Bidens missing second term plans, get real on Houthi threat and other commentary

“The requirement for a cheaper way to defend against Houthi attacks on warships is very real,” warns Dov Zakheim at The Hill.“Iran has long supported the Houthis,” and “what is little more than a collection of tribal rebels has been able to keep the world’s greatest superpower at bay for the better part of a year, with no end in sight.” While “American and British aircraft have responded to the attacks on multiple occasions with air strikes against Houthi installations,” Houthi “capabilities remain sufficient to harass all ships that transit the Red Sea.” Countering the Houthis had already cost Uncle Sam $1 billion in May.

“Time for the US military to look at “acquiring the maritime version of the Iron Dome,” and so “reduce the currently huge cost disparity between incoming threats and defensive systems.”For a decade, Philadelphia has been “marked by violent crime, open air drug markets, and feckless leadership,” but a new mayor and chief of police have “decided that enough is enough,” thunders Thomas Hogan at City Journal.New Mayor Cherelle Parker and Police Chief Kevin Bethel “immediately cracked down on the packs of illegal ATV and dirt-bike riders that terrorized all neighborhoods.” In the Kensington neighborhood (“ground zero for the city’s broken crime policies,” where drug dealers “operated with impunity”), “they cleaned out the massive encampments of squatters.” And they just “assigned the entire graduating class of the Philadelphia Police Academy — 75 new police officers — to patrol in Kensington, stopping the open-air drug dealing and rampant drug use that drives violence.” “Crime rates have been declining” though it’s unclear if progressive DA Larry Krasner will get with the program.President “Biden needs to make it clear to voters what he is hoping to accomplish with another four years in office,” argues The Liberal Patriot’s John Halpin. Yet “the official websi...