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/ 

It's Raining Money!

 

Friends, Not content with putting his face on legal tender currency, DJT is now promising every adult American $5,000 if Republicans win the House and Senate in November.  Wow!!!  If you ask me, this is a dreadful idea on so many levels, the first being that we've got an almost $2 trillion yearly deficit, and Trump is proposing to add to it.  More importantly, I suspect the brazen pandering that this represents will be seen for what it is by the American people.  Trump threw money in all directions in 2020 in an effort to get reelected, and we all know how that turned out.  I doubt this gambit will be any more successful, or will be any more likely to produce those $5,000 checks.  But hey, the voters aren't universally bright, and they sure like freebies, so who knows...  Maybe this is what American politics boils down to these days: whoever promises more free stuff, WINS!!!  The truth is, as I see it, that Trump has accumulated a strong record in his second term and has already made life better for most Americans.  This dividend business may distract from that record, and that's a shame, but that's just my two cents.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c62kzr1jg0jo 

Red, Black, and Gold Alert!

 

Friends, the German establishment is girding its loins in the wake of the AfD's blowout win in provincial elections.  The "far right" party didn't achieve a majority, but it came amazingly close in a country with at least half a dozen viable parties.  There's a good possibility, however, that all the other parties will come together to form a coalition that excludes the AfD, because...fascism!!!  That might work in the short term, but can the powers-that-be in Europe ignore the people forever?  We shall see.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpd0113082eo 

Good News/Bad News

 

Friends, as per Elon Musk, the robots are coming for your jobs!!!  Jobs are kinda dumb anyway, but some of you may still consider this "bad news", since it's nice to have a paycheck.  The good news, for EVERYONE, is that robots will do for mankind what automation already has: make production vastly more efficient, raising the global standard of living to undreamed of heights.  This is just one of the topics that Brian and I cover on this week's Newsmakers show.  We also consider the medium term outlook for the US-Iran conflict, the truth about conflicts between Trump and Vance, the debate over data centers, the rights and wrongs of our fancy new ballroom, the two faces of John Roberts, and the recent Dutch decision to withdraw some of their gold reserves from the Fed in NYC.  It's quite the intellectual smorgasbord this week, folks!

 

https://wysl.podbean.com/e/newsmakers-9-5-26/ 

 

In other news, it's refreshing and very heartening to see a lot of countries walk back their opposition to nuclear power.  Hey, I guess it's true: necessity really is the mother of invention!  The world needs POWER, and it's willing to bust a few atoms to get it, apparently.  Very sensible.

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/09/05/japan-nuclear-energy-embrace-reflects-global-shift/ 

The Gold Standard

 

Friends, we abandoned the gold standard (by which the dollar was exchangable for gold) back in 1971, but let's not waste time reconsidering that decision.  Today I want to draw your attention to the fact that the Dutch have decided to move a lot of their gold reserves from the U.S. and Canada to the U.K.  Big deal, you say?  (Meaning that it's actually a small deal...)  Well, yeah, in itself it doesn't mean much, but we can't deny the fact that international confidence in the U.S. political system, and by extension our economic system, is flagging.  The U.S. dollar is still the reserve currency, but the world's appetite for dollars, and for U.S. government bonds, is dwindling.  To some degree that was always inevitable, but on the other hand the reign of DJT, and the contempt that most of the world holds him in, is relevant, because it accelerates the decline of American economic hegemony.  Don't get me wrong: in many ways, the U.S. economy is strong and is even the envy of the world.  Despite this, we shouldn't kid ourselves: possessing the global reserve currency allows us to live far higher on the hog than would otherwise be the case.  We can spend like drunken sailors because the world has decided that we're "good for it".  Slowly but surely, the world is reconsidering.  That matters.  Someday, it may matter a whole lot more than it does today.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgy51xlz39o 

 

But there's hope!  Countries can lose their economic hegemony without falling into terminal decline, and even without severe economic trauma.  The U.K. is a good case in point.  The British used to rule the seas, and more importantly they had the world's reserve currency: the pound.  That was all terrific, until the cost of two world wars, and the meteoric rise of two superpower competitors, made Britain a second rate power.  The standard of living of the British people, however, continued to rise, and, quite wisely, the British hitched their wagon to the American star, and all was well.  Anyway, on to the "hope" part: Elon Musk says that, in the near future, A.I. and robots will cause a spectacular, unprecedented rise in the productivity of the American and the world economies.  I believe he's right.  The timescale can be debated, but very fundamental changes are coming that will make life easier and more prosperous for almost everyone.  This may well make a "soft landing" for the USA a lot simpler.  I sure hope so.

 

https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2026/09/02/elon-musk-predicts-1-billion-humanoid-robots-will-outproduce-all-of-humanity-in-10-years/ 

Big Beautiful Ballroom

 

Friends, in another welcome sign that the Supremes are eager to bend the knee to His Majesty Donald I, SCOTUS today allowed the Trump Administration to resume construction on the famous mother-of-all-ballrooms.  Hooray!  I hope it includes a throne room, and I'm NOT refering to the executive washroom either.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9w457e7ydlo 

 

In other news, Trump is defending the construction of data centers, despite concerns that they suck down water and electricity resources and thus increase costs for ordinary Americans.  As usual, I'm with Trump!  Did we fret during the Industrial Revolution that factories would use natural resources or energy, and thus raise costs for consumers?  Of course we didn't.  Industrialization was the only game in town, and you could either play it or sink into poverty.  The same is true of the information age: we have no choice but to participate, and the last thing we want to do is erect artificial barriers to the expansion of our digital infrastructure.  Individual Americans can moan about AI and the "internets" all they like, but technology is the future, and we need to be on the cutting edge.

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/08/31/trump-says-voters-who-oppose-data-centers-will-kill-golden-goose/ 

Insolvent Mullahs

 

Friends, on this week's Newsmakers show, Brian and I reflect on the increasingly desperate economic predicament of the Islamic Republic of Iran...or more accurately of its miserable inhabitants, since the leadership seems to be somewhat oblivious to the suffering of ordinary people.  But for how long?  Iran can only sink so far before even the mullahs have to reacquire some sort of grip on reality.  In addition, Brian and I talk over class changes in the last several generations in the U.K. and the U.S., the expansion of SpaceX infrastructure in the context of the recent softening of the Trump-Musk relationship, the precipitious rise in our national debt, the feasibility of third party candidates for high office, and more!!!

 

https://wysl.podbean.com/e/newsmakers-8-29-26/ 

 

In other news, DJT has announced a big new deal to expand Venezulean oil production, and to channel a lot of the profits into American hands.  Sounds nice!  Can the government there be trusted, and will private enterprise play ball, as it undoubtedly would need to in order to make production rise?  We shall see.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2zlwe7qj1o 

Good Bye, Dolly!

 

Friends, I won't pretend that I'm a country music fan or that I knew diddly squat about Dolly Parton, but I saw 9 to 5 and quite enjoyed it, so allow me to join the chorus of voices wishing ole Dolly Godspeed!

 

https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20201204-how-dolly-parton-became-the-worlds-best-loved-celebrity 

 

In other news, everyone's favorite trillionaire, Elon Musk, is about to build another sprawling "Starbase" -- this time in the great state of Louisiana.  The sky is the limit when it comes to Musk and SpaceX, if you ask me.  I would buy stock in SpaceX before I would buy it in Tesla, that's for sure.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cq5xel4v642o 

 

Finally, you may have heard that we've unleashed economic armageddon on the Iranians.  Well, why not?  This does rather beg the question of why we didn't put maximum pressure on Iran at the beginning of the conflict, but hey -- better late than never.  Iran really does seem to be struggling economically.  Why the leadership there thinks all this is a good idea is beyond me...  I know we're the "Great Satan" and all, but why poke Satan in the eye?  Seems to me the mullahs have bitten off more than they can chew.  They might end up defrocked, or even decapitated!

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/08/25/scott-bessent-is-right-about-iran-attack-economy/ 

The King's Speech

 

Friends, there was a time when, if you didn't speak "the Queen's English", i.e. English with an upper-class British accent, you wouldn't get anywhere near a BBC microphone or a television camera.  And I say: right you were, snobs!  Mere peasants have no right to assail us with their dreary diction.  Of course, a lot has changed in Britain's class system since the end of WWII.  Nowadays, a compromise, middle class accent, denuded of regionalisms, is arguably taking over.  That's "democracy" at work, I suppose.  In the U.S., it has long been the case that one's accent does not necessarily indicate one's social status.  This is why I favor the reinstitution of sumptuary laws.  Look 'em up, peons!

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c05q318501yo 

 

In other news, the WaPo is absolutely right to celebrate the recent decline in food insecurity, and to tie this trend to the waxing prosperity of the "developing world", but it is somewhat missing the forest for the trees, since the real news -- in a world-historical sense -- is that, in this day and age, virtually no one is starving.  That may not seem very surprising to those of us who live in the USA and have supermarket-sized expectations for caloric intake, but for most of human history it has been shockingly common for large numbers of people to starve.  Not so long ago it was pretty common in "Afro-Asia" too.  No more!  Modern agricultural methods have banished famine almost altogether, and guess what?  That's kinda good!!!  We don't stop to reflect on it very often, but we should.  Chances are, you'll never be desperately hungry, and therefore just plain desperate.  You can thank the Brits and their pioneering work in the Agricultural Revolution for that.

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/08/22/world-hunger-decline-is-powerful-story-economic-freedom/ 

The Elephant in the Room

 

Friends, while lefties obsess over made-up scandals like President Trump's entirely fictional romantic relationship with his long-time secretary, the country faces real problems, like our ballooning debt, and the rising burden of making interest payments on that debt.  Meanwhile, we continue to spend far beyond our means, and neither Democrats nor Republicans show any genuine inclination towards fiscal responsibility.  How long can the spending spree continue?  Probably pretty long, as this is a very rich country, and it takes time for insolvency to become apparent.  We have to admit, though, that President Trump has not been, in any meaningful sense, part of the solution.  Instead, he's part of the problem, spending-wise, although there's plenty of blame to go around!  Much of it (most of it?) rests with the voters themselves, who always want something for nothing.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c70gp8252ejo 

 

https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2026/08/20/rosie-odonnell-joins-crude-natalie-harp-mania-in-latest-trump-obsessed-kimmel-live-monologue/ 

The Stars Align

 

Friends, a lot may be going wrong for Trump and Republicans these days, but one thing is going decidedly right: the rapprochement between Trump and Elon Musk, the world's richest man.  Sniping between the two of them is totally counterproductive, needless to say, but Musk can also offer vital support to GOP candidates in the midterms.  Every little bit helps, and Musk is in a position to do more than a little...

 

https://www.wsj.com/politics/trump-elon-musk-relationship-d4b57ce6?st=2j4snk 

Number Two

 

Friends, the conflict with Iran is creating some intriguing disruptions and relignments in international trade and travel.  For one thing, an airport in South Korea (???) is now the world's busiest, and, unsurprisingly, Dubai's airport is rather quiet.  The world's second busiest airport is Heathrow, which I know well from my visits to the U.K., and because my beloved aunt lives in its flightpath.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cr49p1279n0o 

 

In other news, the GOP isn't raising the white flag for the midterms, even though the political environment seems highly adverse this year.  A lot can change between now and November, of course, and the Dems are shooting themselves in the foot (feet?) in multiple marquee matchups.  Don't despair!

 

https://www.axios.com/2026/08/13/house-republican-american-action-network-midterm-ad-campaign 

Los Americanos

 

Friends, the peoples of the Americas are a little closer to comity tonight, as the great nation of Colombia has rejected Marxism and now has as its president a bonafide conservative.  Bravo!!!  Long may he reign.

 

https://www.breitbart.com/latin-america/2026/08/07/conservative-abelardo-de-la-espriella-inaugurated-president-colombia/ 

 

In other news, President Trump's White House ballroom project has been put on hold by the D.C. Court of Appeals.  Shockingly, the judges who ruled against him were appointed by...Democrats???  Who saw that coming?  Let's hope SCOTUS makes this right.

 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/appeals-court-says-trump-needs-151920281.html 

 

Lastly, you won't want to miss my appearance on this week's Newsmakers show, because, well, I'm basically the star!!!  I like to think you'll learn a thing or two: about Britain's new party system, about Trumponomics, and more!

 

https://wysl.podbean.com/e/newsmakers-8-8-26/