Rip’s Newsletter
August 21, 2026
Compiled and Edited
by
Jim Reynolds
Articles in This Issue
Victor Davis Hanson - Hamas or Israeli Values?
Jay Rogers - ICE Keeps Arresting Predators. Sanctuary Cities Keep Calling It Fearmongering.
Jay Rogers - ‘The View’ Can’t Be Both Neutral And A Leftist Propaganda Foghorn
Jim Reynolds - California Reinvents the Laws of Traction
Overview
This set is about the same old fight over who gets to define reality: the left’s reflexive hostility to Israel, the sanctuary-city lie that ICE is hunting innocents, and the media’s demand to be treated as neutral while it runs left-wing propaganda.
California is back at it too, turning another basic product into a regulatory science project and pretending the costs won’t land on ordinary drivers.
What ties it all together is power—who gets protected, who gets punished, and who gets to call the shots while everyone else pays.
Note: I now tell you how long the article is. Check it out.
Hamas or Israeli Values?
By: Victor Davis Hanson Townhall
Date: 2026-08-20 · Words: 2,815
Victor Davis Hanson argues that the obsessive hostility toward Israel in U.S. politics and media reflects a selective, irrational hatred that ignores Israel’s status as the Middle East’s only genuine democracy and a uniquely tolerant society. He says the left has normalized anti-Israel and antisemitic politics, while parts of the right have revived conspiratorial attacks on Jews and pro-Israel institutions, despite evidence that Gulf states, China, and others have far greater financial influence in the U.S. Hanson defends Israel’s Gaza campaign as a war forced by Hamas’s October 7 massacre and argues that civilian casualties are inflated, manipulated by Hamas, and worsened by Hamas’s use of human shields and tunnels under civilian sites. He also contends that accusations of genocide, apartheid, settler colonialism, and war crimes are applied hypocritically to Israel while far worse abuses by China, Iran, Turkey, Sudan, Azerbaijan, and others are ignored. The column closes by portraying Israel as America’s most reliable Middle Eastern ally and warning that the post–October 7 surge in antisemitism reveals a dangerous moral inversion in Western politics.
This story matters because it frames the Israel debate as a test of whether the West will defend democratic allies or normalize selective hatred and double standards.
🅱️ Hanson isn’t just making an argument; he’s laying out a ledger of historical reality against modern delusion. It’s a heavy read, but it hits the mark by pointing out that while the Left chases ghosts, the real monsters are standing in plain sight. A sharp reminder that facts don’t care about your feelings, even when the feelings are screaming.
Reader Experience: ★★★★☆ Minor clutter but easy reading.
Read the original article HERE
ICE Keeps Arresting Predators. Sanctuary Cities Keep Calling It Fearmongering.
By: Jay Rogers Townhall
Date: 2026-08-20 · Words: 1,007
The article argues that DHS and ICE’s repeated “worst of the worst” arrests show sanctuary-city criticism is misleading, because most ICE arrests involve people already charged with or convicted of crimes. It uses California as the central example, saying SB 54 blocks jails from notifying ICE about criminal aliens with detainers and has allowed thousands of offenders, including homicide and sexual-predation cases, back onto the streets. The piece contrasts that with Memphis, where a multi-agency task force is said to have cut violent crime sharply while making thousands of arrests, seizing guns, and recovering missing children. The author acknowledges concerns about overbroad enforcement in Memphis but says that is an oversight issue, not a reason to stop cooperation that is reducing serious crime. It concludes that federal funding should be tied to honoring ICE detainers for violent and sexual offenders and that local sheriffs, not state lawmakers, should control cooperation decisions.
This story matters because it frames immigration enforcement as a public-safety test of whether local governments will help stop repeat violent offenders before they strike again.
🅱️ This isn’t just a policy debate; it’s an autopsy of broken accountability. Rogers uses the math and the tragedy to show that when you break the chain of command, someone always ends up on the floor. Sharp, heavy-hitting, and hits right where the paperwork meets the pavement.
Reader Experience: ★★★★☆ Minor clutter but easy reading.
Read the original article HERE
‘The View’ Can’t Be Both Neutral And A Leftist Propaganda Foghorn
By: Jay Rogers The Federalist
Date: 2026-08-20 · Words: 1,128
Disney and ABC have sued the Trump administration in federal court, accusing the FCC of retaliatory pressure over content the White House dislikes, while separately arguing that The View should qualify as a bona fide news program under the FCC’s equal-time rules. The article says those positions are hard to reconcile because The View is plainly a left-leaning daytime opinion show, not a neutral newscast, and its guest bookings have been overwhelmingly one-sided. A NewsBusters count cited in the piece found the show’s 29th season featured 87 liberal guests to 5 conservative ones, and the prior year was 128 to 2. At the same time, the author argues the FCC’s accelerated license review and any license threats tied to jokes or disfavored commentary are still dangerous government overreach. The core dispute is whether ABC can claim First Amendment protection as a partisan talk show while also seeking regulatory treatment reserved for legitimate journalism.
This story matters because it exposes how both government coercion and media spin can distort the rules meant to protect free speech and fair broadcasting.
🅱️ This isn’t just a complaint about daytime TV; it’s an indictment of institutional hypocrisy. The author catches them trying to play both sides of the law, and he does it without letting his own side off the hook. Sharp, surgical, and hits exactly where the math doesn’t add up.
Reader Experience: ★★★★☆ Minor clutter but easy reading.
Read the original article HERE
California Reinvents the Laws of Traction
By: Jim Reynolds www.reynolds.com
Date: 2026-08-20 · Words: 1,558
California is imposing phased-in efficiency standards on replacement tires sold in the state, targeting lower rolling resistance while also requiring minimum wet grip. The article argues that this is not a simple win for consumers, because tire performance is a bundle of tradeoffs involving traction, braking, cornering, tread life, noise, cost, and heat resistance. It warns that pushing rolling resistance down can reduce grip and other desirable characteristics, and asks why consumers should lose the option to choose a tire with better handling or stopping power in exchange for marginal fuel savings. The piece also notes that California’s calculations emphasize projected gasoline and emissions benefits while largely ignoring possible safety and performance costs, including accident risk and stopping distances. It frames the policy as part of a broader regulatory philosophy that elevates one efficiency metric over consumer choice and market variety, with likely advantages for manufacturers already positioned to meet the new standard.
This story matters because it shows how a well-intentioned efficiency rule can quietly reshape product safety, consumer choice, and market competition.
🅱️ A sharp takedown of the ‘efficiency’ trap. It strips away the bureaucratic gloss to show the trade-offs they hope you never notice. Clear, punchy, and hits exactly where the rubber meets the road.
Reader Experience: ★★★★★ Clean Substack. No ads. Fast loading.
Read the original article HERE
You may also be interested in the following selected stories:
They Wanted Him Dead. Now They Want Him. — Kevin McCullough, Townhall
The Mohammunist ManifestoâTransnational Loyalty Overrides National Borders — Milli Sands, American Thinker
☕️ VALUABLES ☙ Thursday, August 20, 2026 ☙ C&C NEWS 🦠 — Jeff Childers, www.coffeeandcovid.com
Gesundheit! US Policymakers Finally Want to Stop Germans Robbing Us to Pay for Their Healthcare — Jared Whitley, Townhall
Why Trees Can’t Have Rights — Ward Clark, RedState
Hey Pal, Can I Borrow $40 Trillion? — Nate Jackson, The Patriot Post
