Columbia Students Return to a Changed University

 Hot Air  

"But it turns out those kind of arguments are less compelling when your government funding is on the line. The chair of Columbia's biology department made the point that a lot of the big talkers don't have any skin in the game at this moment."

"Last week was spring break for students at Columbia University. That means students were off campus when the school effectively conceded to the Trump administration and promised to put in place many changes to how things operate going forward.

Columbia University students were stepping into a new campus environment Monday after their university announced sweeping policy changes while they were away on spring break, seemingly bowing to the Trump administration’s demands over the release of $400 million in federal funding to the school...

The new rules effectively ban protests inside and immediately outside academic buildings, and all demonstration activity is subject to the university’s antidiscrimination and anti-harassment policies.

The university hired 36 new campus police officers specifically trained to deal with protests with powers to remove or arrest protesters as part of the changes, and it will continue to cooperate with the New York Police Department as needed.

Anyone who engages in protests or demonstrations must, when asked, show their university ID and are banned from wearing face coverings for the purpose of “concealing one’s identity,” according to the university’s statement released Friday.

"The no masks rule could be especially problematic to the pro-Hamas extremists who have been running amok on campus. Like Antifa, CUAD (the coalition of groups organizing the protests) has used face covering to avoid accountability for actions which violate school rules or break the law. If students had to protest without the masks they might be less likely to take extreme actions that could result in suspension or expulsion." . . .

California’s Memory Loss

 The American Spectator   

Newsom and Brown seem to have forgotten that people once streamed into California from far and wide. And they don’t seem to care that most of the traffic is now on the way out, to states with lower taxes, fewer regulations, and more economic freedom. 

syracuse.com

"The University of California is “ending the requirement that diversity statements be used in hiring,” the California Globe reports, “the latest move away from diversity-based hiring and applying measures at the UC system.” Lost in the shuffle is California’s previous move to end “diversity-based” hiring, code for racial and ethnic hiring banned by state law.

"In 1996, state voters passed the California Civil Rights Initiative (CCRI), Proposition 209 on the ballot, that banned racial and ethnic preferences in state education, employment, and contracting. Contrary to popular belief, the measure did not ban “affirmative action.” The state could still lend students a hand on an economic basis but could no longer admit and hire on the basis of race and ethnicity. At the time, state officials had forgotten a lesson from 1978. 

"The University of California at Davis medical school rejected Allan Bakke not because the Vietnam veteran was unqualified but on account of his race. The person of pallor sued and won, but California continued to reject and admit students on the basis of race and the proportionality doctrine.

"State education, employment, and contracting, this view contends, must reflect the racial and ethnic proportions of society. If they don’t, the cause can only be deliberate discrimination, and the remedy must be some sort of quota system now passed off as “diversity” or DEI. This doctrine ignores realities such as personal differences, effort, and choice.

"CCRI put an end to diversity dogma, and the disaster opponents predicted never occurred. As Thomas Sowell noted in Intellectuals and Race, after Prop 209, blacks and Hispanics graduated from UC schools in greater numbers. State educrats fought the measure from the start and in recent years built a vast DEI establishment that burdened taxpayers while serving no educational purpose." . . .

Argus Hamilton's Rogue Report; March 25, 2025

 JWR  

. . ."While on this subject, President Trump just renamed San Andreas. From now on it'll be known as Biden's Fault." 

• President Trump responded favorably Friday to an invitation by King Charles for the U.S. to join the Commonwealth. The president just beat me to a great joke. I can't think of a more perfect way to celebrate the 250th anniversary of America's Independence than by rejoining the British Empire.

• Daily Variety reports Disney's new Snow White received terrible reviews and suffered a poor box-office in its opening weekend. If you saw it on an airplane flight, you'd walk out. I did think it was chivalrous of Disney to give us comedians an easy drug joke by casting a Colombian as Snow White.

• Oil and Gas Journal reports that the U.S. will be producing a record 14 million barrels of oil every day this year, which will help lower prices at the pump due to the increased supply. It gets even better. From watching the news last week, the whole country learned you CAN use gasoline with a Tesla.

• The White House vowed swift prosecution and justice for protestors who are firebombing Tesla dealerships. Quickly responding to the fire-bombings, California Governor Gavin Newsom issued an order requiring all Teslas to park next to a fire hydrant. Now dogs can kill two birds with one stone.

• Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is reportedly going to challenge Chuck Schumer for his New York Senate seat in the Democratic primary. AOC is being promoted by supporters as the girl with something extra. In West Hollywood that's what you call a girl whose measurements are 36-24-36- and 9.

• Al Sharpton launched an attack on President Trump eliminating DEI programs. Democrats love DEI. They believe that Trump must be stopped before he issues a new executive order removing all black chess pieces from the playing board, and replacing them by high-achieving yellow chess pieces.

• The White House revoked the Associated Press's press credentials from the press room and Air Force One because they won't refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America in news reports. While on this subject, President Trump just renamed San Andreas. From now on it'll be known as Biden's Fault.

• The White House released 80,000 long-sought, super-secret CIA files on the JFK assassination last week. The revelations in the files that were kept top- secret from the public were sensational. We learned just as everybody suspected, that NFL referees really do cheat in favor of the Kansas City Chiefs.

• Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth was in the Oval Office Friday to announce Boeing will build the new F-47 stealth fighter. At least the pilots have parachutes. Hegseth's announcement that the contract to build the Pentagon's new F-47 stealth fighter jet was awarded to Boeing blew my doors off.

• Attorney General Pam Bondi ripped District Judge Boasberg for trying to conduct foreign policy from the bench by trying to slap restrictions on Trump's presidential powers. It never ends. Yesterday, an activist judge ordered President Trump not to move his head during the next assassination attempt.

Victor Davis Hanson: The Left’s Tesla Terrorism Agenda

The Daily Signal "The Left is trying to instill and legitimize terror. How? By attacking Tesla dealerships, charging stations, and even individual owners. Victor Davis Hanson breaks down how these violent acts fit into a broader pattern of political intimidation on today's episode of "Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words."

"“  We’ve had Molotov cocktails thrown at dealerships and we’ve had Tesla charging stations that were attacked. What is the point of all of this? … They’re trying to drive down Elon Musk’s popularity and indeed his viability.

“There was a message to the Left and it said, ‘If you engage in street violence, that is considered legitimate political protest, legitimate political protest, and there will not be legal consequences.’”

Democrats’ hatred of Trump is destroying their party

Liz Peek; The Hill 

"More shameful, though, was their sullen refusal to applaud or celebrate a young black child who had overcome brain cancer and always wanted to be a cop; the return of Marc Fogel, formerly held hostage in Russia; and a steelworker who has been a foster parent to some 40 kids. These were moving stories, but Democrats could not find in their angry souls any compassion for them."

"Democrats did not just lose an election in 2024 — apparently, they lost their minds, too.  

"Consider, for instance, how they kicked off Women’s History Month — by voting against protecting women and girls in sports, against guaranteeing them a fair playing field.  

"That’s right: Every single Democrat voted down the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, which would prohibit federally funded schools from allowing male transgender athletes to participate in women’s sports.

"It would prevent girls and women from being injured by bigger, stronger biological males. And, just as importantly, it would prevent girls who have worked like crazy to excel in sports from being humiliated by a men dressed like women. 

"Take, for example, the basketball game that took place a year ago between two Massachusetts teams — the Collegiate Charter School of Lowell and KIPP Academy in Lynn. A transgender player for KIPP, at six feet tall and sporting facial hair, injured multiple opposing female players, eventually forcing Collegiate to forfeit the game.  

"Or consider the gruesome injury sustained by Payton McNabb in a 2022 volleyball match, when a transgender opponent spiked the ball into her head and nearly killed her. Some 79 percent of Americans, including 67 percent of Democrats, favor keeping men out of women’s sports and locker rooms, according to New York Times-Ipsos polling. 

"So why fall on your sword by defeating a bill that so clearly aligns with the preferences of voters?" . . .

. . ."Here’s the problem for the “Resistance,” as Democrats like to refer to themselves: The policies they are “resisting” are popular with U.S. voters. Take their opposition to Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency? Is there anyone who does not think the federal government is too big and riddled with waste and fraud?" . . .  

Liz Peek is a former partner of major bracket Wall Street firm Wertheim and Company.  

[Pro-Palestinian Democrat] Tlaib Faces Backlash for Comment on Airstrikes Against Houthis: ‘They’re Bombing Terrorists, Rashida’

 Rusty Weiss; RedState  

"Less than two weeks after the heinous attacks, Tlaib tearfully incited a pro-Palestinian riot in D.C. by parroting Hamas propaganda about a hospital attack that turned out to be disinformation."

She hates Israel more than she loves America but was still elected

 by Democrats. One has to wonder how many of her voters burned

Teslas. TD

"Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) drew condemnation from personalities on both sides of the political spectrum when she seemingly expressed outrage over recent airstrikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen.

"Tlaib responded to reports of a Signal text group that included national security officials, Vice President JD Vance, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. The group reportedly discussed classified details of upcoming attacks against the armed terror group. 

"Someone accidentally looped in Jeffrey Goldberg, editor of "The Atlantic," into the chat.

" 'This is an outrageous national security breach, and heads should roll," Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-PA) told Axios, a quote relayed by reporter Andrew Solender on X.

"Tlaib replied, "More heat for using a group chat than for the bombing itself." . . .

"Followers on social media swiftly fired back at Tlaib over the comment, another in a long line of examples in which the congresswoman initially jumps to the defense of terrorist organizations.

" 'They’re bombing terrorists, Rashida," Townhall editor Katie Pavlich succinctly explained to the Squad member.

"Former CNN and current News Nation correspondent Chris Cuomo wondered, "You want them to attack more Americans?"

" 'I mean, yeah, because killing Iranian-backed jihadists is a good thing," Chief Investigative Correspondent for Just the News Jerry Dunleavy chimed in." . . .

This form of government leaves power in the hands of a few: Oligarchies explained

 

What is an oligarchy? Definition and examples throughout history.

"Officially, our form of government in the U.S. is a representative democracy. This means citizens vote for their government officials. But Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders is of a different opinion.

“ 'Of course the oligarchs run Russia. But guess what? Oligarchs run the United States as well,” the Democratic Senator said last year. “And it’s not just the United States, it’s not just Russia; Europe, the UK, all over the world, we’re seeing a small number of incredibly wealthy people running things in their favor.” 

"Wondering what this means in the context of global governments? Here’s everything you need to know about oligarchies, including examples. 

"The general definition of an oligarchy is a form of government involving the rule of a few persons or families. According to National Geographic, Greek philosopher Aristotle used the term in contrast to aristocracy (the elite upper class) to describe the rule of a few for “corrupt and unjust purposes.”

"One of the more modern uses is the phrase “iron law of oligarchy,” a concept by German sociologist Robert Michels that says democracy is an oxymoron – that it will ultimately fall to the hands of an elite few." . . .

Democrats would have us believe Elon Musk was a ruler oligarch, but to be feared most I feel are the Soros family.

Why does Tim Walz’s billionaire buddy Alex Soros love Albania’s narco-state? - Washington Examiner  September 26, 2024  "Tuesday’s highly publicized meeting between Alex Soros and Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) merits attention. The 38-year-old left-wing philanthropist is one of the most important players in American politics and beyond. That’s thanks to his $25 billion fortune, which his famous father, George Soros, handed over to him to manage in the furtherance of the family’s left-wing global crusade. Calling Alex Soros the dark lord of left-wing dark money is no exaggeration. He is enmeshed in the Democratic elite, given his more than two dozen visits to the Biden White House, plus his recent engagement to Huma Abedin, who was Hillary Clinton’s longtime factotum.

"Alex Soros was among the first big names to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris when President Joe Biden’s campaign imploded, and he did a photo op with Walz at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago last month, where the left-wing oligarch proclaimed himself to be “Walzpilled!” Nevertheless, Tuesday’s rendezvous at the investor’s palatial New York City residence, when Walz appeared submissive toward his benefactor, got attention.

"Republican pundits were quick to heap scorn on how Walz, the touted salt-of-the-earth “man of the people,” kowtowed to the scion of the Soros dynasty. Walz’s appearance with the ultimate radical nepo baby wasn’t exactly compatible with how “middle class” Harris and her running-mate portray themselves to voters. However, giving Alex Soros whatever he wants, in exchange for his cash and publicity, is exactly what voters should expect a Harris-Walz presidency to do if the pair take office on Jan. 20." . . . 

The Poignant Tale Behind a Celebrated Civil War Sketch

 HistoryNet  

"By January 27, however, the 21-year-old Jackson, with bayonetted rifle, his greatcoat tightly gathered at the waist, was able to stand still long enough for special artist Edwin Forbes to capture him on paper. The artist clearly shows that Jackson placed his weight on his right foot. '                                  

"Odds are there isn’t a Civil War buff living who hasn’t seen a copy of this remarkable pencil sketch (above) by special artist Edwin Forbes, which Forbes labeled as “William J. Jackson, Sergt. Maj. 12th N.Y. Vol.—Sketched at Stoneman’s Switch, near Fredricksburg [sic], Va. Jan. 27th, 1863.” The young noncom has gazed back at us across the years from countless publications and exhibits. Rendered with camera-like honesty, it is arguably among the best drawings of a common soldier done during the Civil War. Writing about his work in general, Forbes assured viewers, “fidelity to fact is… the first thing to be aimed at.”

"In fact, once Forbes completed his drawing of Jackson, the sketch went virtually unseen for more than 80 years. The drawing was among several hundred illustrations Forbes made while covering the Army of the Potomac for Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper from the spring of 1862 to the fall of 1864. Approximately 150 of Forbes’ wartime sketches were engraved and printed in the illustrated newspaper during that period, although his drawing of Jackson was not among them.

"After the war, Forbes retained most of his original illustrations. Many he reworked into more polished drawings; some into oil paintings. He fashioned scores of them into award-winning etchings. Many appeared in his books, Life Studies of the Great Army (1876) and Thirty Years After: An Artist’s Story of the Great War (1890). Again, the poignant sketch of the beardless sergeant major from the 12th New York Infantry was not included.

"Following Forbes’ death in March 1895, his wife, Ida, maintained his portfolio of original artwork, where the Jackson sketch was catalogued, “Study of an Infantry Soldier — The Sergeant Major.” She eventually sold the entire collection for $25,000 to financier J.P. Morgan in January 1901. Eighteen years later, on the heels of World War I, Morgan’s estate donated the collection to the Library of Congress, its current home. The sketch of William Jackson remained out of the public eye for another quarter-century until it resurfaced during World War II, thanks to the efforts of a U.S. Army private." . . .More here...

Israel’s Moment of Decision on Hamas; How can Israel finish the war without Hamas executing the remaining hostages?

 The American Spectator    

Israel is closer than ever to achieving lasting peace — if it can reconcile the profound dilemma of prioritizing hostages or defeating its enemies. The two objectives may not be mutually exclusive; winning the war could provide the hostages their best chance for survival.

 Queers For Palestine Protester Gets A "Reality Check" After Finding Out Hamas is Evil

                         Below: NOW can you see what is meant by "Useful Idiots"?

Surprise Attack and Israel’s Dilemma

On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a brutal surprise attack on Israel, killing over 1,200 through rape, torture, kidnappings, and child executions shocking the world with its barbarity. This assault immediately presented Israel with an impossible moral dilemma of having to choose between eradicating Hamas to secure its future or negotiating for the return of hostages, thereby allowing Hamas to survive. Israel must decimate Hamas and cleanse Gaza for whatever post-war structure emerges, or prioritize hostage recovery at the cost of national security.

"Hostages as Currency  

"Hamas has strategically leveraged hostage-taking, fully aware of Israel’s deep commitment to individual lives — even at a national cost. The 2011 Gilad Shalit exchange, which freed over a thousand Palestinian prisoners for a single Israeli soldier, was initially hailed as a great success. However, it set a dangerous precedent, emboldening Hamas to repeat the strategy. In a tragic irony, one of those freed in 2011 was Yahya Sinwar — the Hamas leader who orchestrated the October 7 massacre.

"Purgatory, Israel Style

"Seventeen months into this war, Israel stands at a crossroads. After significant battlefield successes against Hamas and the broader Iranian axis, Israel now possesses the military capability, moral justification, and unparalleled American support needed to decisively eliminate Hamas, significantly weaken Iran — likely with American assistance — and reshape the Middle East.

"Yet, the fundamental dilemma persists: How can Israel finish the war without Hamas executing the remaining hostages? Initially, on October 8, 2023, most Israelis agreed that coexisting with an entity sworn to their destruction was no longer an option. However, by July 2024, public sentiment had shifted. A Research poll revealed that 72 percent of Israelis prioritized a hostage deal over eliminating Hamas. Ceasefires aimed at rescuing hostages have repeatedly allowed Hamas to regroup, rearm, and amplify anti-Israel propaganda — especially on American college campuses." . . .

"Israel Is Hard on Itself. The World Is Harder

"Adding to Israel’s internal struggle over war priorities are external pressures, including a deeply entrenched anti-Israel legacy media bias. Less than 24 hours after the October 7 attacks, mainstream outlets began their usual moral equivalence — or outright blame — against Israel.

"For example, the BBC faced accusations of violating editorial guidelines 1,553 times in its coverage of the war, associating Israel with genocide 14 times more than Hamas. CBS went as far as to instruct journalists not to refer to Jerusalem as an Israeli city, effectively erasing Israel’s capital from the map.

What Snow White could have been; The moral to the story matters more than the DEI hiring

 Don Surber; Substack  

"But when the studio is run by people you believe boys need tampons, you get such nonsense. Don’t be looksist or whatever they call it now." 

"When my mother took me to see Snow White, everyone fell in love with Snow White. I immediately fell for the wicked Queen. —Woody Allen in Annie Hall, 1977"

"It is not kosher to begin a newsletter quoting Woody Allen because he married his daughter or something like that. OK, it was his crazy girlfriend’s daughter but he was always creepy and that was his entire schtick as a comedian. Annie Hall was his best comedy. It should have been his last comedy because he had reached the age where creepy no longer is funny but criminal.

"As readers know, this was the weekend Disney finally dropped its mega-costly bomb, Disney’s Snow White. It was a remake of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the film that turned a small cartoon shop into a movie studio which eventually evolved into the world’s largest media corporation.

"Relish the results, dear readers.

"Chris Agar reported, “Snow White’s Disappointing Box Office Opening Could Match Dumbo.”

"Did they have a donkey play Dumbo?

"Alison Willmore reported, “I Don’t Know Why, But Snow White Is Totally About Lefty Infighting.”

"You would think that would attract conservatives.

"IMDB reported, “A princess joins forces with seven dwarfs to liberate her kingdom from her cruel stepmother the evil Queen.” (The character’s name is just the Queen.)

"So now the storyline is an inheritance battle between a surviving child and a second wife. You might call it a battle of wills.

"The original film is a classic because Walt Disney was the Elon Musk of fairy tales. Walt surrounded himself with masters of animation and music. Someday My Prince Will Come, Whistle While You Work and I’m Wishing are songs seldom heard on the radio but are always in our hearts. 

All we need is Joe, Joe is all we need?

 Silvio Canto, Jr., American Thinker    

"Memo to Mr. Biden:  A big reason for the condition that the party is in is because of your policies."

Image: AT via Magic Studio

"Does President Trump understand how lucky he is with respect to his enemies? He probably does, which is why he keeps making traps and they jump in with gusto.

"We learned that Governor Tim Walz (Kamala's VP) sort of admitted that he made a you know what out of himself with his Tesla comments. He was "joking" or something like that. I guess that someone told him that the teachers' pension plan has money in the now "evil" Tesla. Remember when something similar happened to Hillary Clinton years ago? She was bashing fossil fuel companies until someone passed her a note that public sector employees have their retirement plans in those same companies.

"Trump is lucky -- what else can I say?

"Well, a breeze of good luck came over President Trump when we learned that former President Biden wants to make a comeback. Yes, Joe wants back, or so we hear:" . . .

The Trump Administration Goes to War against Bureaucratic Tyranny

I firmly fear the Deep State is capable of murder, supported by members of Congress and useful idiots in the streets and on campus. They chant the term "unelected" about Elon Musk yet it is the unelected who willingly support those who burn and destroy in the name of "resistance" TD

 The Trump Administration Goes to War against Bureaucratic Tyranny 

. . ." The unelected bureaucracy does not reflect the wishes of the American people; it is the polar opposite of representative government.  No matter how many propagandists defend Big Government as “our Democracy,” the ever-growing Leviathan is thoroughly authoritarian in disposition." . . . 

Rich Terrell

. . ."In front of huge crowds, Trump called out agencies and bureaucrats by name and promised to rein in their out-of-control harassment of the American people.  The administrative state, having long exercised the constitutionally delegated powers of the Executive Branch while thumbing its nose at the elected president, correctly worried that Trump would reclaim legitimate Executive authorities that it had illegitimately usurped decades ago." . . .

. . ."In Ryun’s documentary, Congressman Roy pulls no punches against the administrative state while laying well-deserved blame at the feet of lawmakers.  In lauding Elon Musk’s work to expose and eliminate government waste, fraud, and abuse, Roy says the American people have to hold Congress accountable.  “Because you’ve been searching for the enemy, and the enemy is right in front of you.  It is us.  It is Congress.  We’re the ones that continue to fund the very things” that enable the Deep State.  “We’re begging you to save us because we’re that bad.”  That’s a rather direct plea from a sitting congressman for the American people to rise up and demand an end to America’s unconstitutional bureaucracy.  In calling for the “slashing and burning” of Leviathan, Roy argues that DOGE shouldn’t stand for the Department of Government Efficiency but rather the Department of Government Elimination.  That’s a theme throughout Ryun’s documentary." . . .

Trump Chaos Or The Gales Of Creative Destruction?   . . . "Creative destruction is the right way to look at what Trump is doing from the White House.

"He is upsetting the Potomac country club that begets cushy jobs and power to insiders. He’s rooting out the entrenched, unelected and unaccountable bureaucracy that ran Washington according to its whims and has squeezed Americans’ economic and personal liberties. Joe Biden’s replacement is disrupting the rule-making apparatus, where a single regulator costs our economy the equivalent of 138 private-sector jobs per year.

"People who refuse to think beyond the status quo cannot conceive of life without a powerful federal bureaucracy. Half of the country is enamored by and in love with government, and seems willing to fight, in the streets, if necessary, to ensure that it is an ever-growing machine that fronts for the Democratic Party.

"The Democrats and the media cry for the federal workers who are losing jobs due to Trump’s “chaos” (and who, when gone, will be more productive economic cogs in the private sector). But never did they care at all when Barack Obama’s “multiple regulations led to tens of thousands of job losses.”" . . .

. . ."Half the country needs to be educated about the harms of a running-wild bureaucracy. The paradigm that favors political society over civil society must be shifted. None of this will be painless or smooth. But it has to be done and now we finally have a president who is not shying away from the work."  Issues & Insights