‘RINOs,’ meet the ‘Depublicans’

January 31, 2026

For some years now, conservatives who believe in free markets and limited government have been labeled RINOs -- “Republicans in name only” -- as GOP liberals or moderates have historically been known. The MAGA movement flings this term as an insult and a signal that respecting the realities of supply and demand instead of endorsing price controls is a character flaw. But after watching the last few weeks unfold, it’s hard not to ask this: If believing in markets makes you a RINO, what exactly do we call Republicans who now openly embrace ideas lifted from the playbooks of Sens. ...

Borrowing courage from Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

January 24, 2026

In November of 2024, I found myself standing in front of a modest home on South Jackson Street in Montgomery, Alabama. It was once the parsonage of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, and from 1954 to 1960 it was home to Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his family. Today it is a museum. Back then, it was a place of prayer, fear, resolve, and courage. This was the home where King lived as he emerged as the leader of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. It was here that his house was bombed by segregationists while his wife and children slept inside. It was here that he received countless death ...

Stop pretending colleges are nonprofits

January 24, 2026

Here’s a recent story from the Chicago Tribune that jumped off the page when I read it. Northwestern University is finishing up the construction of a new $800 million football stadium. This is supposedly a nonprofit “educational” entity. Uh-huh. Northwestern -- an “institution of higher learning” located outside of Chicago -- is flush with cash. It has an endowment of nearly $15 billion, and the tax-free donations keep flowing in. Almost all the $800 million -- which rivals the cost of professional sports arenas with luxury skyboxes and opulent decor -- for the lavish Taj ...

Since when are drug arrests a bad thing?

January 20, 2026

Protestors in The Big, Rotten, Apple are protesting the arrest of the person who may be the world’s biggest and most successful drug dealer, Nicolas Maduro. The protestors are arguing, in essence, that because Maduro is a head of state, he deserves a special kind of immunity. When the United States Supreme Court granted a limited immunity to President Trump, based on 250 years of jurisprudence, the same protestors went berserk. There should be no immunity for Nicolas Maduro or other supposed heads of state who obtained their position through a coup d’état, served at the behest of ...

Fire doors play important role in prevention, public safety

January 17, 2026

Today I would like to talk about doors. While touring and inspecting buildings in the city a common error that I find is that “Fire Doors” are propped open. What makes a door a “Fire Door?” A Fire Door is constructed of fire-resistant material and will hold up against fire for longer ...

US urgently needs civics revival

January 17, 2026

Why did the United States of America declare its independence from England in 1776? If you know the answer to this question, you are — tragically — in the minority. A recent civics quiz conducted by the Cato Institute yielded some alarming results: More than half of test-takers — ages 18 and older — couldn’t correctly explain why the 13 original colonies issued the Declaration of Independence. This startling ignorance is demonstrative of an existential educational crisis taking place across the United States. Increasingly, Americans are unable to demonstrate a fundamental ...