Almost two years after his alleged curb-stomping by officer Christopher Showalter, William Hardy still faces municipal charges in Kansas City. From Toriano Porter:

My pastor's sermons on a Christian approach to using tech in our daily lives led me to write a column on why I have always read the comments on my columns. www.kansascity.com/opinion/opn-... (gift link) Read the next post for a link to his first of four sermons

My pastor's sermons on a Christian approach to using tech in our daily lives led me to write a column on why I have always read the comments on my columns. www.kansascity.com/opinion/opn-... (gift link) Read the next post for a link to his first of four sermons

Conservative columnist @davidmastio.bsky.social on Don Lemon vs "wannabe authoritarian" Donald Trump: "The government running roughshod over the First Amendment is a far more serious affront to constitutional norms than protestors peacefully breaking the law."🎁 www.kansascity.com/opinion/opn-...

@demfromct.bsky.social with a "public opinion matters" pundit roundup, including an excerpt from my Q-and-A with @editorialboard.bsky.social about Dems' impeachment shift—why they're more open to it, what was the breaking point, who's up first, and what comes next. www.dailykos.com/stories/2026...

Welcome readers of The Point. Here's you gift link: www.kansascity.com/opinion/opn-...

Federal agents cornered Marimar Martinez, shot her several times, boasted about it, arrested her, lied about her to the public and in the police report, and falsely charged her with assaulting them. Now the government wants to keep evidence of their lies secret to protect these agents' "privacy."

They pick the low-hanging fruit that people will be tempted not to defend, making it easier to take the next step. So yeah, we have to speak up for Don Lemon because we have to speak up for Don Lemon, but also for when they come for the rest of us.

First Amendment protections apply even to shady opinionated journalists. www.kansascity.com/opinion/opn-...

Sad day: USA TODAY Co, formerly @gannett, buys Detroit News. @usatoday.com has revamped every conservative editorial page it has ever owned and turned it mushy liberal. #RIPIndystar #RIPOklahoman #RIPCincyEnquirer #RIPArizonaRepublic

friend of mine is an undocumented immigrant and has been hiding in Melania theaters bc he knows people assume no one is in there

We could be about to see the debate on Sanctuary cities Republicans have always wanted (gift link): www.kansascity.com/opinion/opn-...

"I'm coming to Boston and I'm bringing hell with me." --Homan in February "Do I expect violence to escalate? Absolutely." -- Tom Homan in March "I actually thought about getting up and throwing that man a beating right there in the middle of the room" -- Homan in July, referring to a D congressman

In this month's @nationalreview.bsky.social magazine, I offer up a love letter to America's most efficient storage system: The shoebox.

What Donald Trump would do if his goal really was to get rid of non-criminal undocumented immigrants (gift link) www.kansascity.com/opinion/opn-...

Lumina Extingue Finivimus

Just did an interview on CBS News 24/7 about the Pretti shooting in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I'll be on again in a few minutes. You can watch for free here: www.cbsnews.com/live/

GOPer Chris Madel ended run for MN gov because of party's “stated retribution on the citizens of our state, nor can I count myself a member of a party that would do so.” Citizens esp. those of color "live in fear...carrying papers to prove their citizenship.That’s wrong." www.cnn.com/2026/01/26/p...

Democrats want 16 yos to vote. What the heck are they thinking? Civic nebraska in this article seems like a bunch of democrat partisan hacks.

Good lord. There is no 1a right to other people’s money.

Douthat’s interview with @ryanburge.bsky.social is very interesting and informative. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/22/o...

The first advice that journalists and columnists get is not to read the comments. That’s wrong. From David Mastio: | Opinion

An important issue. President Trump keeps saying that NATO would never come to America's aid. But recent history disproves this. Trump is relying on the ignorance of voters, in the fashion of demagogues everywhere. apnews.com/article/denm...

My new column on Trump's growing dementia quoting @radiofreetom.bsky.social (gift link) www.kansascity.com/opinion/opn-...

Good. There is enough blood on communist hands to treat them like nazis in the story of the 20th century.

It is not up to the armed forces to put a stop to Trump’s ghastly ideas of war against NATO. The United States is not run by the military, nor should it be. Americans, and their elected representatives, must take this burden away from the armed forces—now. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...

Mamdani is changing his tone because of budget realities. Did people really not see this coming? edition.cnn.com/2026/01/19/p...

Republicans in Congress who want to save NATO - I am thinking here of Sen. Jerry Moran - don’t seem to realize they are probably already too late. I wonder how many realized they were complicit in real time and how many will only realize in retrospect.

Kansans *should* like immigration because the state would be treading water without migrants. www.kansascity.com/opinion/arti...

Over on Reddit, Bulwark editor @jvl.bsky.social is doing an AMA www.reddit.com/r/thebulwark...

So this has gone a little viral -- "I am inclined to be worried more about the Republicans and their electoral fantasies as we enter an election year. ... But you can’t dismiss the Democrats’ loopy beliefs as inconsequential." www.kansascity.com/opinion/opn-...

Important emu-related news. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/15/u...

Americans are choosing sanity and I still have hope the courts will, too. www.kansascity.com/opinion/opn-...

Meh, I've seen autism Barbie before www.kansascity.com/opinion/opn-...

Past presidents, including G.W. Bush and Obama, took reporters to court and threatened them with jail if they didn't turn over their sources. Under the new authoritarian regime, the FBI just barges into a reporter's home and grabs what they want. apnews.com/article/fbi-...

Come enjoy seeing me get my head handed to me in the comments ... www.kansascity.com/opinion/opn-... (gift link)

Iran has sent Russia $2.7 billion worth of missiles. Just to underline how important Iran has become for the Russian regime. It is absolutely vital for Putin to keep the mullah regime running.

My latest: www.kansascity.com/opinion/opn-...

Trump habitually campaigns as a candidate with no love of military interventions or overseas involvement, and then reverses course in office. Opportunism and ego are at the heart of this bait-and-switch, dove-to-hawk syndrome. My latest at @contrariannews.org contrarian.substack.com/p/an-opportu...

The problem with the Milwaukee ICE shooting is that the victim is only the latest of hundreds of citizens caught up in the gears of the immigration crackdown (gift link) www.kansascity.com/opinion/opn-...

My take on the fresh raft of lies about Jan. 6 from WhiteHouse.gov -- www.kansascity.com/opinion/opn-...

Today is the anniversary of my younger brother's death. It still hurts like mad. I wrote three columns, over a few years, about Lee and his struggle. This is the first. www.usatoday.com/story/opinio...

Introducing - @kacen.bsky.social - The Star’s new Democracy Insider as Kansas City area preps for historic 2026. www.kansascity.com/news/politic...

Opinion editor @claywires.bsky.social writes: One more look at 2025: These 67 Kansas news stories chronicled tumult, tribulation and triumph #ksleg

Yes it is about the oil, but it might not be about Venezuela (gift link) www.kansascity.com/opinion/opn-...

A New Year's treat for word nerds, posted by @bcdreyer.social. My editor-husband and I have debated his sensible, not-so-sensible and hilariously wry tips (what he'd call rules) for hours. benjamindreyer.substack.com/p/in-conclus... Plus a short addendum benjamindreyer.substack.com/p/5-easy-pie...

For people who'd like to *read* the article, here's a gift link: www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/...

We didn’t vote for masked ICE agent thuggery, but we did vote for tough immigration enforcement in our courts. U.S. attorneys are working within the law. | Opinion

Missouri’s junior senator said the U.S. should start acting like a superpower again. The “peacemaker and unifier” president did it without Congress’ approval. | Opinion