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U.S. democracy doesn’t require the truth police

It became fashionable a few years ago for people to blame “misinformation” for others holding views they find wrongheaded. Social media platforms, sometimes jawboned by the federal government, invoked this supposed crisis to justify censorship, especially during the pandemic. This insulted the intelligence of the American people, who can make up their own minds without being told what to think. A new study explores how exposure to “misinformation” on social media affected voters in 2020. The answer, drawn from a three-month experiment on nearly 16,000 users, is very ...

Manufactured ‘climate crisis’ is all about money

Just two years ago, the United Nations secretary general announced, “Global warming has ended ... the era of global boiling has arrived!” “[We were] warned about this,” said a “Daily Show” host, “by every scientist for the last 50 years!” His audience applauded. Wow. Every scientist agreed! But here’s the thing. They didn’t. My new video covers how many of the scaremongers’ claims are just wrong. Yes, the climate is warming. People burning fossil fuels adds to that. But there’s little agreement about apocalyptic claims that environmental groups ...

How Pittsburgh became an early alarm bell for the DSA’s rise

PITTSBURGH — The rise of the Democratic left in Pittsburgh did not happen overnight. It was built over years through patient organizing, disciplined recruiting and a clear-eyed focus on the races that mattered most: low-turnout primaries where entrenched power was vulnerable. Mik Pappas’ 2017 race for Pennsylvania’s 31st Magisterial District judge offered an early hint that the local Democratic establishment was losing its grip on some of the contests it had once taken for granted. He was underfunded, openly aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America and not expected to ...

Orchids & onions

ORCHID: To Trumbull County Prosecutor Dennis Watkins and Christopher Becker and Mike Burnett on his staff for their ongoing work to reestablish meaty habitual criminal statutes with tougher penalties in Ohio law. In recent years, such taut and escalating prison sentences and fines for repeat felony theft, burglary and drug offenders have been watered down or rescinded in efforts to reduce prison crowding. But as veteran Prosecutor Watkins effectively argues, “Confronting repeat offenders with decisive consequences is essential to protect the financial well-being of our neighbors and ...

All must play role toward productive, safe academic year

Change is in the air as about 70,000 students trek back to more than 200 schools in the Mahoning Valley beginning next week for the traditional start to an exciting new academic year. Changes in personnel, curriculum, technology, security and more await many students, staff and faculty in districts large and small. The mission of all of them, of course, is to improve the educational climate for pre-schoolers through college students. As a result, optimism rightly abounds. In Trumbull County, one of the biggest and most visible changes takes place at the state-of-the-art Trumbull ...

The Hamas ‘deal’

President Trump and members of his administration are (pick your metaphor) whistling past the graveyard, engaging in wishful thinking and/or deluding themselves into believing a demon can be transformed into an angel. The Trump administration has announced a “deal” has been reached between the terrorist group Hamas that has occupied Gaza for years and Israel that will lead to Hamas’ disarmament and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the strip. What would supposedly follow is a rebuilding of Gaza, which has been reduced to rubble. Much of the world and its media blame Israel ...