Ideas are more power­ful than armies because armies occupy ter­rit­ory; ideas occupy the human mind. Once a people learns to think inde­pend­ently, to ques­tion author­ity, and to pur­sue truth wherever it leads, oppres­sion becomes increas­ingly dif­fi­cult to sus­tain.

What lawyers, law schools and even the justices often conceal is that the law embraces rival and sometimes contradictory canons of construction that enable judges to unearth credible support for virtually any conclusion that satisfies their druthers.

Technology has transformed our lives in remarkable ways, but it has also changed how we think. We skim rather than study. We react rather than reflect. We confuse familiarity with understanding because we have seen a headline or watched a thirty-second video. We mistake confidence for competence and popularity for credibility.

On those issues, many Americans still give the president considerable credit. Illegal immigration has fallen dramatically from its previous highs. Immigration enforcement has intensified. Violent criminal offenders living in the country illegally have become a higher priority for deportation. For many working-class Americans, particularly those who believed previous administrations failed to enforce existing immigration laws, these policies represent promises fulfilled.

As our nation commemorates a quarter millennium of liberty, constitutional government and religious freedom, gatherings such as this reflect one of America’s greatest strengths: our unique ability to convene people from diverse backgrounds in pursuit of understanding and common purpose. Around that table, diplomacy was not simply discussed; it was practiced.

As owners of The Baltimore Sun, David and I created Front Page Authority to provide substantive, civil and in-depth conversations with newsmakers, policymakers, business leaders, innovators and community members whose ideas deserve more than a few minutes of airtime.

One of the least discussed realities is that the American Revolution was never universally popular. Historians estimate that a substantial number of colonists remained loyal to the British Crown, while many others tried simply to avoid taking sides. The birth of the United States was neither unanimous nor inevitable. It emerged through fierce debate, division and enormous personal risk.

We live in a great country. I spend a lot of time supporting the men and women who serve our nation, and I often think: Where would we be if nobody stepped forward to defend and protect it?

Reports have described tense conversations between the two leaders, including Trump’s decision to halt planned Israeli military operations and his insistence that Netanyahu exercise greater restraint. Whether every reported quotation proves entirely accurate is ultimately less important than the unmistakable reality: The political partnership between Washington and Jerusalem is under greater stress than it has been in years.

Both America and South Africa have discovered that winning political freedom is only the beginning. Building prosperity, strengthening institutions, reducing crime, improving education, expanding economic opportunity, and preserving public trust are challenges that never disappear.

The criticism was straightforward. Iran, many argued, received billions of dollars in sanctions relief without permanently dismantling its nuclear infrastructure. The agreement may have delayed Tehran’s ambitions, but it did not eliminate them. Critics believed the deal rewarded bad behavior, strengthened a hostile regime and ultimately left the world no safer than before.


There are numerous studies examining sleep duration and sleep quality. One study found that people sleep an average of 19 minutes less per night while observing Daylight Saving Time. Standard Time aligns more closely with our natural circadian rhythms, leading to better sleep outcomes.

History is filled with political movements born from noble promises. Few have been more appealing in theory than socialism. At its heart, socialism promises greater equality, economic fairness and protection for those who struggle in a competitive marketplace. It speaks to the desire for justice and the belief that no person should be left behind.

There is powerful symbolism in an outstretched hand resisting evil and another hand receiving love within a church. One represents humanity’s responsibility to confront hatred, injustice, and cruelty. The other represents God’s invitation to grace, forgiveness, and redemption. Civilization advances when we have the courage to do both.

The United States spends trillions annually on healthcare, with much of that spending concentrated in chronic and late-stage disease management. By shifting detection earlier, imaging technology has the potential to reduce emergency interventions, hospital admissions and catastrophic care costs.

The governor deserves respect for serving his country. The people of Maryland deserve accurate information from their elected officials. And journalists deserve neither praise nor condemnation for asking questions in pursuit of facts.