THE NEWS

Shirts emblazoned with American flags for sale in Intercourse, Pennsylvania on Thursday, Aug. 26, 2021. (Photo by Joe Kovacs)
The Social Security trust fund is projected to run out of money by 2032. Without legislative reforms, retirement benefits for tens of millions of Americans could face significant cuts.
As lawmakers debate how to preserve the program, most proposals focus on raising payroll tax revenue or making other budgetary adjustments. But these discussions miss a larger point: The program itself is increasingly ill-suited for younger generations. Rather than forcing Americans into a system that may not deliver on its promises, policymakers should allow young workers to opt out and prepare for retirement in their own way.
America’s younger generations are coming of age amid an affordability crisis. Housing costs, groceries, health insurance, transportation, and higher education consume a growing share of household budgets. In such an environment, financial flexibility matters more than ever.
Yet every paycheck is hit by a 6.2% Social Security payroll tax, withheld with the promise that workers will receive benefits decades later when they reach retirement age. For many millennials and members of Generation Z, that promise appears increasingly uncertain.
The idea that workers simply “pay in” and later receive back what they contributed has long been misleading. Today’s payroll taxes largely fund benefits for today’s retirees. As demographic pressures strain the system, younger Americans face the prospect of paying into Social Security for decades while receiving far less in benefits than previous generations. In turn, few Gen Zers count on Social Security to support them in retirement someday. More than half expect to rely on personal retirement accounts as their primary source of income in retirement. Only 35% expect the program to still be around when they retire.
Rather than dragging younger workers through years of uncertain taxation, policymakers should give them a choice. Americans who are decades away from retirement should be allowed to opt out of Social Security and pursue retirement planning through private alternatives.
The freedom to decide how to spend and save one’s income is deeply ingrained in American culture. Some people rent apartments, rely on public transportation, and prioritize international travel. Others buy homes, raise families, and invest heavily in property or small businesses. The diversity of lifestyles that defines the United States is made possible by economic liberty.
Social Security’s mandatory payroll tax limits that liberty, particularly for younger generations who are unlikely to receive the same value from the program as their parents and grandparents. Every dollar directed to Social Security is a dollar that cannot be used to pay down debt, purchase a home, invest in education, build a business, or save independently for retirement.
Private retirement accounts also offer greater opportunities for long-term growth. Historically, diversified investments held through 401(k)s, IRAs, and other retirement vehicles have generated substantially higher returns than the growth reflected in Social Security benefits. 401(k) plans return 5-8% annually, while Roth IRAs can reach 7-10%. In contrast, Social Security payments reflect 1-3% annual growth, matching cost-of-living adjustment inflation rates.
Younger workers, with decades of investing ahead of them, are uniquely positioned to benefit from compound growth. But the ineffective Social Security system holds them back from the thousands to millions in returns available by private sector investment vehicles.
In an era of accessible investing platforms and unprecedented financial tools, a one-size-fits-all government retirement system makes less sense than ever. Americans are capable of making different choices about their financial futures. They should have the freedom to decide whether Social Security is one of them.
As lawmakers confront Social Security’s looming insolvency, they should look beyond tax increases and accounting fixes. The debate should include a more fundamental question: Why should younger Americans be required to participate in a system they increasingly doubt will deliver on its promises?
Social Security was created for a different era, when workers had fewer options, people did not live as long, and America’s population was booming. Those conditions no longer exist, and it leaves the system unable to afford its original obligations.
If Social Security cannot provide future generations with the same security it once promised, then those generations should be free to pursue their own path. Young Americans deserve the freedom to build their own financial future.
This article was originally published by RealClearPolitics and made available via RealClearWire.

An F/A-18E Super Hornet attached to the ‘Gunslingers’ of Strike Fighter Squadron 105 sits on the flight deck aboard the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Mediterranean Sea, March 26, 2021. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Jacob Hilgendorf)
As America prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday, it is worth remembering a simple truth: our nation’s prosperity, security, and global influence have always depended on the sea.
From the first American warships that challenged the world’s greatest empire to today’s carrier strike groups, submarines, and Marines deployed around the globe, sea power has protected the freedom to trade, travel, and prosper. It has kept wars far from our shores and ensured that America—not our adversaries—helped shape the international order.
That responsibility has never been greater.
China is building the world’s largest navy. Russia continues to challenge maritime security from Europe to the Arctic. Iran threatens one of the world’s most important shipping lanes. The Indo-Pacific has become the center of strategic competition, and nearly every challenge facing the United States has a maritime dimension.
The oceans remain the world’s highways of trade and information through which mankind prospers. If America cannot guarantee freedom of navigation, our economy, our allies, and ultimately our way of life are at risk.
A strong Navy is not simply a military requirement. It is an economic necessity and a strategic imperative.
Yet ships alone are not enough. America needs shipbuilders, engineers, welders, merchant mariners, civilian mariners, innovators, and, above all, young Americans willing to raise their right hand and serve. It also needs leaders and citizen advocates who will demand sustained investment in maritime power, even when headlines shift elsewhere.
The next 250 years of American leadership will not be secured by speeches alone. They will be secured by the decisions made today to build a larger naval and commercial fleet, strengthen the maritime industrial base, recruit the next generation of sailors and civilian mariners, and maintain unquestioned command of the seas.
Supporting the Navy should never be viewed as a partisan issue. Republicans, Democrats, and independents all benefit from secure oceans, a thriving economy, and a military strong enough to deter conflict before it begins.
As we celebrate America’s first 250 years this Independence Day, let’s also commit ourselves to the next 250. Restoring the nation’s maritime dominance benefits and protects every American. If we want future generations to enjoy the same freedom and opportunity we inherited, we must once again become a maritime nation worthy of leading the world.

Chris Servello is a retired naval officer, co-founder of Provision Advisors and co-host of the award winning maritime podcast CavasShips.
This article was originally published by RealClearDefense and made available via RealClearWire.

Trump Admin Subpoenas New York Times Reporters Over Coverage Of New Air Force One

The Justice Department issued grand jury subpoenas on Friday to four New York Times reporters, ordering them to testify in Manhattan on Wednesday about stories describing security gaps in the new Air Force One. Federal agents showed up at some of the reporters’ homes to deliver the subpoenas in person, a detail that has The Times claiming amounts to government intimidation.

The four subpoenaed journalists are Julian E. Barnes, Eric Lipton, Tyler Pager, and Eric Schmitt. Jay Clayton, the U.S. attorney in Manhattan, issued the subpoenas, which offer almost nothing in the way of specifics beyond a request that the reporters testify “in regard to an alleged violation of federal criminal law.”

The two stories in question ran on consecutive days this week, both built on anonymous sourcing. Wednesday’s story claimed Trump left Turkey aboard the older Air Force One because the Secret Service urged the switch as a security precaution. Thursday’s follow-up reported that the new Qatari-donated Boeing 747-8 lacks some of the advanced security features found on the older plane, including antimissile capabilities.

Those details describe the defensive capabilities of the aircraft that carries the president of the United States, sourced anonymously and published for anyone in the world to read, including people who wish the president harm.

“The appearance of federal law enforcement agents on the doorstep of news reporters should shock the conscience of any American who believes in the Constitution and the press freedom it protects,” David McCraw, the top newsroom lawyer for the New York Times, said in a Friday evening statement. “Our journalists report the facts and advance the American public’s right to know how their government is operating and their taxpayer dollars are being used. This brazen act should be seen as nothing more than an attempt to prevent the public from knowing what is happening in their country by intimidating journalists from doing their jobs.”

The Times casts the subpoenas as further evidence of a uniquely hostile administration. “Mr. Trump has long been a harsh critic of the news media,” the paper wrote. “But in his second term in office, he has moved aggressively to use the immense powers of the federal government in his efforts to attack the press.”

The article also noted that “both Democratic and Republican administrations have initiated leak investigations into the disclosure of classified information,” while adding that “subpoenas aimed at journalists are not common” and that First Amendment advocates warn they can chill newsgathering.

Historically, Justice Department leak investigations have generally focused on the government employees or contractors who disclosed classified information rather than the journalists or news organizations that published it.

When prosecutors have sought information from journalists, they usually issue subpoenas aimed at identifying sources or gathering evidence, not to punish the act of publication itself. Still, even in those cases, the press has not taken it well. For example, the Obama Justice Department secretly obtained two months of telephone records from more than 20 AP phone lines while investigating a classified leak tied to a foiled terrorist plot. The AP called the seizure a “massive and unprecedented intrusion” into its newsgathering operations, and the move drew criticism from press freedom organizations across the political spectrum. In investigating a leak involving North Korea, Obama’s Department of Justice obtained a search warrant for Fox News reporter James Rosen’s emails and phone records. To obtain the warrant, an FBI affidavit described Rosen as a possible “aider, abettor and/or co-conspirator” under the Espionage Act, despite Rosen never being charged with a crime. The same administration spent years trying to compel New York Times reporter James Risen to reveal a confidential source in the prosecution of former CIA officer Jeffrey Sterling.

The Justice Department addressed the current controversy in a statement posted to X, and its language suggests officials anticipated exactly the reaction The Times delivered.

“Every administration has addressed the crime of leaking national security information,” the department said. “To the extent that we have to investigate breaches of national security, that’s something that we will continue to do. To be clear, reporters are not the targets, those leaking classified information are.”

The statement continued, “We value and appreciate the important role that the press plays in this country, but DOJ also plays an important role to make sure that the people entrusted with our nation’s secrets do what they’re supposed to do with that information, which means not sharing classified information. We recognize there may always be natural tension there, but we are not going to ignore the law and stop investigating the people who work in the administration and think it’s okay to leak classified information impacting national security.”

Tyler Durden
Sun, 07/12/2026 – 16:55

Semiconductors have become the backbone of modern life, serving as the brain behind everything from smartphones to household appliances and from electric cars to artificial intelligence and national defense systems. These tiny chips quietly power our nation, enabling the most critical aspects of the government, economy, healthcare system, and daily life. Few technologies are as essential to modern life as semiconductors. With accelerating global demand and intensifying geopolitical competition, chip manufacturing has become a strategic asset to a nation’s success.
The Building America’s Manufacturing Edge panel, hosted by Axios, illustrated that the future of U.S. manufacturing is dependent on strengthening domestic supply chains through technological innovation, strategic investment, workforce development, and public-private partnerships. Artificial intelligence is reshaping supply chain management, increasing supply chain visibility, identifying vulnerabilities, and helping investors make more informed decisions.
“Visibility mapping through AI, AI is critical to all of this. There’s no way you can tackle these problems and have the visibility that companies and government partners need today by not leveraging AI,” said Carrie Wibeen Kaupp, president of Exiger.
While the supply chain is facing widespread challenges, semiconductor production remains one of the greatest obstacles, as chips rely on globally dispersed manufacturing, allowing other countries to influence the United States’ success given their critical role in the nation’s operations. The price of technology is rapidly increasing as supply chain constraints continue to affect the United States’ technological market. Circuit boards manufactured in the United States cost approximately four times more than those produced in China.
While the U.S. is a global leader in chip design and research, it produces only a fraction of the world’s semiconductor hardware. American manufacturing remains heavily reliant on China and Japan for key stages of production, including inputs such as specialized chemicals and materials that are limited domestically. Semiconductors serve as the foundation of modern electronics by controlling electrical signals ranging from smartphones to defense systems.
At a seminar hosted this week by Axios, industry leaders discussed the efforts to strengthen the U.S. semiconductor supply chain, with microchip manufacturing emerging as a central focus. Kevin O’Hanlon, vice president of North America Government Relations for Global Electronics Association, said, “We don’t have the capacity to then take those chips, do the testing and the packaging to ultimately put them onto a circuit board. Those microelectronics are being flown from the U.S. to Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, but they have to be tested and packaged… some of those electronics that leave the U.S. will go to 40 different stops before ultimately being sold back into the U.S. market.”
While the higher costs affect the price and availability of consumer electronics, the consequences extend beyond consumer markets. Semiconductors are critical to U.S. defense systems, making supply chain resilience a national security priority.
Former President Joe Biden signed the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 into law, appropriating $52.7 billion to expand semiconductor manufacturing capacity in the United States. This legislation provides grants, subsidies, and tax incentives to encourage private investment in domestic semiconductor research, development, and production with the goal of strengthening both supply chain resilience and national security.
The law helped drive investment in semiconductor manufacturing facilities, workforce development, and advanced production. Despite those efforts, however, U.S. manufacturers remain heavily reliant on overseas suppliers for specialized chemicals, raw materials, and other critical inputs needed throughout the semiconductor supply chain.
At the same time, the 2025 tariffs on Chinese imports, including advanced semiconductors and key manufacturing materials, have increased hardware costs for U.S. businesses and consumers. Supply chain constraints have also contributed to higher prices for computers, smartphones, servers, and electric vehicles.
The implications extend beyond consumer technology. Semiconductors and microelectronics are essential components for military systems, including drones, radar systems, communications equipment, satellites, and fighter aircraft. As a result, continued dependence on foreign suppliers remains a significant national security concern.
As U.S. manufacturing makes strides toward expanding domestic production, significant supply chain gaps remain, leaving American consumers to bear the financial burden.
Other key takeaways from Axios’ Building America’s Manufacturing Edge event included:

Achieving greater supply chain visibility by leveraging artificial intelligence to identify the strongest and most reliable investments in real time
Investing in communities improves accessibility and affordability while fostering innovation across U.S. manufacturing
Strengthening domestic production to support manufacturing resilience by better aligning supply with demand
Modernizing and rebuilding U.S. supply chains via venture capital investments in digital technology and AI

This article was originally published by RealClearPolitics and made available via RealClearWire.

Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., told NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday that he regrets endorsing Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner after a recent sexual assault allegation.Platner announced that he would be ending his campaign last week after a report accused him of sexually assaulting an ex-girlfriend in 2021. Several major Democratic figures initially stood by the candidate prior to this report in his bid to defeat longtime Republican incumbent Sen. Susan Collins.One of them included Khanna, who personally campaigned with Platner in June amid several other mounting controversies and allegations of sexual misconduct.PLATNER ACCUSER RECALLS ‘GASLIGHTING,’ ‘BETRAYAL’ FROM NY TIMES AS SHE CAME FORWARD WITH HER ALLEGATIONS”You have stood by him through a series of previous controversies, from a tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol to his online posts blaming survivors of sexual assault, even after The New York Times published allegations from ex-girlfriends describing a pattern of emotional abuse, aggressive behavior, which he denies we should say,” host Kristen Welker said. “Why weren’t those past controversies a breaking point for you?”For me, the line always was sexual assault or sexual violence, and as soon as that came out, I was the first person to withdraw my endorsement,” Khanna said. “But I will say I got that call wrong, and if there is some self-reflection, is that we all need to see the signs earlier of people who may engage in domestic violence. I wasn’t the only one. You had Planned Parenthood. You had Sen. [Elizabeth] Warren. You had the entire Democratic Party. But I did get that call wrong.”NYT COLUMNIST SAYS SHE ‘DEEPLY’ REGRETS PRAISING SENATE HOPEFUL AFTER RAPE ALLEGATIONKhanna added, “I think what is important, though, is to understand his politics. He was opposed to foreign wars, for Medicare for All and why the progressive movement, more broadly, why these issues are resonating.””Do you regret endorsing him?” Welker asked.”Yes. I got that call wrong. I endorse a lot of people, but when I make a mistake, I take accountability. And I think what people want is the humility to take accountability if you make a call that’s wrong,” Khanna said.CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTUREKhanna previously appeared to downplay allegations against Platner, pointing out that he was a combat veteran who suffered PTSD.”My view is that, even according to the New York Times piece, they said there was no harm, no injury,” Khanna said on CBS’ “Face the Nation” last month. “There was toxicity, and there was verbal intimidation, which I condemn, but Graham has made it clear that there was no evidence of violence. That, to me, is a red line.”

Conor McGregor couldn’t believe his five-year return to the octagon ended the way it did on Saturday night in UFC 329 against Max Holloway.But Joe Rogan said it was a “crazy” move that he tried in the opening round that cost him.”He just tried a crazy move. He tried a jumping roundhouse kick,” Rogan said during the UFC broadcast after the main event ended. “… if you don’t land in a good way, with a supporting way, you put so much pressure on that knee. He landed with his knee in the worst position.”CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMMcGregor’s kick attempt clearly hurt him, as he immediately grabbed his knee after Holloway evaded the strike. McGregor tried to keep fighting, but referee Mike Beltran called the fight after he tried another kick and clearly couldn’t land properly.”He blew his ACL out with the very first move that he did,” Rogan suggested. “It sucks, but it’s just, you don’t do that.”CONOR MCGREGOR REACTS TO DISASTROUS UFC RETURN: ‘MY HEAD GASKET IS GONE’After speaking with doctors, UFC president Dana White said McGregor tore his ACL. Scans on McGregor’s knee will need to confirm the diagnosis.Daniel Cormier, the ex-MMA fighter-turned-broadcaster, added that McGregor’s long absence from the sport could’ve contributed to the injury.”When you’ve been away from that for so long, and you come back in there, it’s like you’re shot out of a cannon,” Cormier explained.”So, you see these guys that have been gone for a long time do things that doesn’t make sense. And I think that’s what happened to Conor.”McGregor was dejected after Beltran called the match, and understandably so. It was the 37-year-old’s first fight since he faced off against Dustin Poirier on July 10, 2021.After the loss, McGregor posted a gut-wrenching tweet, saying he was completely healthy before the match.”My head gasket is gone. Destroyed,” he wrote. “I had no injury/injuries going into the fight. I was throwing kicks, planted and jumping, all throughout camp as well as backstage before the fight. This came out of nowhere. I am beyond dark here. I can only describe it as hell.”Rogan also suggested that McGregor was trying to showcase no fear with his signature kicks with his surgically-repaired left leg. Either way, it cost the Irishman in the end.McGregor’s UFC career record is now 22-7 after this TKO finish.Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

After Caitlin Clark Assaults, Divisive and Unserious WNBA Promotes Kamala and Tim Walz This Weekend
Two weeks ago, basketball phenom Caitlin Clark was beaten by an opponent who kneed her in the groin, then shoved her fist on Clark’s throat and tried to stomp on her. The refs saw it and called no foul. The woman who did it – Alyssa Thomas – played the victim after she and her wife – DeWanna Bonner – attacked Clark.

New angle showed DeWanna Bonner (GF of Alyssa Thomas) driving her knee into the shoulder of Caitlin Clark.
Wait for the zoom. A seemingly premeditated attack by the happy couple. @WNBA is disgusting.
Apparently THIS was only worth a 1 game suspension for Alyssa Thomas https://t.co/2e1rcxyOHE pic.twitter.com/xmQDyndFZl
— HeroOfTheDay (@Hero_OfThe_Day) June 26, 2026

Clark’s coach spoke after the assault and showed sympathy for Clark’s assailant while ignoring Clark.  Coach Steph White was upset that fans said mean things to the assailant who attacked her star player.

Why is it so difficult for Stephanie White and the dumbass front office of @Fever to 100% unequivocally SUPPORT CAITLIN CLARK?
This is jackassery pic.twitter.com/7eL00Pezlj
— Dan Dakich (@dandakich) July 1, 2026

The WNBA commissioner backed the abuser as well. No word about Clark being assaulted. How dare anyone complain about a white player in your league getting assaulted by two black married women.

Cathy Engelbert released statement following Alyssa Thomas’ comments about online harassment. pic.twitter.com/5P5fSshhz9
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) June 30, 2026

This weekend, the WNBA brought in Tim Walz and Kamala Harris.

It’s no coincidence the WNBA has promoted the two losers of the last presidential election (Tim Walz & Kamala Harris) the past 24 hours…
They’re an unapologetically political league that promotes Democrat policies, ideals & politicians.
They’re a divisive, unserious league. pic.twitter.com/XdwSyG6pqh
— Jon Root (@JonnyRoot_) July 11, 2026

Here’s Walz with the Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve, the same coach who kept Caitlin Clark off the Olympic team in 2024.

Last week, Walz pardoned a child rapist in Minnesota, and in response, Secretary of State Marco Rubio deported the man from the US.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday said a child rapist from Minnesota was deported from the country after Gov. Tim Walz’s (D-MN) pardon of the sex offender removed the criminal sexual conduct conviction underlying his deportation order.

This is the WNBA.

The post After Caitlin Clark Assaults, Divisive and Unserious WNBA Promotes Kamala and Tim Walz This Weekend appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

FBI agents and members of the Violent Crimes Taskforce have been spotted at the Washington, D.C., home of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham following his sudden death on Saturday, from what his office described as a “brief and sudden illness,” but was later reported to be cardiac arrest.
Conservative commentator Ivan Raiklin livestreamed on X from outside the home, writing, “FBI at Lindsey Graham Home now.”
WATCH:

FBI at Lindsey Graham Home now https://t.co/JOIBiUfyR3
— Ivan Raiklin (@IvanRaiklin) July 12, 2026

Live! FBI at Lindsey Graham Home https://t.co/684CoRGpYZ
— Ivan Raiklin (@IvanRaiklin) July 12, 2026

Graham’s office announced early Sunday morning that the longtime senator died at his D.C. home after a brief illness.
Paramedics reportedly responded to a cardiac arrest call at the residence.
The sudden nature of the death has prompted an investigation by local authorities, with the FBI now assisting and making “every necessary resource available,” according to FBI Director Kash Patel.
Patel issued a statement honoring Graham and confirming the bureau’s support for local investigators.

Senator Lindsey Graham was a devoted public servant, a fierce defender of our nation, and a true patriot who dedicated his life to the people of South Carolina and the United States.
Our prayers are with his family, loved ones, colleagues, and all those who knew him during this…
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) July 12, 2026

Official sources have told CNN that there is currently no evidence of foul play or unnatural causes in Graham’s death.
Law enforcement officials familiar with the case told multiple outlets that investigators are conducting a standard review following an unattended death, and the FBI’s role appears to be providing additional resources rather than indicating suspicion of criminal activity.
The FBI’s presence at Graham’s home has fueled intense speculation and conspiracy theories across social media platforms.
Some users have pointed to Graham’s recent trip to Ukraine and his vocal criticism of the Iranian regime as potential motives for foul play, with theories circulating that foreign actors such as Russia or Iran may have been involved.
On Sunday, President Donald Trump called in to NBC’s “Meet the Press” and revealed that his final conversation with Graham on Saturday night focused on the SAVE America Act.
Trump described Graham as enthusiastic about the voter integrity legislation and said the senator had been pushing hard for its passage.

The post VIDEO: FBI and Violent Crimes Taskforce Spotted Outside Home of Sen. Lindsey Graham appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Crowds celebrate and wave flags while listening to the band music at the Salute to America event Thursday, July 4, 2019, at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. (Official White House photo by Joyce N. Boghosian)
Mail-order abortion is trampling the rights of women, children, and pro-life states. This is President Trump’s Gettysburg moment.
War used to have unspoken rules of engagement. Rules that mandated respect for the dignity and preservation of human life.
It seems the rules have changed.
Children, once known to be off-limits, are now targets for elimination. And if their mothers happen to get caught in the crossfire, well, so be it.
This is the mentality driving the silent civil war anti-life states have been waging against pro-life states since June 2022, and a new Restoration of America Foundation (ROAF) report details the devastation.
More than 328,000 abortion pills have been illegally shipped into pro-life states as of December 2025, according to the report. Those pills were presumably ingested, killing babies in states where their lives are supposed to be protected. And though some states have tried to hold the abortionists responsible to account, they’ve been blocked by blue states’ so-called “shield laws” specifically crafted to help these killers evade justice.
Since the Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs decision overturned the federal right to abortion, 13 states have enacted near-total abortion bans. Five states have “heartbeat” provisions limiting abortion to six weeks’ gestation, and another six states restrict telehealth abortions.
In short, about half the country has tried to regulate chemical abortion. Yet, according to ROAF, those states’ laws are circumvented each month by the 15,000 abortion pills filling their residents’ mailboxes.
The mailing of abortion drugs has long been a criminal act under federal law. The Comstock Act of 1873 explicitly prohibits the mailing of “every article, instrument, substance, drug, medicine, or thing” advertised for producing an abortion. The Biden administration pointedly ignored that fact when it greenlit mail-order abortion in December 2021, mere months ahead of Dobbs.
That timing was no coincidence. While pro-lifers spent decades focused on undoing the damage of Roe v. Wade, the abortion lobby was scheming up its next plan of attack.
Abortion-by-mail, or abortion-on-demand, is now the left’s most powerful weapon for ensuring no baby in America is safe.
And mothers are in just as much danger.
Another ROAF report published last year found that the abortion drug mifepristone, long heralded by the abortion lobby as “safe and effective,” is actually 22 times more dangerous for women than the drug’s label claims. The organization’s review of health insurance claims data revealed that more than one in 10 women (about 11%) who take mifepristone for an abortion experience severe and potentially life-threatening side effects, ranging from sepsis and hemorrhage to uterine rupture and even death.
That figure is alarming enough on its own. But when one factors in increasing reports of coerced abortions – cases where women are unwittingly being poisoned with this drug – the need for immediate action becomes inarguable.
Rosalie Markezich of Louisiana was “ecstatic” to learn she was pregnant in October 2023. Her then-boyfriend said he was happy, too – until he changed his mind. “And he decided that he had the power to change my mind as well,” Markezich told Restoration News, recounting how her boyfriend allegedly ordered abortion pills online and then coerced her into taking them, killing their unborn baby.
Markezich is now suing the FDA.
Across America, similar cases are springing up. Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Ohio, Texas, Washington – all have reported cases of coercion and abuse since the FDA rubberstamped mail-order abortion.
The God-given rights of these American women and children are under attack.
President Donald Trump could end it.
Enforcing the Comstock Act would immediately halt the blue-state operations flouting pro-life laws. The Trump Justice Department could also simply allow the courts to nullify mail-order abortion – an outcome a federal judge in Louisiana deemed likely.
For once, the door to safeguarding innocent life has been left wide open. The question is whether the president will walk through it.
Another Republican president – America’s first – once faced a similar dilemma. At the time, the moral question of slavery had split the nation in two, and the possibility of reunification seemed nearly impossible.
Abolition, after all, was not a politically expedient cause. The cost – some 620,000 lives – was unbelievably steep. But when the conflict reached its bloodiest, President Abraham Lincoln did not retreat out of fear of the political consequences. On the contrary, he doubled down.
His words, recalling our Founding Fathers, will forever remain etched in history: “Four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth, upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”
Yes, created equal.
Lincoln went on to resolve that “this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom – and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
That new birth of freedom came for some Americans, but not all. President Trump has the power to change that.
This is his Gettysburg moment. I pray he doesn’t let it pass him by.
This article was originally published by RealClearPolitics and made available via RealClearWire.

Topline: The Department of Veterans Affairs made $1 billion in improper payments from 2018 to 2024 while reimbursing veterans for travel to doctors’ appointments, according to a review from the Government Accountability Office.
Key facts: Veterans with federal health insurance and their caregivers get coverage for gas, meals, lodging, taxis and more for approved medical appointments through the Beneficiary Travel Program. But huge amounts of money have been paid for travel that was inexpensive or potentially never happened, according to the audit.
The Beneficiary Travel Program made $215 million in improper payments in 2018, or 24% of all travel reimbursements. In 2024, there were $150 million in improper payments, or 8% of all reimbursements.
Some of the mistakes came because VA officials entered data incorrectly and reimbursed veterans for more miles than they actually traveled. Other times, beneficiaries never submitted the proper forms showing their appointments were medically necessary, but they were reimbursed anyway.
Most improper payments are not intentionally criminal, but the VA did prosecute 10 people who submitted 892 fraudulent insurance claims worth $219,000 from 2018 to 2024. The most common scheme was veterans lying about their address to make it seem like they had traveled many miles to reach a doctor.
There may have been other instances of fraud that never reached prosecution because the dollar amount was low, according to the GAO.
The overall cost of the travel program has skyrocketed from about $900 million in 2018 to $2.3 billion in 2025.
Search all federal, state and local salaries and vendor spending with the world’s largest government spending database at OpenTheBooks.com. 
Summary: The best way to care for our nation’s veterans is through a healthcare system with strong fraud controls and sound fiscal management.
The #WasteOfTheDay is brought to you by the forensic auditors at OpenTheBooks.com
This article was originally published by RealClearInvestigations and made available via RealClearWire.