Philip H. DeVoe
Philip H. DeVoe is a Collegiate Network Fellow with National Review and a graduate of Hillsdale College's politics and journalism programs. He was an editor of Hillsdale's The Collegian newspaper and has previously worked for the Daily Caller, where he also freelanced, and the Wimbledon and Epsom Guardian in London, England. He has been published in Forbes, Fox Nation, and the Mirror, among others.
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EPA administrator Scott Pruitt’s decision to fly first- or business-class is hardly a scandal. According to a Politico report, it turns out the decision was his security team’s — not his — and was taken after “he was approached in ... -
Democrats Are Stuck in an Immigration-Maximalist Mode
Last week, after Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer ended the 69-hour government shutdown with nothing to show for it, his irate constituents flooded the sidewalk across from his Brooklyn apartment in protest. Bearing signs that criticized President Donald Trump and ... -
IMF Credits U.S. Tax Cuts with Uptick in Global Growth
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) adjusted its forecast for world economic growth in both 2018 and 2019 up to 3.9 percent (an uptick of 0.2 percentage points from its last forecast), crediting the expected impact of the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. ... -
Immigrants and Terror: A Controversial Report from the Trump Administration
This week, the Department of Justice put out a report revealing that 75 percent of those convicted of international terrorism and related offenses in U.S. courts in the past 15 years were foreign-born. During the same period, U.S. Immigration and ... -
Curtailing YouTube Content Doesn't Work Like That, Vanity Fair
Logan Paul, a YouTube celebrity with a whopping 15 million followers, found himself in hot water earlier this week for making light of suicide victims. He filmed one such victim in Japan’s “suicide forest,” where he performed a “stand-up comedy ... -
The Times's Monumental Failure on Israel's LGBTQ Rights
In “Coming Out in Lebanon,” published in the New York Times on December 30, Laura Boushnak and Mona Boshnaq praise the Middle Eastern country for slowly growing more tolerant to openly gay, lesbian, and transgender people. The Middle East, the reporters ... -
The U.S. Paid $1 Billion for a Glass Box in a Bad Part of London
The new American embassy to the United Kingdom breaks the American habit of housing diplomatic missions in gray brutalist fortresses. A shimmering cube of glass and plastic sails, it is surely one of the most architecturally magnificent U.S. government ... -
Obama’s Presidential Library Is Change Chicagoans Can’t Believe In
Something fascinating is happening in Chicago. When Barack Obama became president, the city was ebullient; he was, after all, a favorite son, and he’d promised to deliver the liberal policies beloved by Chicagoans. But now, nearly nine years later, ... -
With No Evidence, Twitter Mob Convicts Bullying Victim of Being 'Racist'
On Friday, eleven-year-old Keaton Jones’s mother posted a video of him recounting through tears the bullying he’s been enduring at his Tennessee middle school. Over the weekend, his video went viral, and he received thousands of messages of ... -
On Twitter, Democrats Dramatically Mischaracterize Doug Jones's Victory
Every election seems to bring with it a torrent of wild extrapolation, and last night’s was no different. On Twitter, and beyond, elated Democrats were quick to draw all sorts of conclusions that do not seem to be supported ... -
BREAKING: New York City Bombing Suspect Chose Subway Due to Christmas Posters
Update 4:40 p.m.: According to investigators, Ullah said he selected the subway station due to its Christmas-themed posters, hoping to mimic attacks on European Christmas markets. His motivation regarding the attack itself, however, is still unclear. Law enforcement officials initially ... -
Ethics Committee Clears Rep. Nunes in Classified Information Case
Yesterday, the House Ethics Committee cleared House Intelligence chairman Devin Nunes (R., Calif.) of disclosing classified information during a March press conference, when Nunes verified that President Barack Obama had wiretapped President Donald Trump’s transition team. The allegations emerged ... -
Socialism by Any Other Name
Seattle city councilwoman Kshama Sawant wants you to believe she’s a socialist. Even though councilmembers are nonpartisan, she declared her affiliation with the Trotskyite Socialist Alternative party during her first campaign back in 2015. In her inauguration speech, she reminded ... -
The Washington Post Laments the Rising Cost of Condoms in Venezuela
The situation in Venezuela is getting worse. As the Washington Post reports on its Snapchat news channel, the rising price of condoms and birth control has forced some sexually active Venezuelans either to resort to extreme safety measures or abandon ... -
Seattle Judge Strikes Down City-Wide Income Tax
Seattle’s graduated income tax failed its first legal challenge after King County Superior Court judge John R. Ruhl found it to be unconstitutional under state law. “Today’s ruling is a victory for all taxpayers in Seattle and throughout ... -
Judge to Issue Ruling on Constitutionality of Seattle Income Tax Next Week
Earlier today, King County Superior Court judge John Rhule announced he would make a decision before Thanksgiving regarding the constitutionality of a progressive income tax in Seattle, after hearing the first round of oral arguments in Kunath v. City of ... -
Judge Declares a Mistrial in Senator Menendez's Bribery Trial
New Jersey senator Bob Menendez’s bribery trial ended in a mistrial after the jury failed to return a verdict twice, first on Monday and again earlier today. According to a note penned today, the jurors said they were unable ... -
House Overwhelmingly Passes $700 Billion Defense Spending Bill
Yesterday afternoon, the House of Representatives passed a $700 billion defense spending bill by a 356–70 margin. The bill will fund several elements of the military’s defensive preparation in response to the North Korea threat by authorizing spending to improve existing ... -
Rauner Will Face a Second Republican Challenger in the 2018 Primary
Grassroots Republicans in Illinois have shown just how displeased they are with Governor Bruce Rauner by drafting state representative Jeanne Ives to challenge him in the March 2018 gubernatorial primary. Ives, a Republican representing the Chicago suburb of Wheaton, is the ... -
Amazon’s Second Headquarters Is a Gift, Not a Burden
Back in September, Amazon announced that it is seeking a North American city to become the site of its second corporate headquarters. By promising that the so-called HQ2 will bring $5 billion in local investment and 50,000 new jobs, the tech giant ... -
Yet Again, McConnell Confident Congressional Republicans Are Unified
Speaking to reporters following a lunch earlier this afternoon with President Donald Trump and other Senate Republicans, Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell said Republicans are unified on the issue of tax reform and reiterated his hope that the yet-to-be-released bill ... -
The Cost of Free Speech
Florida governor Rick Scott has declared a state of emergency in Alachua County ahead of a speech by white nationalist Richard Spencer at the University of Florida, scheduled for Thursday. In a statement, Scott said, “We live in a country ... -
In 2009, Fox News Was Told to Apologize for Calling Bergdahl a Deserter
In July 2009, 23 members of Congress signed a letter demanding that Lt. Col. Ralph Peters apologize for stating on a Fox News segment that PFC Bowe Bergdahl “abandoned his buddies, abandoned his post, and just walked off” a U.S. Army ... -
In Defense of Ben Shapiro’s Bravery
In an op-ed published in the New York Times, Jane Coaston accuses conservative commentator Ben Shapiro of exhibiting “hollow bravery” during his much-publicized speeches on campus. Coaston outlines what she considers to be Shapiro’s trick: Set up a speech ... -
Gerrymandering Isn’t a Republican Problem
This week, the Supreme Court heard arguments in Gill v. Whitford, a case in which they will decide whether Wisconsin Republicans’ redistricting plan is unconstitutional. Until now, the Court has hesitated to strike down partisan gerrymandering, primarily because there is ... -
North Korea Threat Is Boosting Global Preparation for Missile Attacks
Earlier this week, congressional defense committees approved a measure rerouting more than $400 million into the national missile defense program, a direct response to the threat posed by North Korea’s continued missile tests. The money will go toward accelerating Navy ... -
Once Again, California Attempts to Be Relevant in the Primaries
Last week, California governor Jerry Brown signed into law a bill that moves California’s 2020 primary up to March, an attempt to make the state more relevant in the candidate-nomination process. Often stuck in June, the California primary is a ... -
Finally, Canada Begins to Consider U.S. Missile-Defense Partnership
Ever since North American Aerospace Defense Command’s (NORAD) deputy commander, Lieutenant General Pierre St-Amand, testified that that “the extant U.S. policy is not to defend Canada” in the event of a North Korean missile attack, Canadians have begun ... -
The Case for Preemptive Defense and Offense in the North Korean Chess Match
Last week, North Korea launched a ballistic missile over the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, sending residents scrambling for shelter. The missile was the second Kim Jong-Un’s regime has fired over its eastern neighbor in a month, and these ... -
Jeb Bush: ‘Trump is Right’ on North Korea, Iran
Former Florida governor and 2016 presidential candidate Jeb Bush praised President Donald Trump’s foreign policy in comments made in New York City during the Iran Summit 2017. Asked by the moderator, NBC News’s Nicolle Wallace, to comment on Trump’s ... -
My Quest to Discover What Happened
New York — “Nobody puts Hilly in the corner!” I traced the yawp to a woman who had discovered that the line for the official release of Hillary Clinton’s book, What Happened, was already stretching around the block. It was 6:20 ... -
The Times Forgets to ID Sen. Menendez as a Democrat in Report on Bribery Trial
Nowhere in the New York Times’ 1,300-word article on Senator Bob Menendez’s bribery trial, as originally published earlier this week, was there mention of the senator’s party affiliation. Because Menendez is a Democrat, critics of the paper were ... -
Trump’s DACA Decision and the Way Forward
This morning on the click-through: Trump’s DACA decision, how congressional Republicans have wrought the controversy surrounding DACA, and the flawed logic that supposes disasters help the economy. The Stay Is Over On Tuesday, the Trump administration announced the president’... -
What Are Our Options on North Korea?
Making the click-through worthwhile: North Korean aggression opens talks of U.N. sanctions, Christie’s path to the Senate, and opting out of public-school sexual-education programs. Sanctioning North Korea In response to North Korea’s nuclear test this weekend, its ... -
The Off-Mark All-Female Remake of Lord of the Flies
William Golding’s dystopian novel Lord of the Flies will soon become the latest addition to the all-female-cast-remake genre, joining Ghostbusters and Ocean’s Eleven. The directors, Scott McGehee and David Siegel, say the forthcoming remake will help people see ... -
Chemical Blasts Release Hazardous Waste into Houston Waters
Making the clickthrough worthwhile: Chemical explosions add more danger to Houston, a banana peel sparks a conversation on race at Ole Miss, and a Slate op-ed praises the socialist behavior Harvey has brought to Houston. The Latest Catastrophe in Houston ... -
New Details in Senator Menendez's Corruption Case
First, your Harvey update: Floodwaters led to a series of explosions in a chemical plant in Crosby, Texas, early this morning. Port Arthur is now underwater, and the death toll has risen to 37. Now, making the clickthrough worthwhile: the prosecution ... -
Something’s Rotten in the DNC
The Democratic National Committee hasn’t been having a good year. Save for a spike during March, fundraising, cash on hand, and net money have all dropped since former secretary of labor Tom Perez took over as chair in January. ... -
American Politics Has Become Hyper-Nationalized
Last week, more than 200 Minnesota newspapers published nothing but “Imagine a Day without Local News” — or some variation — on their front pages. In organizing the campaign, the Minnesota Newspaper Association hoped to draw attention to the critical role local news ... -
Strategic Vulnerability: Obama’s Drastic Cuts to Missile Defense
In response to growing concerns that North Korea would launch an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) at the U.S., President Donald Trump retweeted former ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton, who argued that the Obama administration’s skepticism of ... -
Are Trump’s Staff Turnovers Abnormal?
In the past two weeks, the West Wing under President Trump has looked more like a revolving door than an optimally functioning office; three resignations and two new staff hires within ten days have drawn criticisms that the White House ... -
Claims of Sexism in New Zealand Don't Have Much Evidence
The newly elected leader of the New Zealand Labour party, Jacinda Ardern, became a feminist icon this morning after two TV and radio show hosts asked her what effect starting a family would have on her should she become prime ... -
Implanting Chips into Your Body Is a Dangerous Step
Wisconsin company Three Square Market has begun offering microchip installation in its employees’ hands to grant them keyless access to the building and cash- and card-less payment for food in the cafeteria. Fifty of the company’s 80 employees agreed to ...
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Why Remove 'Chief Wahoo'?
Ending an 80-year tradition, the Cleveland Indians have announced that they will remove the “Chief Wahoo” mascot from their uniforms beginning in the 2019 season. While several activist groups have celebrated the move as long overdue, as the mascot has been ... -
Since When Has the NFL Banned Political Super Bowl Ads?
According to the NFL, an ad from American Veterans bearing the words “#PleaseStand” isn’t allowed to run in the Super Bowl program because the Super Bowl has “never been a place for advertising that could be considered by some ... -
Michael Wolff’s Troubled Relationship with the Truth
Bespectacled, bald-capped, and wearing a gray suit, Fred Armisen was a convincing Michael Wolff on last week’s Saturday Night Live. Appearing as a guest on a mock Morning Joe to discuss his tell-all book about the early days of ... -
President Oprah’s Pseudoscience
On June 22, 2011, James Arthur Ray was found guilty of negligent homicide after three attendees of his “Spiritual Warrior” retreat died. That only three died — 18 others were injured — is nothing short of a miracle: In what Ray called a traditional Native ... -
What the Heck Were the Russians Doing on Social Media?
Back in November, the House Intelligence Committee released a selection of the ads Russia promoted on Facebook as part of its alleged attempt to meddle with the 2016 presidential election. What is strangest about the portfolio as a whole is not ... -
Apple's Restrictive Charitable-Giving Policy
Apple has a strange policy when it comes to charitable giving on its iOS devices: To accept money from donors, charities operating through apps must use Apple’s in-house payment system, Apple Pay, while many other apps accepting non-charitable payment ... -
Fifth-Third and Wells Fargo Will Pay $15 Minimum Wage Thanks to Tax-Reform Bill
Update 6:30 p.m.: Comcast-NBC Universal and Wells Fargo have joined with several other businesses to announce plans to use money saved by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act for investments and bonuses. Comcast will award $1,000 bonuses to over 100 thousand employees ... -
NowThis's Tone-Deaf Criticism of Spreading Inaccurate Information
Liberal media company NowThis, which shares news exclusively via videos posted to social media, published a disturbingly hypocritical “op-ed” a few days ago. Rapper B.o.B, the video contends, has a responsibility to stop spreading false information on his ... -
The Real Danger of ‘Dangerous’ Toys
Every year since 1973, toy-safety advocacy group World Against Toys Causing Harm (WATCH) has released a list of ten nominees for its “Worst Toy of the Year” award. Ostensibly, the group’s aim is to deter parents from accidentally giving their ... -
The DNC Finally Offers Paid Internships. The GOP Has Paid Interns for 20 Years.
Starting in January 2018, the Democratic National Committee will begin paying some interns, in the form of stipends valued at up to $3,000. A spokesman for the DNC told the Huffington Post that chair Tom Perez’s mission for the intern program ... -
CNN Misreports Date of 'Incriminating' Email to Trump Campaign
This morning, CNN published an article alleging an effort was made to connect Donald Trump’s presidential campaign with documents hacked from the Democratic National Committee nine days prior to their publication. CNN reporters Manu Raju and Jeremy Herb used ... -
Fifty-Eight House Democrats Vote to Proceed with Impeachment
Texas Democrat Al Green introduced two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump in the House earlier today, and while 364 representatives voted to kill the resolution, 58 Democrats voted to proceed. House minority leader Nancy Pelosi has advised Democrats to exercise ... -
Apparently, the Tax Reform Bill Is Killing and Raping Americans
At first, critics of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act attacked the bill as “harmful” to the middle class and “beneficial” to the top earners. Ever since its passage, however, the arguments have become far more extreme and far less ... -
Trump's 'Pocahontas' Comment Was a Lapse in Judgment, Not a Racist Slur
Donald Trump is receiving flak for calling Elizabeth Warren “Pocahontas” during an event meant to honor Navajo code-talkers. This is fair. The event was about his guests, not about Trump and his political rivalries, and his decision to go down ... -
DNC Posts Lowest October Fundraising Numbers Since 2003
The Democratic National Committee posted its lowest October fundraising numbers since 2003 — in which year committees began filing with the FEC monthly — at just $3.9 million. The year-to-date numbers are grim as well: So far in 2017, the DNC has raised a total ... -
Orrin Hatch Fires Back at Sherrod Brown for Claiming Tax Bill Is 'For the Rich'
During a Senate Finance Committee hearing on the Senate’s version of the tax-reform bill, committee chairman Orrin Hatch (R., Utah) pushed back against Sherrod Brown (D., Ohio) after Brown claimed that the bill favors the wealthy. Hatch cited his ... -
Understanding Your Political Opponents Takes More than a Visit to Their Neck of the Woods
Any book entitled Republican Like Me: How I Left the Liberal Bubble and Learned to Love the Right is bound to be unpopular in New York City. Hence the nasty looks I received while reading it on the PATH train, ... -
Trump Arranges Release of UCLA Basketball Players from China
Three members of the University of California, Los Angeles, basketball team are en route to the United States following a week-long detainment in China. The players, LiAngelo Ball, Cody Riley, and Jalen Hill, all freshmen, were questioned and told they ... -
Why We’re Seeing More Truck Attacks
‘As the Crusaders continue to wage their vicious campaign on the lands of Islam, they are constantly reminded of the painful reality that [their fight against Islam] will be met with . . . vehicles that unexpectedly mount their busy sidewalks, smashing into ... -
Understanding the South Korea-China Agreement on Missile Defense
South Korea and China have agreed to settle a dispute regarding the placement of an American-built missile-defense system known as THAAD in southern South Korea, a decision that will have a complex impact on the U.S.’s effort to ... -
Why To Kill a Mockingbird Belongs in the Classroom
‘Recently I have received echoes down this way of the Hanover County School Board’s activities, and what I’ve heard makes me wonder if any of its members can read.” So begins a 1966 letter penned by Harper Lee, author ... -
Trump’s Boasts Hurt the Cause of American Missile Defense
During an interview with Sean Hannity last week, President Donald Trump reassured Americans that “we build the greatest military equipment in the world” and that “we have missiles that can knock out a missile in the air 97 percent of the ... -
Unreleased Teen Novels Now Targets for the Outrage Mob
Even though Laura Moriarty’s new book, American Heart, hasn’t been released yet, it had already attracted the ire of the perpetually offended. On Goodreads, the novel has been slammed for supposedly pushing a “white savior” narrative. Yesterday, an ... -
On Making a Deal with Democrats
Yesterday, the White House delivered a list of items to Congress, which are what it expects to receive in exchange for preserving DACA and keeping DREAMers in the country. The White House on Sunday delivered to Congress a long list ... -
Democrats Beg Susan Collins to Stay in the Senate
Ever since news broke that Senator Susan Collins is soliciting advice to help her decide whether she will run in the 2018 Maine gubernatorial race, her fellow senators have raced to encourage her to remain in the Senate. Heidi Heitkamp (D., ... -
Catalonia's Independence Vote and the Resistance to Centralism
If “No taxation without representation” was the motto of the American Revolution, “Madrid nos roba” is the motto of Catalonia’s independence movement. The saying, which translates to “Madrid robs us,” summarizes the view of many in the northeastern Spanish ... -
Poll: Roy Moore's Lead over Democrat Doug Jones Much Smaller than Expected
The Republican candidate for Senate in Alabama, Roy Moore, leads Democrat Doug Jones by only six points among decided voters, 50.2 to 44.5, according to a poll released today by Decision Desk HQ. The two are neck and neck among those who ... -
Shinzo Abe Declares Snap Election Following Swell in Support for Pro-Military Agenda
Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe called a snap election yesterday, hoping to capitalize on newfound support for his hardline stance on dealing with North Korea. His approval rating has skyrocketed to 50 percent, more than 20 points higher than his all-time low ... -
At ‘Iran Summit,’ Bipartisan Hatred of Iran Deal Stands Strong
New YorkDuring his first address to the United Nations General Assembly, President Donald Trump declared the Iranian nuclear deal “an embarrassment to the United States,” assuring the audience that they haven’t “heard the last of it.” Four blocks away, ... -
The Emmys Celebrate a Dying Industry
Stephen Colbert opened last night’s Emmy Awards with a jaunty show tune bearing the chorus “the world’s a little better on TV.” The message? Tune into your television to escape problems in the real world, such as global ... -
Seattle’s New Income Tax Bodes Ill for the City’s Economy
Signs reading “Step Forward for Progressive Taxation,” “Trump-proof Seattle | Tax the Rich,” and “Tax the Rich, House the Homeless” adorned a June city council hearing in Seattle. Those brandishing the signs were proponents of the resolution up for discussion, an ... -
The Atlantic Hurricane Season Grows Worse
Today making the click-through worthwhile: Hurricanes are hammering the Atlantic basin, the latest New York state government boondoggle arrives in the small town of Jamestown, N.Y., and the state of modern journalism. No Way, Jose Hurricane Harvey looks like ... -
North Korea's Sixth Missile Test: An Update from the Weekend
Early this morning, a North Korean diplomat described his country’s missile tests as “gift package[s],” warning the U.S. to expect more if the Trump administration continues with its “reckless provocations.” “The recent self-defense measures by my country ... -
The Growing North Korea Crisis
Happy Labor Day. Today’s Jolt is a bit truncated: Here’s an update on North Korea and Hollywood. North Korea Detonates Nuclear Weapon; Mattis and Trump Respond News out of North Korea, as the nation tests a new nuclear ... -
No, Insisting on Proper English Grammar and Spelling Is Not ‘Elitist’
In an op-ed for the New York Times this past Sunday, columnist Farhad Manjoo urged Twitter users to let up on President Trump’s poor spelling in tweets, arguing that caring about spelling or grammar is “elitist,” and that linguistic ... -
Messing with Texas
Messing with Texas Richard Parker, writing in Politico Magazine, offers his analysis of the situation in Texas: When Gov. Greg Abbott won election in 2014, he said of his agenda: “We will celebrate the frontier spirit of rugged individualism.” Since then, ... -
When Image Trumps Character
Today, making the click-through worthwhile, it’s Harvey all around: an update on the status of the storm and the inspiring togetherness it has bred; Harvey’s impact on the government shutdown; and Heelgate, possibly the most undeserving Watergate analogy ... -
The Distant Conservative Heritage of the National Park Service
When Ferdinand V. Hayden returned from his exploration of the area that is now Yellowstone National Park, he warned President Ulysses S. Grant that “vandals who are . . . waiting to enter into this wonder-land, will in a single season despoil . . . these ... -
Trudeau Cracks Down on Illegal Immigration
After reminding the world that Canada is “a country of laws,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the nation will no longer be ignoring refugees who enter the country illegally. Faced with a rash of border crossings from the U.S. ... -
Emanuel’s Choice: Whom Does He Value Most — Illegal Immigrants, or Chicago Citizens?
By threatening to pull a federal grant supporting local police, President Trump has given mayors of sanctuary cities a choice: Do they continue protecting illegal immigrants from federal ICE agents or continue receiving federal funding for their police departments? For ... -
Rights are Rights, and Military Service Isn’t One
When Donald Trump announced his plan to ban transgender people from military service, #TransRightsAreHumanRights quickly began trending on Twitter. While tweets including the hashtag ranged from support for the LGBT community to attacks on Trump, they all carried with them ... -
Susan Collins Likely Gearing Up for Maine Gubernatorial Candidacy
Susan Collins’s nay vote on the skinny repeal of Obamacare is an early sign that she’s running for Maine governor in 2018. Current governor Paul LePage supported this claim in comments made to Maine press yesterday: Gov. Paul LePage ... -
Suing Uber Won’t Solve Disabled Americans’ Transportation Problems
Scott Miller was surprised when he learned in June that his restaurant was in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Having operated Seasons of Coeur d’Alene in western Idaho as general manager and executive chef for six ...