“Triumphant illiberal forces on the left and right alike have little use for constitutions, free government, or even the American tradition itself. The growing strength of these forces is evidence, as [Samuel] Gregg rightly warns, that ‘the habit of free association is weak in America, and so are the institutions of civil society to which this habit gives rise.’ It certainly seems like Alexis de Tocqueville’s darkest prophecies are coming true. But why are American institutions so weak in the face of illiberalism? In no small measure, it is because of our inability to connect the case for liberty to a larger, transcendent vision of life’s ultimate purpose.” (02/26/25)
“Two French nationals who work at France’s main state research ageny have admitted responsibility for Monday’s arson attack at the Russian consulate in Marseille, prosecutors said on Wednesday. Three plastic bottles were lobbed into the consulate’s gardens and two exploded on the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Monday. The bottles contained a cocktail of nitrogen and other chemical substances. No one was injured and no damage was reported. The two suspects are employed by the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), the public prosecutor’s office told AFP late Tuesday. One is an engineer and the other a chemist.” (02/26/25)
“Northwestern University is being sued for ‘consciously discriminating’ in favor of women and racial minorities at the expense of obviously better qualified candidates. … One of those with the requisite demographic characteristics is Destiny Peery, a black woman who graduated near the bottom of her class at Northwestern Law School. The suit alleges that Dan Rodriguez, the dean in 2014, the year she was hired, threatened to penalize faculty members who voted against her. She would ‘never even have been considered’ for the appointment but for her sex and race. Rodriguez also ordered the faculty to abstain from discussing candidates on the faculty listserv and mentioned the risk of litigation as his reason for the ban. In other words, this administrator knew that his policy was illegal and sought to cover it up.” (02/26/25)
“M23 is widely believed to be backed by Rwanda and its long-time President Paul Kagame, a charge that Kagame has always denied. This troubled region remains racked by brutal inter-ethnic and multinational conflict featuring countless armed factions. Perhaps more importantly, it contains some of the world’s largest deposits of key minerals, such as cobalt, which is necessary for the manufacture of electronics. Across a nearly impassable rainforest from the capital of Kinshasa, eastern Congo has proven impossible for the central government to rule, but the African Union and United Nations remain devoted to maintaining historic borders no matter how impractical. There is little the United States can or should do to help stabilize the situation, but it is long past time to consider accepting the breakup of the DRC.” (02/26/25)
“Tulsi Gabbard, director of National Intelligence, said Tuesday more than 100 intelligence officers will be fired for taking part in sexually explicit discussions in agency chat rooms. Gabbard said on Fox News she ‘put out a directive’ on Tuesday that those who took part in these chats on the National Security Agency’s (NSA) ‘Intelink’ messaging platform will also have their security clearances revoked. Gabbard earlier Tuesday confirmed a report by conservative activist Christopher Rufo, who writes for City Journal, that the DNI was sending a memo directing all intelligence agencies to identify the employees who participated in the chats that included discussion on transgender identity.” (02/26/25)
“The Trump presidency has forced Canada to examine its political beliefs. The country has become a hub of left-wing liberalism [sic]. Medically assisted-suicide is the fifth leading cause of death. There are no federal laws restricting abortion, and open-door immigration has increased the population to such an extent that the government no longer knows how many hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants are in the country. The court system has become a revolving door for criminals where repeat offenders do not fear punishment, and the court views criminals as victims. Drug consumption sites proliferate, providing users with their high with no hope of recovery. While President Trump signed an executive order to dismantle all diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, Canada is doubling down on its vision of equity.” (02/25/25)
“The federal government’s personnel and budget offices issued a memo to the leaders of all executive branch agencies on Wednesday directing them to submit ‘reorganization plans’ within two weeks and prepare for large-scale firings. In the memo, the heads of the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Personnel Management asked agencies to submit these plans by March 13 and to prepare for ‘reductions in force.’ … The memo outlined some exclusions, including positions ‘necessary to meet law enforcement, border security, national security, immigration enforcement, or public safety responsibilities;’ military personnel; officials who were appointed by President Trump or confirmed by the Senate; the executive office of the president and the U.S. postal service.” (02/26/25)
“I’ll be blunt: I’ve been skeptical of what this agency will accomplish despite all the excitement surrounding it. Yes, it has managed to bring about some significant cuts. But it is important to remember that these cuts represent a minuscule percentage of overall government spending. To make a more significant impact, Musk and his team will have to get Congress on board with making further cuts to shrink the size and scope of the federal government. This will not be an easy mountain to climb.” (02/25/25)
