Democrats Are Thrilled That Trump Will Hit the Midterms Trail: The president tried the same strategy in 2018, and the GOP lost the House | David M. Drucker

We fact checked Jonah Goldberg's official bio on The Dispatch Podcast

"Something has changed in the practical environment that has eroded conservatism’s ability to conserve itself" | Matthew J. Franck https://thedispatch.com/article/maga-right-intellect-trump-ideas-extremism/

"Nick Fuentes’ coalition is surprisingly diverse." | Surya Gowda https://thedispatch.com/article/nonwhite-groypers-fuentes-antisemitism-racism-malkin/

"[Trump's] ties to hostile bidders for Warner Bros. Discovery raise questions about the politicization of antitrust." | Alex Demas https://thedispatch.com/article/trump-warner-bros-netflix-paramount-antitrust/

The Bondi Beach Terror Attack: Jewish Australians question their safety after gunmen targeted a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney | Morning Dispatch https://thedispatch.com/newsletter/morning/the-bondi-beach-terror-attack/

Congratulations to Max for being last week's Dispawtcher of the Week, and thank you to Dispatch member Curtis Edmonds for your submission. Submit nominations by filling out the submission link in the G-File! Reminder: You must be a Dispatch member to participate.

"In our current societal context, the existence of these tableaus is more countercultural and out of the ordinary than an overbearing imposition from the dominant religion." | Mark Kendall https://thedispatch.com/article/christmas-rudolph-vargas-california/

"The tariffs are increasing uncertainty. It's not just a tax on consumption. It's also a tax on risk taking." | Jonah Goldberg explains on CNN's The Arena

"Their aim is to borrow the logic of left-wing identity politics and simply assert that their opinions and agendas are more legitimate solely because of an accident of birth." | Jonah Goldberg in G-File https://thedispatch.com/newsletter/gfile/heritage-americans-patriotism-nationalism-vance/

The Man-Children of the Revolution: Zohran Mamdani, Luigi Mangione, and the gentle parenting of violence | Tal Fortgang https://thedispatch.com/article/mamdani-mangione-children-jews-murder-moral-intuitions/

"I have a sense that the Trump movement already is over, and that what we are seeing today is only its death twitches before rigor mortis starts setting in." | Kevin D. Williamson https://thedispatch.com/article/pareto-improvement-punishment-trump-economics/

Did the Islamic State Ever Go Away? Seven years after Trump declared victory over ISIS, the terrorist group continues to inspire attacks worldwide | Morning Dispatch https://thedispatch.com/newsletter/morning/did-the-islamic-state-ever-go-away/

"The conflict not only set the course for U.S. global dominance; it helped establish the model for how future generations of Americans would envision that leadership role." | Charlotte Lawson in TheNext250 https://thedispatch.com/next-250/spanish-american-war-moral-military/

Are Electric Vehicles Finished? American automakers are canceling EV plans while Chinese competitors continue to surge ahead globally | Morning Dispatch https://thedispatch.com/newsletter/morning/are-electric-vehicles-finished/

"If we can admit that justice for both the surrogates and the babies they carry demands something more than mere acquiescence toward the demands of the market, we could envision meaningful reforms." | Patrick T. Brown https://thedispatch.com/article/surrogacy-ivf-abortion-freedom-reproduction/

"Repealing the military force authorization for the Gulf and Iraq wars is not just symbolic." | Charles Hilu https://thedispatch.com/article/defense-bill-1991-2002-authorization-military-force-repeal/

"They see [Trump] distracted by a whole bunch of things that make it feel like he’s not actually focused on the concerns of those median voters who cared about affordability." | Jonah Goldberg explains on CNN's The Arena

DISPATCH DEBATE: Flag Burning Is Legal. It Shouldn’t Be: People who desecrate the American flag have no interest in freedom of speech | Charles Fain Lehman https://thedispatch.com/debates/ban-flag-burning-first-amendment-incitement/

What’s Behind Gold’s Rally? Gold and silver have posted their best yearly gains since the late 1970s | Morning Dispatch https://thedispatch.com/newsletter/morning/whats-behind-golds-rally/

"'The idea that sending Trump on the road in these midterms is a big part of their strategy is a huge gift to Democrats,' Meredith Kelly, a Democratic media strategist, told The Dispatch." | David M. Drucker https://thedispatch.com/article/trump-midterms-campaign-susie-wiles-affordability/

"Republicans are 'trying to figure out how much of what the Democrats want that they should be giving them rather than what Republicans want instead.'" Yuval Levin told The Dispatch | John McCormack https://thedispatch.com/article/republicans-democrats-obamacare/

"The meeting made explicit what was already becoming apparent: The iconoclasts are in charge and pursuing a campaign against public health guidance, as such." | Grayson Logue https://thedispatch.com/article/vaccine-panel-hepatitis-b-recommendations-iconoclasts/

"The president remains at the center of the right, but some of the satellites around him, like Greene, are beginning to spin out of orbit as his gravitational pull weakens." | Nick Catoggio in Boiling Frogs https://thedispatch.com/newsletter/boilingfrogs/trump-maga-death-throes-2028-midterms/

Hong Kong Court Finds Jimmy Lai Guilty | Mark Clifford, Hong Kong expert and biographer of Jimmy Lai, takes his stand on the floor of the House of Remnant

"Green erred badly when redefining 'poverty' to mean something much different from what it’s always (and importantly) meant: a person’s inability to meet basic needs." | Scott Lincicome https://thedispatch.com/newsletter/capitolism/poverty-level-middle-class-expectations/

Jonah Goldberg explains on CNN’s The Arena why the September drug boat strike in the Caribbean is creating real political risk for Pete Hegseth.

"If conservatives continue to ignore video games, dismiss them as a waste of time, and belittle those who play them, then they might be brushing off a significant chunk of Americans." | Oliver Jia https://thedispatch.com/article/video-games-culture-youth-right-media/

"The Last Men offers a thesis too sweeping for the evidence marshaled on its behalf. It aspires to diagnose a crisis of masculinity; it ends, instead, as a disappointingly flaccid read." | Aidan Grogan https://thedispatch.com/article/raw-egg-nationalist-fertility-masculinity-liberalism/

"Contrary to the contemporary mythos, Austen’s novels aren’t about love, romance, and marriage. No, Austen’s novels are about character." | Karen Swallow Prior in Dispatch Faith https://thedispatch.com/newsletter/dispatch-faith/jane-austen-ethics-250th/

Chile Elects Right-Wing President: Rising gang violence and immigration concerns drove Chilean voters to elect the right-wing candidate. https://thedispatch.com/newsletter/morning/chile-elects-right-wing-president/

"The simple explanation for yesterday’s result is that it was a product of strong, principled leadership, a species gone almost entirely extinct among Republicans since 2015." | Nick Catoggio https://thedispatch.com/newsletter/boilingfrogs/indiana-senate-redistricting-refuse-trump-pressure/

"Households that make $140,000 a year are not “poor.” But it doesn’t surprise me in the slightest that they feel poor." | Jonah Goldberg in G-File https://thedispatch.com/newsletter/gfile/rich-aint-what-it-used-to-be/

"If responsible politicians don't deal with immigration, irresponsible politicians will take the issue and win with it." | Jonah Goldberg on The Dispatch Podcast

"More and more people are turning to artificial intelligence for mental health help, sometimes with tragic results." | Jonathan Gibson https://thedispatch.com/article/ai-mental-health/

Europe’s Free Speech Problem: The U.K. averages 12,000 arrests a year for online speech while the EU and tech giants spar over platform rules | Morning Dispatch https://thedispatch.com/newsletter/morning/europes-free-speech-problem/

Will Vice President J.D. Vance Have a 2028 Primary Challenger? There’s a lot more riding on the 2026 midterm elections than the GOP’s congressional majorities | David M. Drucker

"Artificial intelligence is growing faster than the electricity system that powers it." | Lynne Kiesling in Dispatch Energy, presented by Pacific Legal Foundation 🔓 https://thedispatch.com/newsletter/dispatch-energy/ai-data-centers-energy-demand-projections/

Sarah Isgur discusses on ABC News the Supreme Court’s consideration of whether long-standing legal limits on coordinated campaign spending violate the First Amendment Watch here: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/video/supreme-court-hears-major-challenge-campaign-spending-limits-128246921

DISPATCH DEBATE - The Flag Deserves Better Than Protection: Outlawing flag burning would undermine the banner’s very meaning | Matthew Cavedon https://thedispatch.com/debates/free-speech-flag-burning-constitution-patriotism/

"There is something surreal about the conflict currently playing out in Indiana, where the president of the United States has turned his tweet-borne fury on a group of Republican state senators." | Philip Wallach https://thedispatch.com/article/redistricting-trump-indiana-republicans/

It’s Time to End Affirmative Action for Men: Higher education systematically disadvantages female applicants | Yascha Mounk https://thedispatch.com/article/university-college-gender-discrimination-men-admissions/

Trump’s Pardon Spree: From January 6 defendants to foreign leaders, this White House has been uniquely willing to grant clemency requests | Morning Dispatch https://thedispatch.com/newsletter/morning/trumps-pardon-spree/

Curious what all the hype is about? Join The Dispatch today: https://thedispatch.com/join/

"She’s a combative political performance artist distinguished chiefly by the relish with which she throws rhetorical punches at the opposition." | Nick Catoggio in Boiling Frogs https://thedispatch.com/newsletter/boilingfrogs/jasmine-crockett-texas-senate-midterms/

"The relevant issue is whether the president can unilaterally declare a category of people killable on his say-so alone." | Jonah Goldberg in G-File https://thedispatch.com/newsletter/gfile/mustard-gas-cocaine-kill-president-congress-legal/

"The U.S. economy feels to me sort of like a deer frozen in the headlights." | Megan McArdle on The Dispatch Podcast

"The next year is going to be a miserable one for House Speaker Mike Johnson." | Jonah Goldberg https://thedispatch.com/article/mike-johnson-midterms-trump-fall-guy/

"The story of humanity—and progress—is largely a story of immigration." | Thomas Dichter https://thedispatch.com/article/immigration-trump-deportations-leeches-history/

"America’s new foreign policy is still very much based on 'values.' It’s not our idealism that’s changed under Trump, it’s the ideals." | Nick Catoggio https://thedispatch.com/newsletter/boilingfrogs/national-security-china-russia-values-ukraine-postliberal/