Author: Darnell Thompkins

John Ashcroft pushed back hard against the idea that the Department of Justice has become a tool for partisan retribution, and he used his Senate Judiciary testimony to back Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche for a permanent role. The former attorney general disputed suggestions that the department functions as a political weapon, while urging senators to evaluate leadership by experience and commitment to the rule of law. The hearing put Blanche’s nomination and the question of DOJ independence at center stage. John Ashcroft appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee to make a clear, old-school case for an impartial Justice Department.…

A clear look at Article I, Section 1 and what it does for congressional power, why it matters in practice, and how it shapes the balance between lawmakers and the executive. Digging deep into the Founding documents helps us see how the Constitution assigns roles and limits authority. This piece traces the simple but powerful language that establishes who gets to make federal law and why that matters for stability and accountability. The date associated with this discussion is Jul 16, 2026, a reminder that these lines remain central to modern debates about governance. Article. I. Section. 1. reads as…

A report says Chinese and Russian officials met secretly in China to discuss military cooperation, including plans that could target critical satellite communications supporting Ukraine. Chinese and Russian officials held secret meetings in China on military cooperation, according to reporting that has raised alarms in Western capitals. Those discussions reportedly included plans to shoot down Starlink satellites now providing key communications for Ukraine’s army. The revelation adds a worrying layer to great power rivalry played out over the battlefield in Europe. These talks, if accurate, signal a deliberate move by two major powers to coordinate against systems the West uses…

President Trump’s legal team wired $5,625,005.48 to E. Jean Carroll after a judge ordered payment, a move that resolves one court order while a much larger appeal and lingering questions about fairness and process remain. The wire of $5,625,005.48 covered the original $5 million jury award from 2023 plus accrued interest, and the money landed in Carroll’s account last Thursday, with the court record appearing publicly on Tuesday. That transfer closes a discrete financial step but doesn’t end the broader legal fight playing out across multiple courts. Trump is still appealing a separate $83.3 million verdict, so this payout feels…

Senate consideration of Director of National Intelligence nominee Jay Clayton has turned political after he declined to state during his confirmation hearing on Wednesday that Joseph R. Biden won the 2020 election, leaving his path to confirmation likely split along party lines. The exchange at the hearing sharpened partisan lines and made clear that this nomination will be tested in a politically charged atmosphere rather than on routine qualifications. Republicans argue the focus shifted away from national security credentials and toward political litmus tests, while Democrats portrayed the refusal as troubling. That dynamic now appears likely to force a party-line…

Catholic Nuns Battle in Court to Serve the Poor and Keep the Faith — a legal fight over conscience, care, and who gets to set the rules for religious charities. The story of Catholic Nuns Battle in Court to Serve the Poor and Keep the Faith is about more than one order of sisters; it’s a test of whether faith-based charities can operate by their beliefs while delivering real help to vulnerable people. Courts and state officials are pushing rules that force religious ministries to choose between violating conscience or closing programs that serve the needy. The dispute raises big…

This piece argues that models billed as “economic democracy” clash with core capitalist principles, and it walks through why that matters for incentives, growth, and liberty. Start with a simple point: capitalism rests on private property, risk, and clear price signals that reward innovation and efficiency. When you tinker with those mechanisms by insisting on collective control or mandated worker ownership, you change the incentives that drive investment and productivity. That collision between theory and practice explains why many proposals for economic democracy stumble when faced with real markets. A common claim in academic circles is blunt and worth quoting…

The 2nd Circuit reversed a pretrial dismissal and ordered that parents suing over prenatal Tylenol exposure get to present expert witnesses to juries, finding a district judge improperly excluded testimony by weighing scientific disputes rather than policing methodology. A unanimous three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has undone a lower court’s dismissal of hundreds of lawsuits brought by parents who say their children developed autism or ADHD after prenatal exposure to acetaminophen. The panel concluded that U.S. District Judge Denise Cote went beyond the judge’s gatekeeping role by effectively judging the science instead of assessing whether…

Three weeks before he is scheduled to be sworn into office, Colombia’s Vice President-elect Jose Manuel Restrepo said Tuesday that his nation hopes to turn around its fortunes by freeing up its economy. Jose Manuel Restrepo arrives in office with a clear message: loosen the chokehold of excessive regulation and let markets breathe. He told reporters this shift is meant to jump-start growth, attract investment, and create jobs for ordinary Colombians. The timing is tight, with little margin for political hesitancy as the administration prepares to take power. The plan Restrepo sketches is familiar to conservatives who trust private enterprise…

President Trump announced a change in plans, saying he would not move forward with a proposed 20% toll on foreign vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, and the shift touches on strategy, economics, and international messaging. President Trump said Tuesday he is backing off his plan to charge a 20% toll on foreign ships using the Strait of Hormuz. The declaration surprised some allies and critics, and it immediately triggered questions about what this pause means for America’s posture in the region. From a Republican perspective, the move feels like a pause to reassess tactics rather than a retreat from…