Why Should Anyone Believe Trump When He Says Hamas Will Disarm?

(YouTube screenshot)

This afternoon, President Trump declared on Truth Social:

Today, the Board of Peace reached a HISTORIC agreement for the COMPLETE DISARMAMENT of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza. This is a monumental step toward lasting PEACE and SECURITY.

I do not believe him.

Israel certainly doesn't believe him. Why should it? It had no say in the matter as the U.S. negotiated with Turkey, Egypt and Qatar. The Turkish and Qatari regimes have long enabled Hamas.

Hamas has reportedly agreed to disarm. Yet I am no more inclined to believe them than I am to believe Trump.

After all, the Lebanese government agreed to disarm Hezbollah in their 2024 ceasefire agreement with Israel, and it has not come to pass.

By their very nature, Hamas and Hezbollah seek the destruction of Israel by way of violence. To disarm voluntarily and abandon that mission is to cease to exist. Hamas and Hezbollah use ceasefires to buy time to re-arm and replenish. The only circumstances under which I see Hamas and Hezbollah ever disarming is if they are bombarded with overwhelming force or collapse from within.

As for Trump, I no more believe him when he says Hamas will disarm than when he calls upon the Iranian people to take back their government only to say he never wanted regime change or has a new free trade agreement only to impose new tariffs in a matter of months as it did with Indonesia.

With perhaps the possible exception of deporting as many non-citizens as possible (i.e. Haitian migrants with TPS), I do not take President Trump at his word.

Dr. Fauci Should Have Stood Up For Himself Instead of Pleading The Fifth

I don't understand why Dr. Anthony Fauci pleaded the Fifth Amendment more than 100 times during his testimony to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

After all, he did receive a pardon from former President Biden. A pardon which I thought was a mistake because it made Fauci look guilty. The fact that Fauci's counsel would see fit to advise him to plead the Fifth indicates he doesn't have much faith in Biden's pardon. But pleading the fifth over and over again conveys the message that you did something wrong or are covering up for someone who did wrong.

Yes, I realize that this was a clown show. Rand Paul is and always will be a buffoon. That the Trumpified CBS News would describe Fauci and Paul as "both medical doctors" is utterly laughable. Fauci is an immunologist while Paul is an eye doctor. Mind you, an eye doctor who is not board certified. 

But even if that wasn't an issue Paul is not a peer to Fauci on the question of viruses. To suggest that an eye doctor has equivalent expertise to an immunologist on the spread of a virus is like suggesting an intellectual property attorney has equivalent expertise to a trust and estates attorney where it concerns last wills and testaments.

If we want to consider credibility, consider Paul's reaction to Dr. Fauci when he stated the United States could soon face 100,000 COVID cases a day. Paul accused Dr. Fauci of causing "undue fear" adding, "We just need more optimism." More optimism isn't exactly an informed medical opinion. Four months later, Dr. Fauci's prognosis proved correct. 

Needless to say, I don't take Paul seriously when it comes to COVID. Aside from being a fake eye doctor, he refused to quarantine when he was diagnosed with COVID and refused to get vaccinated. This was nothing more than gas lighting and grandstanding whether it was Paul having Fauci's attorney ejected from the proceedings or Ohio Republican Senator Bernie Moreno swearing at Fauci. Some role models.

Given the utter lack of intelligence amongst Republican Senators, Fauci should have given 100% and stood up for himself and gone after President Trump instead of pleading the Fifth. If the DoJ charges Fauci on Paul's advice, then let them. It will only demonstrate that Trump follows the motto, "For my friends everything. For my enemies the law."

In which case, better that Fauci die standing than to live on his knees.

Besides, the only reason Republicans are going after Dr. Fauci is protect the real villain of COVID - President Trump who was the one who insisted on downplaying COVID, who wanted to slow down COVID testing to keep the numbers down and thought it would be a great idea for people to inject themselves with bleach only to claim he was being sarcastic. Why would the President of the United States engage in sarcasm amid a global pandemic? Because it's Trump, of course.

Then again, despite all this, we freely chose to elect him again and Trump has at various times linked Tylenol to autism and is pushing HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy, Jr. to cut vaccines amid dubious claims of links to autism.

This is what we have chosen for ourselves. It is all the more reason that Dr. Fauci should have stood up for himself today. 

Hating Jews is Never Nice

Last month, Austin Franco, a student from Cornell University made waves he told a prospective employer who had offered him a job, "Not interested in working for a jew (sic). Thanks."

The prospective employer posted Franco's response on X.

Alas, Franco was unrepentant stating in reply:

My experiences with Jews have not been pleasant … this is not to say I havent (sic) had positive experiences, but on the aggregate that is not the case. Given that I have been doxed and intim[id]ated (sic) by your community including having my personal life investigated for no other reason than a single comment I cant (sic) imagine any reasonable person not coming to a similar conclusion.

What exactly did Franco expect when he said he wasn't interested in working for a Jew?

What exactly did Franco expect when he then made a point of saying he had unpleasant experiences with Jews?

Why was it unreasonable for the prospective employer not to have reacted in the manner in which he did?

Would Franco have declined an offer of employment on the basis his boss might be African American, a Muslim and/or a woman?

For his part, Gabe Einhorn, the prospective employer, stated in response, “He’s just a student, he might not know any better — it could be people in his environment, or on social media he saw something about Jewish people and he is just following the wave.” 

Based on what Franco said and how he said it, he has a deep-seated antagonism towards Jews and is unafraid to say so. Indeed, Franco commented on the situation earlier this week indicating that Cornell has taken no disciplinary action against him. In view of the present state of affairs, I suspect that if Franco had directed his comments towards African Americans, Muslims, women or any group other than Jews then Cornell would have disciplined him by now.

Then there is also the fact that Franco has received more than $20,000 primarily from a white supremacist YouTuber named Lord Miles who wants to see a Hitler to rise to power in America by 2039. Perhaps Franco is the future Hitler than Lord Miles is seeking. Whatever the case, Franco has thus far been rewarded instead of being shunned for his anti-Semitic views.

What I find remarkable is Franco's lack of self-awareness:

I mean I thought I was being nice. Saying this is why I don’t want to work for you. Most employers are just like, ‘Sorry, we can’t hire you.’ They don’t give you a reason. At least you know, right?

Well, there's nothing nice about hating Jews. Not now, not ever. Where is the kindness in telling someone that you don't want to associate with them solely on the basis of their faith? 

If Franco wanted to be nice, then all he needed to say was a simple no thank you and left it at that. 

Clearly, Franco wanted to tell a Jew he didn't want to work for him because he is a Jew.

As to Franco's complaint about employers not letting him know why he wasn't hired, it is a matter of federal law that an employer cannot deny someone employment on the basis of religion, race, sex and national origin.

The only favor Franco did here was to enable this employer (and possibly other prospective employers) to dodge a bullet. 

Unfortunately, I suspect there are not only a lot more Austin Francos out there, but they will make themselves known. Especially if they are rewarded for engaging in such behavior.

Kyle Kuzma Dunks on Mamdani

 

The most interesting take I've read on NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani's video diatribe against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu which resulted in a knife wielding attack on the Upper West Side on a Jewish target is from Milwaukee Bucks forward Kyle Kuzma.

Yesterday, Kuzma, who turned 31 on Friday, took to X and wrote:

This is 2026. People cosplaying as things they don’t have the authority, the talent, or the track record to actually be. Just for content. A mayor playing president. A founder playing operator. A content creator playing one-on-one thinking he’s a pro. A 25yr old with a ring light playing economist. Everyone auditioning. Nobody building. Were raising a generation that learning the reward isn’t in doing the thing it’s in looking like you did the thing. The clip is the career. The pose is the product. The soundbite is the substitute for a life’s work. Don't fall for distractions.

Kuzma just dunked on Mamdani.

If nothing else, Kuzma's response is quite the contrast from San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama and Kyrie Irving of the Dallas Mavericks the latter of whom is well known for his hatred of Jews.

Kuzma's observations of Mamdani are quite perceptive. Mamdani was elected to be Mayor of New York not to be a mouthpiece for Hamas. Although perhaps Mamdani would be better suited going to Gaza and leading Hamas.

I can only hope other public figures will be as bold as Kuzma in taking Mamdani to task for his mendacity.

The Issue Which Could Cost Susan Collins Her U.S. Senate Seat vs. Troy Jackson

Over the weekend, Maine Democrats nominated Troy Jackson, a former President of the Maine Senate, to replace Graham Platner as their standard bearer in the U.S. Senate race against Republican incumbent. 

Earlier this year, Jackson had sought his party's nomination in the Maine gubernatorial race but finished a distant third behind Hannah Pingree, a former Speaker of the Maine State Legislature.

Frankly, I don't care much for Jackson. Earlier this month, Jackson claimed, "Anybody with eyes and a heart knows the Israeli government is committing genocide in Gaza."

Somehow, I doubt Jackson could find Gaza on a map. He is just going with wherever the wind is breaking. In so doing, he is fanning the flames of anti-Semitism. If I were a resident of Maine, I would support Collins.

With that said, I do not underestimate Jackson's chances against Collins.

For starters, Jackson doesn't sport a Nazi tattoo, nor has he been accused of committing rape. Jackson has been known to lose his temper in public but unless he repeats that behavior, I doubt most voters will hold that against him.

The one issue where I think Jackson has an advantage over Collins is on the question of ICE. The fact that ICE executed a man who wasn't even their target in broad daylight on the streets of smalltown Maine isn't going to help Collins given her vote for ICE funding.

Worse still is the man responsible for this heinous act has a long history of severe mental illness and violent behavior. So not only did Collins vote for ICE funding but that funding hired a man who was bound to kill someone. It also must be said that the perpetrator has not been and is unlikely to be charged for his actions. That is going to stick in the craw of a lot of voters, and those voters will support Jackson.

Collins and Jackson are going to debate, and Collins is going to have explain herself as to how she can justify voting to fund ICE if it results in people being shot to death on the streets of Maine. She'll try but I don't think Maine voters are going to buy it.

Unless Jackson loses his temper in public and makes himself the issue, the cold-blooded murder of Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero could very well be what ends her career in the U.S. Senate.

The Family of Maude Hinds Should Sue The Massachusetts Parole Board

(Picture provided to Boston Herald by Greenridge family)

As much as I love living here in Massachusetts, there are some stories which just make your blood boil.

From The Boston Herald:

Shocked family members of a slain 87-year-old woman, who was strangled to death during a break-in, were blindsided when they found out in the Herald that her murderer was granted parole.

Roxbury’s Maude Hinds was beat and strangled to death by Dionicio Delvalle in 1991. He was 19 at the time of the killing, and the first-degree murderer was sentenced to life without parole in 2005.

Hinds’ family members left that trial 21 years ago thinking Delvalle would never see the light of day, but a state court ruling two years ago gave him and other “emerging adult” killers a chance for parole.

George Greenidge, the great-nephew of Hines, told the Herald that family members had no idea about the parole eligibility for Delvalle. So when Greenidge saw the Herald’s article this week about Delvalle’s parole, he screamed.

“Oh my God! This lady looks just like my sister! Oh no! It’s my great-aunt!” Greenidge told the Herald as he recalled his live reaction to seeing the news.

“Wait, but he got life!” Greenidge added. “What are you talking about?… We all are in shock!”

As it turns out, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled in 2024 in Commonwealth v. Mattis that people convicted of crimes who were between the ages of 18-20 could not be sentenced to life in prison without parole because they were deemed as "emerging adults." By this logic does this mean that any person in Massachusetts who commits a felony between the ages of 18 to 20 is tried as an emerging adult as opposed to an adult?

Well, because of this ruling Delvalle was now eligible for parole and the family of Hinds was unaware of this change in circumstances until after the fact.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts claims that an exhaustive effort was conducted to contact members of Hind's family and that they achieved contact with "a direct descendant" concerning the decision and the parole hearing but did not hear back.

Given how little trouble it took for the Boston Herald to contact members of Hind's family, the state's claims don't pass the smell test. Under the circumstances, Hind's family ought to sue the Massachusetts Parole Board. The discovery process would determine the extent of their diligence or lack thereof.

Now it is entirely possible that Delvalle may have been paroled even if Hind's family was duly informed of his parole hearing, attended it and voiced their opposition to his release. 

Regardless of the outcome, the Massachusetts Parole Board had an obligation to notify Hind's family and provide ample time for a response. Because of their negligence, the Hinds family is reliving the trauma of their matriarch's murder.

The Significance of Salvador Perez Passing George Brett on the Royals All-Time HR List

 

Yesterday, longtime Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez hit his 318th career HR passing George Brett to become the franchise's all-time HR leader. 

Perez, 36, hit his record-breaking HR against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park to tie the game in the 7th inning. The Royals went on to win the game 3-2.

This is a big highlight in an otherwise disappointing season for the Royals who are in last place in the AL Central some 11½ games back of the Chicago White Sox. It has also been a down season for Perez who is batting a career low .208 while his 15 HR and 44 RBI are typically below his average production following back-to-back 100 RBI campaigns in 2024 and 2025.

But anytime a Royals player surpasses anything achieved by George Brett it is a big deal. Although Brett retired after the 1993 season, he is still the team's all-time leader in hits (3,154), runs scored (1,583), doubles (665), triples (137), RBI (1,596) walks (1,096) and extra base hits (1,119).

The Venezuelan born Perez has played his entire 15-year MLB career with the Royals and was named team captain prior to the 2023 season. Perez has earned 9 AL All-Star Team selections, 5 Silver Sluggers and 5 Gold Gloves. He is also one of three Royals Presently Perez is signed with the Royals through next season. One can only hope he will remain a Royal. It will improve his already strong chances for baseball immortality at Cooperstown.