I generally read and follow most right-of-center media endeavors, except for those that consistently offer very little (e.g., Heritage Signal, etc.). I have long had a high regard for Jonah Goldberg, usually appreciating his former stance of self-deprecating good humor; I have all of his books, some even autographed. I would have voted for David French for president had he run.

But I do not see the purpose of The Dispatch, Jonah’s new venture with Steve Hayes (former Weekly Standard editor; his book on The Connection is criminally neglected by all of the isolationists out there), and a few others (including David French lured away from National Review). I am not speaking here only as one who believes that the Green Bay Packers are Evil (they are, and Aaron Rodgers is one of the biggest jerks in professional sports; if you know Steve Hayes, you understand why it was necessary for me to point that out about Rodgers and the Packers).

Elizabeth Warren claims Bernie Sanders said that a woman can’t beat Trump in 2020. Sanders denies having said it. Everywhere I look, I come across some pundit treating this as if it’s a real scandal: Is Sanders a women-hater? Or is Warren lying through her teeth (again)?

What I haven’t come across is a sane person pointing out that even if Sanders said exactly what Warren claims, it’s not evidence of woman-hating. It’s simply an opinion or prediction about what the outcome would be. (Or, perhaps, a bit of gamesmanship gamespersonship.)

In a shocking story with shocking allegations which should shock absolutely nobody:

The Justice Department is investigating whether then-FBI Director James Comey illegally leaked secret information concerning a Russian document to The New York Times and The Washington Post, the Times reported late Thursday.

Yes, desire needs to be healed. Or, at least, that’s what people like Augustine of Hippo thought. (Here is the background conversation about that.)

So, how is desire healed? Here are a few pointers on eight neat books where Augustine discusses it. I go into more detail in my new book, Reason, Authority, and the Healing of Desire in the Writings of Augustine. These eight books make a great cross-section of Augustine’s writings:

Laurence Fox is my new favourite actor – and after you’ve listened to our podcast chat he’ll be yours too.

A scion of the great Fox dynasty (Dad James starred opposite Mick Jagger in Performance; Uncle Edward was in Day of the Jackal; cousins Emilia and Freddie continue the tradition), Laurence is himself a fine actor (most recently he played Lord Palmerston in Victoria; he was also DS Hathaway for nine seasons of Lewis). But where he really stands out is as an outspoken crusader against politically correct culture: he doesn’t buy ‘white privilege’; he doesn’t believe all white people are racists; he thinks #MeToo is overdone; he doesn’t believe in quota casting. For some of us, these maybe normal sensible views. Coming from an actor, though, they are brave indeed.