Confirmation of Emil Bove a triumph of new over old

 The Senate's confirmation this week of President Trump’s pick, Emil Bove, to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit with a razor-thin 50–49 vote was a huge win for conservatives, despite the cheap shots from Democrats and nominal Republican senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski.

Bove isn’t just qualified, he’s exceptional. He clerked for top judges and made his name as a sharp, tough prosecutor in New York. Even the left-leaning American Bar Association gave him their highest rating: "Well Qualified." That’s a big deal coming from an organization that rarely plays fair with conservative nominees.

So why all the pushback?

Simple. Bove stood up when it mattered. When President Trump was under constant legal attack, Bove was one of the few who fought back. He played a key role in keeping the radical left from throwing Trump in prison on bogus charges. That alone made him a target for Trump-haters across the spectrum: Democrats, Never Trumpers, and the establishment legal elite.

As principal associate deputy attorney general, Bove also helped stop the politically motivated prosecution of New York City Mayor Eric Adams. And he did it by standing up to out-of-control federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York, the ones who like to pretend they run their own "sovereign district" separate from the rest of the country. Bove told them to follow orders or leave. They left. That’s leadership.

Newly minted federal judge Emil Bove and President Donald Trump. (Getty Images)

Some in the conservative legal world weren’t thrilled with Bove's confirmation to a lifetime term, either. The Wall Street Journal recently ran a piece worrying that Bove’s confirmation might make some Republican-appointed judges refuse to retire. Here’s the truth: Those judges had their chance to retire during Trump’s first term and didn’t. That’s on them, not Bove.

Others breathlessly claimed Bove’s confirmation marked the end of the conservative legal movement. That’s nonsense. If Kamala Harris had won the presidency and stacked the courts with left-wing radicals, the damage would’ve been catastrophic. Instead, President Trump is putting solid, constitutionalist judges on the bench, judges like Emil Bove.

Of course, the opposition resorted to the same tired smear tactics they always do. So-called "whistleblowers" came forward with flimsy claims. One former DOJ lawyer, Erez Reuveni, accused Bove of telling officials to ignore court orders, then turned around and signed legal documents confirming the orders were followed. On top of that, Reuveni undercut the Trump administration’s immigration cases and violated attorney-client privilege. He was fired, and rightfully so. This is who the anti-Bove crowd chose as their star witness.

Emil Bove, President Donald Trump's nominee to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit, is sworn in before testifying during his Senate Judiciary Committee nomination hearing in the Hart Senate Office Building on June 25, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Two more "whistleblowers" popped up just before the final vote — classic last-minute character assassination. One had no firsthand knowledge. The other’s allegations were never made public by Senate Democrats. Sound familiar? It should. It’s the same playbook they used against Justice Kavanaugh. Remember the ridiculous accusations, including the one about a gang-rape boat? All lies. All desperate. All failed.

The Article III Project proudly fought for Bove’s confirmation. This wasn’t just about one seat. This was about pushing back against the old guard — the milquetoast Republicans and the liberal machine — and ushering in a new generation of bold, fearless constitutionalists.

Tuesday’s vote showed the old tricks don’t work anymore. The left couldn’t smear their way to a win. The establishment couldn’t stall this one. Trump’s nominee made it through.

They’ll keep trying to derail the president’s agenda, especially when it comes to the courts. But we’ll keep fighting. Because what’s at stake isn’t just the next judge. It’s the future of the Constitution, the rule of law, and the rights of the American people.

The old guard lost. America won. And this is only the beginning.

Mike Davis is the founder and president of the Article III Project.

https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/mike-davis-confirmation-emil-bove-triumph-new-over-old

NYC rehab centers overwhelmed as legal weed fueling higher wave of addiction

 Operators of a city drug-treatment program say they are seeing more patients addicted to marijuana since New York legalized the sale of weed for adult recreational use.

“It’s one of the stupidest things our society has done — they legalized cannabis during the opioid crisis,” said Luke Nasta, president and CEO of Camelot Counseling of Staten Island, to the Post.

Camelot said 20% of its patients are addicted potheads, with an increase of clients with marijuana-related abuse at its outpatient clinics since before the state legalized it.

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“It’s one of the stupidest things our society has done — they legalized cannabis during the opioid crisis,” said Luke Nasta.Stefano Giovannini for NY Post

The Post interviewed three of Camelot’s patients who are hooked on weed — and who warned about the nightmare they’re living with, given the increased availability of cannabis.

“I know it sounds cliche. It’s hard. But, ‘Just say no,’ ” said Dillet Delancey, a 23-year-old Cypress Hills, Brooklyn, resident in residential rehab treatment at Camelot.

Delancey, who has smoked pot since he was 11 and been in treatment for four months, said the “negatives outweigh the positives” of legalizing cannabis.

“Weed is the new cigarette. But it’s considered more fun because you can get high,” he said.

“It’s a gateway drug. Eventually it won’t get you high any more, and you’re going to look for something greater. It tears families apart. I can testify to that.”

Shaquan Shannon, 19, said he’s been smoking weed since he was 12.

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“I know it sounds cliche. It’s hard. But, ‘Just say no,’ ” said Dillet Delancey, a 23-year-old Cypress Hills, Brooklyn, resident.Stefano Giovannini for NY Post

“It made me feel invincible,” Shannon said.

“In the midst of brushing my teeth, I would have a blunt, ready to spark it, ready to smoke it. I would smoke when I woke up. I wouldn’t eat all day without smoking,” said Shannon, a Staten Island resident who has been in treatment more than a month.

He said he would get so stoned on doobies that “I forgot who I was.”

Chance Buckner, 20, said he’s in rehab as an alternative to spending time in jail for actions tied to his drug abuse.

He eventually mixed his pot with opioids and other drugs “to chase the higher high” and initially used weed as a coping mechanism.

“I became disconnected from myself and reality. I became a person who seeks chaos,” said Buckner of Flatbush, Brooklyn.

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Chance Buckner, Jaquan Shannon, and Delancy are participating in a program for marijuana addiction at Camelot Counseling.Stefano Giovannini for NY Post

“I became numb. It was a long dark road. … I started to lose my mind.”

All three noted that pot is now more accessible than ever, including even the most potent cannabis, with it coming from licensed and unlicensed stores including local delis and not just from street dealers anymore.

“I see a lot of things happening I’ve never seen before. The local stores are selling marijuana,” Shannon said.

There’s more flavored cannabis that attracts young people, and the weed that is accessible is “way more potent” than what was the most readily available before, he said.

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Shaquan Shannon, 19, said he’s been smoking weed since he was 12.Stefano Giovannini for NY Post

Legalization has de-stigmatized weed in society’s eyes — seemingly giving the green light for youths to fire up the blunts, too, the addicts said.

There are now 444 licensed cannabis stores in the state, nearly half in the city’s five boroughs.

“You don’t have to hide it anymore,” Shannon said.

Buckner called the legalization of the sale of cannabis a “double edge sword.”

“It clouds the brain,” he said of pot.

Delancey said he consumed marijuana at 14 to deal with personality disorder and later mixed it with ecstasy. Meanwhile, his mom grappled with drug addiction.

He has been in rehab three previous times.

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There are now 444 licensed cannabis stores in the state, nearly half in the city’s five boroughs.Stefano Giovannini for NY Post

“It’s very hard to stop once you start. Now, we have easy access to it. There’s a dispensary on every corner in New York. You’ve got delis cashing food stamps [for cannabis],” Delancey said.

He said he sees more pot addicts in the city post-legalization.

“The peer pressure is thick out there” to use, Delancey said.

A new federal study shows there are 11 million more cannabis users in the US than just a few years ago, after 24 states including New York legalized cannabis for recreational use and 40 states for medicinal use.

The percentage of Americans age 12 and older doing ganja increased from 19% of the population, or 53.2 million, in 2021 to 22.3%, or to 64.2 million, in 2024, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

The percentage of US residents age 26 or older consuming weed increased from 17.3% or 38.2 million people in 2021 to 21.7% or 49.3 million in 2024.

Nearly a quarter of New York City adults age 21 and older consumed cannabis in 2023, second only to alcohol, according to a study included in the city Health Department’s “The State of Mental Health of New Yorkers” report.

The same report said 15% of city public high-school students used marijuana that year.

Proponents’ push to legalize marijuana “downplayed the risk”, said Tamara Levin, Camelot’s clinical director on Staten Island.

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A new federal study shows there are 11 million more cannabis users in the US than just a few years ago.Stefano Giovannini for NY Post

“Marijuana is addictive. It causes a lot of issues,” Levin said.

“The perception is that because it’s legal, it’s Ok. But for some people, it destroys their lives.”

The impact of cannabis on young people’s brain is among the reasons the Medical Society of New York opposed legalization.

The city’s district attorneys, now on the sidelines in terms of prosecution since marijuana has been legalized, are now monitoring abuse.

“Marijuana, like any drug, legal or illegal, has the potential to be used and abused to deleterious effects” Staten Island DA Michael McMahon said in a statement.

“As co-chairman of the Staten Island Fentanyl & Overdose Task Force, I know that addiction illness comes in many forms and I strongly believe that now is the time for the government to increase not decrease funding for our borough’s treatment providers.”

https://nypost.com/2025/08/03/us-news/nyc-rehab-centers-overwhelmed-as-legal-weed-fuels-higher-wave-of-addiction/