You wouldn’t think lawmakers would have to be the ones to tell medical professionals and parents that mutilating their children to appease their fantasies is a bad idea‚ but that’s exactly what had to happen in Ohio‚ where Republican legislators in the House and Senate had to override a Republican governor’s veto to protect kids in the state. On Wednesday‚ the Ohio Senate voted 23–9 to override Gov. Mike DeWine’s veto of HB 68‚ a law that will ban “gender-affirming care” including surgeries‚ puberty blockers‚ and hormone therapy for minors‚ and will prevent men and boys who identify as female from competing in women’s sports. The vote makes Ohio the 22nd state to pass a law preventing doctors from practicing “gender-affirming care” on minors. The law will take effect in 90 days. (READ MORE: Beauty Survives the Left) “The SAFE Act and Save Women’s Sports Act are the civil rights issues of our day‚ ensuring that children have the right to grow up intact‚” state Rep. Gary Click‚ who helped sponsor the bill‚ said in a statement on Wednesday. “The legislature … felt … that HB 68 was imperative to save lives‚ uphold medical ethics‚ and reaffirm women’s rights.” Official statement on the Ohio Senate’s Veto Override of #HB68 #SAFEAct #SaveWomensSports pic.twitter.com/15TKy3Y30U — Rep Gary Click (@clickforohio) January 24‚ 2024 DeWine‚ a Republican‚ vetoed the bill in December‚ arguing that puberty blockers and hormone therapy prevent kids from committing suicide. “Many parents have told me that their child would be dead today if they had not received the treatment they received from an Ohio children’s hospital. I have also been told‚ by those that are now grown adults‚ that but for this care‚ they would have taken their lives when they were teenagers‚” he said in a statement. DeWine came up with what he thought was a compromise. A week after his veto‚ he issued an executive order that banned so-called gender-reassignment surgeries for minors and required that kids who received any kind of hormone therapy or puberty blockers be seen by more doctors before receiving a prescription. However‚ the executive order didn’t address the lifelong consequences hormone therapy and puberty blockers have on the kids who take them‚ and it failed to protect women’s sports in any way. Ohio’s Republican-majority legislature wasn’t about to accept a compromise. Two weeks ago‚ its House of Representatives voted to override the veto. (WATCH MORE: The Spectacle Ep. 62: Can Republicans Learn to Win in 2024?) “It is hard to fathom that we live in a society that would tell children that they need drugs and scalpels to live their authentic lives or that treats women as second-class citizens in their own spaces. These are horrible‚ harmful‚ and hurtful messages for Ohio’s youth and it is remarkable that we would even need a law to affirm these common-sense policies‚” Click said in a statement at the time. Sen. Kristina Roegner‚ who sponsored the bill in Ohio’s Senate‚ pointed out ahead of Wednesday’s vote that “there is no such thing as a ‘gender spectrum’” or “gender-affirming care.” “You can’t affirm something that doesn’t exist‚” she explained. She also pointed out that hospitals and doctors are incentivized to recommend irreversible procedures for minors since they create “a permanent patient.” Children‚ she said‚ aren’t “capable of making life-altering decisions.” Meanwhile‚ transgender clinics and support groups claim that the legislature’s vote to override the veto will drive self-identifying transgender kids and their parents from the state. Dara Adkison‚ secretary of the board of TransOhio‚ told NBC News that families had already contacted the group to request help leaving the state. “Their government is forcing them to uproot their lives‚” she said. “They’re selling their homes‚ they’re changing jobs and careers and closing out all their savings. They’re closing their businesses‚ they’re leaving their medical practices.” Ohio’s newest law does have a grandfather clause that will allow kids in the state who are already receiving treatment to continue doing so. That clause doesn’t apply to kids who have been traveling from out of state to receive treatment. It’s not often that conservatives score this kind of win. It turns out that if Republicans refuse to accept compromises‚ they can actually make a difference. The post Ohio Legislators Override Gov. DeWine to Protect Kids appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

If you tour the magnificent Blenheim Palace‚ you will see the room where 150 years ago Winston Churchill was born — Nov. 30‚ 1874. A short distance from the palace is the very modest Bladon churchyard where Churchill was buried 90 years later on Jan. 24‚ 1965. Though he lived most of his life in the 20th century‚ Churchill was and remained a 19th-century man‚ with 19th-century values and a 19th-century worldview. The contrast between Blenheim Palace and Bladon churchyard symbolizes the history of Great Britain during Churchill’s life — a history that he helped shape and explain. At his birth‚ the British Empire governed vast expanses of the globe‚ commanded the seas‚ and anchored the always fragile global balance of power. At the time of his death‚ all of that was gone. As the king’s first minister‚ Churchill had — despite his vigorous protestations — presided over the end of the British Empire.  READ MORE: Harvard Must Learn From Churchill and Conant William Manchester‚ in volume 1 of his brilliant three-volume biography The Last Lion‚ compared Churchill to the “lion in Revelation‚ ‘the first beast‚’ with ‘six wings about him’ and ‘full of eyes within‚’” and described him as an “artist who knew how to gather the blazing light of history into his prism and then distort it to his ends.” History was Churchill’s center of gravity‚ the defining aspect of his character‚ the lodestar of his actions as a statesman‚ the prism through which he viewed England and the world. In yet another irony‚ Churchill patterned his own writing of history after Edward Gibbon‚ especially Gibbon’s History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Churchill‚ who energetically strove to prevent England from suffering Rome’s fate‚ lived himself through the decline and fall of the British Empire. His last great act of statesmanship on behalf of Britain was to forge the “special relationship” with the United States so that what he called the “English-speaking peoples” would continue to protect Western civilization from foreign challengers. Churchill believed from an early age that he was a man of destiny. And he was a man in a hurry. His father Randolph — a rising star of the Tory Party — had died at the young age of 45‚ and Churchill early on sought out military adventure‚ glory‚ and political success because he feared that he might die young too. He traveled to Cuba as a young officer with the 4th Hussar regiment to see what war was like as Cuban rebels sought independence from Spain. He traveled to India as a war correspondent‚ came under fire in Sudan‚ and was captured‚ then made a daring escape in South Africa during the Boer War. Those adventures and his mother’s contacts launched both his writing and political careers. In 1898‚ Churchill recounted his adventures on the Northwest Frontier of India in The Story of the Malakand Field Force. The next year‚ he wrote The River War about his adventures in Sudan. In 1900‚ Churchill produced two books about the Boer War: London to Ladysmith Via Pretoria and Ian Hamilton’s March. Next came a two-volume biography of his father Randolph (Lord Randolph Churchill)‚ which sought to rehabilitate his father’s tarnished political career and further Churchill’s own. Winston Churchill’s political career had its ups and downs. He switched parties (from Conservative to Liberal) in the early 1900s; gained offices with Liberal governments‚ culminating in being appointed First Lord of the Admiralty just as war clouds were gathering over Europe; was forced to resign from the Admiralty when the Dardanelles campaign (which he championed) ended in failure; served for a few months in the trenches on the Western front; and returned to office toward the end of the war serving as minister of munitions‚ as secretary of state for air and war‚ and‚ after the war‚ at the Colonial Office. In the 1920s‚ he switched back to the Conservatives and was appointed chancellor of the exchequer. When a Labor government returned to power in 1929‚ Churchill began his “wilderness years” out of office‚ which continued when the Conservatives regained control of the House of Commons in 1932. Churchill “the lion” roared warnings against the “gathering storm” in Europe and Asia as the 1930s wore on‚ but no one in power listened. He also damaged himself politically by championing the King Edward VIII during the controversy over his proposed marriage to divorcee Wallis Simpson‚ and with his vocal opposition to Indian self-rule. (READ MORE: What Does It Take to Be a Statesman?) Churchill’s appreciation of the German threat to England and the world was informed by his sense of history. He had written a biography of his ancestor John Churchill‚ the Duke of Marlborough‚ whose armies anchored coalitions to defeat Louis XIV’s quest for European hegemony. He had written The World Crisis — a six-volume history of World War I‚ whose outcome set the stage for the geopolitical drama of the 1920s and 1930s. During the 1930s‚ he was busy writing a History of the English-Speaking Peoples‚ which had chapters on Britain’s role through the centuries as “holder” of the balance of power in Europe‚ including its role in the defeat of Napoleon. Hitler’s challenge was geopolitically no different from previous attempts at European hegemony‚ but added to it was the specter of Nazism destroying Western civilization. Churchill made that latter aspect of the stakes of World War II clear in his early speeches after being named prime minister. The choice‚ he said‚ was between the “sunlit uplands” of the Judeo-Christian heritage or a “new Dark Age” of Nazism. At the end of World War II‚ an exhausted Great Britain voted Churchill out of office and gradually withdrew from its empire. But Churchill understood that the war produced yet another challenge to the balance of power and another threat to the Judeo-Christian heritage in the form of the Soviet Union. In his famous “iron curtain” speech‚ he urged the United States to assume the burden of leading the defense of Western civilization. Meanwhile‚ he wrote his Nobel Prize-winning Second World War in six volumes. The Second World War is history written in the grand style of Gibbon‚ though from the personal perspective of the leader of one of the combatants.  In his second premiership in the early 1950s‚ the lion’s roar grew weaker because Churchill was aging and Great Britain was no longer at the center of global events. World politics was being shaped by the United States and the Soviet Union. Churchill’s experience and his writings‚ however‚ remained relevant to the Cold War era. The challenge of the Soviet Union in some ways mirrored the previous challenges of Nazism‚ Imperial Germany‚ Napoleonic France‚ and Louis XIV.  In a brilliant reconsideration of Churchill in the late 1960s‚ British historian J.H. Plumb noted that it was above all Churchill’s “sense of history” that “enriched his strategic thinking” as a statesman‚ but‚ even more fundamentally‚ “[h]istory was at the heart of his faith; it permeated everything which he touched‚ and it was the mainspring of his politics and the secret of his immense mastery.” One hundred fifty years later‚ we who cherish the Judeo-Christian heritage that Churchill championed and saved‚ and that is again under attack by enemies foreign and domestic‚ can still be thankful that‚ in the words of General Sir Alan Brooke‚ “occasionally such supermen exist on this earth.”   The post The Secret to Winston Churchill’s Greatness appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

In a thrilling address at the World Economic Forum‚ Javier Milei‚ president of Argentina‚ presented a robust defense of capitalism and a critical examination of all forms of collectivism. His speech‚ rich in historical context and economic analysis‚ offers some vital lessons that are particularly relevant for today’s globalized economy. Sadly‚ these lessons have long been ignored by American politicians on the right and left‚ whether in Washington or on the campaign trail. READ MORE from Veronique de Rugy: Three Economic Myths to Put to Rest This Year Milei began with a stark warning about the dangers of collectivist policies based on Argentina’s own‚ sometimes sad‚ history. Once a beacon of prosperity under a capitalist framework‚ Argentina’s shift toward collectivism over the past century caused its prosperity to plummet from a leading global position to a much lower rank. Its story illustrates how losing sight of free-market principles can result in economic stagnation or even absolute poverty. This point is crucial. Milei reminds us that no matter how noble the intentions are behind collectivist policies‚ whether it’s fighting climate change‚ obtaining justice for all‚ or enhancing national security — and whether they are pushed‚ as Milei says‚ by “communists‚ fascists‚ socialists‚ social democrats‚ national socialists‚ Christian democrats‚ neo-Keynesians‚ progressives‚ populists‚ nationalists or globalists” — attempting to solve problems in this way harms the very people who are meant to be helped. Now‚ readers may think this historical lesson is irrelevant for the United States. After all‚ Argentina has been an economic basket case‚ and America in 2024 is still one of the wealthiest nations in the world. Anyone who has taken‚ as I have‚ the naturalization test also knows that the expected answer to “What is the economic system of the United States?” is “free market.” That one made me smile. (READ MORE: Javier Milei: The Ricky Linderman America Needs) Unfortunately‚ Milei’s warning is relevant to us. While much of our economy remains relatively free‚ every part of it is subjected to an increasingly intrusive regulatory regime and ineffective‚ burdensome‚ and unfair tax code. Furthermore‚ while Democrats and Republicans fight constantly‚ their economic policies are strikingly‚ similarly‚ and increasingly collectivist. Both parties have recently become so populist that they could justly be described as modern Peronists who believe that politicians‚ better than people operating in a free market‚ can direct investment and determine which industries should succeed and which should fail. It’s no exaggeration to say that America has traveled a significant distance down the “road to serfdom” that Milei warns about. Milei‚ an economist by training‚ doesn’t only criticize collectivism; he offers a compelling‚ positive case for capitalism. By tracing global economic history‚ he highlights a pivotal moment: the advent of capitalism and the Industrial Revolution. This period marked a departure from centuries of economic stagnation‚ ushering in unprecedented growth in global per capita GDP and a significant reduction in poverty. The data offered by Milei is striking. The transformation from a near-zero growth world to a rapid economic expansion under capitalism testifies not just to the free market’s efficiency but to its capacity to subsequently improve people’s lives on a massive scale. The fact that poverty and inequality still exist makes Milei’s insights more pertinent‚ not less. They suggest that the path lies not in abandoning capitalism but in more effectively harnessing its immense potential. Even better: Economic growth isn’t just an engine of wealth production but also of peace and tolerance. More of that‚ please. Milei’s perspective challenges the growing worldwide trend of increased government involvement in economic affairs. He advocates for limited government intervention‚ where economic freedom‚ respect for private property‚ and market mechanisms are paramount. It’s a reminder that the road to prosperity is paved with policies that empower individuals and businesses alike‚ fostering an environment in which innovation‚ entrepreneurship and opportunities for all kinds of people thrive. Better yet‚ Milei ended his memorable speech with a poignant: “Long live freedom‚ dammit.” It’s a rallying cry for our times‚ a reminder of the value of liberty‚ and a call to defend it against encroaching forces. As we navigate the complexities of the 21st century‚ his words serve as a beacon‚ guiding us toward a future in which freedom is not just cherished in the abstract but actively protected and nurtured in practice. Don’t think of Javier Milei’s address in Davos as a historical analysis or economic lecture; it’s a call to action. Let’s reevaluate our approach to economic policy‚ remember and recognize the proven strengths of capitalism‚ and be wary of the inescapable pitfalls and proven failures of collectivism. Embracing economic freedom while ensuring responsible governance is surely the key to sustainable prosperity and continued global progress. Veronique de Rugy is the George Gibbs Chair in Political Economy and a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. To find out more about Veronique de Rugy and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists‚ visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2024 CREATORS.COM The post Embracing Economic Freedom: We Must Heed Milei’s Warnings appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

“Flagging the Troublemakers‚” editorial cartoon by Yogi Love for The American Spectator‚ Jan. 24‚ 2023. The post Flagging the Troublemakers appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

Seeds are what you expect to see at tournaments’ ends‚ and the first major of the year‚ the Australian Open‚ is true to form‚ with America’s top star‚ Coco Gauff‚ winner at the U.S. Open last September‚ on track for her second career major. The last American in the men’s draw‚ Taylor Fritz‚ made Novak Djokovic work hard in the quarters‚ but it will be Jannik Sinner‚ from Italian Tyrol‚ whom the defending champion will meet in the semis. That may well be the match of the home stretch‚ for sheer tennis beauty‚ but none will disappoint. READ MORE from Roger Kaplan: Racquets Down Under Missing will be Spanish phenom and No. 2 seed Carlos Alcaraz. The shrewd tennis analyst Gill Gross‚ a product of Syracuse University’s renowned communications program‚ picked Alcaraz to win his match and meet Daniil Medvedev in the semis; it was a reasonable pick. He picked wrong‚ but few expected Alexander “Sascha” Zverev to hit his forehand‚ normally his weakest shot‚ like a Roger Clemens fast ball. After two exquisite sets‚ 6–1‚ 6–3‚ behind a near-infallible mix of first serves and deep groundstrokes that kept the younger man on his heels‚ something nearly went wrong‚ or rather‚ one thing went wrong for him‚ and another went right for Alcaraz. Actually‚ Zverev had him 5–2 in the third set‚ but there was a click on one side and a dip on the other‚ and the roles were reversed. Alcaraz found his game and his energy‚ came from behind‚ and won a tiebreak 7–2. In the fourth set they stayed close‚ trading breaks at the beginning. At 4–4‚ Zverev recovered the baseline power and depth he started out with‚ kept the points short‚ cutting off Alcaraz at the net or passing him with angles when he moved close to it. On the ladies’ side‚ Coco Gauff plays defending Australian Open champ Aryna Sabalenka in the semis‚ having toughed it out against Marta Kostyuk in the quarters. The other semi will see Dayana Yastremska‚ a young qualifier from Ukraine making a dream run‚ against No. 12 seed Zheng Qinwen‚ mainland China’s top player at 21. All these are tall girls‚ I mean young ladies‚ long-limbed and lithe (Miss S is a bit on the sturdier side but quite a peach too)‚ so additional to fantastic tennis that will be a graceful ballet. The match between Zverev and Medvedev (the latter having won a thrilling five-setter against Wroclaw favorite Hubert Hurkacz) will be a battle of tall lithe athletes too‚ though‚ with these men’s baseline games‚ it will be less a ballet and more a slugging match unless Zverev finds that he can consistently attack the net without being passed. But the match to watch should be the other men’s semi‚ Sinner against Djokovic. Sinner is at the top of his game. He beat Rublev in a straight set wipeout. The question is: Can his placement overcome Djokovic’s resilience? Will the man of Belgrade figure out how to overcome what the Tyrolean sends at him? That is the question. But the other question is this‚ and no one in the sports press seems to be raising it: Where are the Israeli tennis players? Granted‚ Israel is not a great tennis country — there are plenty of excellent players in Israel‚ but at the pro level‚ not so many. Still‚ there usually are one of two entrants at least in many if not most of the tour’s events. So why is no one curious? Tact? They most likely are at the front‚ or in the rear where there is much to do also during a war. Politics and sports should not mix? I almost always make that very point‚ but it is still simple ordinary news to note that a country’s athletes must pass on a big event‚ all the more so when it is a country as well-known as Israel. ***** Different but not unrelated to this lack of interest‚ why is no one is inquiring after Peng Shuai? Two or three years ago‚ she was at the center of a big scandal‚ a Chinese star muzzled — or worse — because she complained about being ravished and exploited by a high official in the Communist regime. The Women’s Tennis Association and other sports organizations‚ as well as individuals in the sports world‚ made a big row about this‚ and the Reds allowed her to have some dubious conversations during the Beijing Olympics at which she said the whole affair had been a misunderstanding‚ an explanation that‚ if anything‚ should have been cause for further alarm. No one has heard from her since‚ and all the concerned parties in the West are no longer making public expressions of concern‚ with the WTA quietly ending a boycott of Chinese tournaments that was supposed to last until Peng’s security was demonstrated. Like the lack of interest‚ if that is what it is‚ in what Israeli tennis players are going through now‚ this is a symptom of the Free World’s short attention span‚ which itself is one of its perennial vulnerabilities. The West’s enemies always count on these lapses of attention and memory. Ukrainian men are not playing on the tennis tour‚ either; but‚ though this was mentioned when the defensive war against Russia began‚ it is no longer newsworthy. An attractively good-natured top player on the women’s side‚ Ons Jabeur (who was upset in the second round)‚ has been vocal on social media in expressing political support for the people of Gaza‚ with no mention of just why they find themselves in the horror through which they are living. It is disappointing to see such a nice person take a party line‚ but no one would think of restraining her right to express it. The Australian Open banned both Israeli and Palestinian flags from the grandstands‚ arguably a dubious case of play-it-safe moral equivalence‚ but‚ again‚ within its rights as a private organization. But would not these indications of the West’s attitudes — freedom of questionable speech and then security precautions suggestive of fragility in the spine — be cues to reporters on the scene to consider the consequence of Hamas terrorism? It is not a matter of mixing sports and politics — never a very good idea — but simply of noting what’s going on at a sports event. It may be of some interest that the Israel Tennis &; Education Centers‚ maintained by one of the largest‚ if not the largest‚ social service agency in Israel‚ are working overtime to keep children busy with sports and classes in whatever subjects teachers are available during wartime. It is the kind of thing civilized nations do‚ with whatever means they have. They do not go searching for kids to kill‚ after turning their own kids into killers. ITCE is an organization created to help poor kids get a break. In a time of crisis‚ why should it not be news during one of the major tennis events on the calendar? Israel is a civilized nation under the kind of assault that sooner or later will reach other civilized nations if they do not remain vigilant; this is simply a fact. The matches at the Australian Open will be terrific‚ and that is all to the good. The post Where Are the Israeli Players at the Australian Open? appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

A seafood boil is a classic Cajun cuisine meal that many people enjoy‚ but it can get very messy. Find out the common mistakes before you cook up your own.

Evanescence has joined Spotify’s “Billions Club” with their ’03 hit “Bring Me To Life.” The album version of “Bring Me To Life” — with guest vocals by Paul McCoy of 12 Stones — was included on the soundtrack of the “Daredevil” film. Evanescence frontwoman explained how the song came about. “I was in a tough place and in a bad relationship. And my husband now‚ Josh‚ at the time was just a friend and a person that I barely knew; it was maybe the third or fourth time we’d ever met. And we sat across from each other‚ and he looked at me and he just said‚ ‘So‚ are you happy?’ And it took me so off guard‚ and I just felt like it pierced my heart‚ because I felt like I had been pretending really well‚ and it was‚ like‚ somebody could see through me. “Fallen“ sold 17-million copies and won a Grammy “Best Rock Performance” for “Bring Me To Life.” In ’22‚ “Bring Me To Life” surpassed one billion views on YouTube. Billions Club launched in ’20 and includes songs that have surpassed one billion streams on the Spotify platform. The post “Bring Me To Life” Surpasses A Billion Streams appeared first on RockinTown.