"Both sides are becoming identical... looking into a mirror [they] will see that this is the pattern for the future." "The whole world as The Village." Far-sighted, indeed.

"Who are you?" "The new Number Two."

"Who are you?" "The new Number Two."

Mitch is alive and well... and in perfect hibernation 🎬 #filmsky #moviesky #cinema

I knew one of the Costco founders a little. He boasted proudly abt how Catholic social teaching inspired their bylaws. As he told me in 1998, anything above 12% profit was to be invested in capital, inventory, and employees. One of the MOST profitable US corps can do it. Any of them could.

I'm not afraid of death I'm scared of going through this thing twice

You take the man out of the city, not the city out the man You take the man out of the city, not the city out the man You take the man out of the city, not the city out the man You take the man out of the-

I joined my CTU colleagues to reflect here on different aspects of Pope Leo's new encyclical. I hope you'll have a look. mailchi.mp/ctu.edu/magn...

The slide from democracy to populism tracks pretty closely to the ascent of "communicator" as a political skill that has eclipsed "policy maker." See: Platner, Trump, Clinton, Reagan, et al

With a collapse zone established around a Midtown building today, it's a good day to recommend this book to you. Also--government regulation is not a bad thing, and my guess is we're going to learn there were some failures here under developer pressure. nyupress.org/978147982997...

*IF* McConnell is being kept alive to Aug 3, the healthcare scandal nearly equals the political one. Assume $10k/day for 50days. That's $500k burdening DC Health Link and everyone paying premiums (incl taxpayers who subsidize member premiums). All to achieve a partisan goal. McConnell's America.

The Graham Platner problem is the Donald Trump problem is a voter problem. Voters are voting for personalities and 'good stories.' Sometimes you get AOC or Mamdani, who pursue the public good. Mostly you get narcissistic scoundrels. Democracy means voting our interests, not our entertainment.

Had this weekend's Chicago rainfall been snow, we would be buried under 30"-40". Everything's fine.

A ~40yr @93xrtchicago.bsky.social listener, they are (at least for ppl my age) the greatest station in Chicago and I have long been struck by their subtly overt Catholicism—such as today's Freeform at 4 commemorating 80yrs since Mother Cabrini's canonization. In Chicago, could it be otherwise?

The takeaway here is they neither value nor comprehend education as generations of Americans back to the founding did. They see only instrumental indoctrination—yours or mine. The whole political crisis is explained by this.

En route to the US from 4 days at the Stratford Festival. An affordable getaway, and being immersed in good productions for a long weekend is wonderfully humanizing. Tempest *** 1/2* Othello **** Waiting for Godot **** Death of a Salesman **** Better than fireworks.

A version of Escape from New York where the gangs are the Sharks and the Jets, they sing and they dance.

I don't have a doubt that T&T are among the nicest immorally wealthy people on the planet. But everything about this Gilded Age event should still fill ordinary people with at least some rage. www.bbc.com/news/article...

They donated 26 million (about 1 percent of just Taylor's net worth) to charities. Believe it or not, that doesn't replace public funds and in fact probably reduced their taxes.

Maybe I'll stay in Canada.... x.com/bennyjohnson...

If Putin wanted to activate the Catholic Church in the US against him, I could not imagine a more effective way. www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2...

Happy 4th of July. We have fled to the protection of the King of England in the Commonwealth Dominion of Canada. Some observations. Tomatoes are redder and tastier. The food generally is better. The roads are smooth and well maintained like all the infrastructure. Make America British Again 🇨🇦🇬🇧🇨🇦🇬🇧🇨🇦

When they were writing The Challenge of Peace, Reagan national security advisor Wm P Clark, Jr (then the most senior Catholic in govt) accused the US Catholic bishops of being agents of the Kremlin. The playbook hasn't changed. www.breitbart.com/tech/2026/07...

“Vance admits that, about ‘half the time these days, we attend Mass at home.’ (Your book is called “Communion,” my brother!)”

So call the understudy I think it’s only right My diction will be muddy I’ll never find my light Before the intermission I’ll be pissin’ on a sprite So call the understudy I can’t go on (he can’t go on!) I won’t go on (he shan’t go on!) I can’t go on tonight (damn right!)

I've seen a lot of these guys and even known some. This picture of the excomminicant from Kansas somehow drives home something I've said often—this is as much Catholicism as going to a Star Trek convention is being a Klingon, and I think the underlying psychological motive is very similar.

1st impression only Thomas's dissent in Trump v Barbara is VERY weird

Thinking about Slaughter in a way I was thinking 4yrs ago abt Dobbs and now its even more true— To see recent SCOTUS jurisprudence as one with course preps in AmGovt is to see what really is happening. I could not teach the course I taught 20yrs, 10yrs, 5yrs, 2yrs ago. And not that things...

Throw the walls into the fireplace

My daughter, born on this date, will never appreciate howclose she came to being named Petra Paula.

A tournament A tournament A tournament of lies

"We're developing a new citizenry. One that will be very selective about cereals and automobiles, but won't be able to think." -- Rod Serling, who died #OTD 1975

As the festival of performative patriotism gets underway spare a moment for the greatest patriotic song you probably don't know. Earl Robinson and Abel Meeropol wrote it. Sinatra made it a little famous. Robeson did it best. I'll write a little about it for next week. youtu.be/SInwn3tOHDM?...

John Pawlikowski, OSM has died. John was a founding CTU faculty member. He spent his career advancing the Catholic-Jewish dialogue made possible by Vatican II. He was appted by Pres Carter to help create the US Holocaust Museum. And much more. Beyond that he was a friend. RIP.

I don't know much about the Great American State Fair. But I know great writing when I read it. archive.ph/VY0Ag

The difference between democracy and opinion polling is wider than we generally appreciate.

The irony of Republicans establishing Sharia-like laws while railing against the imaginary threat of Sharia Laws…

I have become Tom Wilkinson at this Costco.

This is a signed confession. Save it.

It seems I must endure discourses on building renovations and half-digested Fox News moral panics since preaching at Mass is “entrusted to ordained ministers through the Sacrament of Holy Orders." I couldn't possibly hear from qualified lay women and men. religionnews.com/2026/06/24/v...

For my sins, I read and reviewed JD Vance's spiritual memoir. You're welcome. religionnews.com/2026/06/24/i...

My plan is to observe America's 250th birthday by seeing Death of a Salesman in Canada on July 4, since you asked. Willy Loman, ora pro nobis.

Brothers and sisters, what is it with these 1st place Chicago White Sox?

As a scholar, I'm not much of a problematizer. I'm more of a solvematizer.

Nigel Farage isn't looking well.

What good is Notre Dame as you lay sprawling on the cobblestones in a heatstroke? Come to Finland.

Musk is more dangerous than Trump. Billionaires are more dangerous than authoritarians. Govts at all levels are dominated by the super-rich. Authoritarians only control govts. Its who controls authoritarians that should worry you. Govt itself, politics itself, is at stake now agnst pwrful forces.

I hope Andy Burnham does well. He is not Keir Starmer, which is good enough today. But in 18mos somebody else will be not Andy Burnham and I suspect that will be who people will want.