Written

A water drop and ripples

Leftism makes things worse in such a way as to leave people not knowing what they’re missing.

By Justin Katz | October 11, 2021 |

That’s a conclusion that leaps off the page of Stacey Matthews’s roundup of info on New York City’s ban on gifted & talented programs for children.  First, consider a tweet from New York Post columnist Karol Markowicz: It really is leftism in action. They could not make the bad schools better so they’ll make the…

Classroom scene in The Mortal Storm

The mortal storm swells in the West, again.

By Justin Katz | October 11, 2021 |

Looking to cross a movie off my never-shrinking “to watch” list, last night — preferably with something inspiring and relevant to the holiday — I watched The Mortal Storm.  Perhaps in counterintuitive ways, it fit the evening well.  Indeed, this may be a movie for our times. Released in 1940, as Nazi Germany made its way across…

A water drop and ripples

Shocking night of Hollywood discoveries for me…

By Justin Katz | October 9, 2021 |

Not only did I learn that actor Clint Howard is the brother of Richie Cunningham, but also that he isn’t the same person as Curtis Armstrong. Just when you think you’ve got a grip on reality…

Reporters taking notes

UPDATED: The RI news media would rather throw shade at John DePetro than inform Rhode Islanders.

By Justin Katz | October 9, 2021 |

Understanding that not everybody has a degree in journalism, let’s try a quick quiz. You’re a journalist with a mainstream news organization covering the Ocean State. A protest outside the governor’s house sees some modest action when two participants are arrested. One local freelance journalist captured the entire thing on camera and the video on his…

Arrest of Tyler Bonin

The State Police disparate treatment of anti-mandate protesters; out-of-uniform officer prompts conflict.

By Justin Katz | October 9, 2021 |

From the very beginning of John DePetro’s coverage of last night’s protest at Democrat Governor Dan McKee’s house, it was clear the treatment of healthcare professionals who are protesting the governor’s vaccination mandate was going to be very different from what we’ve witnessed for Black Lives Matter and other progressive groups. Remember when Black Lives…

Norman Rockwell Freedom of Speech

Let’s not pretend the Biden administration’s attack on local parents is out of character.

By Justin Katz | October 8, 2021 |

Whenever we have the opportunity to watch some other country gradually be taken over by left-wing fascists (Venezuela comes first to mind), the headlines always have me shouting at the computer screen — like a movie-watcher might shout at the TV when the hero is ignorant that his friend is the villain and is acting…

A water drop and ripples

Modern autocracies are benefiting from the Sparta spin.

By Justin Katz | October 8, 2021 |

In an EconTalk episode, Russ Roberts evoked a fascinating response from University of North Carolina historian Bret Devereaux when he asked why, considering that the Spartans were so evil by today’s standards and also mediocre at warfare, they’ve enjoyed such a positive legend: The Spartans get really good press in our ancient sources. And part…

A sonogram.

Mendes’s problem is that she wasn’t pro-selling-baby-parts?

By Justin Katz | October 8, 2021 |

Providence Journal reporter Katherine Gregg has posted one of the social-media shares from state senator and Rhode Island Political Cooperative candidate for Lieutenant Governor Cynthia Mendes that has gotten her in trouble with her fellow progressives.  All she did was share a post from somebody else linking to one of the famous undercover videos of…

A water drop and ripples

Fading vaccine effectiveness shows the foolishness of confidence.

By Justin Katz | October 8, 2021 |

One of (the many) aspects of our public arguments around COVID-19 and the vaccine is the confidence with which everybody is asserting their positions.  This affects both sides, but I’m thinking in particular of the pro-vax people who assert that we know that naturally acquired immunity fades after a few months.  Frankly, the virus hasn’t been…

A water drop and ripples

When it comes to energy, public outcry is the only control.

By Justin Katz | October 8, 2021 |

Jon Caldara makes an excellent point about energy in Colorado that applies in Rhode Island, as well: … the Public Utilities Commission’s job was (key word there) to fight for the least cost energy while protecting our environment. That mission has been turned on its head. Least cost is the PUC’s very last priority. This…