The $1.776 Billion "Anti-Weaponization" Fund is Gone But Trump's Protection From The IRS Remains

Amid a deep backlash from Republican Senators, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the $1.776 "anti-weaponization" fund which would have been used to compensate J6ers and those who broke the law the behest of President Trump will not proceed after all.

But one aspect from President Trump's settlement with the IRS and the Treasury Department will remain. Trump, his family and his businesses will also remain exempt from all future IRS audits in perpetuity.

This is every bit as egregious as the slush fund for J6ers. Trump, his family and his businesses are beyond the reach of the IRS. Indeed, when it came right down to it, Trump (through Blanche) sacrificed his supporters for his own interests. Not that the J6ers deserved a penny of it. But this is the best-case outcome for Trump. He will take that deal any day of the week.

The idea of people storming the U.S. Capitol receiving taxpayer money as compensation for their actions is offensive to most people. One would also think that being above the law when it comes to paying one's taxes would also be offensive to most people. But not being subject to an IRS audit doesn't quite paint the vivid image of people assaulting police officers and getting paid for it.

While crime does not pay for most people, it does for President Trump. Not only is he immune from prosecution for unlawful presidential acts, but he is also immune from prosecution for cheating on his taxes. 

Of course, it doesn't hurt when your Acting Attorney General is also your personal attorney.

The Burdens of Claude Lemieux

A couple of days ago, in the wake of NHL legend Claude Lemieux's suicide, I asked what drove him to take his own life scarcely 48 hours after receiving cheers from Montreal Canadiens fans prior to Game 3 of the NHL Eastern Conference Final between the Habs and Carolina Hurricanes:

When I look at the scene in which Lemieux is greeted by thunderous applause, it is only natural to wonder what happened in the final hours of his life. 

Lemieux was found by one of his sons in the warehouse of their family business. Were there financial problems? Had he been recently diagnosed with an incurable illness? Or has Lemieux been battling depression his whole life despite being a four-time Stanley Cup champion and just decided he couldn't take it anymore? If this was the case, was going from thunderous applause to isolation his breaking point? Did he talk to anyone or did he feel too ashamed to do so?

Well, it would appear that Lemieux had been suffering from long-term depression. According to an article from the New York Post, Lemieux had been estranged from his children and was distressed that he had never been selected for the Hockey Hall of Fame. Longtime Montreal hockey columnist Réjean Tremblay also suggested, after speaking with Lemieux's close friends, that the applause he received on Monday night at the Bell Centre might have been too much to bear. "It’s possible that surge of love, that wave of love on Monday evening, triggered an emotion that was too intense,” Tremblay said, “It might have reawakened old pains, old suffering.”

For their part, Lemieux's family has announced that the hockey legend's brain will be donated to Boston University's CTE Center and has given the institution permission to release their findings. If it can be determined that Lemieux had CTE, it could shed some light on his decision to take his own life. 

Whatever their findings, it is clear that Claude Lemieux had burdens with which he could not cope. 

Things That Go Boom in The Middle of the Afternoon

On most Saturday afternoons, I like to be out of the house.

Today, however, was quite windy, rainy and unseasonably cold. So, I stayed indoors.

Then came a boom which shook the windows of my room. 

I must admit I thought the wind had knocked something to the ground somewhere in my general vicinity. 

As it turns out, I was among possibly millions of people who heard the same sound which could be heard as far north as Montreal and as far south as Delaware. 

According to the American Meteor Society, a three-foot-long meteor entered the Earth's atmosphere somewhere along the Massachusetts-New Hampshire border and most likely landed in the Atlantic. There have been no reports of any damage caused. In my neck of the woods, there were branches strewn on the ground, but this was most likely due to the aforementioned heavy winds.

I'm sure someone somewhere will try to make something more out of this than it is.

As Sigmund Freud said, "Sometimes, a cigar is just a cigar."

Canada's Stanley Cup Drought Continues as Hurricanes Eliminate Habs

Bad news for Canadian hockey fans. 

The Stanley Cup drought continues. It has now been 33 years since a Canadian team won the Stanley Cup when the Montreal Canadiens bested the Los Angeles Kings in 1993.

This evening, it was the Canadiens who were decisively eliminated by the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 5 of the NHL Eastern Conference final by a score of 6-1.

For their part, the Hurricanes will try to win their first Stanley Cup in 20 years as they face the Vegas Golden Knights who won the Cup in 2023.

Perhaps it was a lot to ask of the Habs. Aside from Montreal's Game 1 win, the Hurricanes have been unbeaten in the post-season having swept both the Ottawa Senators and the Philadelphia Flyers. 

I suspect the sudden death of one-time Canadiens legend Claude Lemieux took some of the wind out of their sails.

Still, it was a valiant effort on the part of the Canadiens who battled to seven game triumphs over the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Buffalo Sabres. 

Nevertheless, Canadian hockey fans will have to once again wait until next year. 

On Being Back in Boston for 5 Years

 

Today is a special day for me.

It was 5 years ago today that I returned to Boston. 

It was 5 years ago today that I returned home.

A home I never wanted to leave.

I wasn't born or raised here but make no mistake, this is home.

OK, I live across the river in Cambridge and am a stone's throw from Somerville.

But both cities are connected with Boston. In the case of Cambridge, it is separated from Boston by the Charles River as you can see above.

I can tell without equivocation or hesitation that I have had the happiest 5 years of my life. 

First and foremost, life at work is above and beyond my wildest expectations. When I returned to start yet another job as a law firm records clerk, I had no illusions of being promoted much less getting to go on business trips to New York or a conference in West Virginia. Yet these things happened.

Above all else, I am in a job where my word and deeds are respected and valued. I do face stressful situations from time to time, but do not feel overwhelmed when they arise. I feel confident that I can address whatever comes at me and am not afraid to seek advice when necessary. Seldom in life are one's expectations exceeded. With that having happened, I am savoring this satisfaction for as long as I can.

As for my personal life, I am content with it. While it has not exceeded my expectations, I do not feel any despair. My life away from work is more or less my own. I walk, swim, go candlepin bowling, visit Walden Pond, search for an orange cat at Harvard, take in the occasional concert and attend as many old movies at the Brattle & elsewhere as I can.

Most of these activities are done by myself which is fine with me. I enjoy my own company. But it is nice to get together with people from time to time. Typically, I meet people for lunch once a year during the spring and summer months. Tonight, I went to my old stomping grounds in JP to have dinner with my old neighbors Monica and Stef at the Noodle Barn. They were kind enough to put me up for several nights when I returned on this day 5 years ago. Given the occasion, a reunion was in order. 

Meeting new people is a difficult proposition especially as one gets older. The only person I've truly met over the past five years was a fellow named Bill whom I first encountered at a showing of Fanny: The Right to Rock. He was a Fanny fanatic when they were making records. We've had brunch a couple of times and last summer he did persuade me to attend my first Red Sox game at Fenway Park since 2018. 

While it would be nice to meet other people, I must admit I am not always in the mood to talk. This was the case when I went to the Kendall Square Cinema to see the Paul McCartney documentary Man on the Run back in February. Some fellow sat next to me and asked if I bought my ticket at the last minute. The manner in which he posed the question rubbed me the wrong way and I politely indicated I had no desire to engage in conversation as the movie was to begin. My loss? Perhaps. But there are times I do prefer my own company even in a crowd of people.

Naturally, I have had more than my share of annoyances and inconveniences. Most of these are short term and resolvable. Although I did not get to see Emmylou Harris in concert, I did get my money back when I enlisted the help of the Massachusetts Attorney General. I would also get my $100 in lottery winnings after the store from which I bought the ticket wouldn't give me the money.

Alas some annoyances and inconveniences are more serious than others and not to easily resolved. There was my kidney stone ordeal and federal jury snafu. I got through them but not without considerable pain and stress. The memory of these episodes lingers.

Another source of ongoing stress is the authoritarian behavior of the Trump Administration and the increasing public acceptance of anti-Semitism. Both things especially the latter sometimes makes my chest feel heavy and I need to make a point to slow down and regroup. 

What enables me to cope with these things is the fact that I am in and around Boston. The reality is that I would be dealing with these serious problems no matter where I called home. I am simply better able to make the best of the situation within the range of the 617-area code. 

With that, I look forward to what Boston, Cambridge & Somerville and the surrounding area have in store for me in the next 5 years.

Starbuck Blames "The Left" for Swatting of Amy Coney Barrett's Home

 

Last night, Supreme Court justice Amy Coney Barrett's home was the target of a swatting incident.

For those that don't know, "swatting" is when someone makes a fake call to police about an active shooting at a person's residence. Often the target is a public figure. The intent of the caller is to have a SWAT team deployed in the hope of killing their target. 

Fortunately, authorities quickly concluded this was a hoax and no one was injured.

What struck me about this incident were the comments of right-wing activist Robby Starbuck, a one-time music video director. Starbuck stated:

Someone tried to get Amy Coney Barrett, her kids and her husband killed last night. That's what swatting really is: Attempted murder. Cops come in guns blazing expecting a shootout. People who initiate these should go to prison for life. Thankfully, the cops talked with her security first and prevented a potential tragedy. The left has embraced evil.

I agree with Starbuck concerning everything he wrote - except for the last sentence.

Aside from being a blanket statement, Starbuck doesn't know who is responsible for this act nor does anyone else. Starbuck is making a declaration that he cannot back up. After all, there have no charges pressed, let alone been an arrest made.

Now, it is quite possible that the person or persons responsible for this act could have left-wing sympathies. 

Yet it must be remembered that Justice Barrett has become a MAGA target over the past year or so and has earned the ire of President Trump himself.

In April 2025, MAGA derided her as "Amy Commie Barrett" when she dissented on deportations of Venezuelan migrants. Others, such as Laura Loomer, called Barrett "a DEI hire."

Earlier this month, President Trump himself blasted both Justice Barrett and Justice Neil Gorsuch for deeming his tariff scheme unconstitutional and their lack of loyalty to him. Indeed, as Damon Root of Reason pointed out in June 2025, "In short, the MAGA right has turned on Barrett because Barrett is seen as insufficiently loyal to Trump."

In view of these facts, it is not inconceivable that a MAGA fanatic could be so angry at Barrett as to be prepared to set off a chain of events that could possibly get her and her family killed. 

Surely, Starbuck is aware of these facts. If he is one can only conclude that he does not care and will blame "the left" for the sake of blaming "the left."

As of right now, however, we don't know who is responsible for the despicable act. Should the person or persons responsible for this be caught and charged then they ought to be punished to the fullest extent of the law regardless of their political persuasion.

What Drove Claude Lemieux To Take His Own Life?

 

Today came the stunning news of NHL legend Claude Lemieux's sudden death at the age of 60 as a result of an apparent suicide.

Just over 48 hours earlier, Lemieux was in Montreal carrying the pre-game torch to light up the Bell Centre prior to Game 3 of the NHL Eastern Conference Finals between the Montreal Canadiens and Carolina Hurricanes.

When I look at the scene in which Lemieux is greeted by thunderous applause, it is only natural to wonder what happened in the final hours of his life. 

Lemieux was found by one of his sons in the warehouse of their family business. Were there financial problems? Had he been recently diagnosed with an incurable illness? Or has Lemieux been battling depression his whole life despite being a four-time Stanley Cup champion and just decided he couldn't take it anymore? If this was the case, was going from thunderous applause to isolation his breaking point? Did he talk to anyone or did he feel too ashamed to do so?

Of course, such questions could be asked of any of the nearly 50,000 Americans who commit suicide every year or for that matter the approximately 4,500 Canadians who do the same (Lemieux was born and raised in Canada). A majority of these people are not in the public eye and not subject to the same level of scrutiny.

Naturally, we may never know what drove Lemieux to end his life and his family is well within their rights to keep that information private if they so choose. Nevertheless, it won't stop people (including myself) from asking. R.I.P.

E. Jean Carroll is Trump's Latest Target for Retribution as DoJ Launches Criminal Probe Against Her

I suppose that it should come as no surprise that President Trump's DoJ would launch a criminal probe against E. Jean Carroll.

After all, the DoJ has gone after NY Attorney General Letitia James, former FBI Director James Comey not once, but twice not to mention former Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell without success thus far.

Trump wants a scalp and he has 88 million reasons to go after Carroll who won $5 million in damages for sexual abuse and defamation in 2023 and an additional $83 million in 2024 for additional defamation of her by Trump. But none of those 88 million reasons will prove that E. Jean Carroll committed perjury or any other crime.

That Trump is appealing the case isn't enough. He wants retribution against Carroll by launching a criminal investigation against her. 

One can only hope the courts will see through this investigation as they have with James. Comey and Powell and either not proceed with any charges or have the charges dismissed. But it won't stop Trump from trying.

And even if E. Jean Carroll is never charged with a crime Trump will always have some other target for his never-ending campaign of retribution.

Mark Bailey is the 3rd Member of the 1986 Houston Astros to Pass Away This Year

Former MLB catcher Mark Bailey, who played parts of seven seasons with the Houston Astros and the San Francisco Giants, passed away yesterday of cancer. He was 64.

Born and raised in the heart of the Ozarks in Springfield, Missouri, Bailey would play college baseball at Missouri State University. The Astros would select Bailey in the 6th round of the 1982 MLB Draft.

Bailey would reach the majors in 1984 and would supplant Alan Ashby as the Astros' number one catcher. His best season would come in 1985 when he hit .265 with 10 HR and 45 RBI.

Although Bailey would be part of the 1986 NL West champions, he struggled at the plate and lost his starting job back to Ashby and spend time back in the minors.

Early in the 1988 season, the Astros dealt Bailey to the Montreal Expos in exchange for utility player Casey Candaele. However, Bailey would never wear an Expos uniform as he played with their Triple-AAA affiliate in Indianapolis. In 1989, the Expos sent Bailey to the New York Mets, and he would spend the entire season with the Triple-AAA Tidewater Tides.

In 1990, Bailey would join the Giants organization and spend most of the next three seasons with the Triple-AAA Phoenix Firebirds though he did have brief stints in the majors in both 1990 and 1992. After not playing professional ball in 1993, Bailey would play in the independent Texas-Louisiana League in 1994 and 1995.

In parts of 7 MLB seasons, Bailey played in 340 games collecting 209 hits for a lifetime batting average of .220 with 24 HR and 101 RBI. 

In 1998, Bailey would rejoin the Astros as a minor league coach. In 2002, Bailey would return to the big leagues as the Astros bullpen coach, a role he would enjoy for 8 seasons including 2005 when the team won the NL pennant. Bailey would then spend his last decade with the Astros as their minor league catching coordinator before retiring in 2020. 

Sadly, Bailey is the third member of the 1986 Astros to pass away this season after Davey Lopes and Phil Garner (whom he would later serve as bullpen coach) both died days apart last month. R.I.P.

Paxton vs. Talarico or Why I'm Glad I'm Not a Texas Voter

Well, I'm sure glad I'm not a voter in Texas.

Because if I were I don't think I could bring myself to cast a ballot for either candidate in the U.S. Senate race - Republican Ken Paxton (who last night ousted four term incumbent John Cornyn in the GOP primary) vs. Democrat James Talarico.

If were to look up corruption in the dictionary, one could very well find a picture of Paxton. This is man who has, among other things, failed to disclose his investments, indicted on securities fraud charges, engaged in bribery, unlawfully fired whistleblowers and committed mortgage fraud. If you throw in his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, willingness to protect neo-Nazis and serial infidelities, it is no surprise that Paxton is beloved by President Trump and MAGA as he bested Cornyn by more than 27 points.

Yet I am equally troubled by Talarico, a member of the Texas House of Representatives, who defines his progressivism by saying he won't take money from AIPAC and decrying Israel at every opportunity while saying nothing about Hamas. When someone makes a point of publicly singling out Jews for the whole world's bad deeds, I get chills down my spine. I could not in good conscience support Talarico.

If I were living in Texas, I would write in a candidate on my ballot. Of course, I know that Texas voters will choose one candidate or the other come November. Still, it would be a matter of principle.

With that being said, while Democrats are hopeful about Talarico's chances, I cannot see Texans voting for a guy who claimed there are six genders. Yes, Talarico is telling people he has a legislative record while Paxton has a criminal record. Well, Donald Trump has a criminal record, too. And look where he lives today.

Cubs Have Lost 10 in a Row Following Two 10 Game Winning Streaks

The Chicago Cubs have had a wild season and we're not even at the end of May.

Between April 14th and 24th, the Cubs won 10 games in a row.

Following three consecutive losses, the Cubs would win 10 games in a row again between April 28th and May 8th. 

However, in the intervening 18 days since, the Cubs have gone 2-14 including a 10-game losing streak which happened today following a 12-1 shellacking at the hands of the Pittsburgh Pirates. During this losing streak, the Cubs have been outscored 65-25.

In the space of 18 days, the Cubs have gone from leading the NL Central by 3½ games to being back in a tie for last place with the aforementioned Bucs by 4½ games. That's a seven-game swing in 2½ weeks.

Still, despite going from first to being tied for worst in the NL Central, the Cubs still have a winning record of 29-26 and can certainly rebound from this setback.

Well, no one can accuse the 2026 Cubs of being dull.

Bob Horner Was Big League Ready

Former MLB slugger Bob Horner, who played the bulk of his career with the Atlanta Braves, has passed away at the age of 68.

Born in Kansas but raised in Arizona, Horner was born to play baseball and hit homeruns. 

Horner attained stardom at the collegiate level at Arizona State leading the Sun Devils to a College World Series title in 1977 where he would earn MVP honors. 

The following year, Horner was the number one pick in the MLB draft by the Atlanta Braves. 

Ten days later, Horner (without any minor league seasoning) would make his big-league debut.

In his third big league at bat, Horner hit his first career HR off future Hall of Fame pitcher Bert Blyleven.

In only 89 games played in 1978, Horner would smash 23 HR and drive in 63 runs. This was good enough to earn NL Rookie of the Year honors besting future Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith.

In 1979, Horner attained career highs in batting average (.314) and RBI (98) along with 33 HR. While his batting average would slip to .268 in 1980, he did hit a career high 35 HR along with 89 RBI while finishing 9th in NL MVP balloting.

During the strike-shortened 1981 season, Horner would hit his 100th career HR doing so against future Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan. He reached this feat in only his 390th game tying with Philadelphia Phillies Hall of Famer Chuck Klein. At the time, only Pittsburgh Pirates legend Ralph Kiner had done it in fewer games (376 games). This feat has since been eclipsed by Ryan Howard (325 games), Pete Alonso (347 games), Gary Sanchez (355 games), Fernando Tatis, Jr. (362 games), Aaron Judge (371 games), Yordan Alvarez (372 games), Joey Gallo (377 games) and Ronald Acuna, Jr. (385 games). 

In 1982, Horner would earn his only NL All-Star Team selection. One would be forgiven for thinking that Horner would have received more selections. Alas, Horner played third base and as good as Horner was, Mike Schmidt was that much better. Still, Horner's 32 HR and 97 RBI were key in earning the Braves a NL West crown.

A season ending broken right wrist injury would limit Horner to 104 games in 1983, but he did manage to hit .303 with 20 HR and 68 RBI. In 1984, Horner would break his left wrist which limited him to only 32 games.

Fortunately, Horner would rebound in 1985 and 1986 hitting 27 HR in both campaigns. During that 1986 season, Horner would have the most memorable game of his career on July 6th when he belted 4 HR along with 6 RBI in a losing effort against the Montreal Expos. Three of his four HR came off of Expos starter Andy McGaffigan with the fourth off Expos closer Jeff Reardon.

Sadly, Horner would become a victim of collusion as the Braves did not make a serious effort to re-sign him while no other MLB teams made him an offer. Instead, Horner would go to Japan and play the 1987 season with the Yakult Swallows where he hit 31 HR. 

In 1988, Horner would return to MLB when he signed with the St. Louis Cardinals. However, a lingering shoulder injury would limit him to 60 games belting only 3 HR. 

Horner's MLB career would be over at the age of 30. In 1,020 games played over 10 seasons, Horner collected 1,047 hits for a lifetime batting average of .277 with 218 HR and 685 RBI.

Perhaps most astonishingly, Horner never struck out more than 75 times in a season. Quite remarkable given his propensity for homeruns. 

Although Horner would not receive a single vote on the 1994 BBWAA Ballot, he would become an inaugural member of the College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006.

Horner would also get a large measure of justice when he was rewarded over $7 million plus interest in compensation due to collusion by MLB owners.

This has been a tough month to be an Atlanta Braves fan with the successive passings of Ted Turner on May 6th, of Bobby Cox on May 9th, of Buzz Capra on May 11th and now Bob Horner. 

While Bob Horner's big-league career may have been cut short, the fact is he was big-league ready. He was not intimidated by anyone. Consider the Hall of Fame pitchers who surrendered HRs to Horner - Don Sutton (5), Tom Seaver (4), Nolan Ryan (4), Steve Carlton (3), Bert Blyleven (3) not to mention dingers off Jim Kaat, Rollie Fingers, Ferguson Jenkins, Lee Smith and Dennis Eckersley. This accounts for more than 10% of his career HR total.

Horner never led the NL in any offensive category. And yet Horner struck fear in the heart of pitchers. I'm sure the pitchers who had to face Horner have never forgotten. R.I.P.

Imai, Okert & Santa Get 5th Combined No-Hitter in History of Houston Astros

(AP: From left to right - Alimber Sanchez, catcher Christian Vazquez, Tatsuya Imai and Steven Okert)

On Monday night, three Houston Astros pitchers - Tatsuya Imai, Steven Okert and Alimber Santa - combined for a no-hitter against the Texas Rangers prevailing 9-0.

Imai pitched six innings with Okert pitching an inning with Santa pitching the final two innings in his major league debut. 

It marks the first no-hitter in MLB since September 2024 when Chicago Cubs pitchers Shota Imanaga, Nate Pearson and Porter Hodge threw a combined no-hitter against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

It is the 18th no-hitter in Astros history. The last Astros no-hitter took place in April 2024 when Ronel Blanco tossed one against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Of further note, this is the fifth combined no-hitter in Astros history which is by far the most in MLB history. In 2003, six Astros pitchers (Roy Oswalt, Peter Munro, Kirk Saarloos, Brad Lidge, the late Octavio Dotel and Billy Wagner) combined for a no-hitter against the New York Yankees. In 2019, four Astros hurlers (Aaron Sanchez, Will Harris, Joe Biagini and Chris Devenski) combined for a no-hitter against the Seattle Mariners.

Two more combined no-hitters would follow in 2022. In a case of déjà vu all over again, the Astros would use multiple pitchers to no-hit the Yankees. This time they only needed three pitchers (Cristian Javier, Hector Neris and Ryan Pressly) to pull it off. Then Javier and Pressly would be involved in a second combined no-hitter along with Bryan Abreu and Rafael Montero. Only this time it was in Game 4 of the World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies. It should also be noted that Christian Vazquez who caught tonight's combined no-hitter also caught the combined World Series no-hitter.

Although the Astros have a subpar 24-31 record thus far in 2026, the no-no gives them four straight wins and victories in 7 of their last 10 games. Despite their record, the Astros are only 3½ games back of the Athletics who are leading the AL West with a .500 record. Perhaps this combined no-hitter will further their momentum in the AL West.

Danielle Smith's Disingenuous Alberta Independence Referendum Question

 

Last Thursday, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced  the province would vote on if they wanted to have a referendum on whether to remain in Canada or become independent.

The vote is set for October 19th.

The problem, of course, is the deliberate ambiguity of the question:

Should Alberta remain a province of Canada or should the Government of Alberta commence the legal process required under the Canadian Constitution to hold a binding provincial referendum on whether or not Alberta should separate from Canada?

Now let's compare that question to one of the other questions on the referendum ballot:

Do you support the Government of Alberta working with the governments of other willing provinces to amend the Canadian Constitution to have provincial governments, and not the federal government, select the justices appointed to provincial King's Bench and Appeal courts?

The latter question is a singular question which will elicit a yes or no response. On this question, Albertans will either say want the Canadian Constitution amended to allow the provinces to select justices to the provincial courts or they will say no.

As to the question of independence, however, there are two questions being asked. The first question asks if Alberta should remain a province of Canada while the second asks if Alberta should hold a province wide referendum regarding separation. But Albertans are being asked to give a single yes or no answer to two separate and distinct questions.

If Smith was being honest, then she would have cut the portion which reads "Should Alberta remain a province of Canada". But this is Danielle Smith we are talking about. The last thing she wants is a clear question. 

For his part, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney called it "a very dangerous bluff" likening the situation to Brexit. Of course, Carney has a first-hand account of Brexit as he was Governor of the Bank of England at the time of the vote.

As I pointed out over a year ago after Carney became Prime Minister, Smith is claiming to be pro-Canada, yet she is the one raising the notion of an independent Alberta while leading the charge to allow the conditions for independence to come to pass. Smith is playing a dangerous game and could utterly care less. Indeed, a provincial court deemed Smith's referendum plans null and void as they failed to consult First Nations as it would violate their Treaty rights. Clearly, this ruling means nothing to her.

What could further complicate matters is the Quebec election which due to take place two weeks before the Alberta referendum. Currently, the sovereigntist Parti Quebecois is running neck and neck with the Liberals with the governing Coalition Avenir Quebec running a distant third. Should the PQ be elected then we could see the specter of another Quebec referendum which might also encourage a similar vote in Alberta and possibly other provinces such as Saskatchewan. This could prove to be Carney's bête noire. 

At a time when Canada needs to stand strong against Trump's tariffs and his desire for a 51st state, the last thing Canada needs is a bunch of provincial independence referendums. These separatist movements play right into Trump's hands while weakening Canada in the process. Nothing good can come of it for Canadians.

The Bad News Tenenbaums

For the third time in the past four days, I found myself at the Brattle Theatre.

On Friday night, I was there to see a 50th anniversary screening of Taxi Driver. 

On Saturday, I saw in succession Kings of the Road, Ghost World and Massacre at Central High. 

After taking yesterday off to do some candlepin bowling in East Boston, I returned this afternoon for a double feature of The Bad News Bears and The Royal Tenenbaums. In 2026, these films are commemorating their 50th and 25th anniversaries, respectively.

On the surface, the two films don't have a great deal in common. But I do think a thread can be found between Walter Matthau's Morris Buttermaker and Gene Hackman's Royal Tenenbaum. Both men are manipulative louses who are on spectrum between a son of a bitch and an asshole. And yet within this spectrum both Buttermaker and Tenenbaum are devilishly charming and you cannot help but liking and wanting to give them yet another chance because most of the people around them aren't that much better. Of course, much of this is a testament to the acting ability of both Matthau and Hackman. 

As with Taxi Driver, I have seen both of these films on TV but never on the big screen until today.

The Bad News Bears (1976)

It is astonishing to consider that most of the child actors in this film - Tatum O'Neal, Jackie Earle Haley, Brandon Cruz, Alfred Lutter and Chris Barnes are in their early 60s and will be eligible for Social Security and Medicare in the not-too-distant future.

But on celluloid they are forever young but not so innocent. Kelly Leak (Haley) rides a motorcycle and is an aspiring loan shark, Amanda Whurlitzer (O'Neal) sees through Buttermaker's bullshit in his ultimately successful effort to recruit her as a pitcher, Tanner Boyle (Barnes) is ready to fight anyone at any time despite his diminutive stature. The sight of Buttermaker plying his young charges with beer is enough to say, "Only in the 70's."

Alas nearly all the adults in the film - Matthau, Vic Morrow and Ben Piazza are long since dead with Joyce Van Patten keeping on keeping on at the age of 92. 

Somehow, I didn't know that Michael Ritchie directed this film. Ritchie directed two of Robert Redford's films - Downhill Racer and The Candidate, the latter of which is among my favorite films I've ever seen. While Downhill Racer and The Bad News Bears are very different films, Ritchie was drawn to sports as he would later direct films such as Semi-Tough, Wildcats, Diggstown, and The Scout though none would be as successful as The Bad News Bears. 

The Bad News Bears endures because the underdog finds their fighting chance. They don't win the brass ring, yet they stand tall at the end of the day much like Rocky which was released the same year. Of course, like Rocky, several sequels would follow along with a remake nearly three decades later but never captured the magic of the original. The only thing I particularly liked about The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training were cameos by several members of the Houston Astros including Bob Watson who started the chant, "Let them play!!!"

Tatum O'Neal probably summed up The Bad News Bears best when she told Bob Costas in 2013, "It's so funny. It's so sweet. It's sweet and, yet, it's completely wrong. It's just so wrong on so many levels."

The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

The Royal Tenenbaums features a remarkable all-star cast. Outside of Gene Hackman, there was Anjelica Huston, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Stiller, Luke Wilson, Owen Wilson, Danny Glover, Bill Murray and Kumar Pallana along with narration by Alec Baldwin while being directed by Wes Anderson. It is astonishing to consider the only Oscar nomination the film received was for Best Original Screenplay which was co-written by Anderson and Owen Wilson. Julian Fellowes of Downton Abbey fame would win the statue for Gosford Park directed by Robert Altman. 

The films nominated for Best Picture that year were A Beautiful Mind (winner), Gosford Park, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Moulin Rouge! and In the Bedroom. Aside from Lord of the Rings, I don't think of any of the other films nominated has remained within the public consciousness the way The Royal Tenenbaums has over the past quarter century. 

The Royal Tenenbaums has endured due to the quality of the cast, Anderson's distinct directorial style and a soundtrack of '60s/70s music from the likes of The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Nick Drake, Emitt Rhodes and Nico along with incidental music from Mark Mothersbaugh of Devo fame. 

Yet the foundation of the film begins and ends with Gene Hackman. His portrayal of Royal Tenenbaum is among the greatest performances of his long and storied career. But things are often seldom what they seem. After Hackman's death, Anderson painted a less than idyllic picture of Hackman. Sadly, as it turns out, Hackman did not like the role, the film and especially the lack of money he was receiving for it and things did not end on good terms with Anderson. 

It can be said that sometimes when one is too close to a particular project or endeavor, it is sometimes difficult to appreciate it merits without the benefit of some distance. All the same, it is unfortunate there would be no rapprochement between Wes Anderson and Gene Hackman. Notwithstanding those strains, The Royal Tenenbaums has to be considered among the greatest films of this still young century.

Kilmar Abrego Garcia is Free - For Now

On Friday, a federal judge dismissed criminal charges against Kilmar Abrego Garcia on the basis that his prosecution was "vindictive".

Consider what I wrote in June 2025 concerning the now dismissed charges:

After insisting he had no authority to send Kilmar Abrego Garcia back to the United States, El Salvadoran President Nayid Bukele did exactly that at the behest of Attorney General Pam Bondi.

Abrego Garcia suddenly stands accused of smuggling thousands of migrants into the United States over a period of nearly a decade. 

Funny, if Abrego Garcia had actually done such a thing that he would have been charged with such offenses instead of being deported. 

The charges appear to be, for lack of a better term, "Trumped" up.

After all, if the Trump Admin could prove Abrego Garcia was a human smuggler then why try to deport him to Uganda? As I argued back in August 2025, such an effort indicated they didn't have a case against Abrego Garcia.

And now a federal judge agrees.

Of course, DoJ will appeal the ruling and could potentially get the charges reinstated.  

Let us also consider the vindictive nature of the Trump Administration. There is a good chance that the Trump Administration might try some other shenanigans against Abrego Garcia up to and including murder.

Complicating matters is Costa Rica's offer to take in Abrego Garcia and give him legal status. So long as the Trump Administration remains in power, they will pursue Abrego Garcia. At this point, going to Costa Rica might be the best option to end this ordeal. However, a monkey wrench could be thrown into those plans should an appeals court give the DoJ leave to reinstate the charges. 

When a government operates out of vindictiveness then it is not operating in good faith. Thus far, the judicial branch has been able to keep the Trump Administration in check where it concerns at Abrego Garcia. But perhaps the DoJ's appeal could come before a judge who wants to the Trump Administration's bidding instead of keeping it in check.

Kilmar Abrego Garcia and his family face a difficult decision. Either try to resume their lives in this country knowing full well that this ordeal can start all over again or start all over again in Costa Rica. 

But for the moment Kilmar Abrego Garcia is free and that counts for something.

A Thought for Kyle Busch

I have some thoughts I'd like to share about the sudden passing of NASCAR driver Kyle Busch.

While I do not follow NASCAR or motorsports in general, I was certainly aware of Kyle Busch's success and his reputation as NASCAR's bad boy. 

Less than two weeks before his death, Busch was actively racing having finished 8th at Watkins Glen, winning the Craftsman Truck Series and competed in the NASCAR All-Star Race in Dover. The Dover race took place four days before Busch's death. 

During the Watkins Glen race, Busch was experiencing a sinus cold and his symptoms got worse in the days which followed until he became non-responsive and coughing up blood on Thursday while in a racing simulator preparing for the Coca Cola 600 which took place today in Charlotte.

Busch's death was caused by pneumonia complicated by sepsis. This means his immune system was attacking his healthy organs causing multiple organ failure. Sepsis can complicate any number of conditions including kidney stones. Given my own history of kidney stones, I know this is something of which I am at risk should it ever occur again.

Of course, the key is seeking medical attention as soon as possible. Yet there is a natural tendency to resist doing so. One does not want to disrupt our routine or not fulfill our obligations. There is a tendency among healthy people to think they are healthy. There is also the fear that you will seek treatment, and the doctors and nurses will tell you that nothing is wrong. But, at some point, your body will tell you that you're not going anywhere. Unfortunately, by the time that message is delivered, it might be too late.

Kyle Busch was only 41. While he had a 25-year racing career, he still had most of his whole life ahead of him. Instead, he leaves behind a wife and two children aged 11 and 4, respectively. 

Given the rigorous schedule and harsh conditions which drivers endure, one can only hope that NASCAR will implement a regime of regular wellness checkups to prevent what happened to Kyle Busch from happening to anyone else. R.I.P.

Charlie Moore Was a Stalwart For The Milwaukee Brewers

Former MLB catcher & outfielder Charlie Moore, who played 14 of his 15 big-league seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers, has passed away. The announcement was made by the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame which inducted him last year. Moore was 72.

Moore was a fifth-round draft pick by the Brewers in 1971 out of high school. His MLB debut came as a September call up in 1973. From 1974 through 1976, Moore was the team's backup catcher to Darrell Porter. In 1977, Moore would get the opportunity to be the number one catcher after the Brewers traded Porter to the Kansas City Royals. This would be Moore's job for most of the next five seasons (save for some time in 1978 when he platooned with Buck Martinez). 

Although Moore was not a power hitter, he had a decent bat hitting a career high .300 in 1979. On October 1, 1980, Moore had the greatest game of his career when he became the only player in MLB history to hit for the cycle and steal two bases. 

Prior to the 1981 season, the Brewers acquired future Hall of Fame catcher Ted Simmons from the St. Louis Cardinals. Moore graciously accepted a move to right field:

I had always done what the organization told me to do. Whatever I can do to help the team win, that’s what I try to do, in whatever role they want me to play.

The Brewers would make the post-season for the first time in 1981 and then win the AL pennant in 1982. Moore hit .354 (17 for 48) across two post-seasons with 3 RBI. Yet Moore's most memorable post-season moment came with the glove, or more precisely, his throwing arm. During the deciding Game 5 of the 1982 ALCS against the California Angels, Moore threw out future Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson at third base. Mr. October should have thought twice about running on Moore who had 13 outfield assists in the regular season.

Although the Brewers could not replicate their winning form in 1983, Moore had a career high 150 hits and 49 RBI. In 1985, Moore was again the team's number one catcher although by 1986 he would be platooning with veteran catcher Rick Cerone.

Moore would finish his big-league career with the Toronto Blue Jays in 1987 as a backup to Ernie Whitt. In 15 MLB seasons, Moore played in 1334 games collecting 1052 hits for a lifetime batting average of .261 with 36 HR and 408 RBI. He also had 51 career stolen bases which is pretty decent for a player who sent most of his career crouched down behind the plate,

Yet what is most impressive are his contributions to the Brewers. His 1283 games played in Milwaukee is sixth on the team's all-time list while his 1029 hits is 11th in team history with Christian Yelich only having passed him into the Top 10 late last season. Moore has a place on the team's Wall of Honor at Miller Park.

Charlie Moore will be remembered as a stalwart of the Milwaukee Brewers of the 1970s and 1980s. R.I.P.

Conservatives Should Stop Pretending That Trump Had Nothing To Do With Colbert's Cancellation

 

Over the past several days, conservative writers such as Jeffrey M. McCall, Tom Purcell of Townhall.com, and NRO's Armond White have celebrated the end of Late Night with Stephen Colbert. 

The common denominator between these pieces is twofold.

First, that Colbert was cancelled strictly for financial reasons due to the high cost of producing his show.

Second, that Colbert's overtly political brand of comedy alienated half of America's viewers.

Nonsense.

For starters, Colbert had been the number one rated late night talk show for nine consecutive years. 

Let us also remember that FOX News has a late-night show in the form of Greg Gutfeld who has an equally political brand of comedy. Yet somehow McCall, Purcell and White make no mention of him. Would that be because they agree with Gutfeld's politics and object to Colbert because he hold views contrary to their own?

Now I understand that Colbert's political humor isn't for everyone. Indeed, I pointed that out myself when I wrote a piece for NRO back in 2017 concerning the 25th anniversary of Johnny Carson's retirement from The Tonight Show. 

Yet whether you agree or disagree with his brand of humor, Stephen Colbert no longer has a late-night talk show on CBS for one reason.

President Trump.

When the cancellation was announced in July 2025, I wrote:

The network cited an unspecified "financial decision" as the reason for its cancellation as it evidently will withdraw from late night TV altogether.

I would hazard a guess that its "financial decision" is to appease President Trump so the administration will approve Paramount's merger with Skydance. Earlier this week, Colbert was publicly critical of CBS' parent company Paramount for settling Trump's frivolous lawsuit against 60 Minutes and the network at the beginning of the month. That will not help Paramount's standing with Trump.

There is really no other reason for CBS to pull the plug on Colbert. It is a ratings juggernaut. But the merger is a higher priority. Giving $16 million to the Trump Presidential Library (an oxymoron if there ever was one) is but a drop in the bucket. Trump is going to want a lot more. He wants a scalp and Stephen Colbert's will do just nicely given he is a persistent thorn in the President's side. 

Indeed, Trump not only celebrated Colbert's network TV demise but hoped for his other late-night colleagues to be removed from the airwaves. 

Trump made similar remarks when CBS announced Colbert's cancellation last summer:

Let me put it another way. Does anyone honestly believe that CBS would have cancelled Colbert had we elected Kamala Harris?

With that, I will cede that one of my takes in that post did not age so well:

What CBS will do after the late local news is anyone's guess although I would not be shocked if someone in the MAGAverse like Charlie Kirk got a time slot. 

Less than 2 months later, Kirk would be felled by an assassin's bullet.

In any event, Colbert's slot has been taken over by Byron Allen, a veteran comedian and successful media mogul. I'm old enough to remember Allen from his days on Real People. For his part, Allen has said there is enough political humor on late-night TV. I have no objection to this statement. Political humor has never been part of Allen's schtick. So, why start now? Yet it would not surprise if CBS either lured Gutfeld or eventually replaced Allen with a MAGA friendly host. After all, they've done it at their anchor desk.

Of course, Colbert will be just fine. He will be co-writing the next Lord of the Rings film with his son, Peter McGee.

But conservatives ought to stop pretending that President Trump had nothing to with Stephen Colbert's removal from CBS' late-night lineup. To do otherwise is simply dishonest and disingenuous. 

An Afternoon & Evening at The Brattle: Kings of the Road, Ghost World & Massacre at Central High

 

With Memorial Day weekend being unseasonably cool, I spent most of Saturday at The Brattle Theatre picking where I left off last night following the 50th anniversary screening of Taxi Driver. 

Today, I saw three films which had very little in common with each other - Kings of the Road, Ghost World and Massacre at Central High. The only thing which connected them is these films are commemorating anniversaries. Both Kings of the Road and Massacre at Central High are commemorating their 50th anniversaries this year while Ghost World commemorates its 25th anniversary.

Kings of the Road (1976)

Of the three films, I was most interested in seeing Kings of the Road for the simple reason that it is directed by Wim Wenders. Of course, Wenders directed Paris, Texas which is among my favorite films of all-time. I have also viewed Wings of Desire.

Kings of the Road has elements of both Paris, Texas and Wings of Desire. Like the latter, Kings of the Road is filmed in black and white. Like the former, Kings of the Road shows both the beauty and bleakness of the outdoor landscape in both rural and urban settings. I can also see why Wenders recruited Ry Cooder because much of the background music is played on acoustic slide guitar. 

The two main characters portrayed by German actors Rüdiger Vogler and Hanns Zischler spend extended amounts of time not engaging in dialogue when they are together. Vogler plays a traveling film projectionist who aids Zischler who drives his car into the river. Both men are individualists who keep drifting apart yet their wills bring themselves back to the other until it is time for them to permanently go their separate ways.

Two things about Kings of the Road will stay with me. The first was the lack of adult women in the film. In just under 3 hours, there were only 2 adult women in the entire film. The first woman isn't introduced until halfway through the film and was played by Lisa Kreuzer (who was married to Wenders at the time). Kreuzer plays a potential love interest for the traveling film projectionist as she turns out to be a ticket taker in an adult movie theatre. 

The second thing which will forever stay with me was seeing the act of defecation on film. That I cannot unsee. 

Ghost World (2001)

I can be grateful that no one involved in the making of Ghost World defecated on film.

My curiosity regarding this film was that it included the likes of Steve Buscemi, Bob Babalan, Ileana Douglas, an uncredited Terri Garr and a young Scarlett Johannson - two years before her breakthrough role in Lost in Translation. Johannson was the co-lead in the film with Thora Birch portraying two high school graduates trying to figure out what to do with their lives. The two have been inseparable since childhood but a rift develops when Johannson's character focuses on employment while Birch's character slowly becomes obsessed with an older, socially awkward record collector played by Buscemi. 

As time goes on, Birch's character proceeds, often unintentionally, to make the lives of everyone around worse. In the end, she acquires enough self-awareness to conclude that it is best for all parties concerned that she leaves town and start over.

Both Birch and Johannson give good performances. It is astounding to me that Birch, while a steadily working actress, has not enjoyed the same level of stardom as Johannson. Unfortunately, film is a visual medium, and Johannson is more conventionally attractive than Birch. It isn't to say that Birch isn't attractive but not in the way casting directors view beauty. Which is a shame. But such is life.

Massacre at Central High (1976)

What drew me to this film was the presence of Andrew Stevens (the son of actress Stella Stevens) who was in arguably the worst episode of Columbo to ever air. Other familiar names include Robert Carradine who sadly took his own life back in February and Lani O'Grady, who would later join the cast of the hit ABC sitcom Eight is Enough. On yet another sad note, O'Grady would die of a drug overdose in 2001 at the age of 46.

However, the lead here was a fellow named Derrel Maury whose face I recognized but could not remember where I saw him. Well, now I know I saw him on some episodes of Happy Days and the short-lived Joanie Loves Chachi where he was part of the main cast.

In any case, Maury plays a new student at Central High named David who is a friend of Mark (played by Stevens). Much to David's chagrin, Mark has fallen into with three student bullies who run the school. Eventually, David takes out the bullies when they attempt to rape two female students played by O'Grady and Cheryl Smith. Alas, the bullies get their revenge by slamming a car he is fixing on his leg forcing its amputation.

Following David's recovery, he swiftly kills the three bullies in brutal fashion which gives the bullied students a new lease on life. However, that lease would be a short-term one when the bullied students turn out to be every bit as cruel as the bullies they once despised. So, Robert sets about killing them one-by-one. 

I must say this made for an unconventional plot device. The problem was with its execution as much of the acting was over the top. Meanwhile, the killings, while gruesome, were greeted with derisive laughter. What was also glaringly absent was the lack of both parents and teachers. It was as if the students, or at least the bullies, ran the high school themselves. 

Then there was also the gratuitous nudity. OK, that wasn't so bad.

Nor was the film nearly as horrible as Bad Girls Go to Hell or Marty Supreme.

Even if some aspect films of the film were shitty, there was no on-screen defecation. 

When it comes to Memorial Day weekend, I don't want to be couped up at home. And if the weather isn't conducive to being outdoors for an extended period of time, then 7½ hours at the Brattle isn't a bad way to spend a Saturday on a holiday weekend.