Trump, Kristen Welker, and the Boundaries of FCC Authority

President Trump and NBC’s Kristen Welker have managed to turn two ordinary words—“mixed results”—into a national argument about political influence, media bias, federal authority, and the First Amendment. Apparently, Washington had a quiet moment and needed something to do. The dispute began when Welker, appearing in a live promotional segment on NBC-owned WRC-TV before Meet…

Visa Revocations and the Limits of American Entry

The Trump administration announced that the State Department has revoked more than 175,000 visas since President Trump returned to office, marking a significant expansion of immigration enforcement. According to the department, the affected foreign nationals violated visa conditions, committed crimes, defrauded Americans, abused the immigration system, called for violence against Americans, or threatened national security.…

Truth, Libel, and the Media’s Very Expensive Hall Pass

Few Supreme Court precedents have shaped American political speech more than New York Times v. Sullivan, the 1964 decision that made it much harder for public officials, and later public figures, to win defamation lawsuits. Supporters say that high bar protects free debate, especially criticism of powerful people. Critics say it’s become a legal bunker…

Conversion Therapy Bans: Protection or Overreach?

The phrase “conversion therapy” tends to end conversations before they even begin. It’s one of those terms that carries so much emotional and cultural weight that people often feel they already know where they’re supposed to land. Harmful. Discredited. Case closed. But once you slow down and actually examine what’s being debated—laws that prohibit certain…

When Politics Meets the Chain of Command

There are political skirmishes that flare up, dominate a news cycle, and disappear. Then there are moments that quietly test the structural integrity of the republic. This controversy falls into the second category. Last fall, six Democratic lawmakers appeared in a video urging U.S. service members to refuse illegal orders. That message, resurfacing in today’s…

High Noon for Free Speech: Showdown at the ABC Corral

Well, that didn’t take long. For about five minutes, it looked like Sinclair and Nexstar—the two broadcasting giants carrying many of America’s ABC affiliates—were going to flex their muscles by refusing to air Jimmy Kimmel Live! after Disney dragged him back on stage. But reality set in faster than a Marvel reboot. Just as quickly…

Trump vs. The New York Times

Last week, on Monday, September 16, President Trump decided to take his long-simmering feud with The New York Times from the podium to the courtroom, filing a $15 billion defamation lawsuit against the paper, several of its reporters, and even its publisher, Penguin Random House. The suit accused them of maliciously distorting his business record,…

Jimmy Kimmel, the FCC, and the Free Speech Fire Drill

Well, here we are again, folks: another cultural meltdown over who’s allowed to flap their gums on TV. And this time the lucky contestant on America’s Next First Amendment Crisis is none other than Jimmy Kimmel. He managed to land himself in the hot seat after cracking jokes about the tragic shooting of conservative activist…

An Update on the Assassination of Charlie Kirk

In the past few days, much more has come into focus regarding Tyler Robinson’s case. The fog of shock has begun to lift, and while that clarity brings sharper details, it also brings sharper pain. We are learning more about what happened, why it may have happened, and what the legal road ahead looks like,…