….Requiring a group to host a speaker they oppose is textbook compelled speech — and FIRE will fight it every step of the way. Here: On February 25, 2026, Catholic University denied student organization Students Supporting Israel’s request to host an event with Congressman Randy Fine about the rise in antisemitism because the event lacked…

Putney..

A pessimistic view of the US/Israeli war on Iran, from Benny Morris in Quillette: Driven by religious fanaticism—which includes the belief that Allah’s side will ultimately prevail and that martyrdom assures the believers of a seductive heavenly afterlife—and governed by a logic alien to Western thinking, Islamists will not cede to the bombs and guns…

Philosophy book reviews have a tradition of plain-speaking, verging on the rude. It’s all part of the cut and thrust of philosophical debate. There is, though, one exception to this rule. Yep, that’s right: anything trans-related. “No debate” is the mantra. There are certain ideas that, especially in the academy, simply cannot be questioned. The…

From the JC: Health Secretary Wes Streeting was left visibly moved as two Jewish women employed in the National Health Service (NHS) told him of their experience of antisemitism in the workplace. The minister said he felt “ashamed” while hearing their testimony at a meeting last month, adding “we have a real problem” in the…

From the Mail: The King’s flagship youth charity decided to cancel a fitness course for disadvantaged girls instead of preventing biological males from attending. The King’s Trust was due to run a ‘Get started with Boxing and Fitness for Women’ course for girls aged 16 to 25 that was open to ‘female identifying/presenting’ people. A…

This morning, at Golders Hill Park: The Hill: Dartmouth Park: Tollington Park backs.

Yesterday the BBC’s John Simpson tweeted that Ali Larijani, the Iranian security chief now checking out his 70 virgins courtesy of an Israeli strike, was “clever and reasonable – the kind of person you might want to negotiate a peace deal with”. He deleted the tweet after a hostile response. It is, of course, a…

Back to the Hampstead Ponds. Me, in January: What is strange is the result of the City of London consultation, which they claim showed 86% of the 38,000 respondents backing trans-inclusive access to the ponds. Well, it’s Hampstead, so it’s possible, but…really? You’d be hard put to find a clearer case for women-only when you…