Rip’s Newsletter

July 13, 2026

Compiled and Edited

by

Jim Reynolds

Articles in This Issue

Jay Rogers - The Democratic Socialists Aren’t Fringe Anymore

Nathanael Blake - Trump Can Shut Down Export Of Trafficked US Babies To China

Daniel Greenfield - ‘Princess Moss’ Declares National Education Association ‘Must be the Most Powerful Force in America’

Helen Raleigh - ‘Revolutionary America’ Documentary Helps Americans Understand Our Great Inheritance

Thomas Gallatin - Evaluating Donald Trump’s Second Term Thus Far

Jim Reynolds - The Last Great Mystery of the Analog Age

Overview

I’m struck by how many of today’s pieces circle the same fault lines: power, legitimacy, and who gets to define America’s future.

On one side, the left’s institutions and movements look increasingly organized and unapologetic, from socialist politics to the NEA’s activist ambitions; on the other, there’s a renewed push to defend the country’s founding ideals and measure the Trump era against them.

Threaded through it all are deeper anxieties about what our systems permit, whether in family formation, education, or the unresolved stories that still shape public trust.

A Note on Today’s Format

Today we’re trying something a little different by presenting the summaries in paragraph form rather than as bullet points.

I’d love your feedback. Which do you prefer?

Bullets make it easy to scan the newsletter and quickly decide which articles deserve a full read. Paragraphs take a little longer to read, but they often provide enough context that many readers can understand the story without clicking through to the original article.

Each format has its strengths. Let me know which one better fits the way you read the newsletter.

The Democratic Socialists Aren’t Fringe Anymore

Site: Townhall

Author: Jay Rogers

Date: 2026-07-13

The Democratic Socialists of America has surged from 6,000 members in 2015 to more than 100,000 by February 2026, surpassing the Socialist Party of America’s 1912 peak and becoming the largest socialist organization in U.S. history. The article argues that this growth is no longer a campus-side curiosity because DSA-backed candidates are winning major Democratic primaries and offices, including Zohran Mamdani’s election as New York City mayor and several congressional and mayoral contests in New York, Philadelphia, Washington, and Los Angeles. It emphasizes that DSA operates inside the Democratic Party rather than as a separate third party, using disciplined primary organizing to win power. The piece also highlights a newly adopted DSA platform, “Workers Deserve More!,” which calls for abolishing the Senate, Electoral College, presidency, Supreme Court, police, prisons, and overseas military bases, while advancing a democratic socialist republic. The author frames this as a serious constitutional challenge, not just ideological rhetoric, and warns that the organization’s written agenda should be taken at face value.

This story matters because it shows a once-marginal socialist movement translating rapid growth into real electoral power and openly challenging core American institutions.

Reader Experience: ★★★★☆ Minor clutter but easy reading.

Read the original article HERE

Trump Can Shut Down Export Of Trafficked US Babies To China

Site: The Federalist

Author: Nathanael Blake

Date: 2026-07-13

The article argues that America’s largely unregulated surrogacy and IVF industry is enabling wealthy foreign buyers, especially Chinese nationals, to commission U.S.-born babies and have them shipped overseas, sometimes in large numbers. It cites reporting on Chinese billionaire Xu Bo and other clients who allegedly order dozens or even hundreds of children through a network of agencies, clinics, law firms, and delivery services, with costs reaching up to $200,000 per child. The author says the practice is legal but morally indefensible, describing it as factory-farming babies and warning that the Supreme Court’s citizenship ruling leaves the surrogacy loophole intact. He urges Republican states to follow Florida’s lead by banning surrogacy contracts involving citizens or residents of “foreign countries of concern,” including China, Russia, and Iran. At the federal level, he argues the Trump administration should treat the export of American infants as a human trafficking and national security issue and shut it down.

This story matters because it frames surrogacy not as a private family service but as a national security and trafficking problem that could be used to stop the overseas sale of American-born children.

Reader Experience: ★★★★☆ Minor clutter but easy reading.

Read the original article HERE

‘Princess Moss’ Declares National Education Association ‘Must be the Most Powerful Force in America’

Site: FrontPage Magazine

Author: Daniel Greenfield

Date: 2026-07-13

The article argues that the National Education Association, under new president “Princess Moss,” is openly embracing political activism over education and positioning itself as a major left-wing power center. It cites Moss’s claim that the NEA “can be and must be the most powerful force in America” and says the union is planning expensive anti-Trump protests, impeachment demands, and even a future general strike while student achievement remains at historic lows. The piece says the NEA and other teachers’ unions have helped drive U.S. public education into crisis by prioritizing social justice, identity politics, and anti-Israel activism over phonics, testing, and basic skills. It also argues that record spending has not improved outcomes, and that union leaders use claims of “equity” and “critical thinking” to deflect blame for failing schools. The broader warning is that public education has been captured by unions that extract benefits for members while leaving students unable to read or do math.

This story matters because it frames America’s school-union system as a political machine that is undermining student learning while expanding its own power.

Reader Experience: ★★★☆☆ Moderate ads and interruptions.

Read the original article HERE

‘Revolutionary America’ Documentary Helps Americans Understand Our Great Inheritance

Site: The Federalist

Author: Helen Raleigh

Date: 2026-07-13

Hillsdale College’s new documentary Revolutionary America is presented as a timely corrective to criticism of America’s founding, especially after New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s July 3 speech attacking the nation’s ideals. The nearly two-hour film, produced by Hillsdale Studios, ran briefly in theaters and is now free on YouTube and the Hillsdale College website ahead of America 250. It recounts the Revolutionary era from Britain’s postwar debt and the Stamp Act through colonial resistance, the Declaration of Independence, the War for Independence, and the creation of a new republic. The review argues the film’s strength lies in highlighting the Founders’ courage in risking treason and death, their wisdom in grounding government in natural rights and representation, and the uncertainty of victory against Britain’s superior forces. It also contrasts America’s founding principles with the tyranny that followed the French, Russian, and Chinese revolutions, while praising the documentary’s reenactments, Hillsdale faculty commentary, primary sources, and original score. The piece closes by positioning Hillsdale as a model of independent civic education and urging families to watch the film to better understand America’s inheritance.

**This story matters because it argues that understanding the Founding is essential to defending the freedoms and institutions that

Reader Experience: ★★★★☆ Minor clutter but easy reading.

Read the original article HERE

Evaluating Donald Trump’s Second Term Thus Far

Site: The Patriot Post

Author: Thomas Gallatin

Date: 2026-07-13

Donald Trump’s second term is portrayed as more disciplined and effective than his first, with the article arguing that he has entered office as a seasoned political veteran rather than a political outsider. The strongest marks go to his crackdown on illegal immigration, which the piece says drove border crossings to record lows and led to roughly two million removals, along with his push to dismantle DEI and refocus higher education and federal agencies. It also credits his deregulatory agenda, especially at the EPA, and a more robust energy policy that favors fossil fuels and nuclear development. Cabinet performance is described as improved, with Marco Rubio singled out for strong foreign policy execution. Still, the article faults Trump for weak economic results amid tariffs, a retreat from his earlier anti-abortion stance, a perceived lawfare-style response to enemies, and an unclear Iran strategy, even while concluding that his second term has been more impressive than his first. This story matters because it frames Trump’s second term as a consequential, mixed record that could shape the 2026 political debate over immigration, the economy, and conservative priorities.

Reader Experience: ★★★★☆ Minor clutter but easy reading.

Read the original article HERE

The Last Great Mystery of the Analog Age

Site: www.reynolds.com

Author: Jim Reynolds

Date: 2026-07-13

TWA Flight 800 remains an unresolved cultural flashpoint nearly 30 years after the July 17, 1996 explosion killed all 230 people aboard, with the official conclusion pointing to an electrical short and fuel-tank ignition while critics, including Jack Cashill, continue to question whether the investigation fully accounted for eyewitness accounts and other evidence. The article argues that the case endures not only because of disagreement over cause, but because it unfolded at the end of the analog era, before smartphones, livestreams, and ubiquitous cameras transformed how major events are documented. In 1996, investigators and institutions could shape the narrative with relatively limited independent visual evidence; today, a similar disaster would likely generate dozens or hundreds of citizen recordings within minutes. The piece suggests that this shift has changed the balance between governments and the governed by making official explanations easier to test, challenge, and verify in public. It also notes that large institutions naturally face incentives to reduce uncertainty and restore confidence, even when no bad faith is proven.

TWA Flight 800 matters because it marks the moment when modern technology began to make official truth claims far more visible, contestable, and accountable.

Reader Experience: ★★★★★ Clean Substack. No ads. Fast loading.

Read the original article HERE

If you have time, you may want to check out this popular piece on Reynolds.com:

The JCPOA Was a Uranium Enrichment Program With a UN Stamp.

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Rip’s Newsletter

July 10, 2026

Compiled and Edited

by

Jim Reynolds

Articles in This Issue

Erick Erickson - Only One Revolution Ended in Liberty

Mike Conaway - Is This Week’s Freedom to Fix Agreement Trump’s Biggest Pro-Farmer Victory yet?

Ahmed Charai - Iran Failed Trump’s Test

Brian Mark Weber - 1619 Project Author: Reparations Undermine U.S. Existence

Jim Reynolds - The Capital Mistake

Overview

I see the same fight running through this set: whether America still trusts liberty, ownership, and limits, or keeps handing power to the people who break things and call it progress.

The founders built a system that feared human nature; the modern left keeps trying to erase that lesson with reparations politics, bigger government, and the 1619 Project’s attack on 1776.

At the same time, Trump is showing what real leverage looks like, from forcing a “Freedom to Fix” deal for farmers to pressing Iran after it proved it would not moderate.

And Seattle is the warning label: when progressives assume capital will sit still while they raise taxes and expand government, the money leaves and the city pays the bill.

Only One Revolution Ended in Liberty

Site: Townhall

Author: Erick Erickson

Date: 2026-07-10

• The essay argues only the American Revolution ended in liberty, unlike France, Russia, and China.

• French, Russian, and Chinese revolutions produced terror, famine, dictatorship, and mass murder.

• America’s founders distrusted human nature and built limited government around equal natural rights.

• The author acknowledges slavery as a grave sin, but cites abolition and Civil War sacrifice.

• America remains a global beacon because people still flee tyranny to reach its freedoms.

• America matters because it uniquely turned revolution into liberty, and still defines freedom’s standard.

Reader Experience: ★★★★☆ Minor clutter but easy reading.

Read the original article HERE

Is This Week’s Freedom to Fix Agreement Trump’s Biggest Pro-Farmer Victory yet?

Site: Townhall

Author: Mike Conaway

Date: 2026-07-10

• Farmers have long lacked control over repairing equipment they fully own.

• Deere and the Trump administration reached a multi-state Freedom to Fix agreement.

• The deal preserves access to dealers’ repair tools, diagnostics, and software.

• Trump EPA guidance also clarified lawful repairs under the Clean Air Act.

• Conaway calls it a major pro-farmer win, easing costly repair delays.

This story matters because it shifts repair power back to farmers, cutting downtime and dependence.

Reader Experience: ★★★★☆ Minor clutter but easy reading.

Read the original article HERE

Iran Failed Trump’s Test

Site: The Gatestone Institute

Author: Ahmed Charai

Date: 2026-07-10

• Trump’s Iran strategy followed a sequence: strike, weaken, test, then enforce.

• Tehran answered diplomatic restraint with escalation, proving it would not moderate.

• Renewed U.S. strikes are framed as diplomacy betrayed, not diplomacy abandoned.

• Iran’s Gulf aggression threatens regional allies, global trade, and maritime security.

• Charai argues regime change, not another pause, is now the strategic objective.

Iran’s failure to de-escalate turns deterrence into a test of American resolve and global security.

Reader Experience: ★★★☆☆ Moderate ads and interruptions.

Read the original article HERE

1619 Project Author: Reparations Undermine U.S. Existence

Site: The Patriot Post

Author: Brian Mark Weber

Date: 2026-07-10

• Hannah-Jones says reparations admit slavery as “the crime” of America’s existence.

• The article argues reparations are a trap, not a path to reconciliation.

• It claims the 1619 Project aims to delegitimize 1776, democracy, and capitalism.

• Critics, including historians, dispute its Revolution and slavery narratives as distorted.

• The piece says America’s founding helped undermine slavery and advance freedom.

This debate matters because it shapes whether Americans see their founding as a source of liberty or illegitimacy.

Reader Experience: ★★★★☆ Minor clutter but easy reading.

Read the original article HERE

The Capital Mistake

Site: www.reynolds.com

Author: Jim Reynolds

Date: 2026-07-10

• Seattle’s new mayor, Katie Wilson, promised expanded government and higher taxes.

• Instead, the city faces budget cuts and a widening deficit.

• The article argues progressive leaders wrongly assume capital is fixed and immobile.

• Businesses and investment are already shifting toward Bellevue and away from Seattle.

• The core warning: prosperity depends on attracting capital, not punishing it.

Seattle’s fiscal crisis shows how quickly ideology collapses when capital and taxpayers can simply leave.

Reader Experience: ★★★★★ Clean Substack. No ads. Fast loading.

Read the original article HERE

If you have the time, you may wish to check out these two articles. They have been especially popular with my readers.

The first is a nostalgic—and deeply personal—look back at growing up in the 1950s, and how children of that era were shaped by the long shadow of World War II.

The second is a respectful—but audacious—attempt to rewrite the Declaration of Independence for modern America, while preserving the spirit and enduring principles of Jefferson’s original masterpiece.

The War That Raised Us

The Declaration of Independence — Plain English

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Rip’s Newsletter

July 8, 2026

Compiled and Edited

by

Jim Reynolds

Articles in This Issue

Victor Davis Hanson - Mamdani’s Embittered Fourth of July Rant to America › American Greatness

Ned Ryun; Ed McFadden - We Must Have a Rebirth of Instinctive Patriotism › American Greatness

Tim Graham - AP Warns Against Trump’s ‘Darkly Political’ Anti-Communist Remarks

Nate Jackson - Dems Shocked — Shocked! — That Graham Platner Is Bad

Owen Anderson - The Declaration’s God

Jim Reynolds - Henry Payne McIntosh IV

Overview

This set is a blunt fight over what America is and who gets to define it.

On one side, the left keeps turning the Fourth of July into a grievance ritual, sneering at the country that gave its loudest critics every advantage; on the other, conservatives are saying the obvious thing out loud: America’s founding rests on God, liberty, and a patriotism worth defending.

The press is doing what it always does, treating anti-communism as the real scandal while downplaying the murderous record of communism itself.

And the Platner mess is another reminder that Democrats will excuse almost anything until the story becomes impossible to spin.

Mamdani’s Embittered Fourth of July Rant to America

Site: Rcp Web

Author: Victor Davis Hanson

Date: 2026-07-07

• Mamdani’s July 4 remarks attacked America as racist, exclusionary, and ungrateful toward immigrants.

• Hanson argues Mamdani’s family benefited from elite privilege, wealth, and American opportunity.

• The essay says Mamdani uses Marxist victim-oppressor rhetoric while embodying inherited privilege.

• Hanson defends U.S. immigration and assimilation, citing millions of Indian immigrants and legal pathways.

• He accuses Mamdani and allies of exploiting racial and antisemitic division for political power.

This story matters because it frames a rising political figure as a symbol of elite hypocrisy and anti-American grievance politics.

Reader Experience: ★★★☆☆ Moderate ads and interruptions.

Read the original article HERE

We Must Have a Rebirth of Instinctive Patriotism

Site: American Greatness

Author: Ned Ryun; Ed McFadden

Date: 2026-07-08

• The article rebukes a mayoral speech attacking American exceptionalism on the nation’s 250th anniversary.

• It argues exceptionalism means a constitutional system, not claims Americans are morally superior.

• The authors credit liberty for American innovation, prosperity, and world-changing technologies.

• They cite wartime sacrifice and the Marshall Plan as proof America rebuilds, not conquers.

• The piece calls for instinctive patriotism: loving and defending a flawed but extraordinary republic.

This story matters because it defends America’s founding ideals as the basis for freedom, reform, and national pride.

Reader Experience: ★★★★☆ Minor clutter but easy reading.

Read the original article HERE

AP Warns Against Trump’s ‘Darkly Political’ Anti-Communist Remarks

Site: Townhall

Author: Tim Graham

Date: 2026-07-08

• AP criticized Trump’s Mount Rushmore anti-communist remarks as “darkly political” and historically evocative.

• Graham argues communism is objectively murderous, making AP’s framing seem ideologically selective.

• He says AP’s Red Scare reference ignores documented communist spies and Hollywood infiltration.

• The column contrasts AP’s skepticism toward anti-communism with its softer treatment of socialist Democrats.

• Graham accuses journalists of tolerating communist sympathies while freely labeling conservatives “fascists.”

• This story matters because it spotlights how media framing can shape public judgment of communism, conservatism, and political legitimacy.

Reader Experience: ★★★★☆ Minor clutter but easy reading.

Read the original article HERE

Dems Shocked — Shocked! — That Graham Platner Is Bad

Site: The Patriot Post

Author: Nate Jackson

Date: 2026-07-07

• Democrats backed Maine Senate nominee Graham Platner despite Nazi tattoo and misconduct allegations.

• New reporting says Jenny Racicot accused Platner of sexually assaulting her years ago.

• Platner denies nonconsensual sex, but canceled events as the story was about to break.

• Schumer, Gillibrand, Warren, Khanna, and Sanders urged Platner to step aside.

• Maine party leaders may replace him soon, exposing Democrats’ hypocrisy and vetting failures.

This race matters because it tests whether Democrats will finally reject a deeply flawed candidate they once embraced.

Reader Experience: ★★★★☆ Minor clutter but easy reading.

Read the original article HERE

The Declaration’s God

Site: American Mind

Author: Owen Anderson

Date: 2026-07-08

• The Declaration begins with theology, grounding rights in “Nature’s God,” not politics.

• “All men are created equal” follows self-evident truth, creation, and moral rights.

• Remove any step, and rights become opinion, equality becomes assertion, freedom weakens.

• The Declaration uses natural theology for public legitimacy, not full Christian revelation.

• Its political wisdom is clear boundaries: civil order and redemption belong to different realms.

• This argument reframes the Declaration as America’s moral foundation and a warning against politicized religion.

Read the original article HERE

Henry Payne McIntosh IV

Site: www.reynolds.com

Author: Jim Reynolds

Date: 2026-07-08

• Rip McIntosh, known as “Rip,” was remembered as curious, adventurous, and deeply loyal.

• Born in 1936, he studied at Hawken, Culver, and Tulane before a varied career.

• He worked in investments, real estate, construction, programming, and philanthropy, including early IBM systems.

• Rip led major conservation efforts with Ducks Unlimited and the African Wildlife Foundation.

• Jim Reynolds says Rip built people, gave him a platform, and inspired continuing the newsletter.

Rip’s story matters because it shows how one generous, principled patron can shape a community, a cause, and a writer’s life.

Reader Experience: ★★★★★ Clean Substack. No ads. Fast loading.

Read the original article HERE

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Rip’s Newsletter

Final Welcome Edition

July 7, 2026

Compiled and Edited

by

Jim Reynolds

Articles in This Issue

Jim Reynolds — What’s new in the newsletter.

[Note: If you have seen this informational message already, please stop reading and go about your business. This is for brand new subscribers as of today, July 7, 2026. Thousands have been brought aboard earlier today and I want to make that experience as painless as possible.]

Some things changed, others stayed the same

Hello,

This is the fourth and final time I’ll send out this informative note.

Today I’d like to explain how Rip’s newsletter has been gently transformed into a modern Substack publication.

Although I’ve preserved many of Rip’s familiar touches—including his sunny logo, the little scrolly dividers, and his famous Plato quote—we’ve also added a few new features.

We’ve been quietly testing these changes for about a month with our crack test team—which, as of today, you are now officially part of.

Congratulations!

You are among many thousands of subscribers we’ve gradually welcomed into the new system. As of today, that transition is complete.

One of the first things you’ll notice is a short overview at the beginning of each newsletter. It ties the featured articles together and explains why they were selected. Most readers seem to appreciate it, although a few are still making up their minds.

I’d love to hear what you think in the comments.

The biggest change is that, instead of including four complete articles inside the email, I now provide a concise summary of each story along with a link to the full article. I try to choose sites with as little clutter as possible, although the occasional popup can’t be avoided. To help, I include a star-rated readability score so you’ll know what to expect before clicking.

Be sure to click the link—it takes you to the complete article.

I’ve always liked summaries because they let me decide quickly whether I want to read the entire article. I try to make each summary informative enough to stand on its own while giving you a good reason to continue if the subject interests you.

Summaries also let us cover far more news without making the newsletter any longer. I often wished Rip had used them because they let us cover more ground without asking more of our readers’ time. If readers like the format, we can include additional stories without overwhelming anyone.

When you finish reading an article, simply click your browser’s Back button to return to the newsletter. If you ever run into problems, I’ll be happy to help. So far, the issues have been minor and the fixes have been easy.

As some of you may know, Rip and I had talked about eventually moving the newsletter to a more modern publishing platform. He felt the time would come when it made sense.

So, what exactly is Substack?

Think of Substack as a modern newspaper or magazine where independent writers publish directly to readers instead of through large media companies. Articles are delivered to your email inbox just as they always have been, but readers can also browse the archive, leave comments, share articles, exchange messages with the author, and—if they wish—support the publication through an optional paid subscription. Most readers simply enjoy the free version.

I’ve been using Substack for my own website, www.reynolds.com, for the past year. I’d publish an essay there and then send the same article to Rip in Microsoft Word—his preferred delivery format.

The email you’re reading is only one part of the system.

Near the top of each newsletter you’ll see a READ IN APP link. Clicking it opens rip.reynolds.com, where you can read on a larger screen, browse previous editions, leave comments, or send me a private message.

If you ever get lost, simply type rip.reynolds.com into your browser. To see every previous newsletter, visit rip.reynolds.com/archive.

At the bottom of each newsletter you’ll also find several buttons. “Share” lets you recommend an article to others. “Like” is a simple way to let us know you enjoyed something. I’m told those Likes help with the mysterious online algorithm, so feel free to click whenever inspiration strikes.

I hope this explanation clears up a few of the changes.

The good news is that you really don’t have to do anything differently. Simply wait for the newsletter to arrive three days a week and enjoy it, just as you always have.

But I hope you’ll also take advantage of some of the new features. Leave a comment. Send me a message. Click “Like” if an article resonates with you. Share something you think a friend would enjoy.

One of the nicest things about this new system is that it allows a conversation instead of a one-way mailing.

Rip always enjoyed hearing from his readers.

I hope you’ll make a habit of writing.

I’d love to hear from you.

—Jim Reynolds

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Rip’s Newsletter

July 6, 2026

Compiled and Edited

by

Jim Reynolds

Articles in This Issue

Stephen Soukup - The New Socialists and What They Say about America › American Greatness

AG News Staff - Trump Pardons Defendants Convicted in Clean Air Act Cases, Cites ‘Right to Repair’ › American Greatness

Ben Smith - Trump Warned the Communists Were on the Move - DSA Just Proved Him Right

Jordan Schachtel - Don’t Ban Open Source AI. Beat China With It. › American Greatness

Kurt Schlichter - Chip Away at Birthright Citizenship Until We Can Finish It Off Entirely

Jim Reynolds - The War That Raised Us

Overview

This set is about power, plain and simple: who gets it, who keeps it, and who uses the state to reward friends and punish enemies.

The socialist surge in New York is not a curiosity; it is a warning that the left’s urban machine is getting bolder, better organized, and more shameless about selling dependency as justice.

Trump’s pardons on Clean Air Act cases show the other side of the fight, with Washington’s regulatory class getting slapped for criminalizing ordinary work while the president calls it what it is.

Underneath all of it runs the same tension: whether America will keep drifting toward centralized control, or whether people still have enough fight left to push back.

The New Socialists and What They Say about America

Site: American Greatness

Author: Stephen Soukup

Date: 2026-07-06

• New York primaries signaled a broader socialist surge, alarming conservatives nationwide.

• Mamdani-backed and DSA-aligned candidates won easily, especially in major urban centers.

• The author argues today’s socialists are egoists seeking subsidies, not Marxists.

• Their appeal blends material promises with cultural grievance and religious-style certainty.

• Countering socialism requires restoring purpose through work, family, and faith.

This story matters because it argues socialism’s rise is less about economics than a deeper crisis of meaning.

Reader Experience: ★★★★☆ Minor clutter but easy reading.

Read the original article HERE

Trump Pardons Defendants Convicted in Clean Air Act Cases, Cites ‘Right to Repair’

Site: American Greatness

Author: AG News Staff

Date: 2026-07-06

• Trump pardoned several Clean Air Act defendants, calling their prosecutions unfair and politically motivated.

• He said they were punished for “simply fixing” vehicles and invoked “common sense.”

• The pardons cover people convicted of bypassing emissions controls, per a White House official.

• The move aligns with Trump’s broader “right to repair” push and aftermarket parts agenda.

• Critics say it weakens climate and air-pollution enforcement; supporters call it relief from burdensome rules.

This story matters because it signals a major federal shift toward deregulating vehicle repairs and emissions enforcement.

Reader Experience: ★★★★☆ Minor clutter but easy reading.

Read the original article HERE

Trump Warned the Communists Were on the Move - DSA Just Proved Him Right

Site: RedState

Author: Ben Smith

Date: 2026-07-06

• DSA announced 120,000 members on July 4, becoming America’s largest socialist organization.

• The group surpassed Eugene Debs’ Socialist Party peak, marking historic growth.

• Membership surged after Zohran Mamdani’s 2025 primary win and DSA-backed local victories.

• DSA is now targeting 2028 endorsements, signaling a broader electoral strategy.

• Critics warn socialist candidates are reshaping the Democratic Party from within.

DSA’s rapid rise shows socialism moving from fringe rhetoric to organized political power.

Reader Experience: ★★★☆☆ Moderate ads and interruptions.

Read the original article HERE

Don’t Ban Open Source AI. Beat China With It.

Site: American Greatness

Author: Jordan Schachtel

Date: 2026-07-06

• Trump’s AI order targets “woke AI,” rejecting both Silicon Valley and Chinese control.

• The author argues open-source AI best prevents “Orwellian AI” and centralized censorship.

• Chinese open-weight models are rapidly improving, cheaper, and already being adopted by U.S. firms.

• Banning open models would hurt Americans, entrench closed AI cartels, and not stop China.

• America should outcompete China by leading in open, inspectable, forkable AI systems.

Open AI is the strategic answer to Chinese competition and domestic tech concentration.

Reader Experience: ★★★★☆ Minor clutter but easy reading.

Read the original article HERE

Chip Away at Birthright Citizenship Until We Can Finish It Off Entirely

Site: Townhall

Author: Kurt Schlichter

Date: 2026-07-06

• The author says last week’s birthright citizenship loss was close, not catastrophic.

• He argues conservatives should exploit new openings while awaiting a better Supreme Court.

• A constitutional amendment is portrayed as politically impossible in the current climate.

• Short-term targets include birth tourism, especially Chinese visitors seeking U.S.-citizen children.

• He urges statutes, executive orders, and enforcement tactics to chip away at the doctrine.

The story matters because it frames birthright citizenship as a winnable, incremental fight rather than a settled defeat.

Reader Experience: ★★★★☆ Minor clutter but easy reading.

Read the original article HERE

The War That Raised Us

Site: www.reynolds.com

Author: Jim Reynolds

Date: 2026-07-06

• A childhood memory of one sentence reveals how World War II shaped an entire generation.

• The author recalls visiting a veteran friend’s rocky California ranch in 1955.

• His father’s quiet remark—“the war ended ten years ago”—stayed with him for decades.

• Postwar America saturated children with war stories, movies, surplus gear, and neighborhood veterans.

• Kids turned those influences into Army games, absorbing courage, duty, sacrifice, and freedom.

This story shows how a nation’s wars become a child’s inherited worldview, shaping values for life.

Reader Experience: ★★★★★ Clean Substack. No ads. Fast loading.

Read the original article HERE

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Rip’s Newsletter - SE

July 4, 2026

Compiled and Edited

by

Jim Reynolds

Articles in This Issue

Jim Reynolds - The Declaration of Independence — Plain English

Overview

I’m starting with a plain-English Declaration of Independence because the old words still matter, but too many people have let them go stale.

Reynolds strips away the antique language and shows the core argument: government exists by consent, and when it turns predatory, the people have the right to throw it off.

That is not a museum exercise; it is a direct challenge to the modern habit of treating power as permanent and untouchable.

The fight here is between a citizenry that remembers its rights and a ruling class that counts on people forgetting them.

The Declaration of Independence — Plain English

Site: www.reynolds.com

Author: Jim Reynolds

Date: 2026-07-04

• Reynolds offers a modern-English translation of the Declaration of Independence.

• He argues the original is powerful but underread because of archaic language.

• The translation preserves Jefferson’s logic, structure, and core liberty argument.

• It frames government as legitimate only through consent and rights protection.

• It lists British abuses as a sustained pattern of tyranny, not isolated grievances.

• The colonies are declared free and independent, severing allegiance to Britain.

• The piece ends by emphasizing the high personal cost and sacred pledge of freedom.

This story matters because it makes America’s founding argument readable, urgent, and politically alive again.

🅱️ This one knows what it is. A plain-English Declaration is a good idea because half the country treats the original like a museum placard. The bones are solid, the mission is righteous, but it’s more serviceable than electric — a clean lantern, not a bonfire.

Reader Experience: ★★★★★ Clean Substack. No ads. Fast loading.

Read the original article HERE

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Rip’s Newsletter

July 3, 2026

Compiled and Edited

by

Jim Reynolds

Articles in This Issue

Victor Davis Hanson - The New Socialists—Elite, Ungrateful, and Toxic As Ever

Marc Oestreich - The American Revolution Was Fought And Won In Neighborhood Bars

Lwebb - The Americanness of the American Revolution

Emmy Griffin - Displaying the Flag Should Be Universally Okay

Jim Reynolds - Bob’s ’Splainer #1

Overview

I see the same fight running through this set: the Left keeps turning American symbols, institutions, and even neighborhoods into battlegrounds for ideology.

Hanson’s warning about socialist Democrats taking over blue cities is the bluntest version of it, and the flag fight in California shows how far that contempt has spread into ordinary life.

Against that, the Revolution pieces remind us what actually held this country together: local organizing, political liberty, and a refusal to turn America into a utopian project.

The New Socialists—Elite, Ungrateful, and Toxic As Ever

Site: Townhall

Author: Victor Davis Hanson

Date: 2026-07-02

• Hanson argues new socialist Democrats are rapidly capturing blue-city and blue-state politics.

• He says party elders are cowed, while Jewish and wealthy Democrats face ideological pressure.

• The article portrays socialism as anti-American, envy-driven, and hostile to markets, borders, and institutions.

• Hanson lists core socialist goals: open borders, court packing, property seizures, reparations, and globalism.

• He frames Trump as a counterrevolutionary dismantling socialism’s institutions and momentum.

This matters because it casts the 2026 Democratic leftward surge as a direct threat to America’s political and cultural order.

Reader Experience: ★★★★☆ Minor clutter but easy reading.

Read the original article HERE

The American Revolution Was Fought And Won In Neighborhood Bars

Site: The Federalist

Author: Marc Oestreich

Date: 2026-07-03

• Washington’s farewell at Fraunces Tavern symbolized revolution’s human cost and fragile unity.

• Taverns like the Green Dragon enabled secret organizing across class and political lines.

• Tea resistance, Lexington, and Concord emerged from these informal, oath-bound meeting places.

• City Tavern helped delegates survive constitutional deadlock through shared meals and drink.

• The article argues America was built by arguing together, then leaving cordially.

The republic was forged in ordinary rooms where disagreement became coordination, and that habit still matters.

Reader Experience: ★★★★☆ Minor clutter but easy reading.

Read the original article HERE

The Americanness of the American Revolution

Site: City Journal

Author: Lwebb

Date: 2026-07-02

• The American Revolution succeeded because it was narrowly political, not social or economic.

• Unlike France and Russia, America sought liberty, not equality, fraternity, or utopian transformation.

• Founders revised Locke toward “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness,” centering individual agency.

• Protestant conscience, refugee memory, and property-making labor reinforced limited government and rights.

• The Constitution’s checks and balances reflected deep fear of tyranny, not faith in perfection.

This story explains why America’s revolution endured while others collapsed into tyranny.

Reader Experience: ★★★★☆ Minor clutter but easy reading.

Read the original article HERE

Displaying the Flag Should Be Universally Okay

Site: The Patriot Post

Author: Emmy Griffin

Date: 2026-07-02

• HOA restrictions in California reportedly ban front-yard American flags, even on patriotic holidays.

• The article argues the Left increasingly treats Old Glory as a MAGA political symbol.

• It cites flag-burning history and modern protests as evidence of growing anti-flag sentiment.

• The flag is framed as representing American ideals, constitutional government, sacrifice, and freedom.

• Rejecting the flag, the piece warns, means rejecting America’s unique liberty and legacy.

• Flying the American flag is a simple, visible defense of the nation’s values and freedom.

Reader Experience: ★★★★☆ Minor clutter but easy reading.

Read the original article HERE

Bob’s ’Splainer #1

Site: www.reynolds.com

Author: Jim Reynolds

Date: 2026-07-02

• Jim Reynolds translates Victor Davis Hanson’s dense prose into plain-English “splainer” commentary.

• The essay argues urban consumers and producers develop fundamentally different worldviews.

• Hanson questions why some immigrants become harsh critics of the country they chose.

• He criticizes educational elites for confidence without broad real-world experience.

• The core thesis: democratic socialism is driven by insulated elites detached from ordinary Americans.

A sharp, accessible reframing of Hanson’s argument that exposes the class and experience gap behind modern socialist politics.

Reader Experience: ★★★★★ Clean Substack. No ads. Fast loading.

Read the original article HERE

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Rip’s Newsletter

July 1, 2026

Compiled and Edited

by

Jim Reynolds

Articles in This Issue

Emmy Griffin - SCOTUS Backs Up States That Want to Save Women’s Sports

Joe Abraham - The Hierarchy of Compassion: Who Counts?

Jay Rogers - Collateral Damage Was the Plan

John Daniel Davidson - Birthplace Citizenship Is Incompatible With Mass Immigration

Jack DeVine - Is America Still ‘Indivisible’?

Jim Reynolds - The Decision That May Have Ended the Deep State

Overview

The Supreme Court just handed states a win on girls’ sports and, in the same breath, reminded the country that the fight over sex, citizenship, and executive power is nowhere near over.

I see a clear line running through today’s set: the Court is trimming back elite legal fictions while the border, the bureaucracy, and the culture war keep colliding in real life.

New Mexico’s fentanyl scandal shows what happens when law enforcement plays games with deadly drugs, and the Buttigieg family episode shows how fast the system mobilizes when the right people are involved.

Underneath all of it is the same hard truth: America is splitting into rules for the connected and consequences for everybody else.

SCOTUS Backs Up States That Want to Save Women’s Sports

Site: The Patriot Post

Author: Emmy Griffin

Date: 2026-07-01

• Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that states may bar males from girls’ sports.

• Decisions covered West Virginia v. B.P.J. and Idaho v. Hecox.

• Kavanaugh said Title IX and equal protection allow sex-based eligibility rules.

• Dissenters argued for case-by-case treatment, but biology remains the legal standard.

• Ruling preserves state authority; broader bans on men in women’s sports may follow.

This ruling strengthens protections for women’s athletics while signaling bigger Title IX battles ahead.

Reader Experience: ★★★★☆ Minor clutter but easy reading.

Read the original article HERE

The Hierarchy of Compassion: Who Counts?

Site: Townhall

Author: Joe Abraham

Date: 2026-07-01

• Buttigieg’s family faced a false report, police response, and Child Protective Services involvement.

• The author says bipartisan outrage showed how quickly elites defend politically connected victims.

• He contrasts that response with his daughter Katie’s death in a preventable crash.

• He argues media and officials ignored policy questions around immigration and licensing failures.

• The essay condemns a “hierarchy of compassion” that makes grief politically inconvenient.

America’s compassion should not depend on political status; every preventable tragedy deserves equal urgency and accountability.

Reader Experience: ★★★★☆ Minor clutter but easy reading.

Read the original article HERE

Collateral Damage Was the Plan

Site: Townhall

Author: Jay Rogers

Date: 2026-06-30

• New Mexico’s attorney general opened a criminal probe into DEA fentanyl “let it walk” tactics.

• Whistleblower David Howell says agents allowed over 300,000 pills into Albuquerque streets.

• Court records reportedly show monitored fentanyl deliveries, including one 74,000-pill drop.

• The article links this to Fast and Furious, calling it a recurring federal playbook.

• It argues border neglect and federal recklessness cost lives and demand accountability.

• This story matters because it frames fentanyl deaths as the result of deliberate federal choices, not mere failure.

Reader Experience: ★★★★☆ Minor clutter but easy reading.

Read the original article HERE

Birthplace Citizenship Is Incompatible With Mass Immigration

Site: The Federalist

Author: John Daniel Davidson

Date: 2026-07-01

• Supreme Court upheld birthplace citizenship, drawing sharp dissents from Justices Alito and Thomas.

• Author argues citizenship works only with tightly controlled immigration and a sealed border.

• Under mass illegal immigration, automatic citizenship makes “American” status effectively open to anyone.

• Biden-era border chaos, parole, and legal-status workarounds accelerated long-term demographic transformation.

• The ruling, he warns, will Balkanize America and erode republican self-government.

• Mass immigration turns birthplace citizenship from assimilation tool into a threat to national survival.

Reader Experience: ★★★★☆ Minor clutter but easy reading.

Read the original article HERE

Is America Still ‘Indivisible’?

Site: The Patriot Post

Author: Jack DeVine

Date: 2026-07-01

• The essay asks whether America still lives up to “indivisible” and “united we stand.”

• It argues the Left-Right divide has widened into deeper, spreading national fractures.

• Republicans are portrayed as internally divided; Democrats as driven by socialist radicalism.

• True unity means respectful constitutional disagreement, not wishing national leaders or missions fail.

• The author says Americans already agree on core values and can rebuild common purpose.

• America’s survival depends on rediscovering shared civic purpose before partisan cracks become irreversible.

Reader Experience: ★★★★☆ Minor clutter but easy reading.

Read the original article HERE

The Decision That May Have Ended the Deep State

Site: www.reynolds.com

Author: Jim Reynolds

Date: 2026-06-30

• The Supreme Court overruled Humphrey’s Executor, weakening removal protections for FTC commissioners.

• Reynolds argues the ruling restores Article II presidential control over executive power.

• He says staggered commission terms let unelected regulators outlast multiple presidents.

• Examples like Paul Rand Dixon and Mary Azcuenaga illustrate bureaucratic continuity across administrations.

• The decision could reshape dozens of agencies and redefine accountability in Washington.

• This ruling may end a century-old insulation of federal power from voters and presidents.

Reader Experience: ★★★★★ Clean Substack. No ads. Fast loading.

Read the original article HERE

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Rip’s Newsletter — Special Info Edition #3

June 30, 2026

Compiled and Edited

by

Jim Reynolds

Articles in This Issue

Jim Reynolds — What’s new in the newsletter.

[Note: If you have seen this informational message already, please stop reading and go about your business. This is for brand new subscribers as of today, June 30, 2026. Thousands have been brought aboard earlier today and I want to make that experience as painless as possible.]

Some things changed, others stayed the same

Hello,

This is the third time I’ve sent this note, and there will be more as we continue adding thousands of subscribers.

Today I’d like to explain how Rip’s newsletter has been gently transformed into a modern Substack publication.

Although I’ve preserved many of Rip’s familiar touches—including his sunny logo, the little scrolly dividers, and his famous Plato quote—we’ve also added a few new wrinkles.

We’ve been quietly testing these changes for about a month with our crack test team—which, as of today, you are now officially part of. Congratulations! You are among many thousands of subscribers we’ve imported into the new system.

In terms of format, the first thing you’ll notice is a short overview at the beginning of each newsletter. It ties the featured articles together and explains why they were selected. Most readers seem to appreciate it, although a few are still deciding. Let me know what you think in the comments.

The biggest change is that, instead of including four complete articles inside the email, I now provide a concise summary of each story along with a link to the full article. I try to choose sites with as little clutter as possible, although the occasional popup can’t be avoided. To help, I include a star-rated readability score so you’ll know what to expect before clicking.

Be sure to click the link—it takes you to the complete article.

I’ve always liked summaries because they let me decide quickly whether I want to read the entire article. I try to make each summary informative enough to stand on its own while giving you a good reason to continue if the subject interests you.

Summaries also let us cover far more news without making the newsletter any longer. I often wished Rip had used them because they let us cover more ground while respecting our readers’ time. If readers like the format, we can include additional stories without overwhelming anyone.

When you finish reading an article, simply click your browser’s Back button to return to the newsletter. If you ever run into problems, I’ll be happy to help. So far, the issues have been minor and the fixes have been easy.

As I’ve mentioned before, Rip and I had talked about eventually moving the newsletter to a more modern publishing platform. He felt the time would come when it made sense.

So, what exactly is Substack?

Think of Substack as a modern newspaper or magazine where independent writers publish directly to readers instead of through large media companies. Articles are delivered to your email inbox just as they always have been, but readers can also browse the archive, leave comments, share articles, exchange messages with the author, and—if they wish—support the publication through an optional paid subscription. Most readers simply enjoy the free version.

I’ve been using Substack for my own website, www.reynolds.com, for the past year. I’d publish an essay there and then send the same article to Rip in Microsoft Word—his preferred delivery format.

The email you’re reading is only one part of the system.

Near the top of each newsletter you’ll see a READ IN APP link. Clicking it opens rip.reynolds.com, where you can read on a larger screen, browse previous editions, leave comments, or send me a private message.

If you ever get lost, simply type rip.reynolds.com into your browser. To see every previous newsletter, visit rip.reynolds.com/archive.

At the bottom of each newsletter you’ll also find several buttons. “Share” lets you recommend an article to others. “Like” is a simple way to let us know you enjoyed something. I’m told those Likes help with the mysterious online algorithm, so feel free to click whenever inspiration strikes.

I hope this explanation clears up a few of the changes.

The good news is that you really don’t have to do anything differently. Simply wait for the newsletter to arrive three days a week and enjoy it, just as you always have.

But I hope you’ll also take advantage of some of the new features. Leave a comment. Send me a message. Click “Like” if an article resonates with you. Share something you think a friend would enjoy.

One of the nicest things about this new system is that it allows a conversation instead of a one-way mailing.

Rip always enjoyed hearing from his readers.

I hope you’ll make a habit of writing.

I’d love to hear from you.

—Jim Reynolds

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Rip’s Newsletter

June 29, 2026

Compiled and Edited

by

Jim Reynolds

Editor’s Note

Thousands of Rip’s Newsletter subscribers are once again receiving this publication three times a week, just as they did for many years. Bringing the newsletter back to that level has required hundreds of hours of work, but judging from your comments, the effort has been worthwhile.

I receive dozens of encouraging messages every day. Here are just a few:

“Keep them coming, Jim. Rip would be proud of you!”

“I am an impatient reader, so the summaries are great. They help me decide which articles appeal to me.”

“Jim, you are good, and it looks like the newsletter is going to be even better than before. I like the changes and I also like what you’re keeping!”

“Sorry to hear about Rip’s death. Glad that you are transitioning and keeping this alive.”

“Thank you, Jim, for taking the torch and continuing Rip’s newsletter. Your time and summaries are greatly appreciated.”

I have also received thoughtful suggestions for improvement, and many of those ideas have already been incorporated into the newsletter. As you know, I am always looking for ways to make it better.

But don’t get me wrong. This isn’t about me.

It’s about an idea that Rip McIntosh championed for many years: providing thoughtful, conservative commentary and analysis to readers three times a week—and, from time to time, a little something extra.

My goal is simple: preserve the spirit of what Rip built while using today’s tools to make it even more useful for today’s readers. I think he would have wanted nothing less.

Articles in This Issue

Shawn Fleetwood - Supreme Court Affirms That Presidents Run The Executive Branch

Chris Bray - A Grand Jury Report Shows How The California Model Is Failing

Anthony Esolen - Chess in the Henhouse › American Greatness

Jay Rogers - Three Years After SFFA, the Ruling Is Still Making Changes

Brianna Lyman - The DSA Is The Logical Conclusion Of Democrats’ Positions

Overview

I’m looking at a political class that keeps pretending its own rules don’t apply to it, and the courts are starting to say otherwise. The Supreme Court just reminded everyone that presidents run the executive branch, while California’s homelessness machine keeps burning through hundreds of millions with little to show for it except more tents and more excuses. At the same time, the fight over race-conscious admissions is still alive, and the left’s soft-pedaled flirtation with socialism is no longer a sideshow — it’s the logical end point of what Democrats have been saying for years.

Supreme Court Affirms That Presidents Run The Executive Branch

Site: The Federalist

Author: Shawn Fleetwood

Date: 2026-06-29

• Supreme Court ruled presidents may remove FTC commissioners, weakening “independent agency” protections.

• The 6-3 decision in Trump v. Slaughter overruled Humphrey’s Executor precedent.

• Roberts said removal limits unconstitutionally prevent presidents from trusting executive subordinates.

• Sotomayor dissented, warning the ruling grants presidents unprecedented power over law execution.

• Gorsuch concurred, urging Congress to reclaim delegated legislative and judicial powers.

This ruling reshapes presidential control over federal agencies and could transform administrative governance nationwide.

Reader Experience: ★★★★☆ Minor clutter but easy reading.

Read the original article HERE

A Grand Jury Report Shows How The California Model Is Failing

Site: The Federalist

Author: Chris Bray

Date: 2026-06-29

• San Francisco’s grand jury says homelessness spending is huge, wasteful, and poorly accountable.

• The city spends about $700 million yearly, mostly through outsourced nonprofit contracts.

• Oversight focuses on paperwork, while program performance and street-level outcomes remain weak.

• The report cites deaths and overdoses in supportive housing as evidence of systemic failure.

• Growing nonprofits like Urban Alchemy are becoming too large to replace quickly.

California’s homelessness model is consuming billions while deepening dysfunction, making its failure a warning for the rest of the country.

Reader Experience: ★★★★☆ Minor clutter but easy reading.

Read the original article HERE

Chess in the Henhouse

Site: American Greatness

Author: Anthony Esolen

Date: 2026-06-29

• Esolen argues politics requires chess-like anticipation, not treating society like an inanimate rock.

• Bad policies fail when leaders ignore obvious countermoves from businesses, voters, and institutions.

• Government incentives often shield officials from consequences, letting harmful ideas spread before backlash.

• He cites marriage redefinition, policing, and housing rules as examples of ignored systemic effects.

• The essay warns that fairness rhetoric can empower bullies, disorder, and economic decline.

This story matters because it shows how ignoring human nature turns well-meaning policy into predictable social damage.

Reader Experience: ★★★★☆ Minor clutter but easy reading.

Read the original article HERE

Three Years After SFFA, the Ruling Is Still Making Changes

Site: Townhall

Author: Jay Rogers

Date: 2026-06-29

• Three years after SFFA, race-conscious college admissions remain under intense legal pressure.

• Some universities shifted to socioeconomic factors; others used essay prompts to elicit race indirectly.

• DOJ enforcement is emerging, including a 2026 UCLA medical school investigation.

• Corporate DEI faces growing scrutiny, though SFFA directly governs education, not employers.

• State and federal lawmakers have accelerated anti-DEI efforts, reshaping institutional risk calculations.

• SFFA is still reshaping admissions, DEI, and enforcement nationwide, with more changes likely ahead.

Reader Experience: ★★★★☆ Minor clutter but easy reading.

Read the original article HERE

The DSA Is The Logical Conclusion Of Democrats’ Positions

Site: The Federalist

Author: Brianna Lyman

Date: 2026-06-29

• Only 15 of 257 congressional Democrats signed a coalition opposing socialism and communism.

• The article says DSA candidates merely extend mainstream Democratic positions to their logical conclusions.

• On immigration, Democrats’ “no human is illegal” rhetoric leads to abolishing ICE and deportations.

• On policing and housing, Democratic reform goals become calls to end police, prisons, and market pricing.

• The piece argues Democrats avoid the endgame, while DSA candidates openly embrace it.

• This story matters because it argues today’s Democratic rhetoric is already paving the way for outright socialist policy.

Reader Experience: ★★★★☆ Minor clutter but easy reading.

Read the original article HERE

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Lagniappe

“A little something extra”

June 28, 2026

The JCPOA Was a Uranium Enrichment Program With a UN Stamp

By: Jim Reynolds

www.reynolds.com

June 28, 2026

The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action had exactly one job: stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon. It failed at that job, and the people responsible have spent the years since pretending otherwise — aided by a press corps that needs the narrative to hold.

The Deal’s Architecture Was a Stall, Not a Solution

The Obama administration’s own talking point was that the JCPOA extended Iran’s nuclear breakout time from 2-3 months to roughly one year. That’s not disarmament. That’s not prevention. That’s a timer set to expire. The sunset clauses were the whole design — restrictions on enrichment and centrifuge development would phase out after 10-15 years, at which point Iran would be a “normal” nuclear threshold state with international blessing.

What kind of arms control agreement has a built-in expiration date on the arms control?

Bob:🅱️ “That’s like buying a burglar alarm that politely turns itself off after ten years because the burglar promised to retire.”

The Verification Was Theater

The IAEA inspection regime was the deal’s crown jewel, sold as “anytime, anywhere” access. It was nothing of the sort. Military sites—the places where weaponization work would most likely occur—were subject to a process that could take up to 24 days before inspectors gained access.

Twenty-four days is enough time to remove equipment, sanitize a site, and dramatically alter what inspectors might find. Former IAEA Deputy Director Olli Heinonen famously called the inspection terms “a joke.”

Iran also refused to fully account for its past weaponization work. Rather than resolving the IAEA’s “possible military dimensions” investigation, negotiators effectively closed the file and moved on. The agreement rested on a foundation of unanswered questions rather than verified answers.

Bob:🅱️ “Twenty-four days? That’s not an inspection. That’s an RSVP.”

The Enrichment Never Stopped

Here’s what actually happened under the JCPOA:

Iran kept its entire enrichment infrastructure intact. No centrifuges were destroyed. No facilities were dismantled. The deal limited the number of operating centrifuges and the enrichment level, but the knowledge, the equipment, and the supply chain all remained.

Iran continued developing advanced centrifuges — the IR-6, IR-8, IR-9 — that could enrich uranium far faster than the first-generation models. The JCPOA restricted their deployment but not their development. By the time Trump pulled out, Iran had tested centrifuges that could cut breakout time to weeks.

Iran’s ballistic missile program was explicitly excluded from the deal. The delivery system for a nuclear warhead was treated as a separate issue that the international community would address... never.

And Then They Just Opened the Floodgates

When Trump withdrew in 2018 and reimposed sanctions, Iran’s response was revealing: they immediately began breaching every enrichment limit in the deal. By 2019 they’d blown past the 3.67% cap. By 2021 they were enriching at 60% — a stone’s throw from weapons-grade. By the time the 2025 war started, the IAEA estimated Iran had enough highly enriched uranium for up to 10 nuclear weapons.

If the JCPOA had actually worked — if it had genuinely constrained Iran’s program rather than temporarily capping it — this wouldn’t have been possible. The rapid ramp-up proves the infrastructure was always there, waiting. The deal didn’t dismantle anything. It put a lid on a boiling pot and called it dinner.

Bob:🅱️ “And when the lid blew off, everyone blamed the stove.”

The Media’s Memory Hole

The same outlets now calling Trump’s MOU a “defeat” spent years calling the JCPOA a triumph of diplomacy. The New York Times editorial board said it was “the strongest nonproliferation agreement ever negotiated.” The Atlantic ran cover stories about Obama’s diplomatic genius. When Trump pulled out, the entire foreign policy establishment predicted catastrophe — Iran would immediately sprint to a bomb, the international coalition would collapse, war would become inevitable.

None of that happened immediately. But here’s the thing: the JCPOA’s failure did eventually lead to war. It just took longer than the press corps’s attention span.

Bob:🅱️ “We didn’t dismantle the factory. We put a ‘Closed Until Further Notice’ sign on the front door.”

A deal that allows a regime to maintain its nuclear infrastructure, develop advanced centrifuges, continue ballistic missile testing, and enrich to weapons-grade the moment it faces pressure is not a nonproliferation agreement. It’s a nonproliferation performance. And the audience gave it a standing ovation while Iran was backstage assembling the real thing.

Please go to www.reynolds.com to see more of Jim’s articles.

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Rip’s Newsletter — Special Info Edition

June 27, 2026

Compiled and Edited

by

Jim Reynolds

Articles in This Issue

Jim Reynolds — What’s new in the newsletter.

Some things changed, others stayed the same

Hello,

This is the second time I have sent this note out. There will be more as we continue to add thousands of subscribers.

Today I’d like to explain how Rip’s newsletter has been gently transformed into a modern Substack publication.

Although I’ve preserved many of Rip’s familiar touches—including his sunny logo, the little scrolly dividers, and his famous Plato quote—we’ve also added a few new wrinkles.

We’ve been quietly experimenting with these changes for about a month with our crack test team—which you are all now officially part of. Congratulations! You are among the first 2,000 subscribers we’ve imported into the new system. Many thousands more are waiting in the wings.

The first thing you’ll notice is a short overview at the beginning of each newsletter. It ties the featured articles together and explains why they were selected. Most readers seem to appreciate it, although a few are still deciding. Let me know what you think in the comments.

The biggest change is that, instead of including four complete articles inside the email, I now provide a concise summary of each story along with a link to the original article in its natural setting. I try to choose sites with as little clutter as possible, although the occasional popup can’t be avoided. To help, I include a star-rated readability score so you’ll know what to expect before clicking.

Make sure you click the link! This will take you to the full article.

I’ve always liked summaries because they let me decide quickly whether I want to read the entire article. I try to make each summary informative enough to stand on its own while giving you a good reason to continue if the subject interests you.

Summaries also let us deliver far more information in the same amount of space. I had often wished Rip had used summaries because they allow us to cover more ground without making the newsletter longer. If readers like the format, we can include additional stories without overwhelming anyone.

When you finish reading an article, simply click your browser’s Back button to return to the newsletter. It’s basic Internet navigation, but if anyone runs into problems, I’ll be happy to help. So far, the issues have been minor and the fixes have been easy.

As I’ve mentioned before, Rip and I had talked about eventually moving the newsletter to a more modern publishing platform. He felt the time would come when it made sense.

So, what exactly is Substack?

Think of it as a modern newspaper or magazine where individual writers publish directly to readers instead of through large media companies. Articles are delivered to your email inbox just as they always have been, but readers can also browse the archive, leave comments, share articles, exchange messages with the author, and—if they wish—support the publication through an optional paid subscription. Most readers simply enjoy the free version.

I’ve been using Substack for my own website, www.reynolds.com, for the past year. I’d publish an essay there and then send the same article to Rip in Microsoft Word—his preferred delivery format.

The email you’re reading is only one part of the system.

Near the upper-right corner you’ll see a link that says “READ IN APP.” Clicking it takes you to rip.reynolds.com, where you can read on a larger screen, leave comments, share articles, browse previous editions, or send me a private message using the “Message Jim Reynolds” button.

If you ever get lost, simply type rip.reynolds.com into your browser. To see every previous newsletter, visit rip.reynolds.com/archive.

At the bottom of each newsletter you’ll also find several buttons. “Share” lets you recommend an article to others. “Like” is a simple way to let us know you enjoyed something. I’m told those Likes help with the mysterious online algorithm, so feel free to click whenever inspiration strikes.

I hope this explanation clears up a few of the changes.

The good news is that you really don’t have to do anything differently. Simply wait for the newsletter to arrive three days a week and enjoy it, just as you always have.

But I hope you’ll also take advantage of some of the new features. Leave a comment. Send me a message. Click “Like” if an article resonates with you. Share something you think a friend would enjoy.

One of the nicest things about this new system is that it allows a conversation instead of a one-way mailing.

Rip always enjoyed hearing from his readers.

I hope I will too.

—Jim Reynolds

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Rip’s Newsletter

June 26, 2026

Compiled and Edited

by

Jim Reynolds

Articles in This Issue

Helen Raleigh - Democrats’ Communist Revolution Will Destroy America If The Right Ignores It

Eddie Scarry - Dems Don’t Fear Communists. They Just Hate Losing Their Jobs

Ben Smith - After Weeks of Socialist Gains, Trump Warns ‘The Communists Are Finally Making Their Move’

Ward Clark - The Downfall of America’s Cities: How the Great Sorting Leads to Socialism

Scott McKay - Where Are the Bill Kristols and Michael Steeles on the Democrat Side Today?

Nick Arama - Here’s How Extreme the Dems Are Now, in New NY Congressional Nominee’s Own Words

Siena Rose - The Socialists Are Coming for Your Grandparents

J Garrett - Self-Hate

Jim Reynolds - 🪦 The Political Obituary of Dan Goldman: When the Democrats Buried One of Their Best Liars

Note: There are a couple of differences in today’s Rip’s Newsletter.

First, I decided to take the advice of one of our readers and produce a focused edition. Every article in today’s issue revolves around three related terms: Democrats, communism, and socialism. After gathering articles from across the internet, I simply searched for those terms and selected the results.

What I did not expect was the sheer number of serious pieces sounding the alarm about these closely connected subjects.

That brings us to the second difference: today’s issue contains nine articles instead of the usual four. Fortunately, the new summary format lets you decide which stories deserve a full read and which ones you want to skip. I do hope you’ll make time for the Goldman essay at the end. I think you’ll find it worthwhile.

We’ve now been rolling out this new version of Rip’s Newsletter for about a month, and the response has been very encouraging. Please join me in welcoming another 1,000 subscribers, who were added to our community just a few minutes ago.

— Jim Reynolds

Overview

New York just handed the left a fresh set of victories, and the lesson is simple: the Democratic Party is no longer flirting with socialism, it is feeding it. DSA-backed candidates are knocking off incumbents and pushing openly radical politics into the mainstream, while party leaders either shrug or quietly cheer because they think the only real crime is losing control of the seat. That matters because this is how a city party becomes a national machine: first the activists take the primaries, then they take the agenda, and then they tell the rest of us to live with the wreckage.

Democrats’ Communist Revolution Will Destroy America If The Right Ignores It

Site: The Federalist

Author: Helen Raleigh

Date: 2026-06-26

• DSA-backed candidates scored major New York primary wins, signaling growing socialist influence.

• Darializa Avila Chevalier upset Rep. Adriano Espaillat in NY-13, despite no prior elected experience.

• Claire Valdez and Brad Lander also won, campaigning on anti-ICE, pro-Palestinian, and socialist slogans.

• The article argues Democrats’ leftward drift and activist institutions fueled socialism’s rise.

• Republicans are urged to court working-class minorities before socialist politics reshape America further.

This story matters because it frames New York’s primaries as a warning that socialist politics could reshape the Democratic Party and national future.

Reader Experience: ★★★★☆ Minor clutter but easy reading.

Read the original article HERE

Dems Don’t Fear Communists. They Just Hate Losing Their Jobs

Site: The Federalist

Author: Eddie Scarry

Date: 2026-06-25

• Online conservatives misread New York socialist wins as Democrats fearing ideological toxicity.

• The article argues party leaders mainly resent losing incumbents’ seats to challengers.

• Democrats, it says, helped build this left-wing power through recruitment and electoral strategy.

• New York primaries saw two incumbents lose, with a third open seat likely flipping.

• Party leaders usually back incumbents, but will quickly adapt to new winners.

This story matters because it reframes Democratic infighting as a power struggle, not an ideological crisis.

Reader Experience: ★★★★☆ Minor clutter but easy reading.

Read the original article HERE

After Weeks of Socialist Gains, Trump Warns ‘The Communists Are Finally Making Their Move’

Site: RedState

Author: Ben Smith

Date: 2026-06-26

• Trump warned on Truth Social that “the Communists are finally making their move.”

• His warning followed DSA-backed candidates sweeping three targeted New York congressional races.

• Darializa Avila Chevalier ousted Adriano Espaillat; Brad Lander beat Dan Goldman.

• The article frames the wins as evidence of socialism’s growing Democratic influence.

• It argues New York’s political shift reflects exodus, dependency, and failed socialist ideas.

The story signals how far left Democratic politics have moved—and why that shift could reshape national power.

Reader Experience: ★★★☆☆ Moderate ads and interruptions.

Read the original article HERE

The Downfall of America’s Cities: How the Great Sorting Leads to Socialism

Site: RedState

Author: Ward Clark

Date: 2026-06-25

• Urban America is drifting left, with socialist candidates winning key Democratic primaries.

• Recent New York primaries elevated multiple democratic socialists over incumbent Democrats.

• A recent poll found 33% of Americans view socialism favorably.

• Democrats and younger voters are far more supportive of socialism than Republicans.

• The author blames outmigration of productive residents, leaving dependency voters and elites.

• The story matters because it argues America’s cities are politically hollowing out into socialism, with consequences for national power and prosperity.

Reader Experience: ★★★☆☆ Moderate ads and interruptions.

Read the original article HERE

Where Are the Bill Kristols and Michael Steeles on the Democrat Side Today?

Site: The American Spectator

Author: Scott McKay

Date: 2026-06-24

• New York primaries exposed a stronger-than-ever Democratic Socialist takeover of the party.

• The author argues Democrats lack moderates, new ideas, or meaningful internal resistance.

• Darializa Avila Chevalier’s upset over Adriano Espaillat symbolizes the party’s radical shift.

• Unlike GOP NeverTrumpers, establishment Democrats have not produced a comparable anti-left realignment.

• The piece frames today’s Democrats as hostile to America and urges voters to reject them.

This story matters because it argues the Democratic Party’s internal radicalization is reshaping American politics and national identity.

Reader Experience: ★★★★☆ Minor clutter but easy reading.

Read the original article HERE

Here’s How Extreme the Dems Are Now, in New NY Congressional Nominee’s Own Words

Site: RedState

Author: Nick Arama

Date: 2026-06-25

• NYC socialist primary wins likely send far-left Democrats to Congress.

• RedState spotlights NY-13 nominee Darializa Avila Chevalier as especially extreme.

• Deleted posts allegedly called to abolish police, prisons, borders, and insulted America.

• Chevalier says all deportations are wrong, even for immigrants convicted of murder.

• Her evasive communist response underscores Democrats’ leftward shift and messaging problem.

This race shows how far left Democratic nominees have moved, with national implications.

Reader Experience: ★★★☆☆ Moderate ads and interruptions.

Read the original article HERE

The Socialists Are Coming for Your Grandparents

Site: Townhall

Author: Siena Rose

Date: 2026-06-25

• The article argues left-wing activists are targeting both children and retirees with socialist messaging.

• Jane Fonda’s “bookends” comment is cited as openly dividing radicalization between youth and elders.

• Teachers’ unions, especially NEA and AFT, are portrayed as key vehicles for this outreach.

• Examples include retiree programs, conference workshops, and anti-Trump messaging aimed at older members.

• The piece warns retirees are being misled by trusted institutions to normalize socialism.

The fight over socialism is now reaching grandparents, making retirement communities a new political battleground.

Reader Experience: ★★★★☆ Minor clutter but easy reading.

Read the original article HERE

Self-Hate

Site: Substack

Author: J Garrett

Date: 2026-06-26

• Talarico’s “Christian who hates Christianity” remark anchors a broader attack on left-wing self-loathing.

• The essay argues Democrats increasingly despise America despite benefiting from its freedoms and prosperity.

• It cites Mamdani and Avila Chevalier as examples of anti-American, anti-capitalist, pro-Islamist politics.

• The piece condemns a judge blocking limits on noncitizen voting, calling it anti-sovereignty.

• Garrett says foreigners appreciate America more than Americans do, urging renewed national gratitude.

This story matters because it frames America’s political divide as a crisis of self-respect, identity, and national loyalty.

Reader Experience: ★★★★★ Clean Substack. No ads. Fast loading.

Read the original article HERE

🪦 The Political Obituary of Dan Goldman: When the Democrats Buried One of Their Best Liars

Site: www.reynolds.com

Author: Jim Reynolds

Date: 2026-06-26

• Dan Goldman, a polished Democratic communicator, was crushed in a 65.7% to 34.1% primary loss.

• The article frames Goldman as an elite party “liar” who sold Democratic narratives on television.

• His defeat is attributed to the party’s leftward shift and Zohran Mamdani’s political machine.

• Brad Lander attacked Goldman from the left, weaponizing his AIPAC and Israel positions.

• The piece argues Democrats now reward true believers over skilled operators and contradictions.

• Goldman’s collapse signals a broader Democratic purge of establishment figures who can no longer satisfy the party’s activist base.

Reader Experience: ★★★★★ Clean Substack. No ads. Fast loading.

Read the original article HERE

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Today’s Power List

Compiled by Jim Reynolds

Thursday, June 25

Note: The Power List is for readers who simply want a clean, curated collection of the best political and cultural articles from top authors and trusted publications.

For most readers, the 12–15 articles featured each week in Rip’s long-running Newsletter will be more than enough. The Power List is for those who want broader coverage and a deeper dive into the day’s most important stories.

The long-term plan is to offer the Power List as a benefit for paid subscribers. For now, however, as we continue onboarding the rest of our thousands of subscribers, I’m making it available free a couple of times each week.

Simply put, the Power List is a lean, curated list of the day’s top 25 political and cultural stories. Each selection includes a concise summary in the familiar voice you’ve come to expect, so you can stay informed in minutes instead of spending hours sorting through the news yourself.

We do the sorting. You save time. That’s our motto.

Laissez les bons temps rouler.

From London’s Tennis Courts to California, Aggressive Taxes Always Disappoint Veronique de Rugy, Townhall

This one knows the game: tax the goose, then act shocked when it flies off. Clean argument, good receipts, and the tennis angle gives it some snap instead of the usual spreadsheet coma. Could use a little more bite, but the point lands: people don’t stay put to be milked.

SCOTUS: Hawaii’s Concealed Carry Restriction Is Unconstitutional Shawn Fleetwood, Federalist

This one’s simple: the Court swatted down a bureaucratic booby trap and called it what it was. The ‘vampire rule’ sounds like something dreamed up by a committee that hates ordinary people and loves paperwork. Good news, but the real story is how long these little rights-eating schemes get to live before somebody with a robe and a spine kills them.

Can Washington’s Home Be Saved From Rogue Judges By July 4? Jeffrey H Anderson, Federalist

This one knows exactly where the knife goes. Rogue judge, activist museum, taxpayer nonsense — clean target, clean shot. Could use a little more sting, but it gets the job done without wandering off to admire its own shoes.

Brazil Backs Up Pro-Censorship Judge In Vendetta Against Rumble Margot Cleveland, Federalist

Here’s the modern trick: foreign censors, domestic courts, and everybody pretending it’s normal. The piece lays out the racket in plain English, which is rarer than it should be. Not a sermon. A paper trail with teeth.

☕️ LAW, ORDER, AND MEN IN BLACK☙ Thursday, June 25, 2026 ☙ C&C NEWS 🦠 Jeff Childers, Substack

This one has a pulse. It moves fast, throws elbows, and remembers the part where the media pretends the obvious never happened. A little carnival bark, sure, but the receipts are there and the contempt is earned.

SCOTUS: No, Illegals Don’t ‘Arrive’ In U.S. When They’re In Mexico Shawn Fleetwood, Federalist

This one does the job. Clean point, clean target, no fog machine. The Court says what common sense already knew: you don’t ‘arrive’ somewhere while you’re still standing in Mexico. Nice to see the law briefly remember geography.

Turkey: Hamas’s Safe Haven and the West’s Dangerous Blind Spot Khaled Abu Toameh, Gatestone

Turkey with the mask off. That’s the whole story, and it’s a nasty one. The West keeps calling this a partner while Hamas uses Turkish soil like a rented garage. Solid warning shot, though it could hit harder if it stopped bowing to the diplomatic fairy tale.

LA County Proposes to Seize Houses and Turn Them Over to Political Allies Daniel Greenfield, Frontpage

This one smells like old-fashioned machine politics wearing a homeless halo. The trick is simple: take property, hand it to the friends, call it compassion, and hope nobody notices the grift. They always say it’s about helping people. Funny how it keeps helping the same people twice.

Democrats Trying To Repeat History With FDR Court-Packing Ruse Sen Chuck Grassley, Federalist

This is the old con in a fresh suit. The history lesson is solid, and the warning is real: when the rules don’t help, the other side reaches for a crowbar. It’s a little too dutiful in spots, but the smell test is right where it should be.

This Is How You Know the Biden-Era Fentanyl Scandal Is Bad Cameron Arcand, Townhall

This one has a body count, not a talking point. The scandal is plain: the feds played roulette with poison and called it strategy. Good outrage, but it reads more like a news blast than a knife fight. Still, the receipt is there, and it stinks.

New: Long Island School Clerk Busted Destroying Ballots to Rig Election Ward Clark, RedState

This one’s simple: ballots in the trash, trust in the gutter. No fog, no fancy footwork — just the old election magic trick where the wrong people keep finding the right envelopes. Good reminder that the system doesn’t fail all at once. It gets nibbled to death by clerks with a favorite candidate and a dead conscience.

What the Reflecting Pool Reflects About America Daniel Greenfield, Frontpage

Now this has a pulse. It takes a stupid media obsession and shows you the machine behind it: what gets inflated, what gets buried, and who benefits from the distraction. That’s the game — algae in the pool, blood in Nigeria, and the press acting like the puddle is the crisis. Solid piece. Mean enough to matter, sharp enough to remember.

Why an “Unrepentant Terrorist” Got A Ringside Seat at Obama Opening Jack Cashill, Substack

Cashill brings the old receipts and doesn’t pretend the swamp forgot on accident. The Ayers-Obama thread is the kind of thing the press would rather bury under a pile of tasteful adjectives. Strong moral memory here. A little more tightening would help, but the stink trail is real and he follows it.

5 Killer Quotes From Alito’s Takedown Of Hawaii’s Gun Control Law Shawn Fleetwood, Federalist

It’s a quote roundup, so the lift is limited from the start. Still, the bones are solid: Hawaii tries to dress up a ban as ‘safety,’ and Alito swats it down with the Constitution. Not a revolution. Just the law showing up for work for once.

Border Win: SCOTUS Rules Migrants in Mexico Haven’t ‘Arrived’ in the US for Asylum Purposes Ben Smith, RedState

This is what happens when the law remembers what words mean. A migrant in Mexico is not magically in America because a lawyer waved a clipboard and said so. Clean win, solid ruling, but it’s still the same circus: common sense has to go to court to get a fair hearing.

Don’t Forget the Broader Context of the Iranian Memorandum Victor Davis Hanson, Townhall

Hanson does what the smart ones do: he yanks the camera back when everybody else is screaming at the close-up. The piece has backbone and memory, which is rare enough these days to qualify as a public service. It could tighten the middle, but the message is simple: don’t let the usual suspects turn every move into a moral panic before the dust even settles.

Trump: The Greater Risk Was Waiting Larry Elder, Townhall

This one knows where it’s going. The case is plain: waiting is how you get boxed in, and Iran wasn’t exactly knitting sweaters in the basement. It’s solid, but it leans on familiar Trump-defense rails when a sharper knife would’ve made the point stick harder.

If 340B is helping patients, why are hospitals fighting transparency? Joe Grogan, RCP Web

Good clean hit. The scam is simple: discount for the patient, markup for the hospital, and a fog machine for everybody else. Could use more bite, because this is exactly the kind of racket that survives when nobody asks, ‘Where did the money go?’

Calm Down About JD Vance Kurt Schlichter, Townhall

This has a spine. It doesn’t pretend the deal is pretty, just explains why the adults in the room are swallowing glass for now. The mullahs are still the mullahs, and nobody should confuse a pause with peace. Strong voice, but it leans on familiar war-talk when a sharper angle could’ve made the bruise last longer.

Socialist Primary Wins Prove Mass Migration Remakes America Brianna Lyman, Federalist

This is the part they always swore was impossible. Move the people, change the politics. Funny how the map keeps confessing what the experts denied with a straight face. Could hit harder if it stopped tiptoeing around the obvious and just said the quiet part out loud.

Senate GOP Ignores Trump’s Political Instincts On The SAVE Act M D Kittle, RCP Web

This has a clean target: Senate Republicans doing the usual surrender dance while Trump yanks the leash. That part lands. It’s got the right smell of swamp water and fake concern. Could use a sharper knife, but the receipt is there and the bill is overdue.

Former Disney CEO Iger Finally Admits What Everyone Knew About Jimmy Kimmel’s Toxic Charlie Kirk Rant Bob Hoge, RedState

This one’s a clean little mugging of the official story. Iger finally says the quiet part out loud: it wasn’t censorship theater, it was bad taste and a bad joke at a bad time. Not exactly a profile in courage, but it does leave a bruise on the people who spent months pretending the network was under siege by fascists.

Sorry, Mr. President, but the SAVE Act Isn’t Happening This Year Derek Hunter, Townhall

This one knows the score and says it plain: nice bill, wrong calendar. That’s the kind of reality check Washington hates, because reality doesn’t care about press releases or presidential moods. Could use a little more bite, but the point lands: if you can’t pass it, don’t sell it like it’s already in the bag.

Despite the 54th Anniversary of Title IX, Men Are Still Competing in Women’s Sports Macy Charles, Townhall

This one knows the scandal and names the players. Good. But it reads like a press release with a pulse. The facts are doing the heavy lifting while the prose stands there in sensible shoes. The outrage is real. The bite could be meaner.

Herding the GOP Cats Nate Jackson, Patriot Post

This is the kind of political babysitting America pays for. The point is clear: Trump’s using the bill like a cattle prod, and the Senate’s acting like it lost the remote. Solid read, but it plays a little too neat — like the circus can be managed if everybody just behaves. That’s cute. Washington doesn’t behave. It invoices.

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Rip’s Newsletter — Special Edition

June 24, 2026

Compiled and Edited

by

Jim Reynolds

Articles in This Issue

Jim Reynolds — What’s new in the newsletter.

Some things changed, others stayed the same

Hello,

Today I’d like to explain how Rip’s newsletter has been gently transformed into a modern Substack publication.

Although I’ve preserved many of Rip’s familiar touches—including his sunny logo, the little scrolly dividers, and his famous Plato quote—we’ve also added a few new wrinkles.

We’ve been quietly experimenting with these changes for about a month with our crack test team—which you are all now officially part of. Congratulations! You are among the first 1,000 subscribers we’ve imported into the new system. Many thousands more are waiting in the wings.

The first thing you’ll notice is a short overview at the beginning of each newsletter. It ties the featured articles together and explains why they were selected. Most readers seem to appreciate it, although a few are still deciding. Let me know what you think in the comments.

The biggest change is that, instead of including four complete articles inside the email, I now provide a concise summary of each story along with a link to the original article in its natural setting. I try to choose sites with as little clutter as possible, although the occasional popup can’t be avoided. To help, I include a star-rated readability score so you’ll know what to expect before clicking.

I’ve always liked summaries because they let me decide quickly whether I want to read the entire article. I try to make each summary informative enough to stand on its own while giving you a good reason to continue if the subject interests you.

Summaries also let us deliver far more information in the same amount of space. I had often wished Rip had used summaries because they allow us to cover more ground without making the newsletter longer. If readers like the format, we can include additional stories without overwhelming anyone.

When you finish reading an article, simply click your browser’s Back button to return to the newsletter. It’s basic Internet navigation, but if anyone runs into problems, I’ll be happy to help. So far, the issues have been minor and the fixes have been easy.

As I’ve mentioned before, Rip and I had talked about eventually moving the newsletter to a more modern publishing platform. He felt the time would come when it made sense.

So, what exactly is Substack?

Think of it as a modern newspaper or magazine where individual writers publish directly to readers instead of through large media companies. Articles are delivered to your email inbox just as they always have been, but readers can also browse the archive, leave comments, share articles, exchange messages with the author, and—if they wish—support the publication through an optional paid subscription. Most readers simply enjoy the free version.

I’ve been using Substack for my own website, www.reynolds.com, for the past year. I’d publish an essay there and then send the same article to Rip in Microsoft Word—his preferred delivery format.

The email you’re reading is only one part of the system.

Near the upper-right corner you’ll see a link that says “READ IN APP.” Clicking it takes you to rip.reynolds.com, where you can read on a larger screen, leave comments, share articles, browse previous editions, or send me a private message using the “Message Jim Reynolds” button.

If you ever get lost, simply type rip.reynolds.com into your browser. To see every previous newsletter, visit rip.reynolds.com/archive.

At the bottom of each newsletter you’ll also find several buttons. “Share” lets you recommend an article to others. “Like” is a simple way to let us know you enjoyed something. I’m told those Likes help with the mysterious online algorithm, so feel free to click whenever inspiration strikes.

I hope this explanation clears up a few of the changes.

The good news is that you really don’t have to do anything differently. Simply wait for the newsletter to arrive three days a week and enjoy it, just as you always have.

But I hope you’ll also take advantage of some of the new features. Leave a comment. Send me a message. Click “Like” if an article resonates with you. Share something you think a friend would enjoy.

One of the nicest things about this new system is that it allows a conversation instead of a one-way mailing.

Rip always enjoyed hearing from his readers.

I hope I will too.

—Jim Reynolds

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Rip’s Newsletter

June 24, 2026

Compiled and Edited

by

Jim Reynolds

Articles in This Issue

Brianna Lyman - Los Angeles Moves To Let Noncitizens Vote DataRepublican - How USAID Built a Global Color Revolution Infrastructure With NGOs Alex Berenson - The Democrats set themselves on fire Joe Abraham - If Citizens Lose Faith in Elections, Accountability Dies Jim Reynolds - 🔥 The Great Inversion: When Losing Everything Means “Winning”

I’m looking at a political class that keeps rewarding the same bad instincts: open the door to noncitizen voting, build NGO networks that can tilt foreign politics, and then act shocked when people stop trusting elections. The left is also eating itself, with New York Democrats backing candidates who want to abolish ICE and tear down the party’s old guard. At the same time, the fight over Iran shows how quickly the press can turn a clear military result into a moral fog. The common thread is simple: power is being pushed harder, and accountability is getting weaker.

Los Angeles Moves To Let Noncitizens Vote

Site: The Federalist

Author: Brianna Lyman

Date: 2026-06-19

• Los Angeles City Council voted to place noncitizen voting in city elections on November’s ballot.

• The proposal would also extend voting rights in Los Angeles Unified District elections.

• Councilman Hugo Soto-Martinez says legal noncitizens, including DACA recipients, would benefit.

• Critics say the move exposes years of denials about Democrats supporting noncitizen voting.

• The article links the proposal to broader fights over the SAVE America Act.

  Los Angeles is turning a dismissed “conspiracy theory” into a live ballot question, reshaping the national debate over citizenship and voting.

Reader Experience: ★★★★☆ Minor clutter but easy reading.

Read the original article HERE

How USAID Built a Global Color Revolution Infrastructure With NGOs

Site: Substack

Author: DataRepublican

Date: 2026-06-24

• Article argues USAID’s real purpose was regime change, not humanitarian aid.

• It identifies five capabilities: media, legal infrastructure, election monitoring, activist training, governance data.

• Georgia is presented as the clearest case of the full color-revolution pipeline.

• The same five capabilities are said to exist domestically through private foundations.

• The author claims the network, not individual grants, functions as a political operating system.

This story matters because it reframes foreign aid as infrastructure for political power, with implications at home and abroad.

Reader Experience: ★★★★★ Clean Substack. No ads. Fast loading.

Read the original article HERE

The Democrats set themselves on fire

Site: Substack

Author: Alex Berenson

Date: 2026-06-24

• Darializa Avila Chevalier won a New York Democratic primary, defeating establishment-backed incumbent Adriano Espaillat.

• Her victory, boosted by Mayor Zohran Mamdani, signals a sharper leftward turn in city Democrats.

• Chevalier’s views include abolishing deportations, prisons, and borders, according to a recent interview.

• She also declined to clearly affirm Israel’s right to exist, drawing criticism even from AOC and Sanders.

• The author argues Democrats are embracing radicalism that could hand Republicans long-term power.

This race shows how far left Democratic politics can go—and why it may reshape national power.

Reader Experience: ★★★★★ Clean Substack. No ads. Fast loading.

Read the original article HERE

If Citizens Lose Faith in Elections, Accountability Dies

Site: Townhall

Author: Joe Abraham

Date: 2026-06-24

• The essay argues democracy depends on voters believing elections are transparent and meaningful.

• In Illinois, eroding trust leaves officials insulated from consequences and public accountability.

• The author ties this crisis to his daughter Katie Abraham’s fatal 2025 crash.

• He says identity-verification failures and sanctuary policies exposed deeper government system weaknesses.

• He backs the SAVE Act as a way to verify citizenship and restore confidence.

• If citizens stop trusting elections, leaders face fewer consequences and democracy itself weakens.

Reader Experience: ★★★★☆ Minor clutter but easy reading.

Read the original article HERE

🔥 The Great Inversion: When Losing Everything Means “Winning”

Site: www.reynolds.com

Author: Jim Reynolds

Date: 2026-06-21

• Reynolds argues the U.S.-Israel campaign devastated Iran’s military and nuclear capabilities.

• He says stated objectives were explicit, measurable, and largely achieved by the strikes.

• Yet Western commentators and major outlets framed the outcome as an Iranian victory.

• Reynolds calls that framing a survival gambit, concession alchemy, and goalpost migration.

• He argues media narratives can invert battlefield reality into “failure” through selective definitions.

This story matters because it shows how narrative framing can overturn clear military outcomes in public debate.

Reader Experience: ★★★★★ Clean Substack. No ads. Fast loading.

See more articles like this at our sister site: www.reynolds.com

Read the original article HERE

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Rip’s Newsletter

June 22, 2026

Compiled and Edited

by

Jim Reynolds

Articles in This Issue

Jay Rogers - Your Castle, Their Plans: 21 Years After Kelo, the Government Still Holds the Key

Terry Stoops - 5 Years Post-Covid, Public Middle Schoolers Still Can’t Read

Hugh Fitzgerald - USAID Confirms Israeli Claims: More Than 100 UNRWA Staff in Gaza Connected to Hamas | Frontpage Mag

Kevin McCullough - This Is America, FIFA

Bill Schoettler - Was America “Better” In the Past?

I’m looking at a set of stories that all point to the same ugly truth: the institutions that are supposed to protect ordinary people keep siding with power, bureaucracy, and bad ideas. The Supreme Court left Kelo standing, which means government still has a green light to seize private property for the benefit of developers and city hall favorites. USAID’s referral of more than 100 UNRWA staff tied to Hamas is another reminder that the aid-industrial complex has been feeding the very forces it claims to oppose. And while FIFA polices Iranian dissidents for waving the Lion and Sun flag, our schools are still failing to teach too many kids how to read.

Your Castle, Their Plans: 21 Years After Kelo, the Government Still Holds the Key

Site: Townhall

Author: Jay Rogers

Date: 2026-06-22

• Supreme Court declined to revisit Kelo, leaving permissive eminent-domain precedent intact.

• Kelo redefined “public use” as “public purpose,” enabling takings for economic development.

• Fort Trumbull’s seized neighborhood was bulldozed, then left vacant for years.

• Forty-seven states tightened laws, but loopholes and federal standards still permit abuse.

• The author urges Congress, states, and the Court to restore stronger property protections.

Kelo still threatens ordinary property owners, making this a live fight over constitutional limits and economic freedom.

🅱️ This one knows what it’s mad about. Kelo is the kind of ruling that turns a Constitution into a suggestion box for city hall. Good spine, good memory, and it remembers the little guy gets steamrolled when the planners smell money.

Reader Experience: ★★★★☆ Minor clutter but easy reading.

Read the original article HERE

5 Years Post-Covid, Public Middle Schoolers Still Can’t Read

Site: The Federalist

Author: Terry Stoops

Date: 2026-06-22

• NAEP long-term trend results show 9-year-olds improving in reading and math since 2022.

• Those gains mostly restore pre-COVID levels, while achievement gaps still persist.

• Thirteen-year-olds remain stuck: reading unchanged since 2023 and near 1971 levels.

• Math for 13-year-olds is slightly above 1973, but far below 2012 and 2020.

• The article blames shutdowns and failed reforms, urging basics, discipline, tutoring, and parental choice.

Public schools still lag badly for middle schoolers, making academic recovery and reform urgent.

🅱️ Here’s the part they keep trying to bury: kids got kneecapped, and the adults in charge called it prudence. The numbers do the talking, which is nice because the excuses are tired and smell like old conference coffee. Not fancy, just damning. That’s usually how the truth shows up.

Reader Experience: ★★★★☆ Minor clutter but easy reading.

Read the original article HERE

USAID Confirms Israeli Claims: More Than 100 UNRWA Staff in Gaza Connected to Hamas | Frontpage Mag

Site: FrontPage Magazine

Author: Hugh Fitzgerald

Date: 2026-06-22

• USAID referred 101 current or former UNRWA staff to State over Hamas ties.

• Referred employees included teachers, principals, security staff, counselors, and medical workers.

• Some allegedly held senior Hamas roles or supported October 7 operations directly.

• The report bolsters Israel’s claims that UNRWA was infiltrated by Hamas members.

• The article urges donors to cut UNRWA funding and fold it into UNHCR.

This report could reshape aid policy by exposing alleged Hamas infiltration inside UNRWA.

🅱️ Funny how the paperwork always catches up after the damage is done. This one lands because it’s not theory — it’s the swamp’s own receipts. Could use a little more bite, but the core message is simple: the “humanitarian” costume was doing a lot of work.

Reader Experience: ★★★☆☆ Moderate ads and interruptions.

Read the original article HERE

This Is America, FIFA

Site: Townhall

Author: Kevin McCullough

Date: 2026-06-22

• FIFA reportedly objected to Iranian fans displaying the historic Lion and Sun flag at SoFi Stadium.

• The column says the flag symbolizes pre-theocracy Iran and anti-regime dissident identity.

• It argues FIFA wrongly policed peaceful opposition while ignoring Tehran’s repression and terror.

• Iranian-Americans are portrayed as loving Iran while rejecting the Ayatollahs’ regime.

• The piece frames the incident as proof authoritarianism fears visible, public dissent.

The story matters because it spotlights how symbols of freedom can challenge tyranny on American soil.

🅱️ This one knows exactly where the stink is coming from. Bureaucrats always find a way to side with the wrong people and call it procedure. Good outrage, clean target, and the flag does the heavy lifting. Could use a little more bite in the landing, but the point gets through without a translator.

Reader Experience: ★★★★☆ Minor clutter but easy reading.

Read the original article HERE

Guest Contributor: Bill Schoettler

Note: Bill Schoettler is a Founder Member and Contributor to Rip’s Newsletter. Bill submitted this essay, and after a few editorial discussions and minor revisions, we decided to publish it here in its entirety.

As many readers know, Rip frequently accepted submissions from outside writers for publication in Rip’s Newsletter. I intend to continue that tradition while maintaining the same editorial standards Rip expected.

If you are interested in becoming a contributor, send me a message. Contributor opportunities are reserved for Founder Members, and all submissions are subject to editorial review and approval. Publishing quality work takes time, effort, and editorial commitment.

Bring only your best. That is what Rip expected—and it is what our readers deserve.

WAS AMERICA “BETTER” IN THE PAST?

Bill Schoettler (6/17/26)

I was born almost ninety years ago. I was alive when World War II began. I learned to drive a stick-shift car, rode a streetcar to high school, and did many of the things that now appear on the internet under the heading, “Things old people used to do.”

Gasoline sold for less than twenty-five cents a gallon. Service station attendants pumped the gas, checked the oil, inspected the radiator, and made sure the tires were properly inflated. Helms Bakery trucks delivered fresh bread. The milkman brought milk and eggs to the front door. Salesmen walked neighborhoods selling vacuum cleaners and encyclopedias.

Most of those things are gone today.

The reasons are not mysterious. Economics changed. Labor costs increased. Customers became more mobile. Why bring products to the neighborhood when customers can drive to a central location? Businesses adapted, and many familiar institutions simply disappeared.

That is the normal course of history. New things replace old things.

What interests me more, however, are the institutions that disappeared even though they provided something valuable.

A good example is the Boy Scouts of America.

For much of the twentieth century, scouting offered boys adventure, responsibility, outdoor skills, leadership training, and a chance to test themselves. Boys learned to camp, cook, hike, navigate, work together, and solve problems. The rewards were not financial. The rewards were confidence, maturity, and character.

Millions of boys embraced the experience.

Today, however, the organization that once occupied such a prominent place in American life has largely faded from public importance.

Why?

Part of the answer was competition. Beginning in the 1960s, organized youth activities expanded dramatically. Little League baseball, Pop Warner football, tutoring programs, and countless after-school opportunities competed for the time once devoted to scouting.

Family life changed as well. Mothers increasingly entered the workforce, often with the same skill and success as men. As households adapted to two working parents, structured and closely supervised activities became more attractive and more practical.

At the same time, public awareness of child abuse increased. Such misconduct had always existed, but it received little public attention during the first half of the century. As highly publicized cases emerged, parents became understandably more cautious about entrusting their children to adults outside the family, even though the overwhelming majority of Scout leaders were honorable volunteers who generously gave their time to young people.

Questions of gender equality added another challenge. As women gained opportunities throughout society, many began asking why daughters should be excluded from activities available to sons. The issue was understandable, but it also created practical questions regarding supervision, privacy, and the management of mixed-gender outdoor activities.

Finally came the legal profession. Organizations that sponsored Scout troops—churches, schools, civic clubs, and businesses—became increasingly concerned about liability. A single incident, however rare, could lead to costly litigation. Many sponsors simply decided the risk was no longer worth assuming.

None of these developments, by themselves, destroyed scouting. Rather, they gradually made participation more difficult, supervision more complicated, liability more expensive, and volunteer leadership harder to find. Like many institutions, scouting did not collapse because people stopped valuing it. It declined because the social conditions that once sustained it slowly disappeared.

The result was the quiet fading of an organization that had once helped shape generations of American boys. Along with milk deliveries, bread trucks, and the Good Humor Man, scouting became one more familiar feature of American life that slipped into history.

Does this mean America was better in the past?

Not necessarily.

The America of my youth had advantages that have disappeared, but it also lacked many opportunities that exist today. Modern medicine, technology, communications, and education have opened doors that earlier generations could scarcely imagine.

Every generation gains something and loses something.

What matters is recognizing what was valuable and finding new ways to preserve it. The lesson of scouting is not that boys need campfires and merit badges. The lesson is that young people still need challenge, responsibility, adventure, and opportunities to develop character.

Yesterday is history. Tomorrow remains unknown.

What we do have is today—and the responsibility to make it worthy of those who will someday look back on our time as the “good old days.”

Bill Schoettler is a retired Judge, former trial attorney, and holds graduate degrees in Spiritual Psychology and Counseling Psychology. He also holds a Commercial Pilot’s License and has been a hunter, fisherman, author, editor, skier, parachutist, diver, teacher, and counselor.

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Rip’s Newsletter

June 21, 2026

Compiled and Edited

by

Jim Reynolds

Articles in This Issue

Shawn Fleetwood - Docs: Fauci Colluded With Intel Agencies On Covid Cover-Up

Jay Rogers - The Soft Bigotry of Low Expectations Has a Law Degree

Ben Smith - California Dems Want to Charge You for Public Records and Sue You if You Complain

Samuel Kimzey - The Mass Rape Of British Girls By Pakistani Immigrants Is An Act Of War

Jeff Childers - ☕️DISCLOSURE DAY ☙ Saturday, June 20, 2026 ☙ C&C NEWS🦠

Today’s set is about institutions lying, then charging you for the privilege of finding out. We’ve got fresh declassifications pointing at Fauci and the intel agencies in the COVID cover-up, a California bill that would make public records harder to get and punish people who complain, and a DOJ that keeps turning neutral standards into racial quotas by lawsuit. Across the Atlantic, Britain’s grooming-gang scandal is still a national disgrace, and the scale of the abuse makes clear this was not a failure of sensitivity but a failure of will. The common thread is simple: elites protect themselves, hide the damage, and call it governance.

Docs: Fauci Colluded With Intel Agencies On Covid Cover-Up

Site: The Federalist

Author: Shawn Fleetwood

Date: 2026-06-19

• Newly declassified records allege Fauci worked with intelligence officials to bury pandemic wrongdoing.

• ODNI says Fauci influenced assessments, promoted natural-origin narratives, and supported risky coronavirus research.

• The files claim a circular reporting loop used Fauci-picked scientists to shape intelligence conclusions.

• Whistleblowers reportedly say dissenting analysts faced retaliation, marginalization, and career setbacks.

• Fauci is also accused of misleading Congress about contacts with intelligence agencies on viral research.

The documents intensify scrutiny of Fauci’s pandemic role, raising fresh questions about cover-ups, intelligence manipulation, and accountability.

🅱️ Now we’re talking about the part where the adults in the room were busy laundering their own mess. Fauci, intel, Congress, the whole little club — same old story, different mask. The pardon tells you everything: if it was all so clean, why the get-out-of-jail-free card?

Reader Experience: ★★★★☆ Minor clutter but easy reading.

Read the original article HERE

The Soft Bigotry of Low Expectations Has a Law Degree

Site: Townhall

Author: Jay Rogers

Date: 2026-06-20

• DOJ forced Maryland State Police to pay $2.75 million over disparate-impact claims.

• Article argues neutral tests become unlawful when demographic pass rates differ.

• It cites similar DOJ actions against fire departments and police departments nationwide.

• Education and medicine examples show standards lowered, with costly consequences.

• Trump’s 2025 order targets disparate-impact enforcement; author urges merit-based standards.

The story matters because it frames a national fight over whether equal opportunity means standards, or statistical parity.

🅱️ This one knows the scam and names it. The trick is simple: call a standard “bias” when the numbers don’t flatter the approved story, then make taxpayers eat the bill. Good bones, good target, but it could hit harder if it stopped explaining the con like a civics lecture and started swinging the hammer a little more.

Reader Experience: ★★★★☆ Minor clutter but easy reading.

Read the original article HERE

California Dems Want to Charge You for Public Records and Sue You if You Complain

Site: RedState

Author: Ben Smith

Date: 2026-06-20

• AB 1821 would impose new fees on California public records requests.

• Agencies could charge hourly search-and-review fees, indexed automatically for inflation.

• The bill lets agencies sue requesters over alleged “malicious intent.”

• Response deadlines would lengthen, and nonstandard requests could be ignored indefinitely.

• Transparency groups warn the measure weaponizes secrecy and undermines accountability.

California’s AB 1821 could make public records harder, costlier, and riskier to obtain.

🅱️ This one knows exactly what racket it’s describing. Government makes the door heavier, then charges you for the privilege of knocking. Clean, mean, and useful — the kind of story that reminds people the swamp doesn’t just hide records, it invoices curiosity.

Reader Experience: ★★★☆☆ Moderate ads and interruptions.

Read the original article HERE

The Mass Rape Of British Girls By Pakistani Immigrants Is An Act Of War

Site: The Federalist

Author: Samuel Kimzey

Date: 2026-06-19

• A new Rape Gang Inquiry Report intensifies scrutiny of Britain’s long-hidden grooming-gang scandal.

• The report alleges decades of organized abuse, trafficking, and blackmail targeting white British girls.

• It claims at least 250,000 victims, with some estimates far higher, though counts remain disputed.

• The article says authorities and politicians enabled cover-ups, fearing racism accusations and electoral backlash.

• It frames the scandal as a consequence of mass migration and demands remigration and prosecutions.

The story matters because it turns a hidden abuse scandal into a broader test of Britain’s political accountability and immigration policy.

🅱️ This one doesn’t whisper. It kicks the door in and drags the body out into daylight. The facts are ugly, the institutions are uglier, and the part that really stinks is how long the adults in charge pretended not to smell it. Could use a little less heat in spots, but the moral math is simple: if a country won’t protect its girls, it’s already halfway gone.

Reader Experience: ★★★★☆ Minor clutter but easy reading.

Read the original article HERE

☕️DISCLOSURE DAY ☙ Saturday, June 20, 2026 ☙ C&C NEWS🦠

Site: Substack

Author: Jeff Childers

Date: 2026-06-20

• Tulsi Gabbard declassified 1,600 pages on her final day as DNI.

• Documents reportedly show intelligence officials suspected a Wuhan lab origin early.

• Gabbard accused Fauci of funding risky Wuhan research and lying to Congress.

• Whistleblowers allegedly faced retaliation for challenging origin narratives and suppression.

• The disclosure could fuel prosecutions, firings, oversight, and broader intelligence reform.

This story matters because it could reshape accountability for COVID origins and expose deep intelligence-community failures.

🅱️ This one comes in hot and knows exactly where the bodies are buried. Tulsi drops the file, Fauci gets the side-eye, and the press does what it always does: pretend the smoke is weather. Could use a little less victory lap and a little more knife work, but the stink is real and the receipt is thick.

Reader Experience: ★★★★★ Clean Substack. No ads. Fast loading.

Read the original article HERE

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Rip’s Newsletter

Classic Edition

June 18, 2026

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Rip’s Newsletter

June 18, 2026

Compiled and Edited

by

Jim Reynolds

Articles in This Issue

Victor Davis Hanson - Is California Reaching Critical Mass?

Derek Hunter - California’s Insane ‘Prove You’re Gay’ Law

Daniel Greenfield - The Pettiness of the Reflecting Pool Follies | Frontpage Mag

Jim Reynolds - THE MOST PREDICTABLE PEOPLE IN THE WORLD

I’m looking at a set that says a lot about where the fight is right now: California’s collapse under left-wing rule, a state bureaucracy so warped it’s asking businesses to prove their sexuality, and a media class obsessed with algae in a reflecting pool while the real country burns. The throughline is simple: elites keep building absurd systems, then act shocked when ordinary people call them out. Even abroad, the same reflex shows up—Trump makes a ceasefire and the usual crowd still can’t see the event because they’re too busy forcing their script onto it. What matters here is not the noise, but the pattern: power is getting more arrogant, and the backlash is getting harder to ignore.

Is California Reaching Critical Mass?

Site: Townhall

Author: Victor Davis Hanson

Date: 2026-06-18

• Hanson calls California a failed state marked by high taxes, costs, and outmigration.

• He argues left-wing dominance created a neo-feudal society with shrinking middle class.

• He says voters’ referenda on water, race preferences, and redistricting were ignored.

• He claims mail voting, ballot harvesting, and late counts entrench Democratic control.

• He warns policy failures, crime, fires, and debt are pushing California toward collapse.

California’s trajectory matters because it is a test case for whether ideology can overwhelm governance in America’s largest state.

🅱️ California’s not a mystery. It’s a bill. And everybody keeps acting surprised when the tab comes due. Hanson knows how to stack the receipts. The problem is the story is so familiar now it almost feels like a rerun with better scenery.

Reader Experience: ★★★★☆ Minor clutter but easy reading.

Read the original article HERE

California’s Insane ‘Prove You’re Gay’ Law

Site: Townhall

Author: Derek Hunter

Date: 2026-06-18

• California reportedly requires LGBT businesses to prove orientation for contract eligibility.

• The state’s checklist includes marriage, partnership, medical, and reference documentation.

• Critics say the policy invites absurdity and government intrusion into private identity.

• Hunter argues such “set-asides” create fraud risks and discriminatory bureaucratic gatekeeping.

• He warns other states may copy California’s approach unless stopped.

California’s policy could normalize identity verification for contracts, spreading bureaucratic discrimination nationwide.

🅱️ Now that’s a hook. The title does half the work, and the writer knows how to twist the knife without losing the reader. It’s funny, mean in the right places, and the absurdity is the argument. California keeps inventing new ways to make bureaucracy sound like a prank with a budget.

Reader Experience: ★★★★☆ Minor clutter but easy reading.

Read the original article HERE

The Pettiness of the Reflecting Pool Follies

Site: FrontPage Magazine

Author: Daniel Greenfield

Date: 2026-06-18

• Media outlets fixated on algae turning Trump’s reflecting pool green.

• Coverage framed the pool as a major political and cultural spectacle.

• The article mocks this as petty, dumb, and social-media-driven journalism.

• It argues serious issues were ignored for trivial, performative outrage.

• The piece says such coverage deepens public distrust in mainstream media.

This story matters because it exposes how media triviality can crowd out serious reporting and erode trust.

🅱️ This one knows exactly what it’s mad about. The media took a green puddle and turned it into a national emergency because outrage is cheaper than reporting. That’s the whole racket: trivia in a necktie, sold as gravity.

Reader Experience: ★★★☆☆ Moderate ads and interruptions.

Read the original article HERE

THE MOST PREDICTABLE PEOPLE IN THE WORLD

Site: Substack

Author: Jim Reynolds

Date: 2026-06-18

• The ceasefire is signed, the Strait of Hormuz reopened, and oil flows resumed.

• Critics immediately framed the deal as Trump giving away too much or getting played.

• Reynolds argues many commentators analyze Trump, not events, producing fixed conclusions.

• He says claims that Iran is “stronger” ignore military damage, proxy losses, and negotiations.

• The article contends the conflict shifted leverage, even if the map looks unchanged.

This story matters because it exposes how partisan narratives can obscure real strategic change.

🅱️ This one knows its target and doesn’t blink. The point is simple: some people don’t read events, they read their hatred and call it analysis. That’s not journalism. That’s a weather vane with a press pass.

Reader Experience: ★★★★★ Clean Substack. No ads. Fast loading.

Read the original article HERE

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