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Ed Morrissey: Justice for Ethan Haim and Texas Children May 19, 2026

Show notes

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and the US Department of Justice struck a blow against the trans industry in a new settlement:

Ten million dollars.
And a new, first-in-the-nation clinic to unwind the damage done to children caught up in the pediatric-sex-change industry's machinations. Stripping five of its practitioners of access to more potential victims.

Texas Children's Hospital in Houston agreed to end its pediatric sex-change practice, pay $10 million in penalties while opening the nation’s first detransition center to assist victims of this predatory industry.

This settlement also vindicates Dr. Ethan Haim, who blew the whistle on the fraud – and got targeted by the Biden-era DOJ and the medical industry for retaliation.

Haim faced criminal prosecution under a ginned-up HIPAA complaint that could have put him in prison for ten years.

This settlement gives justice to Texas children maimed and sterilized by a despicable medical establishment. Dr. Haim deserves justice too, along with his vindication.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Seth Leibsohn: Our Dangerous Illiteracy May 18, 2026

Show notes

Recently, a professor of Politics at Princeton wrote an op-ed pointing out how many of his students—and students at other colleges—simply are unfamiliar with the Ten Commandments. He writes, “they lack religious literacy, and their ignorance of religious ideas means they struggle to understand a wide array of Western art, literature and philosophy.”

They also wouldn’t understand a great deal of art or history, never mind philosophy from Marx to Rousseau—or recognize lines from Shakespeare to our Founding to Frederick Douglass to Lincoln to MLKing, Jr.

This is what the late Richard John Newhaus worried about decades ago: An America that with an increasingly naked public square, bare of any religiosity, or recognition of religious faith or culture. What Newhaus feared is now is now nearly complete, when students at major universities are now illiterate in the cornerstone of Western Civilization.

Many states right now are debating posting the Ten Commandments in K-12 classrooms. This wouldn’t be a parochial decision, it would, rather, constitute necessary basic and remedial education.

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Seth Leibsohn: Our Memory of History and Memorial Day May 15, 2026

Show notes

In an age of fleeting stories fed by a constant conveyor belt of crisis and frenzy, keeping us all in a common state of agitation, with little ability to focus on the meaningful, let us do exactly that as we prepare for Memorial Day, coming up in another weekend.

The great historian Wilfred McClay once wrote “Without memory, and without the stories by which our memories are carried forward, we cannot say who, or what, we are. Without them, our life and thought dissolve into a meaningless, unrelated rush of events.”

The commemoration of those who—in the words of James Garfield—“made immortal their patriotism and their virtue” in defending this country gave us the greatest lessons in who and what we are, and with the greatest of meaning. Who and what we are matters—thus the memory of them and what they did for us matters. They are antidotes to meaninglessness.

We can celebrate 250 years of our country’s life because of those we reflect on this Memorial Day.

Thank God for these heroes.

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Albert Mohler: Putin Looks at an End Game on Ukraine May 14, 2026

Show notes

With the background of Russia's invasion and ongoing war against Ukraine, recently this astounding headline from the BBC:

“Putin says he thinks Ukraine conflict coming to an end.”

Now for perspective: Just consider last weekend's annual Victory Day parade in Moscow. It commemorates the end of World War II

What's notable this year is not what happened, but what didn't happen.

Russia couldn't afford to hold the parade as usual because Ukraine, as it turns out, has been so ingenious and so aggressive with its use of drones that Putin couldn't afford to hold that kind of military parade in Moscow. It would've been one giant magnet for a massive undertaking and attack by Ukraine.

This is a game changer.

Russia has now lost 350,000 men.

If you're a strong man, an autocrat in this kind of system, you have to appear strong and invincible.

You can't be a political strongman and a leader that gets into this kind of quagmire.

Putin is running out of time. Russians know it and Vladimir Putin knows it.

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Ed Morrissey: Decision Points and Dire Straits May 13, 2026

Show notes

Donald Trump finally got his response from Iran. Will he act on it?

Last week, Trump had sent a 14-point framework to mediators in Islamabad for reaching a peace accord with Iran. Trump insisted that the IRGC surrender its highly enriched uranium, agree to verifiably end its pursuit of nuclear weapons, and stop attacking international shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran demanded that the US recognize the strait as Iranian sovereign territory and pay war reparations.

Trump responded by calling the IRGC’s terms as “stupid” and “totally unacceptable.” Yet Trump also insisted that a deal could be reached with the regime.

That is an unfortunate illusion—something Trump maintains despite all evidence to the contrary. Iran violated its terms almost immediately in the Strait and Iran continues to threaten the strait.

The ceasefire is dead.

Trump has to either follow through on consequences or cut bait and walk away with Iran’s regime nearly as dangerous as ever. The decision point has arrived.

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Albert Mohler: Towards Moral Sanity May 12, 2026

Show notes

The Trump administration has launched an investigation into Smith College—one of the seven historical all-women colleges in the American Northeast.

Why the investigation?

Well, Smith College is and has been since 2015—admitting biological males.

The “seven sisters” have been granted an exemption, going all the way back to the 1970’s to Title IX legislation. They were allowed to be restrictive as women’s colleges.

The Trump administration’s basically saying you can’t have it both ways—that is: claim this historic exemption or you can admit biological males.

President Trump made the point very clear point in his second inaugural address:

He said: “As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders: male and female.”

I will argue that was one of the most important and courageous statements a President of the United States has made in recent years. To his credit, he’s been pushing this through.

It’s a necessary step towards the restoration of cultural sanity and for that clarity.

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Hugh Hewitt: Trump Has the Leverage May 11, 2026

Show notes

Since the battle with Iran began on February 28, there’ve been so many reports of “deals” with the rump regime atop the ruins of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that it seems almost silly to respond to another one.

But I trust Israeli journalist Amit Segal. On Wednesday, Segal summed up the supposed framework. The most salient part is said to include—and I quote:

“Negotiations are still underway on the duration of the uranium enrichment freeze. Three sources said the freeze would last at least 12 years, and one source estimated the final outcome would be 15 years.”

That—in and of itself— makes this a terrible proposed “deal,” one that would draw fierce criticism from the GOP’s Iran hawks who want President Trump to “finish the job”, no enrichment of uranium period and finish the job in dramatic fashion.

President Trump doesn’t surrender leverage. He’s got it. We have to hope he uses every ounce of it.

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Seth Leibsohn: Ignorance and the Challenge of the 21st Century Citizen May 08, 2026

Show notes

Talking politics with your average young male these days, chances are you will hear all kinds of odd theories coming from the Pied Pipers of Podcastistan. You will hear them mentioning “experts” nobody heard of until about 10 minutes ago or until they were discovered by these podcasters because of their contrary, and often, conspiratorial thinking.

Young men, especially, are attracted to this novel “wisdom,” and they are so prone because, as they will tell you, mainstream institutions have been untruthful over the years. But because some institutions that we used to rely on and respect have been taken over by partisanship and been wrong doesn’t mean that all normative thinking and scholarship is a lie or cannot be trusted, or that people nobody have ever heard of are the replacements of true wisdom.

We dismiss and ignore this fallacious thinking at our collective peril.

The task of the serious is to be able to discern truth from fiction and greatness from mediocrity. In these critical times, that task has never been more important than now.

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Hugh Hewitt: 'Extremist Makeover' in Maine May 07, 2026

Show notes

Today’s Democrats seem to be trying a new take on the “Extreme Makeover” reality show.

Their offshoot: I’d call it “Extremist Makeover.”

And we see it in their likely candidate for Senate in Maine.

It looks pretty close to certain Democrats be nominating oysterman Graham Platner in the Pinetree state.

He is not a "liberal." Platner is not even a "leftist." He’s an extremist. For years, he had a tattoo of a death head worn proudly by the Nazi era SS, Hitler’s worst of the worst.

It was—and remains—a vile symbol worn by guards at the concentration-extermination camps.

Maine’s current and—I trust—future Senator is Susan Collins.

Collins and Platner could not be more different.

It’s rare to have a Susan Collins represent your state from a position of power and influence do so with class and humility. To trade that in for a death’s skull and online bigotry It doesn’t seem like a bet Mainers are going to make.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Carol Platt Liebau: Towards a Happier, More Fulfilling Life May 06, 2026

Show notes

It’s an age-old question: God or Mammon? What leads to a happier, more fulfilling life — religion, or money? Now, it seems we have an answer. According to the General Social Survey, church attendance predicts happiness more strongly than wealth does.

In fact, poor Americans who attend church regularly are happier than wealthy Americans who never attend at all.

Prominent behavioral scientist William von Hippel has observed, “Money buys a fair bit of happiness, but connection gives you more bang for the buck.”

He’s right. But let’s be clear about what “connection” really means.

It matters to connect with friends and neighbors — and church offers the opportunity to do that every week, and often more.

But more important still is our connection to God: our Father, our Creator, and the source of every good and lasting bond.

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