“Starting this month, a working adult in their mid-30s seeking to upgrade their skills will have access to the same source of federal financial aid that is available to a high school graduate heading off to a four-year degree institution in the fall. Workforce Pell grants, which went into effect July 1, have the potential to widen the pathway to greater education and economic opportunity for tens of thousands of Americans not able or not ready to pursue a traditional college degree. Until now, these individuals have been limited to their own savings, employer-supported training, or costly loans when seeking to incrementally build their skills and earning prospects. ‘For students who need to be able to access short-term training … [Workforce Pell] really helps open the door for access to higher education, at that bite-size level,’ as Sarah Carrico, an administrator at Saint Paul College in Minnesota, explained to NPR recently.” (07/13/26)
“The popular conservative media giant has left the GOP and says exiles from both parties need to work together on matters of ‘war and finance.'” (07/14/26)
“US President Donald Trump on Monday signed proclamations dramatically shrinking the size of two national monuments in Utah, eliminating roughly 3 million acres of protections for Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante and potentially opening the beloved, wildlife-rich areas to industry exploitation. Trump’s proclamations, issued at the urging of Utah Republicans including Sen. Mike Lee, aim to reduce Bears Ears to just under 121,100 acres (down from nearly 1.4 million) and Grand Staircase-Escalante to 181,541 acres (down from 1.87 million). … During a signing ceremony on Monday, flanked by Utah Republicans, Trump characterized his scaling back of monument protections as an effort to give land ‘back to the people of Utah.’ The president falsely claimed that people could ‘virtually not even walk on’ the lands under the protections he targeted.” (07/14/26)
“As we think about what a new reconstruction may look like, one of the major points of tension will be the rules and regulations that bind the actions of the government machinery. One the one hand, the rules cause friction in the gears that get things done. Procurement is slow. Hiring is slow. Policy changes are slow. It will be immensely frustrating to those coming in to fix the government to be told to be patient after so much damage has been done. However, those rules are there for good reason. After all, hiring your buddy in a no-bid contract is how you get a reflecting pool full of algae.” (07/14/26)
Source: The American Conservative
by Harrison Berger
“As a candidate, Donald Trump famously promised to end the war in Ukraine ‘within 24 hours’ of taking office. This past week, he acknowledged that Ukraine’s strikes on Russia’s energy infrastructure represent an ‘escalation’ in the conflict and offered new support for Kiev’s war effort. ‘It’s an escalation,’ Trump said, ‘but it’s also an escalation that can help lead to an end of the war.’ … That view—which sees Ukraine’s war as winnable, if only the West will send enough money and weapons—has been the consensus among foreign policy elites since this thing kicked off. Now, aided by Western news outlets, hawks in Europe and our own national security bureaucracy are successfully selling this narrative to a gullible president who had previously resisted their blandishments.” (07/14/26)
“Of my four years of high school Latin, very little has stuck. But one phrase remains lodged in my mind: ‘De mortuis nil nisi bonum.’ Loosely translated, that means ‘Of the dead, don’t say anything but good things.’ That dictum popped into my head when I learned the sad news of the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.). But life is not that black and white. Yes, there are many good things to be said about Graham, but his life and political career are so complex it defies characterization as all positive or all negative.” (07/14/26)
“Diplomacy is difficult. It requires patience together with deep knowledge of the country on the other side and the issues under negotiation. The nuclear agreement Barack Obama negotiated with Iran took nearly two years and was 160 pages long. The negotiating team included experienced diplomats and scientists compared to Trump’s team of two real estate developers, one of whom is his son-in-law. Meanwhile, the American military, obviously far superior to that of Iran, presented another option. As Anton Chekhov put it, albeit in a very different context, ‘One must not put a loaded rifle upon the stage if no one is thinking of firing it.'” (07/14/26)
“Over the weekend, The New York Times came out with an overview of its coverage last month of the Graham Platner sexual assault allegations. It was just over one month ago when the outlet delivered its quasi-exposé on three women detailing troubling experiences with the Senate candidate who possesses no discernible resume. The primary focus was on Lyndsey Fifield, and there have been contentious reactions about that report—Fifield included. … If you are wondering why The Times is now doing this dose of introspection, it is because Fifield has since taken her story—and evidence—to CNN, and the network was able to do what The Times reporters Katie Glueck and Lisa Lerer were incapable of doing, and that is to corroborate Fifield’s details with others. This becomes an even more scalding hit to the paper’s credibility.” (07/13/26)
Source: Hoover Institution
by Dan Berkenstock & Walter J Manuel
“China aims to land taikonauts on the Moon before 2030—before the US returns to the lunar surface—and set the operating rules that will govern future lunar activity. Traditional deterrence won’t work in a domain where the US is unable to project military force, and space treaties lack enforcement. This essay presents four conflict scenarios to show what’s at stake, and proposes a near-term US strategy of accelerated missions, allied coordination, clear red lines, and concrete military doctrine.” (07/14/26)
