Author Archives: Jim

Scott Pelley’s long goodbye

Posted on June 9, 2026 by Jim

I was not surprised that Scott Pelley was fired from CBS News. He is one of the reasons I (and millions of other Americans) stopped watching 60 Minutes years ago. What’s been a little surprising is the collective howl of rage from … Continue reading →

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Jimmy Kimmel, the FCC and the telephone company

Posted on May 6, 2026 by Jim

I don’t watch Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show and don’t care whether he gets fired. That’s up to ABC and not President Trump or the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).  Government regulation of broadcasting is an artifact of 20th Century technology. It was … Continue reading →

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Iranian mines are no problem

Posted on March 15, 2026 by Jim

Mine warfare has been added to the list of things to worry about as the war in Iran grinds on. Iran can lay mines in the Straits of Hormuz and blow up oil tankers. At the same time, the U.S. … Continue reading →

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Reaffirming and clarifying freedom of the press

Posted on February 4, 2026 by Jim

Don Lemon deserves his day in court. So do the rest of us. Journalism law needs to be reaffirmed and, in some cases, updated. Lemon was arrested in a protest that invaded a church service and allegedly violated the civil … Continue reading →

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Immigration reform beats civil war

Posted on January 14, 2026 by Jim

It’s time for immigration reform. President Trump’s deportation drive is a good first step but it’s gone off the tracks and threatens to divide the country. As a practical matter, deporting all the 20 million or so immigrants who are … Continue reading →

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The media are dying. Long live journalism!

Posted on January 1, 2026 by Jim

The legacy news media are losing their vendetta against President Trump but journalism is thriving. One of the biggest news stories of 2025 – billions in daycare fraud in Minnesota – was uncovered by an independent reporter while traditional news … Continue reading →

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Three Mile Island is back

Posted on December 21, 2025 by Jim

Sometimes history comes full circle: The Three Mile Island nuclear power plant is coming back online. For years, the Three Mile Island nuclear accident symbolized everything that was scary about atomic energy and turned public opinion against nuclear power.  On … Continue reading →

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The environmental reformation

Posted on November 7, 2025 by Jim

News flash: Climate change isn’t going to kill us after all!  Bill Gates recently announced that the doomsday view of climate change is wrong: that climate change will have serious consequences but will not lead to humanity’s demise.  That’s a little … Continue reading →

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Holding news media accountable

Posted on September 20, 2025 by Jim

Nobody denied Jimmy Kimmel’s right to free speech when ABC suspended his talk show. TV networks have a long history of firing people (like Megyn Kelly, Bill O’Reilly, Roseanne Barr, Don Lemon, Tucker Carlson, Matt Lauer, etc.) who violate standards, … Continue reading →

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Happy Labor Day! What have unions done for us lately? 

Posted on September 1, 2025 by Jim

Okay, it’s Labor Day and we’re all grateful that unions ended child labor and gave us the 40-hour week and the coffee break. But what have unions accomplished in THIS century?  The record is mixed. Union wins in contract negotiations and strikes … Continue reading →

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