Rip’s Newsletter
June 29, 2026
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
