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- Hawaii vs. Citizens United
Fifteen years after Mitt Romney stood on an Iowa hay bale and proclaimed that “corporations are people, my friend,” his declaration is no longer mockable. The amount of money corporations spend anonymously to sway federal elections has increased from $359 million in 2012 to $1.4 billion in the most recent presidential cycle. All of that spending by “dark money” nonprofits is protected by the same right to free speech enjoyed by “natural persons,” because the Supreme Court decided in Citizens United v. FEC that U.S. corporations function as citizen associations under the Constitution.But not all of these “people” are created exactly equal. Whereas humans are automatically granted certain rights at birth, corporate personhood comes into existence under state laws that define its powers—a fact that opponents of corporate money in politics hope to use to transform how U.S. elections are funded. Hawaii is the first state to try. Earlier this month, a nearly unanimous and bipartisan majority—well, as bipartisan as it gets in a state with so few Republicans—of Hawaii’s state legislature voted to change the powers of corporations doing business in the state and no longer grant them the ability to spend on most political causes.“Corporations are not people. They are granted powers and privileges by the state,” State Senator Jarrett Keohokalole told me this week, explaining the rationale of the bill he sponsored. “How can a creation of the state have inalienable rights? It doesn’t make any sense.”The legislation—which Hawaii Governor Josh Green, a Democrat, has not yet signed—is expected to apply to for-profit companies, so-called dark-money nonprofits, unions, and chambers of commerce, potentially cutting off a major revenue stream for the super PACs that dominate politics. The legislation makes exceptions for journalistic work—as in, newspaper editorials explicitly advocating for certain candidates—and company-organized political-action committees that pool individual donations.Under the proposal, Hawaiian corporations would still enjoy personhood of a kind, but they would lack a single ability guaranteed to their living and breathing peers. Supporters point to Chief Justice John Marshall’s 1819 opinion in Trustees of Dartmouth College v. Woodward, a landmark case that set the course of corporate law that followed. “A corporation is an artificial being, invisible, intangible, and existing only in contemplation of law,” Marshall wrote. “Being the mere creature of law, it possesses only those properties which the charter of its creation confers upon it.”Tom Moore, a senior fellow at the Center for American… [TheTopNews] Read More.2 weeks ago - The Men Who Don’t Want Women to Vote
Douglas Wilson has a modest proposal to improve American life: He wants to repeal the Nineteenth Amendment, which gave women the vote. In his ideal system, “we would do it in our politics the same way we do it in our church structure,” he told me recently. “And that is, we vote by household.”Wilson is a co-founder of the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches, based in Moscow, Idaho. Over the past five decades, he has built a small empire there, dedicated to disseminating his theocratic vision for the United States: a publishing house, a school, a liberal-arts college, and a video-streaming service. His denomination, which has about 170 affiliated churches, counts Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as a member, and Wilson was invited to lead a prayer service at the Pentagon in February. So when the pastor casually suggests disenfranchising half of America, people listen.When I asked him about this position, Wilson said it wasn’t his top priority—“We have bigger fish to fry”—but something he sees happening in perhaps 200 years’ time. I found this intellectual footsie maddening. “If I said to you, ‘I think all white men should be put in cages—but not now; it’s not my aspiration for now,’ ” I suggested, “then you wouldn’t be interested in a single other thing that I had to say at that point.”Wilson chuckled. “Oh, I know you’d probably have all my attention.”This is twinkly, avuncular Douglas Wilson, the guy who joined a hippie congregation fresh out of the Navy because he liked to play guitar, and ended up leading services once the regular pastor moved on. The same guy who once went on a multicity debating tour with the New Atheist Christopher Hitchens, and bonded with him over their shared love of P. G. Wodehouse. But the 72-year-old shows a different side on his website, Blog & Mablog. For more than two decades, Wilson has been airing piquant opinions on unruly women—or, as he calls them, “small-breasted biddies,” “harridans,” “lumberjack dykes,” and “Jezebels.” He once referred to Gloria Steinem and another feminist as “a couple of cunts.” And this is the polite version. Every year he celebrates “No Quarter November,” when he promises to tell readers what he really thinks.Wilson believes that women should “not ordinarily” hold political office, and should never serve in combat roles in the military. Husbands should have dominion over misbehaving wives’ weight, spending habits, and choice of… [TheTopNews] Read More.2 weeks ago - Encore, Johnny
Johnny Hallyday made his 90th appearance on the cover of Paris-Match this week. His first was in 1963. He died in 2017, of course, and around a million people turned out in the streets of the French capital to watch his funeral cortège go by. The reason for his reappearance on the magazine’s cover is the announcement of a new biopic, Johnny, to be directed by Cédric Jimenez, with Benjamin Voisin, so brilliant as Meursault in François Ozon’s recent The Stranger, in the title role (and on the latest cover). Noée Abita and Nina Meurisse will play Sylvie Vartan and Nathalie Baye respectively — Johnny’s wives during the period on which the film concentrates, from the ’60s to the ’80s. Marie Colomb is cast as the singer Nanette Workman, with whom he had a tumultuous affair in the ’70s. Rather poignantly, Laura Smet, Johnny’s daughter, plays her own grandmother, Huguette, whom she never met. Shooting starts this summer and a release is promised for early 2017. We’re assured that the cars, the clothes, the guitars and the cigarettes (Gitanes) will all be period-correct. It might be good. Peut-être, peut-être pas. Nice to be reminded of him, anyway. [TheTopNews] Read More.2 weeks ago - The Cherohala Skyway—North Carolina’s $100 Million Mountain Road
Stretching 51 miles between Robbinsville, North Carolina, and Tellico Plains, Tennessee, the Cherohala Skyway is often referred to as the most expensive road ever constructed in North Carolina. By the time the final pavement was laid in 1996, the project had consumed more than three decades of planning and construction and cost well over $100 million. And when you ride it, you understand exactly where that money went. The Cherohala Skyway doesn’t simply cross the mountains – it threads through them with remarkable precision. Massive cuts were carved into steep Appalachian ridges. Countless engineering challenges had to be overcome to build a modern scenic highway across terrain that was remote, rugged, and environmentally sensitive. Construction began in 1960, but the final link wasn’t completed until 36 years later, making the Skyway one of the longest-running highway projects in the region. The Cherohala Skyway has many pull-offs and overlooks, so be sure to stop and enjoy the view. The name itself combines the two national forests it traverses: Cherokee in Tennessee and Nantahala in North Carolina. Chero-hala. Together, those forests form a corridor of uninterrupted mountain wilderness where the Skyway rises above 5,300 feet and delivers some of the most expansive views in the Southeast. For motorcyclists, the result feels less like a state highway and more like a purpose-built riding experience. Unlike older mountain roads that evolved from wagon routes or river valleys, the Cherohala Skyway was engineered for flow. The corners are broad and sweeping. Elevation changes are dramatic but smooth. Sight lines are generous. The pavement feels sculpted into the terrain specifically for momentum and rhythm. That’s what separates it from nearby roads like the Tail of the Dragon. U.S. Route 129 attacks the mountains aggressively with nonstop technical corners and constant intensity. The Cherohala, by comparison, breathes. Riders settle into long arcs and elevation transitions that unfold gradually across the ridgelines. It’s a road that rewards pacing rather than aggression. The Tennessee side begins gently outside Tellico Plains, easing riders into the mountains through dense hardwood forest and river valleys before beginning the steady climb toward the high country. As elevation builds, temperatures often drop noticeably, especially in spring and fall. Bald River Falls is located near Tellico Plains and is a short ride off of the Cherohala Skyway. Bald River Falls is one of the few true ride-by waterfalls in Southern Appalachia, where… [TheTopNews] Read More.2 weeks ago - Viking Lamellar Stallion Hard Saddlebags Review
The Viking Lamellar Stallion Hard Saddlebags complement the styling of my 2004 Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail Classic and add extra storage capacity. (Photos by the author) In some states, my 2004 Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail Classic is just around the corner from being designated as “historical” or “vintage.” While my bike is still in great shape, the original saddlebags didn’t make it for the full ride. The Viking Lamellar Stallion Leather Covered Motorcycle Hard Saddlebags offered the function I was seeking – and gave my Softail a new look to boot. Capacity was my biggest concern when I was searching for new bags. My wife is my regular pillion companion, and when you’re two-up, having a place for your “stuff,” as comedian George Carlin put it, is important. Even if I’m out solo, riding where I live in Utah means lots of elevation change, so it’s nice to have enough room to store a heavier jacket when I don’t need it. At $424.99 for the pair, the Viking Lamellar Stallion Extra Large saddlebags are reasonably priced. They’re also capacious. The Viking bags provide 44 liters of capacity, which surpasses the 34 liters of my stock bags and, for comparison, is just shy of the 1.6 cubic feet (or 45.3 liters) of the saddlebags on the 2026 Heritage Classic. From a form standpoint, the Viking bags are cooler. The 2026 OEM bags are too boxy for my taste, but the Vikings complement the classic swoop of the rear fender. They enhance rather than detract from the lines of my Heritage Classic. The Viking bags can fit my XL Highway 21 Motordrome Jacket with its liner and shoulder and elbow armor…and still room to squeeze in my travel tumbler. Other features of the Viking Lamellar Stallion bags include key locking (a major plus), a tighter weather seal than previous Lamellar bags, an interior pocket organizer and foam liner to keep lose items from rattling, reflective side markers, and a keyless quick latch. I get nervous about those types of opening systems, as they can be one more mechanism to fail prematurely, but the Viking quick latch feels sturdy and well-constructed. My only concern is that the bags are “leather-covered,” and based on what I saw when I drilled through them for installation, the covering is not that thick. I may add a leather patch… [TheTopNews] Read More.2 weeks ago
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Fifteen years after Mitt Romney stood on an Iowa hay bale and proclaimed that “corporations are people, my friend,” his declaration is no longer mockable. The amount of money corporations spend anonymously to sway federal elections has increased from $359 million in 2012 to $1.4 billion in the most recent presidential cycle. All of that spending by “dark money” nonprofits is protected by the same right to free speech enjoyed by “natural persons,” because the Supreme Court decided in Citizens United v. FEC that U.S. corporations function as citizen associations under the Constitution.But not all of these “people” are created exactly equal. Whereas humans are automatically granted certain rights at birth, corporate personhood comes into existence under state laws that define its powers—a fact that opponents of corporate money in politics hope to use to transform how U.S. elections are funded. Hawaii is the first state to try. Earlier this month, a nearly unanimous and bipartisan majority—well, as bipartisan as it gets in a state with so few Republicans—of Hawaii’s state legislature voted to change the powers of corporations doing business in the state and no longer grant them the ability to spend on most political causes.“Corporations are not people. They are granted powers and privileges by the state,” State Senator Jarrett Keohokalole told me this week, explaining the rationale of the bill he sponsored. “How can a creation of the state have inalienable rights? It doesn’t make any sense.”The legislation—which Hawaii Governor Josh Green, a Democrat, has not yet signed—is expected to apply to for-profit companies, so-called dark-money nonprofits, unions, and chambers of commerce, potentially cutting off a major revenue stream for the super PACs that dominate politics. The legislation makes exceptions for journalistic work—as in, newspaper editorials explicitly advocating for certain candidates—and company-organized political-action committees that pool individual donations.Under the proposal, Hawaiian corporations would still enjoy personhood of a kind, but they would lack a single ability guaranteed to their living and breathing peers. Supporters point to Chief Justice John Marshall’s 1819 opinion in Trustees of Dartmouth College v. Woodward, a landmark case that set the course of corporate law that followed. “A corporation is an artificial being, invisible, intangible, and existing only in contemplation of law,” Marshall wrote. “Being the mere creature of law, it possesses only those properties which the charter of its creation confers upon it.”Tom Moore, a senior fellow at the Center for American… [TheTopNews] Read More.
2 weeks ago
Douglas Wilson has a modest proposal to improve American life: He wants to repeal the Nineteenth Amendment, which gave women the vote. In his ideal system, “we would do it in our politics the same way we do it in our church structure,” he told me recently. “And that is, we vote by household.”Wilson is a co-founder of the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches, based in Moscow, Idaho. Over the past five decades, he has built a small empire there, dedicated to disseminating his theocratic vision for the United States: a publishing house, a school, a liberal-arts college, and a video-streaming service. His denomination, which has about 170 affiliated churches, counts Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as a member, and Wilson was invited to lead a prayer service at the Pentagon in February. So when the pastor casually suggests disenfranchising half of America, people listen.When I asked him about this position, Wilson said it wasn’t his top priority—“We have bigger fish to fry”—but something he sees happening in perhaps 200 years’ time. I found this intellectual footsie maddening. “If I said to you, ‘I think all white men should be put in cages—but not now; it’s not my aspiration for now,’ ” I suggested, “then you wouldn’t be interested in a single other thing that I had to say at that point.”Wilson chuckled. “Oh, I know you’d probably have all my attention.”This is twinkly, avuncular Douglas Wilson, the guy who joined a hippie congregation fresh out of the Navy because he liked to play guitar, and ended up leading services once the regular pastor moved on. The same guy who once went on a multicity debating tour with the New Atheist Christopher Hitchens, and bonded with him over their shared love of P. G. Wodehouse. But the 72-year-old shows a different side on his website, Blog & Mablog. For more than two decades, Wilson has been airing piquant opinions on unruly women—or, as he calls them, “small-breasted biddies,” “harridans,” “lumberjack dykes,” and “Jezebels.” He once referred to Gloria Steinem and another feminist as “a couple of cunts.” And this is the polite version. Every year he celebrates “No Quarter November,” when he promises to tell readers what he really thinks.Wilson believes that women should “not ordinarily” hold political office, and should never serve in combat roles in the military. Husbands should have dominion over misbehaving wives’ weight, spending habits, and choice of… [TheTopNews] Read More.
2 weeks ago
Johnny Hallyday made his 90th appearance on the cover of Paris-Match this week. His first was in 1963. He died in 2017, of course, and around a million people turned out in the streets of the French capital to watch his funeral cortège go by. The reason for his reappearance on the magazine’s cover is the announcement of a new biopic, Johnny, to be directed by Cédric Jimenez, with Benjamin Voisin, so brilliant as Meursault in François Ozon’s recent The Stranger, in the title role (and on the latest cover). Noée Abita and Nina Meurisse will play Sylvie Vartan and Nathalie Baye respectively — Johnny’s wives during the period on which the film concentrates, from the ’60s to the ’80s. Marie Colomb is cast as the singer Nanette Workman, with whom he had a tumultuous affair in the ’70s. Rather poignantly, Laura Smet, Johnny’s daughter, plays her own grandmother, Huguette, whom she never met. Shooting starts this summer and a release is promised for early 2017. We’re assured that the cars, the clothes, the guitars and the cigarettes (Gitanes) will all be period-correct. It might be good. Peut-être, peut-être pas. Nice to be reminded of him, anyway. [TheTopNews] Read More.
2 weeks ago
Stretching 51 miles between Robbinsville, North Carolina, and Tellico Plains, Tennessee, the Cherohala Skyway is often referred to as the most expensive road ever constructed in North Carolina. By the time the final pavement was laid in 1996, the project had consumed more than three decades of planning and construction and cost well over $100 million. And when you ride it, you understand exactly where that money went. The Cherohala Skyway doesn’t simply cross the mountains – it threads through them with remarkable precision. Massive cuts were carved into steep Appalachian ridges. Countless engineering challenges had to be overcome to build a modern scenic highway across terrain that was remote, rugged, and environmentally sensitive. Construction began in 1960, but the final link wasn’t completed until 36 years later, making the Skyway one of the longest-running highway projects in the region. The Cherohala Skyway has many pull-offs and overlooks, so be sure to stop and enjoy the view. The name itself combines the two national forests it traverses: Cherokee in Tennessee and Nantahala in North Carolina. Chero-hala. Together, those forests form a corridor of uninterrupted mountain wilderness where the Skyway rises above 5,300 feet and delivers some of the most expansive views in the Southeast. For motorcyclists, the result feels less like a state highway and more like a purpose-built riding experience. Unlike older mountain roads that evolved from wagon routes or river valleys, the Cherohala Skyway was engineered for flow. The corners are broad and sweeping. Elevation changes are dramatic but smooth. Sight lines are generous. The pavement feels sculpted into the terrain specifically for momentum and rhythm. That’s what separates it from nearby roads like the Tail of the Dragon. U.S. Route 129 attacks the mountains aggressively with nonstop technical corners and constant intensity. The Cherohala, by comparison, breathes. Riders settle into long arcs and elevation transitions that unfold gradually across the ridgelines. It’s a road that rewards pacing rather than aggression. The Tennessee side begins gently outside Tellico Plains, easing riders into the mountains through dense hardwood forest and river valleys before beginning the steady climb toward the high country. As elevation builds, temperatures often drop noticeably, especially in spring and fall. Bald River Falls is located near Tellico Plains and is a short ride off of the Cherohala Skyway. Bald River Falls is one of the few true ride-by waterfalls in Southern Appalachia, where… [TheTopNews] Read More.
2 weeks ago
The Viking Lamellar Stallion Hard Saddlebags complement the styling of my 2004 Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail Classic and add extra storage capacity. (Photos by the author) In some states, my 2004 Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail Classic is just around the corner from being designated as “historical” or “vintage.” While my bike is still in great shape, the original saddlebags didn’t make it for the full ride. The Viking Lamellar Stallion Leather Covered Motorcycle Hard Saddlebags offered the function I was seeking – and gave my Softail a new look to boot. Capacity was my biggest concern when I was searching for new bags. My wife is my regular pillion companion, and when you’re two-up, having a place for your “stuff,” as comedian George Carlin put it, is important. Even if I’m out solo, riding where I live in Utah means lots of elevation change, so it’s nice to have enough room to store a heavier jacket when I don’t need it. At $424.99 for the pair, the Viking Lamellar Stallion Extra Large saddlebags are reasonably priced. They’re also capacious. The Viking bags provide 44 liters of capacity, which surpasses the 34 liters of my stock bags and, for comparison, is just shy of the 1.6 cubic feet (or 45.3 liters) of the saddlebags on the 2026 Heritage Classic. From a form standpoint, the Viking bags are cooler. The 2026 OEM bags are too boxy for my taste, but the Vikings complement the classic swoop of the rear fender. They enhance rather than detract from the lines of my Heritage Classic. The Viking bags can fit my XL Highway 21 Motordrome Jacket with its liner and shoulder and elbow armor…and still room to squeeze in my travel tumbler. Other features of the Viking Lamellar Stallion bags include key locking (a major plus), a tighter weather seal than previous Lamellar bags, an interior pocket organizer and foam liner to keep lose items from rattling, reflective side markers, and a keyless quick latch. I get nervous about those types of opening systems, as they can be one more mechanism to fail prematurely, but the Viking quick latch feels sturdy and well-constructed. My only concern is that the bags are “leather-covered,” and based on what I saw when I drilled through them for installation, the covering is not that thick. I may add a leather patch… [TheTopNews] Read More.
2 weeks ago
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