While campaigning in New Hampshire, Nikki Haley was asked about the surge of migrants at the border. “When I’m president,” the former Republican governor of South Carolina said, “we’re going to stop catch-and-release, and we’re going to start catch-and-deport.” No president has put forth such a stern-sounding policy on illegal immigration since Democrat Barack Obama. […]

What is the “greenest” state in America? You might think California, or maybe Oregon. But go 3,000 miles east, and you’ll come upon the physical beauty and ecological vitality of the Green Mountain State: Vermont. Indeed, its very name is derived from the French term for green mountains: Verts Monts. And now, Vermont’s green ethic […]

House Speaker Mike Johnson, lately elevated to one of the most important posts in the federal government, is nothing if not a fervent culture warrior. If Johnson had his way, not only would abortion and homosexuality be absolutely outlawed, with severe criminal penalties as punishment for any infraction, but so would contraception and what he […]

How long, people wondered, would it be before the new House speaker showed his true stripes caving to the right-wingers in his caucus? Would it be a matter of weeks? Months? As it’s turned out, it was just a matter of days. Literally within days of taking the speaker’s gavel, he is playing politics with […]

After more than a week, we are still building an impression of the new House speaker, Rep. Mike Johnson. Moderates like me, and others to my left, will not find much common ground with the Republican from northwest Louisiana on issues. Nonetheless, I don’t want Johnson to fail. I want him to change. And there […]