Having a political chat with ChatGPT
Its first draft was complete, factual, and nonpartisan, giving arguments from both sides of the aisle, and the differing sides within the Democratic caucus, which is a fancy name for a street gang.
Latest
On assault, judge gets it right, jury gets it wrong
If hitting an officer with a sandwich is OK, how about a paper cup? How about an empty plastic water bottle? How about a full water bottle?
The story behind a shutdown joke
“A fool and his money are soon elected.”
Democrats clean up, even the evil ones
The tighter a Republican candidate is to President Donald J. Trump, the worse they will do in a moderate state.
If it’s Halloween, it’s time for Henri David to shine
“Don’t come as you are, come as you want to be.”
Director Bigelow flinched at taking the final step
By genre, this is ticking-bomb stuff. In 18 minutes something catastrophic will happen, can we dodge the bullet, so to speak?
NYTimes preaches moderation to Democrats
American politics today can seem to be dominated by extremes. President Trump is carrying out far-right policies, while some of the country’s highest-profile Democrats identify as democratic socialists. Moderation sometimes feels outdated. It is not.
Another curious news call by the Inquirer
In more than 40 paragraphs, several pro-trans people are quoted, while only one mention of opposition to “rights” of trans people
My life as a Mafia outsider
I covered the mob from the edges, but I had a couple of advantages
K + K kind of a krappy experience
The restaurant’s logo is a rooster, for some reason. Maybe it’s the cock in kocktails.
R.I.P. Michael Days. A gentleman and editor to be admired
This was Michael’s proof of his belief in the marketplace of ideas — to greenlight an opinion he disagreed with.
Why New York Jews should reject Zohran Mamdani
The grinning Zohran changes his positions as easily as he changes clothes.
Pentagon Papers
The Press versus the Pentagon
The news organizations said the restrictions are without precedent, and attack core protections offered by the First Amendment.
Philadelphia Art Museum
Art Museum rebrands and misses a beat
Sooo, in the name of a “more accessible vibe,” PhAM sliced one word out of its name and designed a new logo, the dragony griffin you see at the top of this column.
illegal Immigration
Massive deportation backfiring on Republicans
In the same period, support for the mass deportation promised by Trump declined 9%, from 47% in June 2024, to 38% in June 2025.
Super Bowl
Here’s why NFL picked Bad Bunny for the Super Bowl
In recent years the Super Bowl has slithered from pop stars such as Carol Channing (twice!), Diana Ross, the Rockettes and Chubby Checker, to what loosely reflects what the players listen to — rap, hip-hop, world beat — whatever is the flavor of the moment.
Loading Zones
It’s a load of bait-and-switch at City Council
“It is a rare event in Philadelphia when 25,000 people that live on the Pine and Spruce corridors are collectively screwed in public, in the City Council’s chambers, in broad daylight,” said FOPS board member Ken Luongo.
Illegal immigration
Helping the Inquirer on issue of the undocumented
It has been a legitimate function of government to determine how many people from what nations are to be admitted. That function has sometimes been biased.
Mideast Peace Plan
Trump chooses to ride the tiger at the right time
If Hamas refuses, Israel, with the full backing of the U.S., said Trump, can do what it has to do.
Illegal immigration
“Defund the police” has turned into “Defy the police”
Even if illegals are your neighbors, if they are here illegally, they are subject to removal, even if they have committed no additional crime. Illegal presence is enough.
The Presidents Club
The traits that JFK and Trump share
There is no arguing that Trump, as a construction titan, had far more executive experience than Kennedy, whose only executive stint was as the captain of PT-109 which got sunk.
Bike lanes
Some good news for FOPS in the bicycle wars
Year after year, over the last 15 years, the percentage of Philadelphians commuting by bike has hovered around 2%, irrespective of the growing number of bike lanes.
Reparations
Trump asks King Charles for reparations
Look — when a decision you make is based entirely or mostly on race, it is racist. It’s in the definition.
Free Speech
Should the online Kirk haters be fired?
Some of the Kirk haters jumping for joy — including teachers, airline pilots, first responders — were fired from their jobs as a result of their comments.