October 1, 2025

Now, on to the news…

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is planning to toughen the naturalization exam in a few ways, including restoring the civics test and strengthening the criteria for “good moral character.”

These changes deserve support, Santiago Vidal Calvo writes. “A genuinely pro-American immigration policy starts with assimilation and civic education,” he argues. “Tougher naturalization standards should be paired with higher expectations—expanding basic civics and English requirements for permanent residency and certain work visas that have a path to citizenship—so newcomers are prepared to participate fully in America’s political system.”

Read more about the changes and Vidal Calvo’s suggestions for going even further.

This year, political terror, particularly on the left, has surged. Narratives have inspired decentralized acts of violence, creating a system that Christopher F. Rufo calls the “left-wing terror memeplex.” It is made up of four elements: prestige narratives, radicalized memespaces, copycat models, and disturbed individuals. 

“The memeplex is not organized like the older model of left-wing political terrorism, which relied on organized groups (such as the Weather Underground and Black Liberation Army), decentralized cells, ideological formation, and meticulous planning,” Rufo explains. “By contrast, the memeplex is decentralized, mediated through the Internet, and, on the surface, appears unorganized.” But dig a little deeper, Rufo writes, and it’s apparent that the memeplex is “designed to radicalize disturbed individuals and generate bloodshed.”

The Colorado Supreme Court recently allowed Boulder County to pursue a climate-change lawsuit against several energy companies. The county alleges that the companies are harming residents by producing greenhouse gases.

“The fundamental problem with the lawsuit is that the state-law claims are ‘preempted’ (trumped) by federal environmental regulations that already police the energy companies’ behavior,” Ilya Shapiro explains. “If this lawsuit is allowed to proceed, any city or county could rewrite national energy policy by suing companies for emissions occurring elsewhere, even when those emissions comply with federal law.”

Read his take on why the Supreme Court must step in.

Rent control is distorting New York City’s housing market. Nearly 41 percent of the city’s more than 2 million rental units are subject to a maximum annual rent increase. “Buildings must be maintained, and if landlords can’t do that without losing money,” Adam Lehodey writes, “the housing stock degrades.” And rent control encourages tenants to stay in units longer than they need to, which reduces supply.

Read about Lehodey’s conversations with landlords and tenants on how the policy has affected them.

“Tests were made to make sure the best person for the job would pass, and there is no doubt that some people would try to discriminate against a qualified person for personal reasons, but assuming that all tests are biased is senseless. Forcing industries to hire unqualified people is cheating the rest of the public.”

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Nova_Star, commenting on disparate impact 

Photo credit: Anadolu / Contributor / Anadolu via Getty Images