Michael McKenna

Brisbane

Queensland Editor at The Australian

Journalist at The Australian newspaper. [email protected]

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Articles

Environmentalist goon squad Greenpeace learns a lesson

1 week ago | washingtontimes.com | Michael McKenna

- OPINION: When Greenpeace lost a recent $660 million case over its organization of a violent pipeline protest, the most unusual part of the story was neither the jury confirming that environmental organizations do this sort of thing all the time (they do) nor the size of the verdict (although that was impressive).
Happy birthday to the United States Army

1 week ago | washingtontimes.com | Michael McKenna

OPINION: In the depths of a cold night almost 250 years ago, a handful of soldiers waited their turn to cross a river and head toward their enemy in hopes of surprising them on Christmas. Most of them had less than a week left in their enlistments and were preparing to head home. It would have been easy for those soldiers to slip off into the night and not board the boats for this one final and probably pointless battle.
Trump should have ditched Musk long ago

2 weeks ago | washingtontimes.com | Michael McKenna

OPINION: Let’s be honest. Watching President Trump and Elon Musk turn their relationship into one impressively aggressive and large dumpster fire and scream at each in the middle of the street was kind of entertaining. Unless you are a member of the Chinese Communist Party, in which case, the rapidly deteriorating back and forth between the two was a nightmare.
Red tape reckoning: Team Trump needs to overhaul America's obsolete environmental laws

3 weeks ago | washingtontimes.com | Michael McKenna

- OPINION: In a rare unanimous ruling a couple of weeks ago, the Supreme Court came to two clear conclusions in Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County about how federal agencies should implement the National Environmental Protection Act. First, it said agencies should mind their own business and assess only the environmental effects under their jurisdiction.
Pope Leo XIV's surprise election reveals why the Catholic Church survives leadership changes

3 weeks ago | washingtontimes.com | Michael McKenna

- OPINION: A man named Robert Prevost was elected by his peers a few weeks ago to become the most important man in the world. His election, which was watched closely by dozens of self-styled experts, was, of course, neither predicted nor foreseen by any of them, nor was it anticipated by the media or any members of the organization that Mr. Prevost now leads.
Senate's One Big Beautiful Bill process likely to focus on saving taxpayer money

1 month ago | washingtontimes.com | Michael McKenna

OPINION: The House last week passed, by the bracing margin of 215-214, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which includes an extension of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, a handful of additional tax provisions and bits and pieces of other policies, especially the tightening of work requirements associated with Medicaid. Some of the new tax provisions would phase out some tax credits from the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 over the next two years.
Reflecting on Memorial Day's true meaning

1 month ago | lucianne.com | Michael McKenna

Original ArticlePosted By: Moritz55, 5/26/2025 12:03:07 PMOn Monday, we celebrate Memorial Day, the civic holy day we set aside each year to commemorate those who died fighting our wars. It is a day for somber reflection of the sacrifice - more than 1 million service members - that has been made over the course of our nation's history.
For Trump’s tariffs to work, consumer behavior needs to change

1 month ago | washingtontimes.com | Michael McKenna

OPINION: President Trump teed off a bit in response to Walmart’s announcement that it plans to increase prices on some of the goods it sells, partly because of the effect of tariffs on goods originating in China. As a reminder, these tariffs are still in place, albeit at a 30% rate rather than the 145% rate where we started. “Walmart should stop trying to blame tariffs as the reason for raising prices throughout the chain.
City monopolies: Breaking the ruinous Democratic stronghold

1 month ago | washingtontimes.com | Michael McKenna

OPINION: Way back at the end of March, the Justice Department’s antitrust division announced that it had launched a task force to “advocate for the elimination of anticompetitive state and federal laws and regulations that undermine free market competition and harm consumers, workers, and businesses.” Abigail Slater, the U.S. assistant attorney general in charge of this effort, wrapped up by noting: “This Antitrust Division will stand against harmful barriers to competition, whether imposed...
Trump must stay tough on China: No 'shared interests' with a genocidal regime

1 month ago | washingtontimes.com | Michael McKenna

OPINION: In announcing the administration’s recent temporary agreement to make a presumably less temporary trade agreement with China, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent observed early this week that the U.S. and China found common ground on trade in talks over the weekend and neither side wants a divorce. More specifically, Mr. Bessent offered: “The consensus from both delegations this weekend was neither side wants a decoupling.