Jack Fruchtman
The Electoral College is here to stay
Politics and primaries have rightly taken second place to concerns about COVID-19. But recently, as we move toward the presidential election, renewed criticism has...
Electric cars, the EPA, and us
The Island has become a major leader in combating climate change, especially regarding carbon emissions. Massachusetts has designated several towns as green communities, which,...
‘Dr. Zhivago’ for our time
Should anyone believe that Russia today is different from the old Soviet Union, they should have watched “Dr. Zhivago,” the motion picture adapted from...
Church and state, again
A few weeks back, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case that could once again redraw the line separating church and state....
Heard of the Lincoln Project?
President Trump’s impeachment trial promises to end in acquittal, given the high bar of 67 senators needed to remove him from office. Yet, several...
Romneycare vs. Obamacare, the court will decide
The Supreme Court may soon determine the fate of the Affordable Care and Patient Protection Act (ACA), commonly known as Obamacare. First, some basic facts.Ninety-eight...
Pensions and Social Security, France versus America
Americans are following, or should be following, the impeachment proceedings against President Trump in the House of Representatives. The British have been distracted by...
DACA and the court
On Nov. 12, an ideologically divided Supreme Court considered President Trump’s authority to cancel the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that President...
The impeachment inquiry
“Legislative in the Congress, yet checked by negative of the executive. Executive in the President, yet checked by impeachment of Congress.” — Alexander...
The Supreme Court in session
The Supreme Court, by law, began its new term on the first Monday in October. We can look forward to a bare majority of...
History and memory
For several weeks this past spring, letters galore appeared in the MV Times about two plaques honoring Confederate soldiers placed in 1925 in Ocean...
British and American constitutionalism, explained
Americans are watching the slow, steady meltdown of the British government under Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has been in office since July and...
Who is an American?
Like many in this country, I have been thinking about who is an American. This is especially true since we have long been discussing...
Time out
In 1729, the great English satirist Jonathan Swift published “A Modest Proposal for Preventing the Children of Poor People from Being a Burthen ...
The relevance of the Declaration of Independence
Parades, flags, fireworks, parties, outdoor picnics, all are part of Fourth of July celebrations. In some places, the Declaration is read aloud. In others,...
Is felony murder fair and just?
Consider this scenario.Two people plan a bank robbery. One sits outside in the getaway car while the other one gets the money, but also...
Will Roe be preserved?
Suddenly, abortion and abortion rights are back in the center of discussion. Lost for the moment are local worries like the destruction of the...
The citizenship question and the census
“Though the law itself be fair on its face, and impartial in appearance, yet, if it is applied and administered by public authority with...
The Mueller report, William Barr … and us
Do we want or need to know what is in the 300-plus pages of the report that Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III filed...
What’s with the Green New Deal?
Last month, to great fanfare and some derision, Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York unveiled their ambitious plans...