Quick Read

Silhouette over digital background

Maybe rediscovering distrust of tech and government was a good thing.

By Justin Katz | October 18, 2021 |

In the amazing advance of our technology comes the possibility of smart watches’ diagnosing health issues before symptoms begin, Steven Reinberg reports for HealthDay News.  Keeping track of your vital stats on an ongoing basis as you go about your day (and sleep at night), you can get an early start on treatment, which can…

A dark classroom

At least the Wall Street Journal is supporting Bessinger against the “education horror show.”

By Justin Katz | October 15, 2021 |

Yesterday, I wondered why the plight and complaints of Providence middle school teacher Ramona Bessinger weren’t of more concern to teachers, parents, the community, the union, and Rhode Islanders generally.  Today, the Wall Street Journal editorial board has proven that somebody actually cares, giving their editorial the sharp headline, “Education Horror Show, Continued.”  (Search the headline…

A soldier signals to hold

Biden’s military politicization is genuinely the sort of thing authoritarians do.

By Justin Katz | October 15, 2021 |

If you blinked (or don’t get your information from non-mainstream-progressive news sources), you might have missed the Biden administration’s explicit attempts to politicize the United States military along partisan lines.  John Lucas explains for The Federalist: President Joe Biden and his administration are continuing to purge and politicize the American military. Consistent with the totalitarian left’s…

A fading man on train tracks

We must address the roots of our society’s depression and anxiety.

By Justin Katz | October 15, 2021 |

Russ Roberts’ conversation with writer Johann Hari on a recent episode of EconTalk was interesting for a variety of reasons, not the least because it seems Hari’s work on anxiety and depression changed his own mind a bit.  One might say he’s moved toward the conservative view of the world, at least on this question, and…

Burning $100 bills

Magaziner is abusing the position of General Treasurer.

By Justin Katz | October 14, 2021 |

If we had a healthy civic culture, wherein citizens had been adequately educated in the appropriate use of government power, it would be the stuff of scandal, rather than political bragging, that Rhode Island General Treasurer Seth Magaziner is abusing his authority over state investment funds for purposes of political activism.  As he touts on…

Logos for the RI Democratic Party and Democratic Women's Caucus

The RI Democratic Party relies on a probably-unconstitutional law to silence Democratic women.

By Justin Katz | October 14, 2021 |

Controversial Rhode Island Democratic Party Senior Advisor Kate Coyne-McCoy sent a letter to the Rhode Island Democratic Women’s Caucus advising the group that it is using the word “democratic” in its name illegally, reports Steve Ahlquist on UpriseRI. In a surprisingly sloppy letter full of misspelled words, Coyne-McCoy refers generally to Rhode Island General Law Chapter…

Whiteboard harassment of Ramona Bessinger

Where is the support for Bessinger and her cause?

By Justin Katz | October 14, 2021 |

William Jacobson reports on Legal Insurrection that while Providence middle school teacher was at an inquiry alleging that she had permitted some students out of her classroom during a practice lockdown, students wrote threatening notes on her classroom’s whiteboard and tweeted pictures at them.  One of the images showed a student at the board, but Jacobson speculates…

Infectious bronchitis virus

Long natural immunity is important to recognize, even in its caveats.

By Justin Katz | October 13, 2021 |

The damage that public health authorities have done to their credibility by refusing to demonstrate due acknowledgment of naturally acquired immunity to COVID-19 has been immense.  Perhaps they’re ideologically motivated, but it might be as simple as believing that the risks of vaccination are low enough and its effectiveness high enough that the clarity and…

David Teniers' Village Revel with Aristocratic Couple

The rabble must recognize friend and foe.

By Justin Katz | October 13, 2021 |

Michael Morse is pledging never again to vote for the lesser of two evils. On the whole, his “Saturday morning soapbox,” as he calls it, resonates very strongly with me, although I disagree with his pledge for prudential reasons — most significantly because it’s really very, very easy for activists and the news media to…

Joe Biden "We will not forget"

The innocent must beware of Biden’s threat never to forgive or forget.

By Justin Katz | October 12, 2021 |

Catching up on podcast listening over the weekend, I was reminded of Joe Biden’s declaration (video) after the terrorist attack on Kabul airport while his administration was struggling in its shamefully botched retreat from Afghanistan: To those who carried out this attack, as well as anyone who wishes America harm, know this: We will not…