but they are even more worried about the rising strength of populism in Europe itself.  The Reform Party in the UK, the AfD in Germany -- these movements keep European grandees up at night!  Their solution, as per usual, is to criminalize dissent, or to attack the platforms that allow dissent in the first place.  Elon Musk will play a starring role in this evolving conflict between American/classically liberal values, and European elitism, socialism, and tyranny.  So far, we've upheld our commitment to NATO despite these intercontinental squabbles, but can that continue indefinitely???

 

https://www.npr.org/2025/12/05/nx-s1-5634694/x-musk-eu-fines 

 

https://x.com/shellenberger/status/1997083064141599102 

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/politics/government/trump-says-europe-risks-being-wiped-away-unless-it-changes/ar-AA1RMnqN 

 

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2025/12/06/elon-musk-calls-for-the-european-union-to-be-abolished-return-of-national-sovereignty/ 

Don't Mess With Texas!

 

Friends, I don't know whether the new Congressional district lines drawn in Texas, which are designed to give Republicans five more seats, really and truly will...but we're going to find out, thanks to SCOTUS! Yay!  This is a huge win for the GOP and a big shot in the arm to our efforts to hold the House in the midterms.

 

https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/04/politics/supreme-court-allows-texas-to-use-trump-backed-congressional-map-in-midterms 

 

In other news, the FBI has arrested the man who (allegedly) planted pipe bombs in D.C. on the eve of the Trumpist "insurrection".  Why did it take this long?  Did the Biden DOJ sit on the case for years, to avoid arresting someone other than a MAGA nutcase???  We'll soon find out.

 

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/12/04/ag-bondi-evidence-leading-to-j6-pipe-bomber-arrest-collecting-dust-at-bidens-fbi-4-years/ 

 

Trump=peace!  We had another demonstration of this fact today, as DJT presided over yet another peace agreement, this time between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda.  Why should you care?  Well, millions have died in pointless, interminable conflict in the Congo since the late 90s.  It would be nice to see an end to that.  In addition, Congo is home to trillions of dollars in gems and minerals, which, all things being equal, it would be nice to get our hands on, and for the people of the Congo to benefit from.  As Trump says, if we all see (Trumpian) reason, we can all get rich...together!

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjrjn88jqn4o 

 

Finally, Vice-President J.D. Vance, who incidentally Elon says is on course to serve two terms as president (may it be so!), is celebrating a notable decline in the cost of rent, which of course affects the bottom line of tens of millions of Americans, especially the poor.  This decline has happened partly because many communities have been emptied out of illegals and even legal immigrants.  Imagine that!  You cut the demand for housing, and the price...goes down???  Unheard of!!!  Well, unheard of if you're a Democrat.  This is wonderful news, and it's the kind of positive news about the economy that unfortunately all too few people are hearing.

 

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/12/04/jd-vance-link-between-mass-immigration-and-housing-costs-clear-as-day-as-rents-continue-declining/ 

The Winning Never Stops!

 

Good news, friends!  Republican Army veteran Matt Van Epps has defeated a dastardly Dem, a real leftie in sheep's clothing, in the special election in Tennessee's 7th Congressional district.  Democrats felt that they could make the race competitive, despite the district's strongly red character, and to a point they did.  Republicans had to put forth maximum effort and spend lots of money, but they still won handily -- by about 9 points.  Democrats and progressives will try to spin this loss into a win, but don't buy the hype.  Republicans and conservatives still stand by President Trump, no matter what the mainstream media would have you believe.  The GOP also still controls the House, and we have lots of opportunities to shore up our popular support before fall 2026.  This win is a good start!

 

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/12/02/republican-matt-van-epps-wins-special-election-for-tennessees-seventh-congressional-district3156852/ 

 

https://www.cnn.com/election/2025/results/special-elections 

 

In closely related news, Florida is planning to redraw its House districts before those all-important midterm elections in 2026, and that could easily net Republicans a good-sized handful of seats.  Go, DeSantis!

 

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/3903562/desantis-announces-florida-is-going-to-redistrict/ 

 

Finally, the Left and the media have been pushing a number of (pathetic and misleading) narratives lately, including that Pete Hegseth likes to kill the wounded in his free time.  Another story that some of them are keen on is that Trump is on his last legs, either physically or mentally -- or maybe both!  Trump's recent MRI results would seem to undercut that bit of slander, but I expect the Dems to keep grasping at straws nonetheless.  That's par for the course.

 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-mri-abdomen-heart-white-house-says/ 

Huddle Somewhere Else!

 

Friends, in the wake of a despicable, murderous attack on National Guard troops patroling Washington, D.C., President Trump is promising some sweeping changes to our immigration system.  The perpetrator was an Afghan asylum seeker, you see -- a former CIA employee who was admitted into the U.S. under the auspices of the Biden Administration.  Trump has declared that all green card holders from 19 countries will be put under review, that no more asylum requests will be processed until proper vetting can be guaranteed, and, most importantly, we will have a "permanent pause" on all migration from "Third world countries".  Can the President of the United States really do all these things?  Well, we're about to find out.  Of course, the flow of legal and illegal migrants to the U.S. has already shrunk remarkably since Trump took office, so further diminishing these numbers would certainly seem like a job in Trump's wheelhouse.  All this comes at a rather propitious time as well, since a slackening job market means we have little immediate need for more foreign labor.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdxweyy157go 

 

In other news, Trump has announced that he has "terminated" all of Joe Biden's executive actions signed by autopen.  Would this include the long list of pardons issued by Biden in the waning days of his presidency?  Now THAT would be interesting...

 

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/11/28/president-trump-documents-signed-by-joe-bidens-autopen-are-hereby-terminated/ 

 

Finally, this week's Newsmakers interview is, as you would expect, a doozy, covering a wide range of topics, including the Epstein morass, the decline and fall of MTG, the scandalous sedition recently espoused by six members of Congress, the evolving relationship between DJT and Zohran Mamdani, the dismissal of the charges against James Comey and Letitia James, what can be done about rogue judges, the resilience of the U.S. economy, the railroading of Jair Bolsonaro, and more!

 

https://wysl.podbean.com/e/newsmakers-11-29-25/ 

MAThA!

 

Friends, part of Donald Trump's mission is to Make America Thankful Again, and I must say it's working as far as I'm concerned.  I'm thankful that we conservatives have a future in this country again...a bright future!  I'm thankful that wokeness is in retreat, and that Republicans control the White House, both houses of Congress, the Supreme Court, and therefore most of the levers of political power.  I'm thankful that our economy is expanding, our markets are soaring, and we are at the forefront of exciting new industries like artificial intelligence, robotics, and more.  I'm thankful that our borders are finally secure, and that illegal immigrants are leaving America by the truckload.  I'm even thankful that the mainstream media is occasionally facing accountability for its relentless campaign to derail the Trump Administration and the MAGA movement.  Most of all, I'm thankful that America has its groove back, and that the Left's sophisticated efforts to abolish our competitive two-party system, via censorship, intimidation, and lawfare, failed miserably.  Oh, I'm thankful, all right!  And you should be too.

 

Here's one more thing to be thankful for: my latest article!  It's an analysis of how buoyant the Trump economy has been, and how detached from reality the Left's economic pessimism has become.

 

https://townhall.com/columnists/nicholaswaddy/2025/11/26/on-the-economy-we-have-nothing-to-fear-but-fear-itself-n2667027 

Justice Deferred?

 

Friends, there were some intriguing developments today related to efforts to hold Dems and Trump haters responsible for their various and sundry alleged crimes.  First, a federal judge, appointed by Bill Clinton, dismissed the charges against James Comey and Letitia James, although the Justice Department vows that new charges will be filed in due course.  Second, the Department of War (grrr!) announced that it is investigating Senator Mark Kelly (D - Arizona) for his actions in connection with the video recently posted to X encouraging service members to disobey "illegal orders" (undefined and unspecified).  Context would be king if the military decides to court-martial Kelly, but it might be worth a try.  Certainly the (civilian) courts have not proved to be a reliable instrument with which to discipline rogue Democrats -- and that's an understatement!!!

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9qelv51y23o 

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqxqwrlp7r0o 

Forever Wars Nevermore?

 

Friends, as you know, those Russkies and those Ukrainians just keep pounding away at each other in a bitter conflict cheered on by most of the Western elite.  DJT promised us he could end the war lickety-split, but doing so has proved very challenging.  Now, the U.S. has come up with a 28-point peace plan and is putting great pressure on Ukraine to toe the line.  Would Trump be willing to cut off Ukraine's supply of cash, intelligence, and weapons if it demurs?  That's the $64,000 question!  Personally, I'm sick and tired of this war, and I would like to see it ended ASAP, before the geniuses who run NATO find a way of making it into WWIII...

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy5g4r9l4dlo 

 

Well, it's official: using AI to do your homework is a venial sin.  So implied Pope Leo XIV in a virtual conversation with American students.  I have my doubts whether this revelation will dampen students' use of AI, however.  After all, our Christian God is nothing if not forgiving, so why not lean on ChatGPT now, and ask for absolution later?  These Gen Z types know how to play the angles...

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/c99704g0x4ro 

 

Finally, President Trump has met in the Oval Office with Zohran Mamdani, soon to be the Marxist-Leninist Mayor of New York City.  What's more, the two men were cordial and conciliatory!  Who saw that coming?  Presumably, they'll go right back to calling one another "fascist!" and "communist!" soon, but it's nice that they could manage this brief ceasefire.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgqd42gl0qo 

Let Them Eat Lead?

 

Friends, lots of people on both sides of the aisle are getting the vapors tonight, expressing extreme outrage.  First, Democrats posted a video encouraging members of the military to disobey "illegal orders", but without specifying what orders Trump has given might be illegal. Then, Trump posted several comments on Truth Social decrying the video and asking, first, "SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR FROM TRAITORS!!! LOCK THEM UP???", and then declaring "SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!"  So, in short, Republicans are upset that Democrats would so vaguely and casually call on the military to disobey the Commander in Chief, while Democrats are upset that Trump would so brazenly call for elected officials to be executed (after, presumably, being found guilty of sedition or treason).  Frankly, I think both sides have a point.  What the Dems did was irresponsible and, in its way, quite cowardly, because they encouraged service members to risk their careers, and maybe their lives, for a cause that even these armchair insurrectionists were unwilling to define.  Pretty reprehensible.  On the other hand, what the Democrats actually said was hardly sedition or treason, and certainly isn't punishable by death, because they never got around to specifying under what circumstances anyone should violate the chain of command.  Virtually everyone agrees that "illegal orders" should be disobeyed.  What no one agrees on, including the Democrats in question, is what constitutes an illegal order.  President Trump, at any rate, clearly lost his cool and reverted to type, ranting on social media without pausing to consider the nuances of the situation or, indeed, how best to take political advantage of it.  He gave Democrats, as he so often does, an opening to describe themselves as the victims of "violent rhetoric", when, as we all know, their rhetoric is anything but calm and collected.  Long story short: neither the Dems nor President Trump are making America proud tonight.

 

https://x.com/SenatorSlotkin/status/1990774492356902948?s=20 

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2p2dz9zk2o 

Removing the Ep-stink from American Politics

 

Friends, DJT's decision to encourage Republicans to join Democrats in an effort to release YET MORE "Epstein files" seems like genius: it diffuses (maybe?) the Democrats' charge that Trump is part of the Epstein coverup, and thus a presumptive pedophile himself.  Of course, what's in those files may be obscure enough or varied enough that people can read into them what they like (quite possible), or they may simply claim that the absence of definitive proof in the files that people they hate are pedophiles proves that the files have been scrubbed (very likely).  Long story short: I'm skeptical that we will succeed in removing the "Ep-stink" from America, and especially from the Dems, but it's worth a try.  Of course, one could also ask, a la MTG, why did it take Trump so long to figure this out?

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdxr1r34ev9o 

 

In other news, a federal court is ordering that Texas cease and desist from its efforts to create five new Republican-leaning districts, throwing a big wrench in the works of GOP plans to gerrymander their way to victory in 2026.  Will SCOTUS save the day?  We better hope so!

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce3x9kkwp31o 

Epstein, Epstein, Epstein!

 

Friends, the Left's weaponization of Jeffrey Epstein has really kicked into high gear of late.  They obviously feel they can pull a Prince Andrew on DJT.  Well, I very much doubt that, but they have managed to thoroughly delude themselves.  The number of lefties who think that Trump -- and every prominent Republican -- is a pedophile has skyrocketed!  I reflect in this week's Newsmakers interview about how sad it is that Trump haters will grasp at any straw, no matter how tattered and insubstantial, to buttress their searing hatred for Donald Trump.  Pathetic!  It's a fact of life, though, and it ain't goin' away.  This week, Brian and I also talk about the shutdown fallout, AOC's future, the staying power of socialism, and more!

 

https://wysl.podbean.com/e/newsmakers-11-15-25/ 

 

I'm not sure I like President Trump's decision to eliminate tariffs on a range of groceries.  First, it feels like a retreat from his signature policy, and that will cheer up the lefties, who we never want to see with a smile on their faces.  Second, it feels like an admission that tariffs cause higher prices, and if so then why are we tariffing everyone in sight???  My hope is that this is just a small, tactical retreat, and will not lead to a wider collapse in Trump's tariff strategy.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdjr4xw83eko 

Penny For Your Thoughts?

 

Friends, distressing news!  Or wonderful news, depending on your point of view.  The United States Mint has discontinued the production of the venerable penny.  From this point on, persons wishing to know your thoughts may have to pay the princely sum of one nickel, i.e. five cents.  Inflation is a killer, no?  Actually, pennies will remain in circulation indefinitely, and, since they've become increasingly useless, possibly we've got more than enough floating around to meet current and future "needs".  Be that as it may, it's a sad day when the penny has been rendered obsolete by rising prices.  It wasn't so long ago that both the U.S. and Britain minted a "half penny", and you could actually buy stuff with it!  Okay, it was a while ago.  No half pennies have been made in the USA since 1857, nor in the UK since 1967.  Bear in mind that the U.S. version was 1/200 of a dollar, whereas the British version was 1/480 of a pound.  What can you buy for 1/480 of a pound?  Now, nothing, but, back in the Middle Ages, it could get you a loaf of bread, a pound of cheese, or a dozen eggs.  Those were the days, am I right???  Assuming you could dodge the Black Death, you could live high on the hog!

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/cy4pkgvyn44o 

The BBC Gets Trumped!

 

Friends, believe it or not, after a long hiatus, I wrote an article!  I was inspired by the humbling of the BBC at the hands of You-Know-Who, as you'll see:

 

https://townhall.com/columnists/nicholaswaddy/2025/11/13/the-great-media-cleansing-n2666312 

 

In other news, DJT has ground the shutdown underfoot, as we all knew he would, and Republicans made remarkably few concessions to get the Dems to cry uncle.  Well played!  Of course, the shutdown was always a stunt anyway, and as such was at least no great liability to the Dems, which is sad to admit but true.  They ought to be ashamed of themselves, and anyone who voted blue in the recent election should be too, but alas that's just not how the world works...

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c891nvwvg2zo 

In Flanders Fields

 

Friends, Happy Veterans Day, or Armistice Day, as you prefer!  November 11th marks the 107th anniversary of the armistice that brought an end to the fighting on the Western Front in World War I, or the "Great War", as it was then called.  The world had never been through such an industrialized bloodletting before, although, as we all know, WWII would surpass it in countless ways.  God willing, we've learned our lesson, and we won't risk another global conflagration.  I'm looking at you, NATO!!!  Cool your jets.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj41g5w0vgno 

 

In other news, consider this detailed analysis of the potential consequences of mid-cycle redistricting, which has been embraced by Trump and Republicans as a means to preserve our House majority.  This article is designed to make Democrats feel good, as all NBC "journalism" does, but it contains more than a few kernels of truth.  There is a degree of risk in the redistricting strategy.  FYI, a lot will depend on the Supreme Court and whether it continues to insist that maps be drawn to maximize the number of minority (mainly black) Congressmen.  If that stipulation goes out the window, Republicans could make some big gains.

 

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/-year-election-losses-spark-republican-concerns-redistricting-rcna242129 

Shutting Down the Shutdown?

 

Friends, don't look now, but it appears that Democrats are about to cave on the government shutdown.  They're agreeing to reopen the government without any of their core demands being met.  A cynical observer might conclude that, now that the shutdown has served its purpose of helping the Dems to win the (rather unimportant) 2025 elections, they are ready to once again make nice and let people eat, fly, visit national parks, etc.  Of course, the shutdown probably had very little to do with the election results, and in fact it may have all been a gigantic waste of time, but then few things that come out of Washington, D.C. are anything but, if we're to be honest with ourselves.

 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/11/09/government-shutdown-deal-agreement-funding-flight-cuts/87185102007/ 

 

In other news, President Trump likes tariffs (no surprise) and he thinks that people who disagree with him are "FOOLS" (even less of a surprise).  What's a little arresting is his plan to give American taxpayers a $2,000 "dividend" based on tariff revenues.  Uhhh, ever heard of a little thing called the deficit???  It's kinda huge.  I am strongly against this idea, and, if DJT thinks it would make every American love him, well, that ain't gonna happen!

 

https://www.breitbart.com/economy/2025/11/09/president-trump-calls-anti-tariff-people-fools-promises-2000-dividends-for-americans/ 

 

President Trump attended an NFL game today between the Detroit Lions and the Washington Definitely-Not-Redskins.  He made quite a splash, and Air Force One even did a low-level flyover.  Neat!

 

https://www.breitbart.com/sports/2025/11/09/trump-reacts-to-air-force-one-flyover-at-commanders-lions-game-greatest-flyover/ 

 

Finally, a major global news organization, the BBC, has been humiliated by the revelation that it deliberately and deceptively edited two clips of Donald Trump in the lead-up to the November 2024 election.  The BBC's director general and its news CEO have resigned as a result.  What???  Accountability in the mainstream media?  Is that a thing?  Boy, color me impressed!

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3vn25d5dq7o 

The Mamdani Factor

 

Friends, this week's Newsmakers broadcast includes my analysis of how Zohran Mamdani became NYC's mayor, and what it might mean for New York State politics.  In short, I see a big opportunity for Republicans in the Empire State in 2026!

 

https://wysl.podbean.com/e/newsmakers-11-8-25/ 

 

In other news, there isn't any other news.  How about that???  There's plenty of news a-comin', however, especially at the Supreme Court, which could reshape our political system, and especially our elections, going into the all important '26 midterms...

 

https://americanmind.org/salvo/a-constitutional-turning-point/ 

Don't Let the Door Hit You on the Way Out!

 

Friends, many of us thought that Nancy Pelosi would stalk us relentlessly for all eternity, like the undead shrew she clearly resembles, but it turns out that she's mortal and, at age 85, she's decided to retire.  Unfortunately, her heartfelt hatred for Republicans and conservatives and, most of all, Donald Trump will long outlive her.  C'est la vie.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/nancy-pelosi-to-retire-from-congress-after-nearly-40-years/ar-AA1PW4u2 

 

In other news, could you soon be replaced by a humanoid robot?  If your name is Jack and elegant verbiage drips from your mouth like sweet, ambrosial drool, then probably not.  If you're in the service industry, though, be afraid!  Be VERY afraid!!!  How soon will the robots conquer all?  Ah, there's the rub...

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdrz2rdlykdo 

 

Finally, have you noticed how DJT seems to be setting up both J.D. Vance and Marco Rubio as potential successors?  Well, apparently Rubio is assuring Republican insiders that he won't run for president in 2028 if Vance does, which is probably for the best, as the last thing the right needs is to be eating its own.  I like Rubio, personally, but I like Vance more.

 

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/11/07/nolte-report-says-rubio-will-not-run-for-president-if-vance-does/ 

Will the Big Blue Wave Drown Us All?

 

Friends, distressing news: the dastardly Dems have won tonight -- and they've won big!  They've prevailed in both governors races, in Virginia and New Jersey, by solid margins.  They elected an avowed socialist, Zohran Mamdani, as Mayor of New York City.  They even won a race for Attorney General in Virginia with a candidate who pines for the violent death of Republicans...and their children.  I think the big takeaway here is that DEMOCRATS ARE PISSED!!!  They haven't gone away, despite our fondest wish that the party and movement would self-destruct and trouble us no more.  Quite the contrary: they're highly motivated to oppose Trump and the GOP with all their might, which is considerable, since so many of them are wealthy, educated, and well-connected.  Now, in case you're tempted to succumb to despair, keep in mind that none of their victories tonight are all that consequential.  No governor, and no mayor, can hold a candle to Generalissimo Trump, in terms of sheer power.  We still control the White House, Congress, the Supreme Court, and countless state governments too.  What's more, there is a sizable silver lining in these results, for us: the Dems will interpret their crushing victories as a sign that their lurch leftwards is fine and dandy, and that America craves the Bolshevik balderdash that they're peddling.  In short, they will double down on all the TDS, all the neo-Marxism, all the big government redistributionism, all the wackiness, and all the smugness that has "gotten them this far".  They may, in consequence, shoot themselves in the foot, as they have done so often in the past.  Therefore, I wouldn't panic, by any means, but I wouldn't scoff at those hobbling Dems either.  They are eminently capable of winning in 2026, and 2028, and beyond, and they will, unless we play our cards just right.  The battle is joined!  And we must, and I believe we shall, ultimately prevail.

 

https://www.cnn.com/election/2025 

 

In other news, former Vice-President Dick Cheney has died.  Far be it from me to speak ill of the dead, but it's more than a little remarkable that a man who the Left often compared to Darth Vader, because of his unapologetic conservatism and his penchant for they regarded as authoritarianism and military aggression, became, in the fullness of time, a bitter enemy of Donald Trump and even endorsed Kamala Harris's presidential bid in 2024.  Egad!  What incredible realignments the Trump Era has begat.  A friend reminded me today that I once interned for Dick and Lynne Cheney at the American Enterprise Institute.  This was way back in 1995, I believe.  I had plumb forgot!  That seems like it was several lifetimes ago, back when Dick Cheney's reputation was, well, rather different than what it is now.  It just goes to show you that, in life and in death, nothing is ever permanent, except maybe death itself, from which, I suppose, old Dick is unlikely to recover.  Never say never, though!  If anyone could manage it, surely it would be he.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyzm1j6l76o