Michael McKenna

Data center opponents may just want more free stuff

A few weeks ago, two of the best opinion researchers in the political world joined forces to conduct a survey of 1,800 registered voters examining Americans' basic attitudes toward data centers.

October 21, 2026

Keep the midterms in perspective

In the summer of 1529, an Ottoman army of about 150,000, led by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, headed toward Vienna, intending either to take the city intact or to sack it.

October 18, 2026

When ‘permitting reform’ isn’t really about permitting reform

A few days ago, Team Trump announced in a court filing that it wants to ensure that Revolution Wind is fully compliant with all federal laws, permit conditions and related requirements.

October 14, 2026

Like the Yankees, federal government does just enough to coast

So the New York Yankees -- for the 17th year in a row and the 25th of the last 26 years -- have failed to win the World Series.

October 11, 2026

Family caregivers deserve our gratitude

My mother died a few weeks ago after a prolonged decline. She was 93, and for much of the last two years of her life, she was bedridden. Her memory was spotty.

October 7, 2026

Trump reset CAFE. Now Congress should repeal it

The corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) requirements have always been about getting federal government control over one of the nation's most important industries.

October 4, 2026

Pope Leo’s France visit offers Washington a lesson in confronting tyranny

Earlier this week, the Bishop of Rome, the successor to St. Peter and the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, visited France.

September 30, 2026

Congress’ backroom permitting reform risks making things worse

For the past six months, a handful of members of Congress have been trying to negotiate reforms to the process by which the federal government permits infrastructure.

September 27, 2026

Trump needs a declaration of war to win the war with Iran

A few days ago, a friend of mine decided that he wanted to argue about the war with Iran.

September 23, 2026

What’s more important than the price of gasoline?

The good news for the administration is that there is a simple, immediate solution to reduce gasoline prices: suspend the ethanol mandate (also known as the Renewable Fuel Standard).

September 20, 2026

Federal government cannot control creativity and thought

Medieval English chronicles tell a tale in which King Canute set up his throne in the ocean's surf.

September 16, 2026

9/11 changed America, but not as much as we thought

On Friday, many in the United States commemorated the 25th anniversary of the cowardly attacks on New York City and the Pentagon by 15 Saudis and a smattering of other Arabs.

September 13, 2026

Data centers will win because Americans need AI

There has been a lot of churn in the data center conversation in the past six months or so. I get that; the tech bros tend to bring out the worst in everyone; sometimes, even themselves.

September 9, 2026

Trump admin’s corporate stakes hand Democrats a socialist weapon

The Trump administration announced a somewhat unusual deal in which it seems as if cash derived from Venezuelan oil fields would flow to oil companies and the United States before it would flow to the Venezuelans themselves.

September 6, 2026

Trump’s FCC threat against Kristen Welker reveals the big government monster

Thanks to the movies, the flavor of this summer has been Ulysses who, upon returning from the Trojan War, slaughtered his wife's suitors.

September 2, 2026

Want lower gas prices? Suspend ethanol mandate, federal gas tax

President Trump on Tuesday is set to host refiners and other various and sundry members of the oil and gas industry at the White House.

August 30, 2026

It’s the economy, stupid

A memo containing a certain amount of hyperventilating, hand-wringing and pearl-clutching about the Senate race in Ohio recently emerged from the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

August 26, 2026

Fredericksburg City Council can help build the next American century

Mike Rogers, the Republican running against Abdul El-Sayed for the Michigan Senate seat, recently announced that he was in favor of a "pause" in data center building in the Wolverine State.

August 23, 2026

Who should control your life: You or the federal government?

Despite the fact that Republicans have won just one Senate race in Michigan since 1972, there seems to be a lot of confidence about the party's ability to dispense with Abdul El-Sayed.

August 19, 2026

Democrats need an agenda before socialists write one for them

The Democratic National Committee in May released a draft -- in desperate need of an editor and a proofreader -- of its long-awaited autopsy of what went wrong in the 2024 campaign.

August 16, 2026