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November 2016

Posted by Leslie Eastman on November 27, 2016 17 Comments
The Dakota Access Pipeline is a nearly 1,200-mile-long underground oil pipeline project that begins in the Bakken oil fields of North Dakota and ends at the oil tank farm near Patoka, Illinois. The pipeline is being built to allow crude oil to reach refining markets in a more direct, cost-effective, safer and environmentally responsible manner by reducing the current use of rail and truck transportation. The pipeline was due for delivery on January 1, 2017. However, a series of violent demonstrations have taken place, spearheaded by climate alarmists and social justice warriors, that have delayed its completion.

Posted by Mark Finkelstein on November 27, 2016 23 Comments
Much of the commentary about Kellyanne Conway's Meet the Press appearance this morning has focused on her criticism of the prospect of Mitt Romney as Secretary of State. We'll discuss that in a "Note" below but would like to highlight a striking statement by Chuck Todd that immediately preceded the Romney discussion. Todd was grilling Conway over potential conflicts between Trump's business interests and his role as president. Conway eventually had enough, and observed "I went back and looked at what all the press clips and the conversations on shows like this eight years ago. It was basically debating just how cool Barack Obama is. . . . if we're not going to do that about President-elect Trump, we should at the very least trust him to do the right thing and comply with the law here." A visibly annoyed Todd shot back: "I understand. Every knee-jerk pushback is going to be to blame the media. It's a crutch. I get it. And I'm used to it. But it's not the fact."

Posted by Miriam Elman on November 27, 2016 5 Comments
Since October 2015, Israelis have endured stabbings, car rammings, and shootings in a wave of Palestinian violence that’s tapered off somewhat but hasn’t really come to an end. Now it looks like arson can be added to the list. This past week Israel has been battling massive fires with at least some of them caused by deliberate “nationally motivated” arson. Most people on the planet would say that if arsonists start fires, then they should be held responsible for the damage. But as we’ve noted on many occasions on this website and as I discuss further below, some of Israel’s worst detractors aren’t like most people. Instead of blaming the arson-terrorists, they want to pin it entirely on the pine trees.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on November 27, 2016 14 Comments
Scientists reviewing the logbooks of polar explorers such as Robert Falcon Scott and Ernest Shackleton show there has been no significant melting of the continent's ice sheets.
Experts were concerned that ice at the South Pole had declined significantly since the 1950s, which they feared was driven by man-made climate change. But new analysis suggests that conditions are now virtually identical to when the Terra Nova and Endurance sailed to the continent in the early 1900s, indicating that declines are part of a natural cycle and not the result of global warming.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on November 26, 2016 14 Comments
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had one of the most cringeworthy statements for departed tyrant Fidel Castro (emphasis added):
The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on the death of former Cuban President Fidel Castro: “It is with deep sorrow that I learned today of the death of Cuba’s longest serving President. “Fidel Castro was a larger than life leader who served his people for almost half a century. A legendary revolutionary and orator, Mr. Castro made significant improvements to the education and healthcare of his island nation. “While a controversial figure, both Mr. Castro’s supporters and detractors recognized his tremendous dedication and love for the Cuban people who had a deep and lasting affection for “el Comandante”.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on November 26, 2016 6 Comments
Americans for Peace and Tolerance is releasing a 70-minute documentary on the rise of antisemitism and anti-Israel activity on campuses and the role played by the BDS movement and Students for Justice in Palestine. The movie is titled Hate Spaces: The Politics of Intolerance on Campus. I was interviewed for the documentary, along with others such as Alan Dershowitz of Harvard, Richard Landes of Boston University, Bret Stephens of The Wall Street Journal and Caroline Glick of The Jerusalem Post. Here is one early review of the film:
I’ve written about the phenomenon more than once, so I didn’t expect to be surprised by anything in the film. But despite knowing about the various incidents described, the sheer volume and intensity of them taken together left me shaken. Yes, shaken, and I’m not easy to shake....

Posted by Fuzzy Slippers on November 26, 2016 13 Comments
As Cuban exiles flood into the streets of Miami to celebrate the death of Fidel Castro, I'm reading an article published yesterday—just hours before Castro's death was announced, an article by a Miami Herald reporter who challenged Colin Kaepernick on his fanciful notions about Castro. Earlier this week the San Francisco 49ers quarterback who refused to stand for the national anthem heaped praise on Castro; Herald reporter Armando Salguero took issue with Kaepernick's ignorant and hypocritical comments.

Posted by Mary Chastain on November 26, 2016 4 Comments
President-elect Donald Trump has appointed Donald McGahn as White House counsel and Kathleen Troia McFarland as deputy national security advisor. McFarland currently works for Fox News as a national security analyst after working "under three Republican administrations." From The Hill:
“I am proud that KT has once again decided to serve our country and join my national security team,” Trump said in a statement. “She has tremendous experience and innate talent that will complement the fantastic team we are assembling, which is crucial because nothing is more important than keeping our people safe.”
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