Last week was a rather eventful week for America, and having just returned from spending

that very week in Washington, D.C., I thought it might be worth sharing a few observations.

First, for the very online audience that I've no doubt cultivated over the years, America is

mostly fine. It isn't on fire. People are not for the most part

at each other's throats, and Washington, D.C. managed to host a Pride March and a Trump

military parade in the same week without incident. Relaxing one evening in a bar, I suddenly

found myself in the middle of a conversation between several black Democrats, a couple of

white Republican staff as taking a break from

working on the big beautiful bill, and a second-generation Palestinian-American realtor.

The conversation mostly focused on the NBA finals and which of the two nearby

bagel shops is better. The Indiana Pacers seemed to be the popular choice for NBA honors,

while the bagel debate was finally settled by the Palestinian-American,

who said something no one could object to. They're both good, man. Jews make the best bagels.

As we all went our separate ways, jokes, smiles and warm handshakes were exchanged by all.

The polarization and acrimony you hear so much about on social media and in the news are certainly there too.

In a single 20-minute Uber ride, I got a real feel for how hard tackling illegal immigration will be for any country

which attempts to reverse decades of open border policy.

My driver spent the entire journey listening to some kind of mainstream radio station,

in which the anguished narrators told story

after story about the impact of the ICE immigration raids.

The mother of one told us that her husband has been here for 20 years.

He never even got so much as a ticket.

...