Guest: George Rodriguez, South Texas conservative. Talarico vs Crockett primary and polls. South Texas primaries. ICE and sanctuary cities. And other stories.....
Saturday, January 31, 2026
Claudia says ‘adios’ to Cuba
Click to read:
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/01/claudia_says_adios_to_cuba.html
1865: The House passed the 13th Amendment
On this day in 1865, the US House passed the 13th Amendment. It was sent to the states for ratification and approved in November.
President Lincoln just gets better with age. He was the right man at the most critical moment in US history. A few years ago, a great movie came out about his efforts to pass the 13th amendment that abolished slavery.
It was a great movie!
It was a great movie!
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Happy # 79 Nolan Ryan
His numbers are unbelievable: 324 wins, 3.19 ERA, 5,714 K and 7 no-hitters.
Ryan was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1999.
P.S. You can listen to my show. If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.
We remember Jackie Robinson (1919-72)
We remember Jackie Robinson, who was born in Cairo, Georgia, on this day in 1919. He died October 24, 1972.
Robinson was one of the biggest sports stories of the 20th century, as we see in this biography from his Hall of Fame page:
He retired with a .311 career batting average plus 137 HR & 734 RBI in 1,382 games.At the end of his first season, Robinson was named the Rookie of the Year. He was named the NL MVP just two years later in 1949, when he led the league in hitting with a .342 average and steals with 37, while also notching a career-high 124 RBI. The Dodgers won six pennants in Robinson’s 10 seasons, but his contributions clearly extended far beyond the field.
P.S. You can listen to my show. If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.
A word about Ernie Banks (1931-2015)
The great Ernie Banks was born in Dallas, Texas, on this day in 1931. He died in 2014.
My guess is that most people don't know much about his younger days in Dallas, Texas.
Over the years, I've seen some great players in person and TV. Sadly, I never got to see Ernie Banks in person but do recall hearing #500 on WGN radio.
Banks was a great player. Better than that, he was a great human being.
We will miss Ernie Banks for a long time.
P.S. You can listen to my show. If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.
World War II: The great military leaders with Barry Jacobsen
CLICK TO LISTEN:
Guest:
Barry Jacobsen, military historian and blogger.......we will remember the Allied and Axis commanders: Ike, MacArthur, Nimitz, Monty, Zukov; and on the Axis side, Von Manstein, Guderian, Rommel, Kesselring, Adm. Yamamoto, General Yamashita.......
and other stories of the war...........
Friday, January 30, 2026
A chat with Frank Burke, businessman and author......
Guest: ......Frank Burke, businessman and author.......We will review the situation in Minneapolis and exchange some notes about the winter storm.
Mamdani’s bad moon rising
Click to read:
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/01/mamdani_s_bad_moon_rising.html
We remember Davey Johnson (1943-2025)
We remember Johnson as a great second baseman and then as a manager.
As a player, he hit .261 with 136 HR & 609 RBI over 1,435 games. He played in 4 World Series with Baltimore and won several Gold Gloves.
As a manager, he won 1,372 games with an excellent .562 winning pct. He led the New York Mets to the 1986 World Series title. Johnson also won division titles with Baltimore in 1997 and Washington in 2012.
Great player & manager.
P.S. You can listen to my show. If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.
The death of Cleopatra and the movie with Elizabeth Taylor
Of course, this is another anniversary of Elizabeth Taylor's role as Cleopatra in 1963. Leslie has a link to a review of the movie.
I have not seen all of the Cleopatra movies but it's hard to top Elizabeth Taylor.
Click for our show: The Battle of Actium and the Murder of Cleopatra.........click to listen.
P.S. Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos. If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.
Listen to "The Battle of Actium and the Murder of Cleopatra" on Spreaker.
1933: The Lone Ranger debut on the radio
Like some of you, I grew up watching "The Lone Ranger" on TV. In my case, it was the Spanish "dubbed" version of the show before we came to the US.
As I learned, the show started on the radio many years ago. In 2010, I heard some of these old radio shows and they were great.
As I learned, the show started on the radio many years ago. In 2010, I heard some of these old radio shows and they were great.
Eventually, radio became TV and "The Lone Ranger" was seen by millions of kids like me.
P.S. Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos. If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.
We remember Sandy Amoros (1930-1992)
Edmundo (Isasi) Amoros was born in La Habana on this day in 1930. He died in Miami in 1992.
He was an extra outfielder in those great Brooklyn teams who played the New York Yankees in 6 World Series between 1947 and 1956. The Yankees and Dodgers were the two best teams in baseball during that period.
We remember Sandy Amoros for the the big catch that saved Johnny Podres’ shutout in game 7 of the 1955 World Series.
It was the only World Series victory for the legendary Brooklyn Dodgers.
He was an extra outfielder in those great Brooklyn teams who played the New York Yankees in 6 World Series between 1947 and 1956. The Yankees and Dodgers were the two best teams in baseball during that period.
We remember Sandy Amoros for the the big catch that saved Johnny Podres’ shutout in game 7 of the 1955 World Series.
It was the only World Series victory for the legendary Brooklyn Dodgers.
P.S. You can listen to my show. If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.
Thursday, January 29, 2026
Holman and ICE. Canada looking to China. Mamdani and NYC finances.
Holman and ICE. Canada looking to China. Mamdani and NYC finances. Hall of Fame 1936.
Canadians should focus on hockey, not China
Click to read:
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/01/canadians_should_focus_on_hockey_not_china.html
1861: Kansas entered the Union as the 28th state
Today, Kansas is a prosperous state and reliably Republican vote. It has a population of 3 million people and a strong economy.
P.S. You can listen to my show. If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.
We remember Thomas Paine
We remember Thomas Paine who was born in the UK on this day in 1737.
In 1774, Paine arrived in Philadelphia and soon came to support American independence.
"Common sense" should be required reading in high school. Every American kid should be introduced to Paine's ideas.
P.S. You can listen to my show. If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.
1962: Peter Paul & Mary signed their first contract
Did you love Peter, Paul & Mary's voices and their many wonderful songs?
We remember today that Peter Paul & Mary signed their first contract with Warner Bros.
Well....and the rest is musical history.
I love the music of Peter, Paul & Mary. I've collected their songs for years and a part of my personal soundtrack. They remind me of so many moments in my life.
Mary Travers died in 2009. We posted a couple of times about her death.
Peter & Paul rarely perform anymore. However, they left us a musical legacy of beautiful tunes.
P.S. Their music is now available in a digital format. And there is this wonderful songbook of guitar chords and lyrics!
P.S. You can listen to my show. If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.
1936: The first selections to the Baseball Hall of Fame
It started on this day in 1936. The first class selected to the Baseball Hall of Fame included Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Matthewson and Walter Johnson. Quite a class to say the least!
Cobb retired as the all time hits leaders (4,189) and a .366 lifetime batting average. Pete Rose broke his record in 1985.
Ruth hit 714 HRs, set the single season record with 60 HR in 1927 and retired with a .342 career BA. Henry Aaron and Barry Bonds passed him in 1974 and 2007 respectively. Roger Maris hit 61 in 1961. Barry Bonds hit 71 in 2001!
Wagner had 3,420 hits and a .328 career BA.
Mattewson won 373 games.
Johnson won 424 games, pitched 110 shutouts and had a lifetime 2.17 ERA. How did he lose 279 games with an ERA like that? He also had 3,509 Ks!
Great selections!
P.S. You can listen to my show. If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.
1958: Campanella and the accident that ended his career
On this day in 1958, Roy Campanella was involved in a career ending car accident. And so ended Campy's career. He never played again.
The injury happened a few months after the Dodgers had played their last game in Brooklyn.
Campy was selected to The Hall of Fame in 1969. He died in 1993. Campanella was the catcher & 3-time NL MVP on the 1955 Brooklyn team that won the World Series.
P.S. You can listen to my show. If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.
Wednesday, January 28, 2026
A chat about protests with John Green, writer.
John Green is a political refugee from Minnesota, now residing in Idaho. He has written for American Thinker, The American Spectator, Convention of States Action, and American Free News Network.
Don't blame the readers for not reading you
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/01/don_t_blame_the_readers_for_not_reading_you.html
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A terrible day, but the right man was in the Oval Office
We think of President Reagan as “the great communicator.” Indeed, he communicated conservative ideas better than anyone. Many of his speeches were memorable, from “the evil empire” to “tear down this wall.” His 1980 speech accepting the GOP nomination in Detroit was fabulous, especially now that you can watch it again and again.
However, his best speech wasn’t political at all. It happened on the day that he spoke to the nation about the terrible Challenger explosion on January 28, 1986 or 37 years ago today.
As you may remember, most of the country fell in love with Christa McAuliffe, a teacher going into space. Also watching that morning were her family and millions of students all over. It was one of those moments where everyone was cheering the same way. It was awesome. Happy moment. How often do you get those?
The story had a bad ending. The Challenger exploded 73 seconds after takeoff and a wonderful morning turned into a nightmare.
Around that time, I was driving to a lunch and listening to everything on the radio. I heard the takeoff and the first word of an explosion. I walked into the restaurant and everyone was watching the television. It was one of those moments when nothing else mattered, including lunch.
Later, President Reagan spoke to the nation about the tragedy, and especially to the children who had seen their teacher blown up in space. Suddenly, you realize why it matters to have a president who can speak from the heart:
And I want to say something to the schoolchildren of America who were watching the live coverage of the shuttle’s takeoff. I know it is hard to understand, but sometimes painful things like this happen. It’s all part of the process of exploration and discovery. It’s all part of taking a chance and expanding man’s horizons. The future doesn’t belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave. The Challenger crew was pulling us into the future, and we’ll continue to follow them.
It was a wonderful speech and you should watch it in full. It was an awful day but we had a man in the Oval Office who could bring us together.
P.S. Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos.
1959: The Packers hired Lombardi
Lombardi inherited a 1-10-1 team but he turned the organization around quickly."On January 28, 1959, the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL) sign Vince Lombardi to a five-year contract as the team's coach and general manager."
Green Bay won 3 NFL titles and the first 2 Super Bowls. Without question, the Packers were the most successful team of the 1960's.
As a result, the Super Bowl Trophy is named after Coach Lombardi.
We remember the life and times of Jose Marti (1853...1895)
Guest: Fernando Hernandez, Cuban American author....We remember the life and times of Jose Marti (1853-1895)...and other stories....
The life and times of Jose Marti with Jorge Ponce, Professor Lopez and others
The life and times of Jose Marti with Jorge Ponce, Professor Lopez and others....click to listen....P.S. Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos. If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.
Listen to "The life and times of Jose Marti with Professor Alfred Lopez" on Spreaker.
A look at the life of Jose Marti with Fernando Hernandez, author
Guest: Fernando Hernandez, author of "The Cubans: Our footprints across America."
His book traces the contributions that Cuban immigrants have made in the United States from as far back as the 1800s until the present time.
We will remember today the life and times of Jose Marti, who died on this day in 1895. How significant is he to those of us Cuban Americans who grew up in the US?
Click to listen:
It could have turned out different in Vietnam
Back in 1973, President Nixon announced a ceasefire in Vietnam. It came about after the famous Christmas bombing of 1972, when President Nixon reminded North Vietnam that he had a lot of B-52s and was willing to use them. In simple terms, the bombing was so intense that the North came back begging Secretary Kissinger for the paper to sign!
Two months later, the POWs came home, including John McCain.
Twenty-seven months later, the North walked into Saigon, and we’ve known it as Ho Chi Minh City ever since.
Did it have to turn out that way?
President Nixon did not think so. He wrote about it in No More Vietnams, a book that gets better with age. The point is that we choose to win wars or lose them, the latter of which we did in Vietnam. To win would not have required a single soldier – just a few B-52s to remind the North that we meant to enforce the ceasefire. We should remember that North Vietnam was devastated in 1973.
The tragedy of Vietnam is that the USSR could not believe that we let South Vietnam collapse in 1975, as Stephen J. Morris wrote on the 30th anniversary of the disintegration of Saigon:
If the United States had provided that level of support in 1975, when South Vietnam collapsed in the face of another North Vietnamese offensive, the outcome might have been at least the same as in 1972.But intense lobbying of Congress by the antiwar movement, especially in the context of the Watergate scandal, helped to drive cutbacks of American aid in 1974.Combined with the impact of the world oil crisis and inflation of 1973-74, the results were devastating for the south.As the triumphant North Vietnamese commander, Gen. Van Tien Dung, wrote later, President Nguyen Van Thieu of South Vietnam was forced to fight “a poor man’s war.”Even Hanoi’s main patron, the Soviet Union, was convinced that a North Vietnamese military victory was highly unlikely.Evidence from Soviet Communist Party archives suggests that, until 1974, Soviet military intelligence analysts and diplomats never believed that the North Vietnamese would be victorious on the battlefield. Only political and diplomatic efforts could succeed.Moscow thought that the South Vietnamese government was strong enough to defend itself with a continuation of American logistical support.The former Soviet chargé d’affaires in Hanoi during the 1970’s told me in Moscow in late 1993 that if one looked at the balance of forces, one could not predict that the South would be defeated.Until 1975, Moscow was not only impressed by American military power and political will, it also clearly had no desire to go to war with the United States over Vietnam.
But after 1975, Soviet fear of the United States dissipated.
No kidding that fear of the U.S. dissipated. The post-Vietnam years contributed to the perception that the U.S. was weak and unwilling to defend its interests. From Nicaragua to Iran to the Soviets in Afghanistan and Cuban troops in Africa, it was a time of U.S. weakness. Thankfully, it ended with the Reagan presidency.
There were many mistakes in Vietnam, from using the Gulf of Tonkin resolution to send 500,000 soldiers to war to not fighting to win. I believe that the biggest mistake was not preserving our gains, or a South Vietnam that would have looked a lot like South Korea today.
Again, it could have turned out very different, especially for the many who served in Vietnam. They won the battles, and the politicians lost the peace.
P.S. You can listen to my show (Canto Talk).
Tuesday, January 27, 2026
Holman to Minnesota, Climate change and winter storm. Washington Post ...
Holman to Minnesota, Climate change and winter storm. Washington Post layoffs. National Geographic 1888.
Heard anything lately about climate change?
Click to read:
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/01/heard_anything_lately_about_climate_change.html
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It'sfreezing down in North Texas. It's so cold that we've been locked inside for a few days. The only good news (knock on wood) is that our electricity is running. The second bit of good news is that I’m reminded that my wife can make some nice hot soup.
So stay warm wherever you are and remember that we will soon have 100-degree days around here.
Here is a funny one: Have you heard anyone blame any of this on climate change? I haven't, although I heard that former VP Al Gore was in Davos. I don't know why he was there, but I guess his predictions did not come true either.
What happened to the climate? The guys at the I&I editorial board have some thoughts. Let's hear from them:
Over the weekend, USA Today reported that northeast states were experiencing an unusual winter problem -- a shortage of salt.
It seems that there have been so many snowstorms this winter that even states like Michigan and Vermont -- which are quite accustomed to them -- are running short of the snow-melting chemical.
“An official from Monroe County, [Michigan] located between Detroit and Ohio, told the news station that local crews used more salt in December than in the past four Decembers combined,” says USA Today.
But what’s curiously missing from this and other accounts of the winter storm is the obligatory mention of “climate change” as the cause. It seems that bad winter weather is just weather. Whereas bad summer weather is always -- always -- and prominently blamed on our burning fossil fuels.
Burning fossil fuels? Aren't we doing that anymore? Maybe not, because suddenly winter storms in January are just that, i.e. winter storms in January!
Where did climate change go? Maybe it was all a big hoax after all. I don't mean that the climate doesn't change. In fact, it's been changing since Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden.
The hoax was the hysterical reaction and stories of bears dying. That's when climate change, as the editorial points out, went from science to a pagan religion.
That's when people with reasonable doubts became heretics and the heroes vandalized works of art at museums.
Anyway, the bad news is that we are freezing in Texas. The good news is that we are blaming it on winter and not climate change. That's progress, as someone said.
P.S. Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos.
Happy # 79 John Lowenstein
John was one of the most popular players in the Orioles teams that played in the 1979 and 1983 World Series. He was not a superstar, like Eddie Murray, Jim Palmer or Cal Ripken, but he was a huge factor in the Orioles' winning ways.
John came to Baltimore just before the 1979 season and platooned in left field with Gary Roenicke. His numbers were great, specially in 1982 when he hit .320 with 24 HR and 66 RBI in 122 games. In 1983, or the year that Baltimore won the World Series, John hit .291 with 15 HR.
In the post season, John hit .308 in 10 games. He also hit the 3-run homer to beat the Angels in extra innings of game 1 of the 1979 ALCS.
He was a real fan favorite. I hope that he's doing well. Thanks for the memories!
P.S. Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos. If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.
1967: The tragedy of Apollo I
We remember another anniversary of the Apollo I tragedy on this day in 1967.
The men killed that day were Virgil "Gus" Grissom, Edward H White and Roger B Chafee. They died in capsule fire a few weeks before their launch date.
The tragedy was a great loss for NASA.
At the same time, the "bench" was so deep that other men stepped up and Apollo 11 landed on the moon in July 1969.
The men killed that day were Virgil "Gus" Grissom, Edward H White and Roger B Chafee. They died in capsule fire a few weeks before their launch date.
The tragedy was a great loss for NASA.
At the same time, the "bench" was so deep that other men stepped up and Apollo 11 landed on the moon in July 1969.
P.S. Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos. If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.
1936-39: A look back at The Spanish Civil War with Barry Jacobsen
1936-39: A look back at The Spanish Civil War with Barry Jacobsen.......click to listen
P.S. You can listen to my show. If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.
1888: The National Geographic Society was founded
Nine months later, the Society started publishing the magazine that we grew up reading.
P.S. Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos. If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.
Monday, January 26, 2026
The week in review with Bill Katz....
The week in review with Bill Katz, the editor of Urgent Agenda. We will talk about the storm of 2026.....Minneapolis again.......Greenland......Bob Eucker (1934-2025).....plus other stories......
The week in review with Bill Katz, the editor of Urgent Agenda
The week in review with Bill Katz, the editor of Urgent Agenda. We will talk about the storm of 2026.....Minneapolis again.......Greenland......Bob Eucker (1934-2025).....plus other stories......click to listen:
Really, Chuck?
Click to read:
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/01/really_chuck.html
The latest from Washington D.C. is that Senator Chuck Schumer prefers a shutdown rather than continue funding ICE. Here is the story:
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Saturday that Democrats will not put up the necessary votes to advance a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security in the wake of immigration agents shooting and killing a man in Minneapolis on Saturday.
"What's happening in Minnesota is appalling -- and unacceptable in any American city. Democrats sought common sense reforms in the Department of Homeland Security spending bill, but because of Republicans' refusal to stand up to President Trump, the DHS bill is woefully inadequate to rein in the abuses of ICE," Schumer said in a statement. "I will vote no. Senate Democrats will not provide the votes to proceed to the appropriations bill if the DHS funding bill is included."
Really, Chuck? You want to shut down the government over ICE funding? Senator Schumer must be really scared of an AOC challenge in the next New York Senate race or totally misreading what the voters are really saying about immigration enforcement.
Yes, it's terrible that there are two dead in Minneapolis. ICE did not go into Minneapolis to kill a nurse or a mom. They are there to look for criminals and do not enjoy the local cooperation that they got in Memphis, New Orleans, or Texas. Instead, they have to look for criminals and fight interference from misguided citizens indoctrinated by demagogic politicians named Walz and Frey.
Senator Schumer may also be misreading these polls. What are voters really saying? Maybe the Senator should check what David Catron is saying:
The fact remains that President Trump was elected in significant part to secure the border and deport illegals. An overwhelming majority of the public still supports his immigration policies, including removing those who have violated our laws and have no right to be here.
No right to be here. That's what the public believes even if those images of dead citizens are on TV. My guess is that most Americans don't believe that protesters should interfere with police activities by using your car or carrying a gun.
Unfortunately, the Democrats are once again doubling down on making AOC happy. Such an approach will stop primary challenges but create problems when everybody else votes.
P.S. Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos.
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