From the right: Don Just Changed the Future

Commentary’s John Podhoretz finds it remarkable that in the Middle East scenario, Trump’s claims about himself hold true. Trump boasts of ending wars rather than starting them, and the events of Saturday night align with this, as he effectively puts a stop to Iran’s hostile actions, either immediately or after further resistance from Iran’s leaders. According to Podhoretz, Israel also didn’t initiate the conflict; it began with Iran and its allies on October 7. The broader implications of the strike are significant enough that there’s no need to hasten in interpreting them. Notably, Trump has expressed a belief since an assassination attempt in Butler, Pa., that a higher power preserved him for a purpose, a sentiment Podhoretz now shares.

Conservative: Kill the Suicide Bill

John Hirschauer from City Journal is urging Gov. Hochul to veto “The Medical Aid in Dying Act” that the State Assembly approved in April. This legislation would permit individuals with terminal illnesses to obtain prescriptions for life-ending drugs. The bill doesn’t just move towards affirming suicide as a fundamental right; it also lacks substantial protections. For instance, it doesn’t mandate a psychiatric evaluation for those requesting the drugs, and it doesn’t have a residency clause, allowing non-residents to come to New York to end their lives. Although suffering is a part of human life, the state’s position that illness could justify ending one’s life implies that it considers life under suffering conditions to be devoid of value.

Liberal: UFT Winning Mayoral Primary

Joe Klein, writing on Substack, points out that despite an enormous expenditure of $36,000 per student—about double the national average—New York schools are underperforming. The National Assessment of Educational Progress shows only 28% of students proficient in reading, with slightly higher numbers in math. One major issue is that teachers in the city, like other municipal employees, have job security that makes it difficult to dismiss them. Education is crucial for New York’s future success, yet it’s largely ignored in the Democratic mayoral primary discussions. A report by the Manhattan Institute graded most candidates poorly, except for Whitney Tilson, who received criticism from the teachers’ union for his moderate views. The union has withheld its endorsement likely because it’s confident the winner will adhere to its preferences.

From the right: LA Needed Trump’s Help

“Gov. Gavin Newsom told Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that local law enforcement officers were ‘sufficient to maintain order’ ” in Los Angeles, yet LAPD officers tell Heather Mac Donald at The Wall Street Journal, “We don’t have s— under control.” She cites numerous instances of violence that, by “sheer luck,” weren’t life-threatening. “Should Trump have waited to see if the locals” would eventually control the situation? The answer’s clear: “Police Chief Jim McDonnell put the LAPD on tactical alert” and canceled all time off. Yet days later, Mayor Karen Bass nonetheless had to order a curfew. “Still the disorder continued.” Fact is, “There is more danger from tolerating” lawlessness than from responding to it “with all legal means.”

Libertarian: Cut the F-35

“As the U.S. grapples with ballooning federal budgets and increasingly necessary spending cuts, the military remains ripe for austerity,” blares Joe Lancaster at Reason. The F-35 jet is a perfect example of a “program that deserves to be scrapped.” Since its inception after 9/11, “the jet has proven itself not ready from prime time, both more expensive and less functional than promised.” Too bad “the House Appropriations Committee’s proposed Defense Appropriations Bill for 2026 would spend $8.5 billion on F-35s,” and “President Donald Trump has called the F-35 ‘the greatest fighter jet in the world.’” “The F-35 means to replace previous-generation aircraft like the F-16, but instead, the obsolete models are running circles around their intended replacement.” Every new thing we hear about the F-35, “proves that it’s long past time to kill the program.”

— Compiled by The Post Editorial Board