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January 2018

Back in December, the media published texts between FBI Agent Peter Strzok, who was involved in the Russia investigation, and FBI attorney Lisa Page demeaning then-candidate Donald Trump and hoping that failed Democrat candidate Hillary Clinton would win. Special Counsel Robert Mueller quietly removed Strzok from the investigation after he discovered the texts. However, some of the texts also mentioned "specific reporters, news organizations and articles." These texts have spawned a congressional probe into whether those involved "had contacts with the news media that resulted in improper leaks."

Three months after Germans went to the polls, Chancellor Angela Merkel is making a last ditch effort to form an alliance with the left-wing Social Democrats (SPD), a move that could secure her a fourth term in office. Last month, Merkel's traditional ally, the center-right Free Democrats (FDP), abruptly walked out of the talks, citing irreconcilable differences over refugee policy and other key issues -- leaving a so-called 'grand coalition' with the SPD her only path to power.

North Korea and South Korea held high-level talks for the first time in two years. The outcome led to a major breakthrough: North Korea will send athletes to compete in the 2018 Winter Olympics next month located in South Korea. The two countries have also agreed to hold meetings to ease military tensions.

One of our Top Ten "Fun" posts for 2017 concerned Muhammad Hemada Walid al-Quqa, the Hamas explosives chief who accidentally blew himself up. It's what's often called a "work accident." There was just another supposed work accident by another senior Hamas terrorist, who shot himself in the head while inspecting his weapon. Or at least it's being claimed it was an accident.

What can you say about soon-to-be-former governor of New Jersey Chris Christie?  At one time, it seemed his star was rising, that he was destined for the White House.  That is the historical moment to which Christie apparently clings. Christie, who leaves office—and almost certainly any political future—on January 16th, believes that if President Trump had not run in 2016, he'd be president today.

President Donald Trump's administration has decided to end special protections given to some El Salvador immigrants who came to America in 2001 after devastating earthquakes. Now, before you get all crazy, I'm seeing outlets bury this important detail: the protections will not end until September 2019. This will give those immigrants plenty of time to work on citizenship and stay in America. It will also give Congress time to work on immigration reform.

While everyone is gushing over Oprah Winfrey, the Democrats in D.C. can hide the fact that they're holding the spending bill hostage over the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) program. Before Christmas, Congress passed a short term spending bill to keep the government running until January 19. The Democrats have made it clear they want full legalization of DACA recipients while Republicans have mentioned a wall and actual reforms to our immigration system.

We previously covered the bitter town/gown dispute between Gibson's Bakery and Oberlin College. The short version is that three Oberlin students were arrested for shoplifting at Gibson's bakery. Oberlin students claimed racial profiling, and mounted protests and a boycott supported by college student groups, administrators and faculty. The boycott continued even after police released data showing there was no racial profiling in shoplifting arrests at the bakery, and the three students pled guilty. See these posts for background on the dispute:

The Boycott, Divest and Sanctions (BDS) movement is dedicated to the destruction of Israel. As we documented, BDS in its present form was conceived at the 2001 Tehran and later Durban conferences, as a tactic with the goal of the elimination of Israel as a Jewish-majority state. Contrary to the popular mythology of the BDS movement, it was not the result of a 2005 call from "Palestinian Civil Society."  BDS was a continuation of the anti-Jewish Arab boycotts dating back at least to the 1920s, repackaged for Western "social justice" activism.