Ja Morant traded to Portland Trail Blazers
Ja Morant was traded from the Memphis Grizzlies to the Portland Trail Blazers, with David French lamenting the fall from potential face of the league.
Snapshot · The Bulwark Podcast
David French: The Birthright Citizenship Ruling Should've Been 9-0
Explore episode
Jun 30, 2026
Where this was said
The Purging of General Donahue and the Military's 'Gradually, Then Suddenly' Moment
At 1:06:10 · chapter starts 1:01:40
French has a newsletter column on General Donahue that Miller endorses, and he gives the argument in full here. The backdrop is relentless: Hegseth used a non-classified app to communicate airstrike information, launched military action in Iran without congressional approval, fired multiple generals and admirals, presided over unlawful strikes in the Caribbean, made the flu vaccine voluntary (producing an outbreak at a basic training base), and lost the Signal chat scandal. Each incident was alarming in isolation; the cumulative weight has been building for months. [1] — David French "Pete Hegseth forced out General C.D. Donahue — by many accounts the most universally respected warfighter in the Army. If Donahue wasn't go…" 1:01:40 Then Hegseth forces out C.D. Donahue — by virtually universal consensus among military professionals, one of the finest warfighters the Army has produced. Hegseth's entire justification for his purges has been lethality and meritocracy. If Donahue fails that test, the argument is dead. French sees something shift in the public response: Republicans alarmed, right-leaning independents alarmed, a broader sense that something has genuinely broken in the institution. He quotes Hemingway: 'How does a company go bankrupt? Gradually, then suddenly.' This was the suddenly moment.
Purging General Donahue: The End of Meritocracy in the Military
Pete Hegseth forced out General C.D. Donahue — by many accounts the most universally respected warfighter in the Army. If Donahue wasn't good enough to survive, there is no argument that excellence can ever trump politics in the Pentagon. David French sees this as the moment the public alarm went from gradual to sudden.
General Donahue: 'gradually, then suddenly' moment
David French called the forced ouster of universally respected General Donahue by Hegseth the Hemingway 'gradually, then suddenly' breaking point for public trust in the military's leadership.
Similar snapshots
CrossFit athlete: top 2,000 worldwide
Thomas's wife is already ranked in the top 2,000 CrossFit athletes in the world — roughly the top 1% — and Thomas wants her to pursue the sport professionally now that he is graduating law school.
Athletes improve with mental rehearsal
Research shows athletes who mentally imagine practicing basketball or soccer have better performance than those who do not include imagination in their training.
~10 rounds dominated vs Usyk
Rico Verhoeven dominated approximately 10 of 12 rounds against undisputed heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk before a controversial post-bell stoppage.
Stopped after the bell
Rico's appeal confirmed the fight was stopped after the bell rang, and the ringside doctor found no concussion or disorientation — yet the result was never overturned.
Glory uses 5 judges vs boxing's 3
Glory Kickboxing uses 5 judges rather than boxing's 3, which Joe Rogan argues reduces the chance of a corrupt or incompetent minority swinging the result.
1 professional boxing match before Usyk
Rico Verhoeven had only one professional boxing match before fighting undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk for the WBC title.
15 years of boxing training
Despite having just one pro boxing match, Rico Verhoeven had been training boxing for 15 years alongside his kickboxing career.
6-month boxing transition camp
Rico used a full 6 months to transition from kickboxing stance to a proper boxing stance under trainer Peter Fury, calling it essential rewiring.
75+ kickboxing fights in career
Rico Verhoeven has had approximately 75 professional kickboxing fights, giving him a massive combat sports experience advantage over pure boxers.
