Source: American Greatness
by Victor Davis Hanson

“Harvard has refused to accept the orders of a Trump administration commission concerning its chronic problems with anti-Semitism, campus violence, and racial tribalism, bias, and segregation. Yet, unlike some conservative campuses that distrust an overbearing Washington, Harvard and most elite schools like it want it both ways. They do as they please on their own turf and yet still demand that the taxpayers send them multibillion-dollar checks in addition to their multibillion-dollar private incomes. Aside from the issues of autonomy and free expression, there are lots of campus practices that higher education would prefer were not widely known to the public. But soon they will be, and thus will become sources of public anger. Perhaps envision elite private colleges as mossy rocks, which seem outwardly picturesque — until you turn them over and see what crawls beneath.” (04/21/25)

https://amgreatness.com/2025/04/21/do-elite-universities-really-wish-to-fight-the-federal-government/

Source: Washington Monthly
by Garrett Epps

“One prof I know likes to answer students’ yes-or-no questions by saying something like, ‘The short answer is ‘yes’ and the long answer is ‘no.’’ Asinine as it may seem, that is often the correct answer in legal matters: rules from a distance may seem straightforward and strict, but as a lawyer or court draws closer, they dissolve into an abstract pattern of unconnected dots that no one can decipher, much less enforce. The Supreme Court has been giving this kind of answer on fraught occasions for virtually all of American history — and it has given that answer to challenges to Donald Trump’s ascent: boldly proclaiming the rule of law while noting that there may be a very particular reason why this particular rule can’t be quite, you know, enforced just so at present. Like a Magic 8 Ball, the Court may suggest we ‘Ask Again Later.'” (04/21/25)

https://washingtonmonthly.com/2025/04/21/is-the-supreme-court-standing-up-to-trump/

Source: The Crucial Years
by Bill Mckibben

“Just in case I thought one couldn’t feel more forlorn right now, the word came this morning of the death of Pope Francis. It hit me hard, not because I’m a Catholic (I’m a Methodist) but because I had always felt buoyed by his remarkable spirit. If he could bring new hope and energy to an institution as hidebound as the Vatican, there was reason for all of us to go on working on our own hidebound institutions, and if he could stand so completely in solidarity with the world’s poor and vulnerable, then it gave the rest of us something to aim for. I thought this from the start, when he became the first pope to choose the name of Francis (that countercultural blaze of possibility in a dark time) and when he showed his mastery of the art of gesture, washing the feet of women, of prisoners, of Muslim refugees.” (04/21/25)

https://billmckibben.substack.com/p/pope-francis-and-the-sun

Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Justin Madura

“Carl Schurz (1829-1906) was one of many Prussian exiles who arrived in the United States following the failed revolutions of 1848. After reforms failed to materialize in Europe, Schurz became one of the German ’48ers’ who came to America to escape political persecution for his role in the unsuccessful uprisings. Schurz went on to contribute to his new homeland as a political reformer, a Union Army officer in the Civil War, a US Senator, presidential cabinet member, and commentator. He shaped a unique legacy throughout the Gilded Age as a determined classical liberal who advocated civil service reform, sound currency, low tariffs, and a non-interventionist foreign policy. Many key episodes in Schurz’s life offer meaningful lessons for Americans today, but perhaps none more distinctive than his 1897 dispute with a sitting US Senator.” (04/21/25)

https://fee.org/articles/beyond-party-lines-how-one-19th-century-leader-chose-ideals-over-loyalty/

Source: Reason
by Kevin Frazier

“The relentless march of artificial intelligence (AI) is not confined to Studio Ghibli memes and automated email responses. It is rapidly becoming a central pillar of national security strategy. Within the labyrinthine corridors of the U.S. Intelligence Community (I.C.), which includes the military, CIA, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), among other organizations, an AI transformation is underway. It’s driven by the promise of AI to collect previously indecipherable data, uncover hidden connections, and anticipate threats with unprecedented speed and scale. Yet, as the I.C. races towards an AI-infused future, profound questions about governance, ethics, privacy, and due process loom large.” (04/21/25)

https://reason.com/2025/04/21/the-intelligence-communitys-ai-revolution/