America Has Gone from The Statue of Liberty to Alligator Alcatraz

As we observe America's 249th birthday, it cannot be lost upon us that our national identity is changing right before our very eyes.

There was a time when this country embodied the spirit of Emma Lazarus' homage to the Statue of Liberty in her poem "The New Colossus":

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,

With conquering limbs astride from land to land;

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name

Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand

Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command

The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she

With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

With our semiquincentennial a year from now, the Trump Administration ethos has moved us from the Statue of Liberty to Alligator Alcatraz in the Florida Everglades where people detained by ICE have been shipped. In the words of Florida Attorney General James Utheimer, “Next stop: back to where they came from.”

Aside from the poor grammar, most of the people who will be housed in Alligator Alcatraz have only known as America as home. These are people who have gone to school, attained gainful employment and served in our military. But none of that matters to Vice-President Vance who made it very clear who he blames for all the ills in our country in praise of Trump's inaptly named One Big Beautiful Bill which was signed into law today by President Trump:

The thing that will bankrupt this country more than any other policy is flooding the country with illegal immigration and then giving those migrants generous benefits. The OBB fixes this problem. And therefore it must pass.

Everything else — the CBO score, the proper baseline, the minutiae of the Medicaid policy — is immaterial compared to the ICE money and immigration enforcement provisions. 

This is the heart of the MAGA mindset - easy answers to complicated problems. Of course, easy answers are invariably the wrong answers. Perhaps this country will come to that realization in 2028 - assuming there is still a functioning democracy by that time.

Mind you, the United States is no stranger to nativism as demonstrated by the rise of the Know Nothings nearly two centuries ago. But the Know Nothings could only dream of the power attained by Trump and MAGA. 

Yet we must remember that we chose to give Trump and MAGA this power. The question remains if we will choose to take that power away from them. Even if the answer is yes, Trump and MAGA will not accept that choice and will be prepared to use force. Are we prepared to use force in kind to sustain our choices? 

On the other hand, it is quite possible America prefers Alligator Alcatraz over the Statue Liberty.

Happy Birthday, America. Hope you got what you wanted.

Billy Hunter Was the Last Living Member of the St. Louis Browns

Former MLB player, coach and manager Billy Hunter passed away yesterday at the age of 97. 

At the time of his death, Hunter was both the last surviving member of the St. Louis Browns as well as the last living member of the inaugural Baltimore Orioles team of 1954. He played six seasons in MLB with the Browns/Orioles, New York Yankees (where he earned a World Series ring in 1956), the Kansas City A's and the Cleveland Indians. In 630 career games, Hunter collected 410 hits for a lifetime batting average of .219 with 16 HR and 144 RBI. Despite his light hitting reputation, Hunter was solid on defense and did earn an AL All-Star Team selection during his tenure with the Browns during their final year of existence in 1953. Hunter's death comes less than a week after the passing of Ed Mickelson, who drove in the final run in Brown's history.

Hunter would later become part of the coaching staff of the Balitmore Orioles earning two World Series rings in 1966 and 1970 under managers Hank Bauer and Earl Weaver, respectively. For his long tenure with the Orioles organization, Hunter would be inducted into the team's Hall of Fame in 1996.

In 1977, Hunter became manager of the Texas Rangers. He was actually their fourth manager that season which began with Frank Lucchesi before he was dismissed in the middle of the season in favor of Eddie Stanky who abruptly quit after one game. Connie Ryan took over the team for a week on an interim basis before Hunter was brought aboard. Remarkably, the Rangers went 60-33 under Hunter finishing second in the AL West, 8 games back of the Kansas City Royals. However, there was no wild card system in place at the time. 

The Rangers would finish tied for second in the AL West in 1978 with the California Angels only five games back of the Royals. However, Hunter was dismissed on the last day of the season in favor of Pat Corrales. Because of his abrupt dismissal, Hunter vowed never to coach or manage in MLB ever again.

True to his word, Hunter would return to Maryland and join the collegiate ranks as the head baseball coach at Towson University in 1979. He would later become the university's athletic director. 

Although Hunter's legacy is most closely tied to Maryland by virtue of his association with both the Balitmore Orioles and Towson University, his significance in MLB will be as the final link to the St. Louis Browns, a nearly forgotten entity in baseball with (save for a single AL pennant in 1944) a long legacy of losing, incompetence and bad luck even if he rose above such circumstances. R.I.P.

Clayton Kershaw Becomes 20th Pitcher in MLB History to Reach 3,000 Career Strikeouts

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw has attained baseball immortality by reaching 3,000 career strikeouts.

Kershaw caught Chicago White Sox third baseman Vinny Capra looking to end the top of the 6th inning (pictured above). It was a borderline curveball, but with Kershaw in his 18th season in a Dodgers uniform he is going to get the benefit of the doubt. 

In so doing, the 37-year-old southpaw becomes the 20th pitcher in MLB history to record 3,000 career strikeouts. 

The only black mark against this achievement is that Kershaw stands to lose the game as he left it trailing the lowly Chisox 4-2. The score remains this way as we go to the top of the 8th inning. It would be his first loss of the 2025 season.

Nevertheless, let's enjoy the moment because unless someone takes a flier on Zack Greinke (who is at 2979 career strikeouts) it might be quite a while before someone else joins Kershaw in the 3000 club. 

Among active pitchers after Kershaw, Chris Sale has the most career strikeouts with 2528. Of course, Sale enjoyed a renaissance season with the Atlanta Braves last year earning his first career Cy Young Award. Unfortunately, Sale sustained a broken rib last month in a near shutout against the New York Mets which has put him on the 60-day IL until at least the end of August. New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole, who has 2251 career strikeouts, will not pitch this season due to Tommy John surgery.

An intriguing possibility is Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola, who turned 32 last month, with his 1831 career strikeouts. However, Nola is having the worst year of his career with a 1-7 record and a ghastly 6.16 ERA in 9 starts in 2025. Nola won't get to 3,000 strikeouts if he continues to pitch like that.

It makes what Clayton Kershaw did tonight and what he has done throughout his career all the more special.

It Would Seem Freedom of the Press Isn't Paramount When It Comes to Trump

(Getty Images)

Well, so much for freedom of the press.

Paramount, the parent company of CBS, has settled President Trump's frivolous $20 billion lawsuit for $16 million.

Not that this comes as any surprise. This was expected before Trump returned to the White House in January. Here were my thoughts at the time:

Whatever does come, it will be a very long four years and it may be longer than that should Trump see fit to remain in office beyond 2028. The 22nd Amendment might very well become a dead letter just like 14th amendment where it concerns presidential immunity. 

The same might also hold true for the First Amendment. It appears CBS (which is due to merge with Paramount) is going to settle with Trump regarding his frivolous suit about 60 Minutes editing its interview with Kamala Harris. All news entities have editors, and it is none of Trump's goddamn business nor that of the government as to how CBS edits its stories. 

Nevertheless, CBS will likely follow ABC's lead which amounted to an in-kind donation to the Trump Presidential Library (an oxymoron if there ever was one). 

And this is precisely what happened.

But why?

There was no factual nor legal basis for Trump's lawsuit. None. 

If freedom of the press was of any importance to Paramount, then they would have had the back of CBS and 60 Minutes. 

Alas, when it comes to Trump, freedom of the press isn't, shall we say, paramount.

What is paramount to Paramount is approval of its merger with Skydance. So, Paramount is willing to throw CBS and 60 Minutes under the bus to curry Trump's favor.

Of course, don't be surprised if it isn't enough and Trump wants more from Paramount.

And all it will cost is the First Amendment.

Woman Dies of Injuries Sustained in Anti-Semitic Terror Attack in Boulder

The anti-Semitic terror attack which took place in Boulder, Colorado on June 1st has resulted in a fatality.

Karen Diamond, 82, succumbed on June 25th due to burn injuries she sustained as a result of being hit by Molotov cocktails. The assailant shouted, "End Zionists" and "Free Palestine" as he hurled at weaponry at Diamond and about 30 other people who were at a vigil for the hostages who remain held in captivity by Hamas. He has now been charged with two counts of first-degree murder.

This is what globalizing the intifada looks like. 

R.I.P.

So Much for Elbows Up!!! Carney Caves to Trump & Scraps DST

Just over 48 hours after President Trump put a halt to trade talks between Canada and the United States over the implementation of the Digital Services Tax (DST), the Liberal government of Prime Minister Mark Carney dropped the tax.

Well, so much for elbows up.

Trump basically told Carney to jump, and Carney asked him, "How high?"

I mean Carney did not even put up a fight. One would think they might have dropped the tax's retroactivity. But no. Trump got what he wanted and because of it Trump smells blood in the water and will ask for more. A lot more up to and including the abolition of Canada's supply management system for dairy, egg and poultry farmers. At the very minimum, Canada now needs to ask Trump's permission when it comes to fiscal and taxation policy. 

Prime Minister Carney has shown himself to be a paper tiger. Now that the election is over, Carney has shown that he was all talk and no action.

Glastonbury Crowd Waves Palestinian Flags & Chants "Death to the IDF"

The Glastonbury Festival, one of the world's foremost annual gatherings for live music, was marred yesterday by anti-Semitic hate. 

Amid a sea of Palestinian flags, the audience chanted "Death to the IDF" at the urging of Bobby Vylan who later added, “From the river to the sea, Palestine must be, will be free” while uttering the phrase "fucking Zionists." When he said Zionists, he meant Jews. And when he said Palestine must be free, he meant Jews must be killed. The anti-Semitism continued with the Irish group Kneecap who have in the past praised both Hamas and Hezbollah during their concerts.

Let's think about this for a moment. On October 7, 2023, Hamas began its attack by killing 378 concertgoers at the Nova Music Festival while taking 44 people hostage - a majority of whom were subsequently killed.

But instead of expressing sorrow for their fellow music lovers, Bob Vylan, Kneecap and the Glastonbury audience which chanted "Death to the IDF" are rooting for Hamas. 

To them, Jews are a subhuman people who deserve death. Of course, the Nazis thought this of Jews as well. There's really no difference between "Free Palestine" and "Sieg Heil".