FOOLING AMERICANS ON APRIL FOOLS’ DAY TRUMP’S APRIL FOOLS’ DAY: SPEECH ON THE IRAN WAR

In this commentary, we share Donald Trump’s address to Americans on April Fools’ Day—a speech that felt less like leadership and more like theater. Trump attempted to justify the war using clichés, hypothetical fears, and ideology wrapped in familiar half-truths. It was All Fools’ Day, after all, and he seemed intent on playing the American public—recycling epithets that have grown […]

The Real American Crisis is not Merely Political—it is Moral

On the contrary, the real American crisis is not merely political—it is moral. We are confronted with a President whose character appears fractured, whose words and actions often stand in contradiction. It is not enough to say, as Republican strategist Stuart Stevens suggests, that “an entire political movement chose him.” That may be true, but it does not absolve the […]

News Update: DOJ Does Not Oppose Motion for Release in John Anthony Castro Case; Appeal Pending Before Fifth Circuit

In a notable procedural development, the U.S. Department of Justice did not file an opposition to a motion for release submitted by John Anthony Castro in the district court, setting up a potentially consequential appellate review before the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Earlier, Castro had filed an emergency motion with the Fifth Circuit. That motion was denied before the […]

Empire, Stability, and the Smokescreen of Morality

Let us be honest—brutally honest, the way history demands and empire resents. What is unfolding in Venezuela, and across the wider Caribbean basin, has little to do with democracy, human rights, or some sudden moral awakening in Washington. It has everything to do with power—raw, unapologetic, strategic power—and the anxiety that sets in when that power feels challenged. The United […]

Straight Talk in Philadelphia: Section 8, Gentrification, and the Politics of Belonging

Journal Article: Straight Talk in Philadelphia: Section 8, Gentrification, and the Politics of Belonging By Renaldo C. McKenzie, Author of Neoliberalism, Creator and Host of The Neoliberal RoundGuests: Keeana Centy and Randolph Travis Subheading From housing assistance to voter turnout, our unscripted conversation traces how policy, culture, and power collide on the block—and why “apolitical” still means politics happens to […]

Street Vibes with Phil Butler: Walking the Talk in Philadelphia’s Urban Pulse By Renaldo McKenzie, The Neoliberal Journal

“This Philadelphia city got character, but it’s breaking people.” — Phil Butler In this electrifying street-side dialogue, author and professor Renaldo McKenzie meets Phil Butler—Philadelphia’s own voice of the people—at the corner of grit and grace. Recorded in the heart of the city, this conversation is more than an interview; it’s a window into lives shadowed by systems, yet radiant […]

John Anthony Castro Files Motion to Strike: It Was Rigged from the Start

  Introduction In the age of algorithms and autocrats, John Anthony Castro was a digital David, slinging lawsuits at political Goliaths with the audacity of a revolutionary and the credentials of a statesman. Born to Mexican-American military parents, he carried not only the pride of his lineage but the burden of a system he believed was breaking. A tax attorney […]

The Penn Relays Begin at Penn: A Tradition Rooted in Speed, Culture, and Diaspora Pride

The Penn Relays have officially begun at the University of Pennsylvania—my alma mater—and once again, the historic Franklin Field is alive with the spirit of one of the oldest and most prestigious track and field events in the Americas. Hosted annually by Penn Athletics, the Relays are more than just a sporting event—they are a cultural moment, especially for the […]