Most shutdowns in Washington are about numbers on a spreadsheet or spending caps. This one is different. The current shutdown, now entering its second week, comes down to a single question: should American taxpayers be forced to pay for Medicaid benefits for illegal immigrants? Democrats have answered yes. Republicans have answered no. At the center of the fight is a provision of the Big Beautiful Bill, passed earlier this year, which closed one of Medicaid’s most expensive and abused loopholes.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson went to court Monday to stop President Donald Trump from sending National Guard troops to the Windy City, calling mob violence against immigration officials a "flimsy pretext." The Illinois lawsuit claims that Trump is sending the Guard to Chicago to "fight crime," not just protect federal buildings and personnel. Horrors! What's wrong with fighting crime?

One party is forfeiting its own pay and standing up for Troops & Taxpayers alike. The other is hiding behind procedures, pointing fingers, and pretending the problem is someone else’s fault. ​​​​This isn’t about optics; it’s about integrity. Rejecting pay while government is frozen isn’t just symbolic — it forces everyone else to look bad for not doing it. These aren’t just gestures for show — they underscore a fundamental contrast.

So when Chuck Schumer & Hakeem Jeffries – those self-styled “defenders of democracy” known as "Muchacho" Schumer and "Congress-Hombre" Jeffries – shut down the Federal Government the other day, maybe they’re doing us a favor. Maybe the "Upside Hombres" have given America an accidental gift. When Washington, D.C. shutters its bloated bureaucracies for a few days, turns out there may even be some upsides.

The media is fixated on President Donald Trump’s attempts to exert more control over the Federal Reserve. While we’re all in on changing the Fed’s leadership, the president has another opportunity to make the nation’s central bank work for, not against, the American people. He can support our bill, the Fiscal Accountability for Interest on Reserves Act, to end a pricey Fed policy that sends billions of dollars each year to big banks and squeezes working-class Americans with higher interest rates.

The Republican Party has not just won the political fights (so far), but they are winning the culture, too. No longer do they have to worry about the lamestream, liberal media defaming them. They have social media on their side, with Elon Musk running the X (Formerly Twitter) ship of state. Big Media has little power now, and President Trump has forced Republicans to enjoy living in the limelight for once.

Former FBI Director James Comey has been indicted on two counts by a grand jury: providing false statements to Congress and obstructing a congressional proceeding. The Left sees this as President Trump coming after his political enemies. We see it, rightly, as justice. But maybe it’s a little bit of both. At any rate, Comey and company were dumb enough to dabble in allegedly felonious activities to ensnare the president

We Americans, it seems, continue to live in two separate countries. Consider two items in the news this week and the inconsistent responses they evoked. One was the conviction in Florida of Ryan Routh, the second man who attempted to assassinate then-candidate Donald Trump in mid-September 2024. The news appeared on page A24 of the print edition of The New York Times. Very different treatment was accorded to the return of Jimmy Kimmel.

As I watched President Donald J. Trump eviscerate the United Nations and the feckless and cowardly leaders of Europe during his remarks before the United Nations General Assembly, two decades-long beliefs were validated. The first being that Trump is a once-in-a-century leader with spot-on instincts. The second being that the United Nations is not only an echo chamber for far-left socialists and anarchists seeking to weaken and undermine the United States of America, but often the epicenter. Most especially in the “Age of Trump.”

The assassination of Charlie Kirk is just one of many instances of violence against political figures – including two attempts, one nearly successful, to assassinate President Donald Trump. Most have been directed against Republicans. Some of the attackers have been lunatics possessed by delusions, but some are now politically motivated by feelings uncomfortably close to those of partisan politicians.

While I can’t say I was good friends with Charlie Kirk, there was very little daylight on policies between him, me and millions upon millions of Americans who mostly want to be lef alone by the vacuous left. But the nature of “progressivism” is to not leave anyone alone – it demands obedience, not only of actions but of thought. We refuse to obey, we refuse to conform, and they killed Charlie for it.

Charlie Kirk was a man of faith – with a deep love for Family & Country. For now, we mourn, we cry, we support his family and friends, and we take care of the country he loved. Some will call for us all to come together, to be more united – but I don't think that matches the man. He would want us to strongly express our opinions, defend them, and risk sharing our thoughts with conviction and clarity in dialogue.

We should thank God that so many survived that awful September morning terrorist attack. But we must never forget those who perished, including the brave passengers of United 93, who fought their hardest to subdue the terrorists who hijacked their plane to destroy the White House. They died, but America survived. Bush was the right man for the job that day. Many of them conceded that they were glad Bush had won in 2000.

The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is Congress’ annual opportunity to set the direction of our armed forces, and this year it carries more weight than ever. After years of progressive ideological agendas under the Biden administration, the Pentagon has strayed dangerously far from its constitutional mission. If Congress fails to act decisively now, the readiness of the United States military will continue to erode — and with it, our national security.

Division is cancer on society. It also happens to be the medium in which Democrats thrive the most. They want to divide the country because that, too, benefits them – its the crux of most of their agenda. Divide to conquer. But for real Americans – and for the sake of the country – they need to be stopped. The choice is clear: Destroy Democrats, before they Destroy America. It’s not out of control yet, but it’s not far off.

Every week, President Trump is putting America first on the world stage, cutting tougher trade deals, squeezing NATO freeloaders, and making sure foreign governments finally pay their bills. Now Congress is stepping up to back him. Right before the August recess, lawmakers tucked language into an appropriations bill blasting foreign governments that have been stiffing U.S. businesses and taxpayers. Now that they’re back, they’re ready to turn up the heat.

Following the horrific shooting at a Catholic school in Minneapolis that killed two children and wounded 18 others, Mayor Jacob Frey (D) said of the self-proclaimed transgender woman: "Anybody who is using this as an opportunity to villainize our trans community or any other community out there has lost their sense of common humanity. We should not be operating out of a place of hate for anyone."  It was a shocking comment as parents and others mourned the dead and injured.

Labor Day morning I decided to get out of the house – to clear my head and check out refrigerators on sale at Lowe's. On the way there, one intersection had a group of about 15 woke Leftists holding signs: “Fight Trump” and “End Oligarchy!” I doubt any of them could define the word! A few more intersections, a few more unhinged gatherings, and one thing became clear – Democrats are miserable people. 

Supposedly, the tiresome comedy stylings of Gavin Newsom – he’s the equivalent of a Wednesday night prop comic opener down at the Gooberville Giggle Works – have thrust him into the forefront of the Democrat race for the 2028 nomination. What a sad and pathetic state of affairs that is. He’s trying to claim the Fighter Lane. You see, he fights by hiring a couple of they/them mediocrities to run his social media account, pumping out an endless series of tweets that are nearly as funny as leprosy.

A crowd gathered around New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani on Saturday as he lay on his back, struggling to bench press 135 pounds as part of the annual Men's Day event in Brooklyn. New York City Mayor Eric Adams derided him as "Mamscrawny," but almost no one else seemed to care. Weightlifting isn't a requirement for being mayor.  Fighting crime is. That's Mamdani's vulnerability -- and the reason this race is far from over.