FTC/DoorDash, GrubHub, UberEats

The FTC should investigate DoorDash, GrubHub and UberEats. The food delivery services area failing to provide recourse to customers who don't receive what they paid for.

Israel-Hezbollah, Russia Black Sea

Israel's clever strategy in strike on Lebanese Hezbollah leader. The Israelis targeted an individual wanted by the U.S. for the Marine barracks bombing. This complicates the White House's prospective criticism of Israel.

A lesson in overmatching Russia over the Black Sea. The British air force are showing how to deal with Russian intimidation tactics.

Venezuela-China, Sino-Russian bombers

Endorsing Venezuela election theft, China proves the lie of "win-win" cooperation. Maduro plainly stole the election, Beijing cares not one iota. Indeed, it is happy.

From Friday...

The messages behind Sino-Russian strategic bomber exercises. The Chinese and Russians want the U.S. to fear that a new alliance might face it in any future war.

DC 911, DC police response

DC's 911 call center remains broken. Mayor Bowser is responsible.

Washington, DC Police response times are too slow. Crimes in progress are not receiving due attention.

China airfield training, Harris/Netanyahu speech, Scientific American UFOs, Secret Service director

Does China's airfield strike training suggest a Pearl Harbor-style attack possibility? The PLA are training to take out America's most advanced jets on the tarmac.

Snubbing Netanyahu's address, Kamala Harris shows a weird partisanship. The Israeli prime minister is a poor American ally but U.S.-Israeli interests require dialogue.

The science problem with "Nope- It's never aliens." A new Scientific American piece takes a rather one-sided look at the UFO subject.

The Secret Service director had to go. Kimberly Cheatle's position was rightly untenable.

Secret Service protection list, Kurilla vs. WH, Secret Service foreign trips

Does the Secret Service need to protect 36 people? The demands on Secret Service resources are significant. But protection should only be provided to those who actually need it.

Central Command's Kurilla, unlike predecessor, speaks truth to power. The general has made clear to his political masters that their counter-Houthi strategy is failing.

Foreign governments will fear even higher stress Secret Service visits. The agency is always uncomfortable with foreign visits. But the recent Trump assassination attempt will only increase this stress quotient.

Biden

Biden ends reelection campaign, doing the right thing for the nation. The president's decision is the right one but it should have come sooner.

Trump's Iron Dome

Trump's Iron Dome boondoggle won't make America safer. The costs and capability potential of this proposal are not supportive of the national interest.

Europe Trump, Europe-U.S. tech war

Germany aside, Europea attempts to build bridges with Trump. Most European powers want to establish at least a functional relationship with Trump. Apparently not Germany.

The U.S. should threaten Europe over X/tech extortion. The EU Competition Commissioner is waging a blatantly protectionist/extortionist war on U.S. tech firms. It should not be allowed to stand.

USSS director

 Fighting for her job: Secret Service director’s record faces growing scrutiny. Kimberly Cheatle has pursued various DEI initiatives that some say have weakened the Service.

Secret Service, RNC protection

Strengthening Secret Service protection is far easier said than done. The agency does not have the capacity to simply throw more bodies at the problem.

Trump Secret Service detail notably reinforced at Republican National Convention. The action comes following Saturday's assassination attempt against the former president.

Secret Service critiques, Trump-proofing NATO, Russia teaches China on ASW

Trump assassination attempt: Secret Service critiques vary between the justified and the ignorant. The agency should be judged fairly but only by those who understand basic elements of close protection.

Europe can't Trump-proof NATO on the cheap. European allies must spend more on defense to ensure the alliance retains Trump's support. This is a simple, justifiable requirement.

Russia gives China another lesson on how to hunt U.S. submarines. The Russian navy have far more experience than the PLA in this regard.

Trump attack

Trump shows courage and Secret Service skill amid Trump campaign rally attack. The former president was not seriously injured.

AT&T

Congress must summon AT&T CEO John Stankey over catastrophic data leak. The telecommunications firm is showing a lack of seriousness over its security incompetence.

Trump-Orban, Germany assassination

Trump honors most pro-China leader, Hungary’s Orban, at Mar-a-Lago. The idea that Orban is anything other than a human carpet for Communist China is laughable.

Germany gives Russia an assassination plot pass. Scholz has failed to respond with any serious resolution to a Russian plot to murder one of Germany's top businessmen.

NATO HQ

NATO headquarters needs relocating to Warsaw, Poland. The alliance needs to look east and toward allies that care about burden sharing.

NATO 2% happy talk, Biden NATO speech, Biden's praetorian pledge, Sunak speech

The problems with the NATO defense spending happy talk. 19 allies are spending less than or just slightly more than the 2%-of-GDP minimum defense spending target. 

Biden rallies support for Ukraine and rightly salutes Jens Stoltenberg. The president broadly did a good job at the NATO leaders summit on Tuesday.

Biden commits to a Praetorian presidency. By pledging to serve out a full second term, Biden has essentially pledged that unelected advisors will hold executive power.

Rishi Sunak offers Biden and Trump an example of political civility. The former UK prime minister made an impressive speech in Parliament on Tuesday.

Putin hospital attack, Biden Morning Joe

The politics behind Putin's missile strike on a Ukrainian children's hospital. The Russian leader is likely playing to his nationalist base and also sending a message to NATO. But he risks aggravating Xi.

Biden's self-destructive Morning Joe interview. The president continues to show his mental frailty.

Keir Starmer, China drones, Defense industrial base

Who is Keir Starmer and what will the UK's new prime minister mean for the special relationship? The Labour Party leader is unlikely to produce major changes to the relationship. But China policy will bear attention.

Will the West do anything about China sending combat drones to Russia? If the U.S. won't admit this crosses a lethal aid red line, Europe surely isn't going to do anything.

Restoring America's military industrial base. The threat posed by China demands urgent action to ensure the U.S. can build more ships, submarines and missiles asap.

China piracy, Biden's excuses, Secret Service

China tests Biden with Taiwan-Philippines piracy. The Chinese are escalating their seizure efforts against Taiwanese and Filipino vessels.

Biden's debate excuses: jet lag? advisers? a cold? What's next, Aliens? The president has utterly failed to take responsibility for his disastrous debate performance.

Secret Service professionalism underlined by absent Biden leaks. Members of the protective agency have surely witnessed concerning lapses by the president. That they haven't leaked is a tribute to their professionalism.

Biden's responsibility, Lebanon war, Delta assassination question, Russia exploitation

For the Bidens, the buck stops anywhere but with Joe Biden. The First Family's incapacity for introspection and holier than thou rhetoric is tedious.

How the U.S. should respond to Lebanon war risks. The key is to protect U.S. citizens and interests.

Delta Force asks candidates whether they would follow an order to assassinate a political opponent. You're not getting into the unit if you answer in the affirmative.

from Saturday

Will Russia attempt to exploit American fears over Biden's age/senility? It is likely a tempting prospect for Vladimir Putin.