There really are two separate questions here, and the debate gets muddled when we pretend they’re the same one. First: Should Nidal Malik Hasan, the former Army major convicted of murdering 13 people and wounding 32 others in the 2009 Fort Hood shooting, face the death penalty? Second: Assuming the execution goes forward, should the…
Israel, the West Bank, and the Question Washington Can’t Duck
For years, American politicians have treated Israel policy a little like the third rail on a subway track: everybody knows it’s there, everybody has opinions about it, and most would prefer not to touch it unless absolutely necessary. That may be changing. House Democratic leaders are signaling that, if they gain control of the House,…
Bond Hearings, Borders, and Biblical Justice
The recent federal court ruling requiring bond hearings for many detained migrants has added even more fuel to the immigration debate. A federal judge pushed back on a broad executive interpretation that effectively denied bond to wide categories of migrants, ruling that many are entitled to individualized bond hearings before an immigration judge. In plain…
Justice That Takes Life Seriously: Why the Death Penalty Remains Morally Just
Donald Trump’s renewed push to expand and emphasize the death penalty, particularly for murder, has reignited a debate that is often framed almost entirely in emotional or political terms. Yet beneath the rhetoric lies a far more serious moral question: does justice require that the taking of innocent human life be met with the most…
The Arab States’ Moral and Strategic Test: Why They Can’t (or Won’t) Enforce Peace in Gaza
Every time the guns fall silent in Gaza, the world exhales like a nervous parent whose toddler finally stopped screaming. The diplomats dust off their talking points, the news anchors smile a little wider, and everyone starts asking the same hopeful question: “Who’s going to keep the peace this time?” Predictably, the answer that floats…
Truth or Theater? A Look at the Epstein-Maxwell Files and the Fight for Justice
The Department of Justice just held a closed-door meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell inside a Florida prison. Grand jury records tied to Jeffrey Epstein’s past legal entanglements are suddenly making headlines again. And President Trump’s name—of course—found its way into the conversation, though notably without any criminal accusation or evidence. The American people, who’ve been crying…
Peace, Power, and Prudence: A Look at the Rwanda–DRC Washington Accord
In what is being hailed as a diplomatic breakthrough, the governments of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) signed a historic peace accord on June 27, 2025, in Washington, D.C. The agreement, brokered by the United States and Qatar, outlines a detailed roadmap aimed at ending decades of bloodshed in the Great…
Justice with Compassion: Considering the Asylum Fee in the OBBBA
Yesterday, we dug into the $46.5 billion proposal to secure our southern border, a major investment in national sovereignty. Today, we’re turning our attention to another measure tucked into the OBBBA: a $1,000 fee slapped on migrants seeking asylum in the United States. For the first time in our nation’s history, those fleeing war, persecution,…
Medicaid Integrity or Bureaucratic Overreach? Looking at the Six-Month Eligibility Check Provision
Yesterday we looked at the work requirements provision in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Today, we turn to another element of the legislation: the requirement that states conduct income and residency checks every six months to ensure that individuals enrolled in Medicaid are still eligible. This provision may sound technical—just another line item in…
Law, Mercy, and the Migrant: Reflecting on the Supreme Court’s TPS Decision for Venezuelans
The Supreme Court handed down a landmark decision affirming President Trump’s authority to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for approximately 350,000 Venezuelan nationals. These individuals were originally granted protection due to the collapse of civil society in Venezuela—rampant political persecution, economic devastation, and violence that made safe return virtually impossible. For years, they’ve lived and…
