What Michael Phelps hasn't learned about fairness. Swimmer Michael Phelps won his twentieth Olympic medal last night when he defeated fellow American Ryan Lochte in the 200-meter medley. And his Olympics haven't yet ended. Should he qualify, Phelps could extend his medal record in the 100-meter butterfly later today and the 4x100-meter medley ... MORE
There are still humans driven by dark urges. Cable television is replete with nature-themed shows these days. Some of the most popular are those that feature quirky blokes who get dangerously close to deadly animals, usually because they claim to have an understanding of the beasts. The results are predictably dangerous, and sometimes deadly. ... MORE
by Fareed Zakaria. Mitt Romney has explained that his comments abroad were simply truth-telling. “I tend to tell people what I actually believe,” he said. With regard to one much-debated comment — on the cultural differences between Israelis and Palestinians — many agree with him. The Wall Street Journal editorial page and columnists including ... MORE
The president has created a new in-the-bag voting bloc. Barack Obama may go down as one of the greatest political geniuses in history. Sorry; no punch line. This is not a joke. Many politicians get elected by adroit manipulation of existing voting blocs: black, Hispanic, Jewish, women, etc. Some even originate new and effective ways to rally ... MORE
TSA wants nude body scanners without public hearings. A federal appeals court Wednesday ordered the Transportation Security Administration to explain why it hasn’t complied with the court’s year-old decision demanding the agency hold public hearings concerning the rules and regulations pertaining to the so-called nude body scanners ... MORE
Pop culture is producing male losers. Casual observation of popular culture reveals that boys and men increasingly are being portrayed negatively, in contrast to women, who invariably are seen as more competent, efficient, successful and in charge. Television and Hollywood movies are producing a tsunami of negative stereotypes depicting ... MORE
by Thomas J. Lucente Jr. On July 16, a pizza delivery driver in Columbus, Ohio, was delivering a pizza when two men armed with shotguns approached him. The deliveryman, who has a license to carry a concealed handgun, warned the men off. When they ignored his warnings, the pizza driver opened fire, injuring one of the robbers. On July 22, John ... MORE
Sowing the seeds of a trade war. When economic times are bad, animosity is directed at foreigners: “They’re taking our jobs!” So it’s unsurprising that the presidential campaigns feature charges and countercharges about outsourcing, the employment of foreign labor by American companies. This is a dangerous game because it sows ... MORE
by Stephen Bronars. Last week Adam Ozimek argued that conservatives should either support the minimum wage or oppose it less. His analysis correctly reframes the minimum wage as a law that prohibits workers from participating in the labor market if they contribute less than $7.25 per hour to production. This does not mean that conservatives should ... MORE
When society has suffered enough. On July 23 New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, one of the most implacably totalitarian figures in American political history, suggested that police nationwide should go on strike until the law-abiding public disarms itself. “I don’t understand why the police officers in this country don’t stand up collectively and say ... MORE
You win the gold, Uncle Sam collects $8,986. Because conservatives are scrooges, the good folks at Americans for Tax Reform have gone through the fine print to find out what our Olympians will have to cough up to the IRS should they be lucky enough to win any medals in London. Even by the standards of our government, the numbers ... MORE
Drug addiction recognized as health issue, not crime. Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos has ratified a law deeming drug addiction a public health issue rather than a crime, local media reported Tuesday. The newly-enacted bill recognizes "the consumption and abuse of, or addiction to, psychoactive substances, legal or illegal, as a matter of public ... MORE
A throwback to a Nazi philosophy. It was either Adolf Hitler or his propaganda minister, Joseph Goebbels, who said that the people will believe any lie, if it is big enough and told often enough, loud enough. Although the Nazis were defeated in World War II, this part of their philosophy survives triumphantly to this day among politicians, and nowhere more ... MORE