Cannon fodder: Judge Aileen Cannon is there to advance an agenda

In 2020, Donald Trump made a bet that is today paying off: nominating Florida Federal Judge Aileen Cannon, who now oversees the classified documents case brought by Special Counsel Jack Smith. Friday, Cannon held a stunning hearing on whether Smith was legally appointed in the first place.

A constitutional command: Louisiana’s Ten Commandments ploy

It took almost no time at all for the ACLU and other civil liberties groups to file federal suit against the state of Louisiana after GOP Gov. Jeff Landry signed a bill that would require state-funded schools at all levels — from kindergarten on up — display a poster of the Ten Commandments, along with a so-called “context statement.”

Clarence Thomas and John Roberts are at a fork in the road

Two years ago, when the Supreme Court decided New York State Rifle and Pistol Association Inc. v. Bruen, it created a jurisprudential mess that scrambled American gun laws. On Friday not only did the cleanup begin, but the Supreme Court also cleared the way for one of the most promising legal innovations for preventing gun violence: red flag laws.

Keep the fear, give us hope

What are people looking for in their darkest hour, when they are frightened, angry, frustrated and uncertain whether the coming years will be better or worse?

Americans on all but paper: Biden action on US citizen spouses is good for all

In a long-awaited announcement Tuesday, President Joe iden unveiled an executive action that would grant the undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens who’ve lived in the country for 10 or more years, as well as their children under 21, a designation known as parole-in-place. This in turn will clear the path for applications for permanent residence and, eventually, citizenship.

We are bowling alone

Aquarter century has passed since Robert Putnam released “Bowling Alone,” his heralded work on America’s decaying social fabric. The book was sobering at the time. Things are worse now: Not only are we still bowling alone, but now we’re playing an altogether different game.

Preparing for an inevitable AI emergency

Artificial intelligence is advancing at a speed and in ways that were unanticipated even by the foremost AI experts. Just a few decades ago, AI was largely theoretical, existing primarily in the realms of science fiction and academic research. Today, AI permeates nearly every aspect of our lives, from the algorithms that curate social media feeds to the autonomous systems that drive cars. This rapid advancement, while promising in many respects, also heralds a new era of uncertainty and potential peril.

The paranoid style in tariff policy

A few days ago Donald Trump floated a truly terrible, indeed unworkable economic proposal. I’m aware that many readers will say, “So what else is new?” But in so doing, you’re letting Trump benefit from the soft bigotry of rock-bottom expectations, not holding him to the standards that should apply to any presidential candidate. A politician shouldn’t be given a pass on nonsense because he talks nonsense all the time.