Democrats on the March

Old-time detective inspects a vote drop-box

Politics This Week: Evidence for Political and Electoral Trends

By Justin Katz | October 12, 2023 |

John DePetro and Justin Katz discuss important stories in Rhode Island this week.

A water drop and ripples

If strange or silent responses from progressives about Hamas’s atrocities seem odd…

By Justin Katz | October 10, 2023 |

… the explanation might be more than silent discomfort with a faction of their tribe’s doing something nakedly evil.  To progressives, this sort of thing must happen and is expected.  Maybe they find it lamentable (or maybe not), but they see it as inevitable on the path to their vision of justice. Tom Holland argues,…

Man Shakes Money Out of Another Man's Pockets

I’ve got no special feelings for Washington Trust, but I don’t trust the plaintiff.

By Justin Katz | September 28, 2023 |

Yesterday, through the ministrations of U.S. District Attorney Zachary Cunha under Attorney General Merrick Garland, the Biden administration pressured Rhode Island’s Washington Trust bank into a multimillion-dollar settlement and imposed a big PR hit over alleged racism in its lending practices.  Journalists are faithfully transcribing the “redlining” narrative they’ve been handed, which means our state…

A water drop and ripples

We’re supposed to ignore something important when it comes to Trump news.

By Justin Katz | September 27, 2023 |

From the time he first entered politics in a serious way, we’ve been warned that Donald Trump represented a unique threat that would destroy our country.  This has provided an important lens for evaluating the events that have followed. For instance, during and after the 2020 election, many of us have questioned the narrative that,…

A water drop and ripples

Think of it as a great opportunity for lower-income Americans to charitably step aside.

By Justin Katz | September 20, 2023 |

I know of at least one Massachusetts town where these new residents are about to enter an understaffed school system en masse.  Even more, they are getting free preschool and free transportation to preschool, which for residents is an additional cost that some are deciding is too expensive. We need to understand — and explain…

The Independent Man facepalms

Politics This Week: Looters in and out of Government

By Justin Katz | September 18, 2023 |

John DePetro and Justin Katz review the political talk of the week.

A woman walks in a smokey alley

Politics This Week: Stories of Absolutely No Interest (To the Media)

By Justin Katz | September 11, 2023 |

John DePetro and Justin Katz tease out multiple stories that the local media could investigate to generate interest (but probably won’t).

Blue gollum fighting a red gollum in a cave

Suppression is always for the other side (especially when they’re conservatives).

By Justin Katz | August 31, 2023 |

A new study by criminology professors from the University of Rhode Island and Rutgers University — Luzi Shi and Jason Silver, respectively — produces some interesting results, although the URI press release is arguably inaccurate. Here are the headline and lede: Americans favor punishing only protestors they disagree with, new research shows Study finds Americans…

Sledge hammer

Matos’ Home Depot attack on Amo is a lesson in progressive thinking.

By Justin Katz | August 23, 2023 |

Lieutenant Governor Sabina Matos’s attempt to tar competitor Gabe Amos for — get this — having ties to Home Depot is fascinating: He wants voters to focus on his work as a public servant and to ignore the fact that he was a registered lobbyist for Home Depot despite the company’s ties to the far-right…

A girl making a mess with paint

Politics This Week: Strategy All Over the Place

By Justin Katz | August 14, 2023 |

John DePetro and Justin Katz kick off the week with political talk.