Dana Nessel, Michigan's Democratic Attorney General, Doesn't Feel Safe Among Fellow Democrats Due to Anti-Semitism

During a roundtable discussion yesterday with Jewish leaders and community members Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel disclosed she will not attend next month's state Democratic Party Convention on account of fearing for her safety due to anti-Semitism within the party:

I feel like my presence isn’t going to be welcome. I don’t want to get chased around. I don’t want to get harassed. I don’t want to get yelled and screamed at. I don’t want to get booed off the stage, irrespective of what I’m saying. And I believe that if I go, that is what will happen because it’s been happening to me.

I will speak as a member of the Democratic Party here in Michigan, that some things have changed. This cannot continue, and the fact of the matter is, we have to be able to be a society where we can have intelligent discourse and debate about ideas without people being threatened, and certainly without people carrying out those threats.

This statement is remarkable for several reasons.

For starters, Nessel has served two terms as Michigan's top-ranking law enforcement official. When a state Attorney General says it is unsafe for her to be somewhere on the basis of her religious faith then something has gone terribly, terribly wrong.

It is also worth noting that Nessel is openly gay. That she faces more danger as a Jew than as someone who identifies as a member of the LGBTQ community tells you how serious anti-Semitism has become in Michigan and across the country particularly in supposedly liberal enclaves of tolerance. 

While I understand Nessel's desire to be free from harassment and hatred, this also emboldens anti-Semitism within the Democratic Party. If they can intimidate the sitting Attorney General from attending her own party's convention, then it is only a matter of time before they go after the Governor be it Gretchen Whitmer (for endorsing Haley Stevens over Abdul El-Sayed in the Michigan Democratic Senate primary) or her possible successor Jocelyn Benson, Michigan's current Secretary of State.

At some point, some Democrat is going to have to go to a party convention and will have to stand up to their delegates and tell them to stop their nonsense and to stop helping Trump and MAGA. The first person who comes to mind is Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman, but he is on the verge of switching parties due to its anti-Israel posturing and acceptance of anti-Semitism. Perhaps NY Congressman Ritchie Torres. Perhaps he could challenge Mamdani come 2029 but he would likely need to do so as an independent. 

Nevertheless, if it is too dangerous for Jews to participate in Democratic Party politics how long will it be before it is too dangerous for Jews to participate in American civil society altogether?

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.

Thoughts on the Islamist Terror Attack at Berlin Pride

(YouTube screenshot from Global News Canada)

Yesterday a ramming attack took place at Berlin Pride which claimed the life of a woman while injuring 29 other people.

Today, German authorities shot and killed man who responsible for the attack. He has been identified as Abdul Ballout. He was born and raised in Germany and is of Lebanese descent. Ballout has been on the radar of authorities for Islamic extremist activities.

I have several thoughts on the attack.

For starters, this is at the least the ninth ramming attack in Germany over the past decade. Not all of the occurrences in question were Islamist in nature. Whatever the motivations, these attacks keep happening and German authorities seem unable to find a way to stop them. 

Second, I saw a New York Post video concerning the attack and the comments are distressing. Their audience doesn't care much for Muslims but likes LGBTQ people even less. One of the most grotesque comments I read stated, "Not all heroes wear a cape. Hope the car didn’t get AIDS." This is MAGA nihilism on full display.

Nevertheless, it is true there has been a surge in anti-Semitism in the German LGBTQ community since October 7th. In the days prior to the attack, the local government in Berlin issued a report indicating the Pride events were filled out with anti-Semitic rhetoric up to and including the justification of violence against Jews. In the hours before the attack, one of the Berlin Pride participants accuses Israel of being the aggressor in the Middle East.

It remains to be seen, however, if Germany's LGBTQ community will have been mugged by reality and realize Israel is not the enemy or if they will pretend this event didn't happen. To do the latter would dishonor those who were killed and injured in the name of Islamic extremism.

The Film Adaptation of "Reading Lolita in Tehran" is a Stark Reminder of Iran's Repressive Regime

This evening I went to the Somerville Theatre to attend a screening of Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir of Books.

I was among the very few patrons who chose to see this film as there was a long lineup outside the theatre to see The Odyssey which would be held in the main theatre which holds approximately 900 people. I'm glad that I arrived at the theatre before they seated the audience for The Odyssey because getting to the bathroom and to the concession stand before the start of the movie might have been an odyssey unto itself.

Reading Lolita in Tehran was screened in Theatre 2 which is situated in the basement and holds just over 60 people. I was one of six people in attendance for this screening.

The film, which was originally released in 2024 but only now released in this country, is an adaptation of Iranian born writer and academic Azar Nafisi's book of the same name which was released in 2003. I recall reading the book the year after its initial release. Of course, two decades have passed since reading the book and specific details have receded into the recesses of my mind.

I had given some contemplation to re-reading the book before viewing the film. However, this would have meant either having to buy the book or borrow it from a library. When I moved to New York in 2018, I surrendered my books and nearly all of my possessions. With all the other things on my plate, I opted not to re-read the book. In retrospect I probably should have done so because I think it would have probably helped me appreciate the film in a broader context.

With that being said, I did not need to re-read the book to remember its premise. Nafisi returned to Iran with her husband shortly after the 1979 Revolution to accept a teaching position teaching English literature. Needless to say, teaching Western literature was frowned upon by certain elements within the university including some of her students particularly her male students who believed books like The Great Gatsby were decadent

Of course, there was also the matter of the Iranian regime mandating women wear the hijab which Nafisi strongly resisted. How she managed not to end up in Evin Prison like her students is no small miracle.

During the mid-1990s, Nafisi hosted several of her former female students at her home on Thursday morning where they would discuss books like Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita and Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. It was in Nafisi's apartments where these women could literally let their hair down and speak their minds - something they could not risk doing in the presence of their husbands, fathers, brothers or even sons. These sessions would ultimately have the effect of spurring Nafisi to leave Iran and return to the United States with her family.

Directed by Israeli filmmaker Eran Riklis, Reading Lolita in Tehran stars Iranian born actress Golshifteh Farahani as Nafisi. Farahani does bear a slight resemblance to Nafisi when she was younger and certainly shares her defiant spirit as a critic of the Iranian regime forced to live in exile in France.

The release of Reading Lolita in Tehran in this country is a reminder of the inherently brutal nature of Iran's repressive regime when it comes to freedom of assembly, freedom of speech and particularly the rights of women by the regime's morality police. Several of Nafisi's female students were punished by the morality police for alleged illicit behavior with one student being executed in Evin prison. 

It is well worth remembering the protests sparked in Iran after Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman, was killed while in custody of the morality police with some women burning their hijabs. Indeed, women were at the forefront of Iranian protests which took place in late 2025 and early 2026 before they were brutally put down by the regime.

Unfortunately, while Reading Lolita in Tehran is a reminder of repression in the Islamic Republic of Iran, there were only six people in the theatre tonight and I suspect most of the people already held the regime in contempt. Alas, it is far more fashionable to accuse Israel of genocide and to physically accost Zionists.

It must also be said that Iran's brutality has also been overshadowed by President Trump's incoherence and malevolence in prosecuting the War in Iran. Trump went from exhorting the Iranian people to take back their government to saying he never cared about regime change in Iran. Because of Trump's mendacious nature, the behavior of the Iranian regime is ignored and even excused. This cannot stand. 

Reading Lolita in Tehran is both an important book and an important film. Unfortunately, the growing segment of the American public neither enamored with President Trump and Israel will not likely receive Azar Nafisi's message with an open mind.

Marlins Flounder With 10th Straight Loss

The Miami Marlins have lost 10 games in a row falling 4-2 to the San Diego Padres this evening.

Just 15 days ago, the Marlins were 52-42 and tied with the Philadelphia Phillies for second place in the NL East only 3 games back of the Atlanta Braves. They were on a 6-game winning streak, had won 8 of their last 10 games and were 26-8 since June 1st. For good measure, the Marlins had hooked of the NL Wild Card spots.

Since then, the Marlins have been swept by the Cleveland Guardians, Milwaukee Brewers and the Houston Astros before tonight's loss to the Padres. In 15 days, the Marlins have gone from 3 games back of the Braves to 9½ games back in the loss column. 

The Marlins are now at the .500 mark tied with the Washington Nationals and are at a crossroads. 

What is interesting is that last season the Marlins swam their way to the .500 mark in early August after a sweep of the New York Yankees with a plausible chance at the NL Wild Card. The Marlins would then lose 10 of 13 games before I saw them have a comeback win against the Boston Red Sox at my first game at Fenway Park in 7 seasons. In 2025, the Marlins would finish strong winning 9 of their last 12 games and finishing just under .500 at 79-83 with first year manager Clayton McCullough, a 17-game improvement over 2024.

As for this current losing streak, the Marlins offense has dried up with Xavier Edwards, Otto Lopez and Liam Hicks mired in slumps. In 7 of their 10 losses, the Marlins scored 3 runs or less.

The question now is whether the Marlins will sink or swim.

Tom Homan's Inhumanity

(YouTube screenshot of Tom Homan speaking to reporters outside the White House on July 20, 2026)

White House border czar Tom Homan is a man without humanity.

Following the ICE involved shooting deaths of Lorenzo Salgado Arajuo in Houston and Johan Sebastián in Biddeford, Maine earlier this month, Homan told Margaret Brennan on CBS' Face the Nation, “They would be alive today if they simply complied with a vehicle stop by federal law enforcement. Just comply.” 

Yet neither man was ICE's intended target. So why did they have to comply? What did they do wrong? Was it because they were driving while brown? As Renee Graham of The Boston Globe put it, "It’s hard to comply when officers barely hesitate before they fire bullets into someone through that person’s windshield."

Mind you, Homan then claimed that ICE had made no mistakes in Minnesota. The families of Renee Good and Alex Pretti might like a word or two.

Homan's claim is dubious when you consider that if not for the deaths of two American citizens, President Trump would not have had him replace Gregory Bovino. It is clear there is little difference between Homan and Bovino. As I have previously argued, it doesn't matter who is running ICE. It only matters who is sitting in the Oval Office. 

After all, when Homan declared that ICE vehicle stops would be temporarily put on hold following Sebastián's death, Trump immediately overruled him. 

President Trump wants a police state which can arbitrarily kill people, be they citizens or non-citizens, and wants people who will implement his authoritarian regime without regard for human life. This is the kind of inhumanity which allows Tom Homan to blame ICE's victims for their own deaths. 

Mamdani Caused The Hate He Says There is No Place For in NYC Following Anti-Semitic Stabbings

This afternoon two men were stabbed on NYC's Upper West Side by a man chanting "Allahu Akbar". One of the men was wearing a yarmulke and was attacked as he left a synagogue on Amsterdam and West 86th Street. Fortunately, both men are expected to survive their injuries.

Hours later, NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani issued a boilerplate statement declaring, “These hateful and despicable attacks have no place in our city.”

Yet it is Mamdani who is causing the very hate he says there is no place for in New York. After all, scarcely 48 hours ago, it was Mamdani using taxpayer money to willfully promote hatred against Jews by demanding the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when he visits NYC for the UN General Assembly in September amid dubious claims of genocide.

While Mamdani is clear in stating that Netanyahu is not welcome in NYC, he is more than happy to welcome Chinese Premier Xi and the Myanmar military junta. Mind you, both regimes are committing genocide against their Muslim populations. But it would seem that Mamdani cares very little about fellow Muslims unless he can blame Jews for their suffering. 

Make no mistake. This is not only about singling out Israel, but also about singling out Jews and today's attack is a consequence of Mamdani's message. Indeed, if Mamdani spent his time addressing issues in Harlem instead of being a mouthpiece for Hamas then I submit this attack does not happen today.

Mark my words. Things are going to get worse. A lot worse. I firmly believe there will be an October 7th style attack against Jews in NYC. I sincerely hope I am wrong, but I doubt I will be so long as Mamdani is in office.

Red Sox Snap Win Streak at 15 Games Tying Club Record Set in 1946

Well, all things must come to an end.

The Boston Red Sox snapped a 15-game winning streak during the second game of a doubleheader against the Baltimore Orioles falling 5-1.

But the Red Sox have nothing to be ashamed of because their 15-game winning streak tied a club record originally set in 1946 when they won their first AL pennant in 28 years. 

Of course, there are some differences between the 1946 Red Sox and the 2026 Red Sox.

When the 1946 Red Sox had their 15-game winning streak it was near the beginning of the season. During the streak which lasted between April 25th and May 10th, the Red Sox improved to 21-3 giving them a 5½ game lead over the New York Yankees in the American League. Boston would win 104 games and finish 12 games ahead of the 1945 World Series champion Detroit Tigers and 17 games ahead of the Bronx Bombers. The Red Sox would fall short against the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series losing in 7 games due to Enos Slaughter's mad dash home.

The 2026 Red Sox had to scrap just to get to this point and have a lot more scrapping to do. Exactly four weeks ago, the Red Sox had the worst record in the American League. In four weeks, the Red Sox have gone 20-3 and are now have possession of the third AL Wild Card berth. 

Nevertheless, their record stands at 52-49. They could regress and lose 7 of their next 10 games and end up sellers at the trade deadline. On the other hand, the Red Sox will be facing struggling clubs in the Toronto Blue Jays and Athletics before having to face back-to-back World Series champion Dodgers. In which case, Boston could win 7 of its next 10 games and be more firmly ensconced into the AL Wild Card berth and even move up in the AL East standings and knock on both the Yankees and Rays' doors. 

Let me put it another way. Back in 1946 there were no playoffs. Just the regular season and the World Series and a 52-49 record was unlikely to lead to a pennant. We live in far different times where it concerns baseball and a lot for worse. 

But as far as the Red Sox go, things are looking better in these times. What a difference four weeks makes.

The Media & Voters Should Give El-Sayed More "Non-Consensual Colonoscopies" (re: Ask Tough Questions)

Over the weekend, Michigan Democratic Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed got into a kerfuffle with ABC News' Jake Tapper after Tapper noted that El-Sayed had told his supporters that many people in Dearborn were saddened by the death of the Ayatollah Khamenei.

To be precise, back in March, El-Sayed wanted to avoid making any public comment about Khamenei's death noting "there are a lot of people in Dearborn who are sad" about the Ayatollah's death.

Tapper raised the matter with El-Sayed who did not respond kindly:

Tapper: I thought that quote was interesting because the ayatollah has killed tens of thousands of innocent Iranians, not to mention the proxies that Iran has funded that have killed innocent civilians all over the Middle East. Why were you worried about offending people who support the ayatollah?

El-Sayed: Jake, on a day where we’re mourning the loss of two more service members in a war we never should have fought, I think all of us ought to step back and ask whether or not everybody in Michigan — frankly, everybody in America — shouldn’t be sad about the fact that this president, backed by the prime minister of a foreign government, took us to a war we had no business fighting in.

Of course, El-Sayed didn't want to answer the question. So, he pretended to care about our soldiers who lost their lives in the line of duty in "a war we never should have thought" "backed by the prime minister of a foreign government." Of course, our soldiers don't get to pick and choose the battles they fight. El-Sayed is just using the fallen soldiers as a cudgel to bash the U.S. and Israel. He is quick to decry Netanyahu as being part of "a foreign government" but what does that make the Ayatollah?

Following the interview, El-Sayed complained about Tapper giving him "a non-consensual colonoscopy."  Clearly El-Sayed is unaccustomed to tough questions and cannot handle them. If that is the case, then he why be a candidate for the U.S. Senate? Tough questions come with the territory. If all El-Sayed can do is whine about it then he is clearly in the wrong line of work.

In which case, the media should give El-Sayed more non-consensual colonoscopies. Voters should too. Michigan voters have a right to a Senator who will answer tough questions and not be a crybaby about it. 

However, it remains to be seen whether Michigan Democratic primary voters want a Senator who can answer tough questions. If they don't then shame on them.

Trump Will Always Find a Reason to Threaten Canada with Tariffs

Different day, same old shit!!!

President Trump announced that a 50% tariff would be imposed on Canadian alcohol, dairy and auto parts in 30 days' time because America has been "invaded" by Canadian wildfires. 

But if Trump wasn't ranting about wildfires, he would be ranting about something else.

Trump first announced 25% tariffs against Canada and Mexico before he returned to the White House in November 2024. He would back away from those commitments in February 2025 but then implemented much the tariff regime by the following month.

Trump has suspended trade talks on multiple occasions. He did so in June 2025 in protest of Canada's Digital Services Tax. The Carney government scrapped the DST only for Trump to threaten additional tariffs weeks later. Trump suspended trade talks again in October 2025 because of ad run by the Ontario government with the late President Reagan waring about the dangers of tariffs. Carney subsequently apologized for the ads. Fat lot of good that did him.

In January, Trump threatened to impose 100% tariffs if Canada entered into a trade deal with China despite having encouraged such an agreement only days earlier. 

Earlier this month, Trump refused to renew the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) although USMCA talks have now resumed with Mexico.

Of course, Trump might very well lift these levies at the last minute only to threaten to impose new levies a few months down the road. Trump might also very well include Canada new USMCA talks only to cut them off yet again. Indeed, Carney says trade negotiations will be intensified with the U.S. Yet it is only a matter of time before Carney's Charlie Brown tries to kick the football only for Trump's Lucy to snatch it away from him.

Trump does this because he does not negotiate, let alone govern in good faith. He treats Canada like the workers and small businesses he refused to pay in his business dealings. Like I wrote back in March 2025, "I tariff you; I tariff you not."

Carney's smartest move would be to walk away and ignore Trump and not return his calls. Yes, that will make Trump angry. But Trump would get angry if his Diet Coke was flat. Canada is getting nowhere with the United States. The United States is wasting Canada's time. Canada's time is better spent engaging in negotiations with countries which actually want to negotiate with it in good faith and for mutual benefit not with a country which begrudges Canadians for forest fires.

Anti-Semitism Will Continue to Thrive in the U.K. Under Andy Burnham

Today, Andy Burnham moved into Number 10 Downing Street and is the U.K.'s new Prime Minister only three days after being anointed the new leader of the Labour Party. Keir Starmer might very well be rendered a footnote.

Last month, I wrote about my brief experience with him as my boss when I interned for the late Tessa Jowell more than 30 years ago. I do not remember those days with fondness. 

In the days which have followed, Burnham has done little to inspire my confidence when it comes to Israel and Jews in the U.K.

Earlier this month, he apologized for his predecessor's stance on Gaza. Considering that Starmer recognized a Palestinian state before all hostages had been released by Hamas, this apology is nothing more than pandering to the Far Left and to the Islamists.

Burnham sought counsel on Gaza from former soccer player turned BBC journalist Gary Lineker. Last year, Lineker departed the BBC after sharing a social media post from a group called Palestine Lobby which described Zionists as rats. That Burnham would seek Lineker's advice on the subject speaks volumes about Burnham's attitudes towards Zionism and towards Jews.

Under Burnham's leadership, we can expect more calls for and acts of violence against the Jewish community in the U.K. Should Jews be murdered at a synagogue, community center or on the streets, I'm sure Burnham will say anti-Semitism has no place in the U.K. when in fact it will take place with his tacit approval. 

Consequently, those Jews who can leave the U.K. will do so. Those who remain may see fit to throw in their lot with Nigel Farage. I have doubts about Farage, but if Burnham insists on singling out Israel while being unwilling or unable to combat anti-Semitism, U.K. Jewry could turn to him if he makes overtures Burnham is unprepared to make. Should Burnham lose to Farage in the next general election, he will only have himself to blame though that might not stop him from blaming the Jews.

A Harry Dean Stanton Centennial Appreciation & A Few Thoughts About "Alien" & "Paris, Texas"

 

This past July 14th marked the 100th anniversary of the birth of actor Harry Dean Stanton. In tribute to Stanton, who passed away in 2017 at the age of 91, The Brattle Theatre showed more than a dozen of his films in a retrospective called "The Stanton Rule: A Harry Dean Stanton Centennial".

The Stanton Rule was coined by the late film critic Roger Ebert (who also attributed the rule to M. Emmet Walsh) stated, "No movie featuring either Harry Dean Stanton or M. Emmet Walsh in supporting role can be altogether bad."

I only viewed two of those films - Alien (1979) and Paris, Texas (1984) which I did last night and this afternoon, respectively. With that, let me discuss these films in reverse order.

Paris, Texas

Those of you familiar with dispatches will know that Paris, Texas is among my favorite films ever made. I wrote about my experiences viewing Paris, Texas at The Brattle in December 2021 so I won't add too much here. It is one of those films which I will pay to see if it is playing in a theatre. I saw it again at The Brattle in November 2024. It was a Saturday night, and it was the longest lineup I've ever been in to see a movie at The Brattle.

I wish Harry Dean Stanton had been given more chances to be a film lead. Yet with that said, if he had more chances to be a film lead then perhaps Paris, Texas wouldn't be as a special as it is. Stanton had a face you couldn't keep your eyes off of and a voice which conveyed authority when it was heard. At the same time, Stanton could go half a film without uttering a word as he did in Paris, Texas and convey the same sort of presence. 

Stanton's portrayal of Travis Henderson is mostly sympathetic, but we get indications of his cruelty and darkness towards his estranged wife Jane (Nastassja Kinski). While Travis never reverts to that state, he knows all too well that is where he will go should he reunite with Jane. So, he makes the decision to reunite Jane with his son (Hunter Carson) with whom he only recently reconnected and disappear from their lives forever. 

It is not a Hollywood ending but it wouldn't be a Wim Wenders film if it was a Hollywood ending. Indeed, most of us will not have Hollywood endings and sometimes the best we can hope for is to walk away for the greater good.

Alien

Let me begin with a confession.

This was the first time I have ever seen Alien.

Of course, I am aware that this film was Sigourney Weaver's breakout role and I am also aware that an alien came out of John Hurt's stomach and would do so again nearly decade later at the end of Mel Brooks in Spaceballs. But I did not know the story.

It was only the second film Ridley Scott ever directed. Much of the film is very deliberate and quiet with brief interludes of classical music. This reminded me a great deal of Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey which I saw most recently at the Brattle on New Year's Eve 2022 in a double feature with Everything, Everywhere All at Once. 

Aliens features a seven-person cast aboard the cargo ship Nostromo starring Tom Skerritt (Dallas), Sigourney Weaver (Ripley), Veronica Cartwright (Lambert), John Hurt (Kane), Ian Holm (Ash), Yaphet Kotto (Parker) and Harry Dean Stanton (Brett). OK, there is an orange cat named Jones.

As for Stanton, Brett doesn't have that much to do in the film as Parker's engineering assistant other than say "yep". His big scene is when he is sent off alone to find Jones on the ship though he does so with his Stantonesque charm making the most of his limited screen time. As soon as he is sent off by himself, you know full well he is going to be eaten alive by the alien.

Ah, yes, the alien. There is a lot of food for thought here though it isn't very appetizing. The crew of the Nostromo is dispatched to a planet where there appears to be intelligent life. Dallas, Lambert and Kane go down to the planet's surface to investigate. During the course of their investigation, an alien life form attacks Kane and clings to his body.

When Dallas and Lambert bring Kane back to the Nostromo, Ripley refuses to let them back in for fear of contaminating the ship citing unspecified quarantine regulations. But Ash overrides Ripley and lets them in with disastrous results which eventually leave Ripley and the orange cat as the only survivors. 

Yet there is no guarantee that disaster would have been averted had Ripley not let them in. While Ripley had an arguable point, I don't think she thought things through. As Dallas and Lambert argued, Kane was near death. Had Ripley refused to allow Dallas, Lambert and Kane into the ship all three of them could have perished as the planet's surface was well below freezing.

But let us suppose that Dallas, Lambert and Kane had survived the quarantine period. It doesn't change the fact that they were dealing with a species of unknown origin. The incubation period could have been well beyond the quarantine. In other words, the Nostromo could have faced the same fate - quarantine or no quarantine.

Even Ripley didn't weigh her choices as she should have, she wasn't faced with a good choice and bad choice but rather several risky choices with no guarantee of success even if Ash hadn't interfered and let the trio aboard. Of course, as it turns out, Ash was an android who had a secret directive to capture the alien and bring it back to them regardless of the crew's safety. Mix this into the equation and the crew of the Nostromo was in a no-win situation. 

Under the circumstances, it is easy to see why Alien held its own with Star Wars in the pantheon of late 1970's space-based science fiction movies precisely because it wasn't trying to be a science fiction movie but rather a horror film. 

Of course, it didn't hurt that Harry Dean Stanton was in the film. It never does.

Spain Triumphs Over Argentina & Other World Cup Thoughts

(YouTube screenshot of Ferran Torres' game-winning goal to give Spain a 1-0 victory over Argentina)

The 2026 World Cup has finally ended with Spain defeating defending champion Argentina 1-0 to win their second World Cup title on an extra time goal by Ferran Torres. Spain previously won in 2010.

Latin America and much of the world were rooting against Argentina for a myriad of reasons - having Lionel Messi, being the defending world champion, being a perceived favorite of FIFA and being the beneficiary of questionable referee calls and just plain old politics. Some of the animus towards Argentina is motivated by anti-Semitism as a sports analyst in Algeria recently claimed the "Jewish lobby" was trying to fix another title for Argentina.

From where I sit, I am deeply troubled by the Spanish government's visceral hatred towards Israel and belligerent mobs running after Jews for being Jews while shouting "baby murderers". Conversely, the Argentinian government wants Latin America to have closer relations with Israel although Jews are in danger there as we are the world over.

In fairness, Spain's soccer team does not represent the Spanish government. There is no question they are the best soccer team in the world. Indeed, Spain conceded only one goal during the entire tournament and that was against Belgium in the quarterfinal. It is the fewest goals ever conceded by a team at a World Cup. Spain has cause for celebration.

The only matchup I watched for any extended period was between Argentina and Cape Verde during the Fourth of July weekend. But with Cape Verde's near upset of the Argentinian squad, I got into the spirit of things if only briefly.

There were certainly some good things about the World Cup which standout.

The first was Scottish fans coming to Boston drinking us under the table until we had no more, cleaning up after themselves and falling in love with the place. I have no doubt the Scots will visit us again - World Cup or no World Cup.

The second was how soccer fans knew John Denver's "(Take Me Home) Country Roads" even if they weren't from this country. Even if people never set foot in West Virginia, most people have an idea of what their "almost heaven" is like. Of course, I set foot in West Virginia last year and now have a first-hand appreciation of what John Denver sang about even if he, Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert had never been there when they wrote the song more than half a century ago.

But then there were some not so good things.

There was President Trump personally demanding FIFA overturn a red card suspension of Team USA player Folarin Balogun which they did. His stifling presence loomed today as he presented Spain with the World Cup trophy to lusty jeers from the crowd assembled in New Jersey.

And then there were was the anti-Semitism. Aside from accusations of the "Jewish lobby" trying to ensure an Argentinian victory, there was the spectacle of a fan with an Israeli flag being confiscated while Palestinian flags were permitted during Iran's matchup against New Zealand. Egyptian fans, egged on by NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani, blamed Jews and Zionists for their loss to Argentina. Things were considerably uglier in The Netherlands after Moroccan fans chanted, “Hamas, Hamas, Jews to the gas,” after their team was ousted by France in the quarterfinals. 

Some soccer fans get their kicks out of hate. Yet I shudder to think what is in store for Jews during the 2030 World Cup.

Former Blue Jays Reliever Duane Ward Dies Suddenly Amid Team Reunion

 

Former MLB relief pitcher Duane Ward, who played nearly his entire career with the Toronto Blue Jays died suddenly amid a team reunion in Toronto this weekend. He was 62.

A native of New Mexico, Ward is only one of 35 players from the Land of Enchantment to play in MLB. In 1982, the Atlanta Braves selected Ward as their number one draft pick and was the ninth pick in the nation overall.

Ward would reach the big leagues with the Braves in 1986 on the Opening Day roster. However, by July, the Braves would ship Ward to Toronto in exchange for veteran starting pitcher Doyle Alexander. A little over a year later, the Braves would trade Alexander to the Detroit Tigers for another pitching prospect - future Hall of Famer John Smoltz.

As for Ward, he did not establish himself as a big-league pitcher until the 1988 season when he became Tom Henke's setup man out of the bullpen. Yet Ward would get opportunity to close out games and would reach double digits in saves each of the next five seasons including in 1992 when the Jays won their first World Series title against Ward's old franchise, the Atlanta Braves.

Ward's best big-league season came in 1993 when he became the team's closer after Henke signed a free agent contract with the Texas Rangers. That season Ward would save a club record 45 games earning his lone AL All-Star Team selection and a second consecutive World Series title during which he saved 2 games against the Philadelphia Phillies. To this day, no other Blue Jays pitcher has ever recorded 40 saves in a season.

Unfortunately, Ward sustained biceps tendinitis which forced him to miss all of the 1994 season. When Ward returned in the 1995 season, it was clear that he just didn't have his stuff anymore and after only four games never pitched again at the big-league level. In 9 MLB seasons, Ward made 462 appearances (all but two games in relief) and went 32-37 with a 3.26 ERA along with 121 saves. Those 121 saves remain second in franchise history only to Henke who recorded 217 in his eight seasons in a Blue Jays uniform.

After his playing career ended, Ward occasionally worked as a color commentator for the Blue Jays on both TV and radio and was involved with the team organizing baseball camps across Canada. In 2020, Ward was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame with his Blue Jays' teammate John Olerud and Minnesota Twins great Justin Morneau.

The Blue Jays held a moment of silence in honor of Ward prior to this afternoon's game against the Chicago White Sox in the presence of his former teammates who will sadly never see him again. R.I.P.

Red Sox Climb Over .500 & Grab 3rd AL Wild Card Berth With 12th Straight Win

The Boston Red Sox have grabbed the bull by the horns and beat the first-place Tampa Bay Rays 7-6 on the strength of two 2-run HR by Wilyer Abreu.

Not only is it the Red Sox's 12th straight win but it puts them over the .500 mark for the first time in 2026 with a 49-48 record. 

That 49-48 record is good enough for the third AL Wild Card berth which they now share with the New York Yankees and Cleveland Guardians. A mere 24 days ago, the Red Sox were 6 games back of that AL Wild Card berth.

At the All-Star Break, I noted the Red Sox would immediately be tested by the Rays. With yesterday's doubleheader sweep and today's victory, they have passed the test. 

And yet it remains unclear if the Red Sox will be buyers or sellers at or before the August 3rd trade deadline.

At this point, I'm not sure how the Red Sox could be anything other than buyers. Yes, there are arguments for the long term. But right now, the Red Sox have captured lightning in a bottle. This is a team that can make the post-season. How deep they can go is anyone's guess. But this is true of any team up to and including the Los Angeles Dodgers despite back-to-back World Series titles. 

The objective of any team in any sport is to win the championship. Some teams will have a better chance than others. Three and a half weeks ago, the Red Sox's chances didn't look so good. Today, things look very good. 

There are 14 games between now and the August 3rd trade deadline. Boston plays Tampa Bay tomorrow afternoon. The Red Sox then host a 3-game series against the Baltimore Orioles and the 3-game series against the defending AL champion Toronto Blue Jays. From there, the Sox travel to the West Coast to play a 4-game series against the Athletics before facing the back-to-back World Series champion Dodgers.

The Orioles have been on a roll themselves winning six in a row. The Jays have been one of the most disappointing teams in the AL this season, yet one cannot discount them. Nor can one discount the Athletics despite the fact they have lost 10 in a row and have been struggling since Memorial Day weekend. Well, the Dodgers are the Dodgers and have the best record in MLB. 

If the Red Sox regress over the next couple of weeks, then they could be sellers after all. But if they play .500 ball or better the Red Sox have to go for it. To do otherwise would be a disservice to the players, the fans and the spirit of competition.