When Spain ceded Puerto Rico to the United States under the 1898 Treaty of Paris, Washington exploited Article IX of the agreement — breaking a historic precedent by omitting the collective naturalization guarantees that had accompanied every prior U.S. acquisition from Louisiana through Alaska. This calculated exclusion instantly manufactured a tier of second-class American nationals, […]

President Donald Trump has been compelled to confront a political reality that has humbled presidents before him: “All politics is local.” Regardless of a president’s accomplishments or ambitions, the American electorate ultimately judges its leaders by the consequences felt in their homes, communities, and pocketbooks. Whatever successes Trump may claim, his inability to bring the […]

The morning after Democrats flipped both the House and the Senate in an historic and stunning midterm tsunami, Vice President JD Vance needed heat diverted away from his catastrophic failures (see: the memorandum of understanding with Iran) and tiredly targeted Israel, his favorite doormat, to take a significant part of the blame. In a long […]

First, congratulations, Democrats. You won convincingly, and your victory can reasonably be described as a blue wave. However, whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, there is a quote by Winston Churchill that seems apropos in this moment: “In war, resolution; in defeat, defiance; in victory, magnanimity; in peace, goodwill.” Second, I sometimes think […]