NATIONAL NEWS & OPINION Comments turned off

Mahmoud Khalil’s Letter From a Louisiana Jail A profile in maudlin, self-aggrandizing twaddle. by Hugh Fitzgerald

Posted By on April 21st, 2025

https://www.frontpagemag.com/mahmoud-khalils-letter-from-a-louisiana-jail/

Persecuted by a diabolical regime simply for believing a certain way, deprived of every possible right, including the right to a blankie, by a police state that, if it can suppress the rights of the brave truth-teller Mahmoud Khalil, will soon be setting up concentration camps from sea to shining sea for those who will emulate him, Mahmoud Khalil is — as he repeatedly assures us — a profile in courage. His stirring letter, smuggled out of jail, will no doubt be seen by future historians as a foundational document in the universal march for freedom. It made a deep impression on me. It should do the same for you.

My name is Mahmoud Khalil and I am a political prisoner. I am writing to you from a detention facility in Louisiana where I wake to cold mornings and spend long days bearing witness to the quiet injustices under way against a great many people precluded from the protections of the law.

Who has the right to have rights? It is certainly not the humans crowded into the cells here. It isn’t the Senegalese man I met who has been deprived of his liberty for a year, his legal situation in limbo and his family an ocean away. It isn’t the 21-year-old detainee I met who stepped foot in this country at age nine, only to be deported without so much as a hearing.

Justice escapes the contours of this nation’s immigration facilities.

On March 8, I was taken by DHS [the Department of Homeland Security] agents who refused to provide a warrant, and accosted my wife and me as we returned from dinner. By now, the footage of that night has been made public. Before I knew what was happening, agents handcuffed and forced me into an unmarked car.

MEDIA Comments turned off

Media Sneers as Trump Meets With European Leader Who Vows to ‘Make the West Great Again’ A harrowing reminder of what will happen if leftist elites reestablish their hegemony. by Robert Spencer

Posted By on April 21st, 2025

https://www.frontpagemag.com/media-sneers-as-trump-meets-with-european-leader-who-vows-to-make-the-west-great-again/

Donald Trump was re-elected president in 2024, vowing to resume his struggle to end the hegemony of the leftist political elites and restore the government to the people. Those leftist elites aren’t in Washington alone; they’re also in Brussels, London, Paris, Berlin, and most of the other capitals of Europe.

There is, however, a handful of notable exceptions: several European countries have leaders who care as much about their own people as Trump does about Americans, and who are working to end the left’s dominance and restore sane government. One of them, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, came to the White House last Thursday and had a cordial meeting with Trump.

Despite the fact that the U.S. visit of a European leader who declared herself to be entirely in agreement with Trump’s guiding philosophy was a significant event, establishment media coverage was sparse. What there was of it was notable for being even more sneering and condescending than usual.

The Washington Post focused its coverage before the Trump-Meloni meeting on the assumption, which turned out to be false, that Meloni was in Washington to conclude a trade deal with Trump on behalf of the European Union; its Wednesday story on the planned meeting was headlined “Europe pins trade hopes on Italy’s Meloni, its Trump whisperer.” Because, you see, the president of the United States is like an animal who can’t be communicated with in any ordinary way; a person with special talents for communicating with dumb beasts has to be called in. That’s how the left sees Trump.

NATIONAL NEWS & OPINION Comments turned off

Milton Ezrati The Silver Lining in Trump’s Tariff Chaos Today’s global trade system was never intended to last forever.

Posted By on April 21st, 2025

https://www.city-journal.org/article/trump-tariffs-trade-consumption-production

Behind all the drama of President Donald Trump’s tariffs lies the hope that they serve some clear purpose for American and global trade. But Trump’s signature inscrutability makes it hard to discern what that purpose is—or whether one even exists.

Either way, his actions threaten to unravel the global trading system that has been in place for the past 80 years. That unraveling would bring economic and financial pain—but also potential upside, given that the current system is ultimately unsustainable.

The current system emerged from a set of relatively narrow foreign policy priorities in the years following World War II. Washington focused on rebuilding Europe and Japan after the war’s devastation. Part of that motivation was humanitarian—but more importantly, it was a strategic effort to use rising prosperity in those regions to counter the spread of Communism.

As part of this effort, the U.S. directed massive aid flows overseas, most famously through the Marshall Plan. To support industrial recovery abroad, Washington also allowed goods from Europe and Japan to enter the U.S. market with minimal restrictions, while permitting those nations to maintain tariffs and other protections for their fragile domestic industries. The dollar’s role as the world’s dominant trading currency—the so-called global reserve—further aided this arrangement by keeping the dollar strong. That, in turn, made foreign goods cheap for American consumers and U.S. exports more expensive abroad.

MEDICINE AND HEALTH Comments turned off

Joseph Figliolia The Dangerous and Muddled Logic of Gender Medicine Prominent physicians have made startling admissions about their approach to trans-identifying minors.

Posted By on April 21st, 2025

https://www.city-journal.org/article/gender-medicine-trans-identifying-minors-wpath

Gender medicine is riddled with contradictions. On the one hand, clinicians frame “gender dysphoria” as a clinical diagnosis that demands “medically necessary” treatments. On the other, they often adhere to the “gender incongruence” model, which holds that having a cross-sex identity is not a medical problem, but instead a normal expression of “human diversity.” Consequently, they argue, access to surgeries and hormones should not be conditioned on the experience of “sex distress.”

These contradictions have human costs. Newly released videos, featuring Johanna Olson-Kennedy and Rob Garofalo—prominent gender clinicians and members of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH)—underscore the dangerously muddled logic of gender medicine and reveal how practitioners undermine their supposed “standards of care.”

In March, journalist Ben Ryan released videos of Olson-Kennedy, a gender clinician at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, training mental-health providers on how to treat “sex-distressed” youth. In one slide, Olson-Kennedy notes that what separates the affirmative model—which emphasizes supporting and validating a person’s “gender identity”—from other historical ways of treating sex distress is that it “follows the child,” meaning treatment eligibility flows from the child’s identity claim, which is not subject to dispute.

“Follow the child” is predicated on two assumptions: that a child has accurate self-knowledge and that “gender identity” is immutable. Olson-Kennedy claims that everyone has a gender identity, which is not subject to social influence and is stable by age four. Later, however, she contradicts herself. “Not everybody who has this experience in childhood is going to continue to identify as a different gender,” she says.

NATIONAL NEWS & OPINION Comments turned off

Voters Align With Trump On DEI, ‘Transgender’ Bans: I&I/TIPP Poll

Posted By on April 21st, 2025

https://issuesinsights.com/2025/04/21/voters-align-with-trump-on-dei-transgender-bans-ii-tipp-poll/

President Donald Trump’s executive orders forbidding transgender athletes from competing against females and eliminating so-called diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in the federal government have been met with political opposition, outrage, and angry ridicule. But who’s winning the debate? Trump is, as the latest I&I/TIPP Poll shows.

In the most recent national online I&I/TIPP poll, taken from Mar. 26-Mar. 28, 1,452 adults were asked: “Do you support or oppose President Trump’s executive order banning transgender athletes from participating in women’s and girls’ sports?”

It wasn’t close. Among those responding, 64% said they either “support strongly” (48%) or “support somewhat” (16%) the move, compared to the 24% who said they either “oppose strongly” (15%) or “oppose somewhat” (9%) Trump’s order.

Only 4% said they were “not familiar” with the order, while 7% answered they were “not sure.” The poll has a margin of error of +/-2.6 percentage points.

Of 36 major demographic groups followed each month by I&I/TIPP Poll, only two showed less than 50% support: Democrats (46% support, 43% oppose) and self-described “liberals” (39% support, 50% oppose).

By comparison, Republicans (88% support, 6% oppose) and independents (61% support, 25% oppose) showed overwhelming backing, as did every other major demographic category.

FOREIGN POLICY, HISTORY Comments turned off

Broken Trust — Iran, America, and Diplomatic Immunity Warren Kozak

Posted By on April 21st, 2025

https://www.nysun.com/article/broken-trust-iran-america-and-diplomatic-immunity

The hostage crisis between 1979 and 1981 needs to be remembered as a signal of the kind of regime with which we are again negotiating.

The hostage crisis between 1979 and 1981 needs to be remembered as a signal of the kind of regime with which we are again negotiating.

Is Iran a country we can trust in any kind of agreement — nuclear or otherwise? A realistic answer could be found in an event that took place before most people in both countries were born.

America and Iran broke off diplomatic relations in 1979. That’s some two generations ago. With talks between the two countries underway, it would be a good time to revisit exactly what initiated that break. There is another, seemingly irrelevant question, that arises at the same time: Just how important is diplomatic immunity? It’s a question at the heart of the distrust.

Up until 1979, Iran was one of America’s staunchest Middle East allies. Between 1941 and 1979, it was ruled by Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, an autocratic, pro-Western monarch whose reign was supported by the United States. 

Like any ruler of a non-democratic Middle East country, Pahlavi was no shrinking violet. His Savak secret police were brutal against any faction that opposed his authority, especially Islamic fundamentalists. 

At the same time, the Shah modernized his country with a series of reforms. He instituted land reform and wealth sharing. The incomes of middle-class Iranians increased substantially. Women were not forced to wear headscarves, they dressed in the latest Western styles, they attended universities, and held professional positions.

HISTORY Comments turned off

Harry Truman’s Seder Message His 1945 address to American troops drew a lasting connection between the Passover story and the nation’s consciousness Rabbi Stuart Halpern

Posted By on April 20th, 2025

https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/holidays/articles/harry-truman-passover-message

With Hamas still holding Israeli hostages and global antisemitism rampant, as Jewish families sit down to read the Passover Haggadah this year on Monday evening, April 22, the passage “in every generation, there are those who rise up to destroy us” will no doubt be particularly resonant. While most Jews are aware that the phrase—like the phenomenon of Jew-hatred it describes—is centuries old, few fully appreciate the role the Passover story has played in offering Americans of all backgrounds comfort and inspiration during difficult times. The Haggadah, in fact, has long been America’s guidebook for liberty.

At 5 p.m. on March 26, 1945, in Washington, D.C., Vice President Harry S. Truman addressed the annual Passover service at the Jewish Welfare Board during WWII. The speech, broadcast to the Jewish men and women in the Armed Forces, praised both the miracle of Jewish historical survival and the contributions of Judaism to the West. It encapsulates how the story of the Exodus has left an indelible imprint on the American consciousness.

“Since biblical times,” Truman began, “people of the Jewish faith have made great contributions to the moral code of mankind.” He then described how, for centuries, the Jewish faith has served as an ethical beacon for humanity. “From the revelation of the Ten Commandments by Moses to the philosophical teachings of modern Jewish scholars,” he continued, “there has been a constant search for a better way of life for the benefit of all.” Fighting against the worship of “pagan idols,” the Jews “preached eternal faith in one God—the God in whom we all put our trust.”

The vice president then took the occasion, the beginning of the Festival of Freedom, to express gratitude, on behalf of America, for the gifts bestowed by the God of Israel. “All God-fearing people,” he said, “can well join with those of the Jewish faith to thank the Almighty for the many blessings received.” Millions of people, across Europe, Asia, and Africa, had already been “liberated by the forces of freedom.” Though the conflict was ongoing, great progress had been made toward victory over the Nazis.

WORLD NEWS Comments turned off

Iran Murdering Pakistanis: ‘They Were Slaughtered Like Sheep. If We Stay Silent Now, It Means We Are Sheep Too.’ by Kaswar Klasra

Posted By on April 20th, 2025

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/21566/iran-pakistan-murders

Pakistanis are asking why these terrorists, these enemies of peace, continue to find shelter inside Iran. For years, groups like the BNA and its sibling, the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), have launched attacks…

Behind the scenes, officials acknowledge the seriousness of the moment. There is discussion not just about diplomacy, but about deterrence.

The Iranian regime, meanwhile, remains cagey. Their official statement condemned the attack but offered little detail about any arrests or investigations.

The international community has remained muted. Western governments — so quick to condemn terrorism elsewhere — have yet to speak out. There have been no statements from the UN.

In Islamabad, the Foreign Office is reportedly considering a range of responses, from diplomatic measures to more direct action…. Among cabinet members, there is now open debate: What is the cost of silence? What is the risk of restraint?

ISLAMABAD — The workshop was nothing more than a room carved out of metal and concrete. A few oil drums, rusted toolboxes, and eight tattered mattresses stood lined up against the wall. These were not barracks or hideouts—just a makeshift dormitory for eight Pakistani laborers who had crossed into Iran looking for honest work. That night, they were exhausted after working through the day repairing broken-down trucks in the remote Iranian village of Haiz Abad. They had no enemies, no weapons — just calloused hands and quiet dreams of returning home with enough money to feed their families. But as they slept on April 12, darkness brought something other than rest.

The eight men — citizens of Pakistan, fathers, sons, brothers — were found with their hands bound, and their bodies riddled with bullets. Executed. Slaughtered. Their corpses were discovered in the same positions in which they had gone to sleep, the narrow room now soaked in red. The murderers? The Baloch Nationalist Army (BNA) — a terrorist outfit long known to have sanctuaries inside Iranian territory — was quick to claim responsibility. They had carried out the massacre on Iranian soil. And Iran’s regime, days later, still has no answers, no arrests, no accountability.

WORLD NEWS Comments turned off

Iran’s Endless Rounds of Negotiation: Delay, Deceive, Cheat by Majid Rafizadeh

Posted By on April 20th, 2025

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/21565/iran-endless-negotiation

The Iranian regime’s primary objective remains preserving its power. The mullahs see their nuclear program as the key to their survival.

Any agreement should aim for nothing less than the total and permanent dismantlement of Iran’s nuclear capabilities. This means no enrichment, no reprocessing, no heavy-water reactors, and no stockpiles – anywhere on the planet — of enriched uranium.

The dismantlement and enforcement processes must not be outsourced to any international organizations or foreign governments…. Ensuring compliance must lie directly with the United States and its most trusted regional ally, Israel. Both countries have the intelligence capabilities, military readiness and political will to ensure that any nuclear dismantlement is not only thorough but irreversible.

Rounds of negotiations, verbal commitments or limited restrictions are invitations to cheat. The mullahs’ plan is one of delay and deception. America’s plan must be not to let them.

The Trump administration, after signaling a preference for dialogue over confrontation, is engaging in renewed a diplomatic effort to end Iran’s nuclear program. President Donald J. Trump has made clear that he is not seeking war. “I would prefer to make a deal,” he stated recently, “because I’m not looking to hurt Iran.”

Given the devastating costs of war, focusing on negotiation rather than on military intervention is a noble and responsible course of action. The Iranian regime, however, is not new to such diplomatic games of chess. The mullahs have mastered the art of prolonging negotiations: appearing cooperative while covertly advancing their strategic interests, especially developing ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons, and operating proxies in the region, such as Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, not to mention Iran’s own Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as well as smaller militias.

MEDIA Comments turned off

Fact Check: Video does not show Harrison Ford making a pro-Palestinian speech (May 2024)

Posted By on April 20th, 2025

https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/video-does-not-show-harrison-ford-making-pro-palestinian-speech-2024-05-08/

A video showing actor Harrison Ford talking about climate change at a United Nations summit in 2019 has been miscaptioned online as him making a pro-Palestinian speech.

The clip was falsely captioned online as students in universities across the U.S. protested, demanding a ceasefire in Gaza and divestment from companies linked to Israel.

A social media post

, opens new tab sharing the video online said: “Harrison Ford is Pro-Palestine.”

VERDICT

Miscaptioned. The video shows Harrison Ford talking about the young people who want to protect the environment at the UN Climate Action Summit 2019.

This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. Read more about our fact-checking work.