Stop anti-Trump judges, it’s still the economy, stupid and other commentary

From the right: Stop Anti-Trump Judges

“The judiciary’s credibility will continue to suffer until elected lawmakers set reliable restraints to thwart Judge [James] Boasberg’s next intrigue,” fume The Washington Times’ editors. The DC Circuit judge months back took issue with ICE deporting illegal migrants determined to be Tren de Aragua members, and even “ordered the government to ‘turn the planes around’ while they were over international waters.” Then, after the Supreme Court in April “concluded this inferior magistrate had no right to weigh in at all,” he nonetheless “said he would levy criminal penalties on the administration lawyers who purportedly disobeyed” him. Last week, the DC Circuit Court of Appeals rebuked him, slamming that threat as an abuse of discretion. But “the judiciary rarely punishes its own wayward members”; it’s up to Congress to do something about these out-of-control judges.

Liberal: It’s Still the Economy, Stupid

New data from The Economist/YouGov finds that “Americans remain deeply pessimistic about the U.S. economy,” warns the Liberal Patriot’s John Halpin. We have “more than 70 percent of Democrats and half of independents” foreseeing “higher inflation in the next six months,” while 40% of Republicans “expect inflation to be lower.” Bottom line: “Like President Biden before him, President Trump and his administration have not yet shown or convinced most Americans (even many of their own partisan voters) that they have a grip on the overall economy and rising costs.” And: “Until the green shoots on jobs and prices turn into firm growth, expect Americans to remain dour on the economy and willing to punish those in power, of either party.”

Harvard prof: Teachers Must Fight AI Overuse

His students have “told me that after relying on AI to draft their papers and emails, their ability to write, speak and conduct basic inquiry is slipping away,” Alex Green reports at The Wall Street Journal. Profs who don’t resist “the rampant overuse of AI” bear the blame. “Students must gain the ability to synthesize information. They must be able to listen, read, speak and write — so they can express strategic and tactical thinking.” That’s what they’re losing. “The human possession of these skills will never become irrelevant if we value life, society and governance. For students to grow into professionals who have those skills, they must first develop them.” But what it’ll take for teachers “to defend that right . . . I do not know.”

Foreign desk: The End Is Near for Maduro

“Nicolás Maduro, the dictator of Venezuela, is on the ropes,” cheers Arturo McFields at The Hill. The feds set an unprecedented “$50 million reward” for his capture, and the Pentagon is preparing options for the “use of military force against drug cartels” with the Maduro-linked Cartel de los Soles already “designated as a foreign terrorist organization.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio says Venezuela’s narco-terrorist state is “no longer a law enforcement issue” but “a national security issue.” Good: “After nearly 25 years of the Chavista regime, the situation in Venezuela is worsening every day. International collaboration is needed to end a tragedy that represents a clear and present danger to Latin America and the U.S.”

Libertarian: How to Save Social Security

Most Americans “don’t understand how” Social Security works, but happily “the public gets that there is a problem, and some are open to changes,” notes Reason’s J.D. Tuccille. Sadly, some 55% “think Social Security is supposed to ‘largely replace seniors’ income after they retire,’ ”; in fact, it’s meant “to make sure seniors don’t fall into poverty.” Most people would be better off diverting “the money they currently surrender as payroll taxes to retirement savings plans like the 401(k),” and “younger Americans may be open to the idea,” as they are more likely than Boomers to support cutting benefits over raising taxes. A Social Security program “that’s rightly recognized as a safety net is on its way to replacement by private planning.”

— Compiled by The Post Editorial Board