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Articles by Rick Berman
What a tiny Pacific island can teach America about healthcare
OPINION: In June, the Justice Department charged 295 individuals — out of 455 total defendants — with $518 million in false or improper Medicaid claims. This is just the beginning of a program to root out fraud. We also need system reforms to remove perverse incentives for fraud. I have written about healthcare going back to “Hillary care,” Obamacare and a variety of less ambitious attempts at reform. They all ignored this issue.
America’s enemies are winning the anti-Israel PR war
OPINION: With the war in Iran on a slow economic burn, the anti-Israel grievance industry will soon return to claims of genocide in the Gaza Strip. It is a good time to review the foundations and sources for those claims before they resurface. Nearly three years after the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre, Israel is fighting several wars. The first two are against the militant Iranian proxies Hamas and Hezbollah. The third is for public opinion. Modern wars are fought as much with smartphones as missiles.
Microplastics the health equivalent of a Hollywood villain
OPINION: In the 1968 classic film “2001: A Space Odyssey,” an onboard computer affectionately named HAL hijacks control of the spaceship. Once in charge, HAL tries various ways to kill most of the crew. Nearly six decades later, life has begun to imitate art. The Anthropic AI system recently broke out of its digital prison, accessed the internet and hacked into systems at other AI companies.
Microplastics the health equivalent of a Hollywood villain
OPINION: In the 1968 classic film “2001: A Space Odyssey,” an onboard computer affectionately named HAL hijacks control of the spaceship. Once in charge, HAL tries various ways to kill most of the crew. Nearly six decades later, life has begun to imitate art. The Anthropic AI system recently broke out of its digital prison, accessed the internet and hacked into systems at other AI companies.
War with Iran not like other wars
OPINION: Each series of bombs dropped somewhere in Iran denies political support for a president needing a rally-round-the-flag foundation for this war. Without that support, hand-wringing over the November midterm elections is dictating war strategy. Gas and grocery prices are more important to the public than a nuclear threat. It is clear that the Trump administration has failed to properly frame its intentions.
Trump’s Real Failure Isn’t Iran Deal 2.0
Iran Deal 2.0 is taking shape. It looks disturbingly similar to Iran Deal 1.0, where President Obama gave Iran access to billions in frozen funds for its radical Islamist regime and proxies. As nuclear inspections and final terms are negotiated, criticism is coming from all sides. Former Obama official Susan Rice has called the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) “egregious.” Former George W.
Trump's Real Failure Isn't Iran Deal 2.0
Iran Deal 2.0 is taking shape. It looks disturbingly similar to Iran Deal 1.0, where President Obama gave Iran access to billions in frozen funds for its radical Islamist regime and proxies. As nuclear inspections and final terms are negotiated, criticism is coming from all sides. Former Obama official Susan Rice hascalledthe Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) "egregious." Former George W.
How Trump can drum up support for the Iran war
OPINION: President Trump’s demand to Iran is clear: No nuclear weapons! Also clear is that few Americans care. In the 1950s, frightened schoolchildren hid under their desks during air raid drills. That distant memory recalls a time when the threat of an atomic bomb or thermonuclear war dominated conversation. Today, Tehran is betting on an American public desensitized to these threats. It is, for now, a winning bet.
Virginia lurches left on labor
Now For reasons he said were “inexplicable,” Howard Lutnick acknowledged visiting Jeffrey Epstein’s island seven years after he claimed to have severed his relationship with the convicted sex offender, according to lawmakers present for the Commerce Secretary’s closed-door testimony Wednesday. The …
Virginia lurches left on labor
OPINION: While Virginia’s redistricting dominates the headlines, the state’s Democrats quietly lurch leftward on labor. The Virginia General Assembly is advancing legislation to repeal the state ban on public sector collective bargaining. If signed into law by Gov. Abigail Spanberger, Virginia could accelerate union membership for more than 500,000 public sector workers and trigger collective bargaining fights across state and local government.
The loneliness behind Gen Z’s sobriety
OPINION: Young Americans are drinking less than any other generation in modern history, but they are also socializing less, leaving the house less and smoking marijuana more. According to Gallup, only 62% of Americans younger than 35 drink any adult beverages, down from 72% two decades ago. Other research shows this age cohort regularly drinks at half the rate of those ages 35 to 50 but regularly smokes marijuana 40% more.
Biggest threat to U.S. success in Iran
Add us as a preferred source on Google - OPINION: Operation Epic Fury is being judged daily on its wins and losses. The risk is that we are losing focus on the end goals, which were informed by overwhelming support to rein in the No. 1 state sponsor of terrorism. The radical Islamist regime of Iran, conceived by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, established the Twelver branch of Shiism.
China owns America
OPINION: Nearly a decade ago, I launched a public information campaign called “China Owns US,” exposing America’s dependence on China as China grew into an ever-present national security threat. Years later and after much hand-wringing, China still owns America — or at least more of it than you would think. U.S. citizens are dependent on Chinese power in agriculture, energy, medicine and other sectors.
Bring back recyclable plastic bottles
OPINION: The U.S. reusable water bottle market was valued at $2.55 billion last year and is projected to grow. These bottles are everywhere, and so are the germs. Scientists in Malaysia recently tested water samples from reusable water bottles, and a whopping 78% were harboring bacterial colonies denser than what the World Health Organization considers safe. Forty-six percent of the samples tested positive for “coliform” bacteria, found only in feces.
The ugly alliance of Hamas and Qatar
OPINION: Weeks after Israel targeted Hamas leaders meeting in Qatar, mainstream media remain incensed. In a news headline that reads like an editorial, The New York Times questioned Israel’s “brazen attack” in Doha. The Economist used the word “catastrophic.” Others parroted the Qatari talking point that Israel “killed any hope” of a hostage release. Liberal media’s hand-wringing over a targeted cross-border attack in Doha is a sorry sight.
For 9/11 families, support good charities
As the U.S. honors the fallen, give carefully By: Rick Berman - Wednesday, September 10, 2025 Today, millions of Americans will honor the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Many will make charitable donations to pay homage. Much of that money will be wasted. At the World Trade Center complex, the National September 11 Memorial & Museum will be one likely recipient.
U.N. plastic pollution talks miss the mark, again
OPINION: All talk, no deals. Such is life at the United Nations, which recently failed for the sixth time in three years to secure a treaty addressing plastic pollution. Call it the latest example of hope triumphing over experience. Hundreds of negotiators from various countries sought consensus while in Geneva, Paris, Punta del Este and other hardship locations.
The boxed water hoax: When green marketing turns toxic
OPINION: Once upon a time, choosing paper over plastic felt like a personal environmental victory. It turns out, however, that most of our early information on responsible packaging was wrong. Plastic bags are greener when you consider all the environmental impacts of both products through a “life cycle analysis.” Measuring and comparing the total impact from production, transportation and disposal are the major determinants when comparing environmental impacts.
Will Washington finally speak out on China?
- OPINION: After America’s attack on Iranian nuclear facilities, China has taken a predictable stance against the United States. The Chinese Communist Party is backing Tehran’s Islamic regime while condemning the U.S. and Israel. Beijing’s hostility toward America extends well beyond foreign policy. China is targeting us directly, across multiple fronts, with increasing aggression.
Plastic's PR crisis: A familiar pattern
It hasn't been that long since fear of exposure to secondhand smoke forced smoking out of public places. Today, concern over health risks from microplastics is playing out in a similar drama. Government agencies tried for decades to convince Americans that cigarettes were coffin nails. But the tobacco industry fought regulators to a draw because people intuitively understood that lighting a Camel was a choice, like driving fast or having a fourth beer. Your risk tolerance was yours alone.
Post-Memorial Day, protect veterans from charity scams
OPINION: This week, Americans paused to honor the brave men and women who gave their lives in service to our nation. Many charities are taking advantage of this heightened awareness through the month of June by sending lots of direct mail. The goal for them is to sustain the fundraising momentum heading into July 4. While some of these organizations are genuinely effective, others exploit the goodwill of patriotic Americans to enrich themselves.
China's invasion of our homeland
This is more than 4 weeks old. - OPINION: As the two biggest economies in the world fight for trade dominance, I am reminded of a national campaign my firm established in 2020 to track how Chinese investors were buying the controlling interests in thousands of American business operations. Our ads and website outlined the termitelike invasion, which was not apparent to the average observer.
America's debt is scary now, not later
OPINION: The national debt is very much like the weather. Everyone complains about it, but no one does much to fix it. In 2009, when the debt was “only” $12 trillion, I led a campaign called “Defeat the Debt.” Our surveys showed most Americans didn’t understand the consequences of a $12 trillion debt. Most couldn’t imagine 1 trillion of anything. Stack $100 bills until you reach $1 million. It will reach just over 3 feet.
Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)
After a beautiful wedding for William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis), the crew of the Enterprise finds themselves pitted against a new villain–Shinzon (Tom Hardy), someone far too close to their revered captain, Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart). Star Trek: Nemesis is this crew's veritable swan song; and as the stakes are higher than ever before, their lives are sure to be altered forever.
Charitable organizations should be 'DOGED'
OPINION: I have recently heard the term “waste, fraud and abuse” so often that I am tempted to type it as one word. Although it has most recently been linked to federal government spending tax dollars, much of this is happening in the charitable giving and scam space. Have you ever been solicited for contributions to the police through a robocall? I can’t speak to the many local appeals.
Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)
Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the rest of the Enterprise crew uncover a nefarious plot by the Son’a to attack the peaceful, agrarian Ba’ku people. Can Picard and his team stop a potential genocide, or will Star Trek: Insurrection see them fail? Met with a fair amount of criticism, Star Trek: Insurrection is a film that takes the Star Trek canon in a slightly different direction.
Plastic fights floods and fires
OPINION: What do the California fires and North Carolina floods have in common? Water. One has too little, the other too much. But it goes deeper: Both have found much of their drinking water supply shut down or contaminated. In both cases, the solution has been enormous amounts of purified bottled water. Humans can go for a month or more without food, depending on age and other factors. Without clean water, three days is the maximum for most people.
Bottled water to the rescue
OPINION: Children in Asheville, North Carolina, finally returned to school on Monday, more than a month after Hurricane Helene beat their hometown into submission. Teachers are itching to get back, and students with COVID-19 isolation flashbacks want life to feel normal again. The biggest obstacle? You can’t hold classes in buildings with no running water. It took the city three weeks to restore the water flow to operate toilets in every school.
A Great Star Trek: Voyager War Story Was Shot Down By Rick Berman
📆 10/20/2024 4:11 PM 📰 screenrant ⏱ Reading Time: 38 sec. here 2 min. at publisher 📊 Quality Score: News: 18% Publisher: 94% United States News News United States Latest News,United States Headlines A collage of Captain Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) and Neelix (Ethan Phillps) from Star Trek: Voyager on a starry background.
Microplastics and human health: We have bigger things to worry about
OPINION: We’ve all become accustomed to misinformation moving at the speed of X, but it’s especially maddening when it turns science on its head. This year’s most egregious example is a series of scary pronouncements about “microplastics” and human health. Credible, peer-reviewed studies haven’t shown any actual health harm from microplastics.
Dose makes the poison: Too much of anything can make you sick
OPINION: When former “Friends” actor Matthew Perry died last year from an overdose of the drug ketamine, star-watchers assumed he got hooked at closed-door Hollywood raves. Not true: A licensed medical clinic had been giving him intravenous “infusion therapy,” administering vanishingly small doses in 40-minute sessions to treat his depression. At higher concentrations, ketamine is an effective surgical anesthetic for people and animals.
Star Trek: First Contact (1996)
When The Borg travels back in time and alters the reality of humankind as we know it–Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the rest of the Enterprise-E team must follow them and ensure that history isn’t changed forever. Star Trek: First Contact follows great scientific mind Zefram Cochrane (James Cromwell), as our beloved team helps him reach warp speed on his inaugural journey into space. When I first saw Star Trek: Generations I fell in love with the character of Data (Brent Spiner).
The White House's new anti-plastic push
OPINION: As an advocate of various points of view, I respect the power of well-chosen words to change opinions. When the campaigns railing against “estate taxes” or “inheritance taxes” couldn’t get traction, conservatives realized that calling them “death taxes” was the answer. Words matter. They create ideas and imagery, and ideas have consequences.
10 Best Jerry Episodes of 'Rick & Morty,' Ranked
📆 7/7/2024 7:54 PM 📰 Collider ⏱ Reading Time: 77 sec. here 3 min. at publisher 📊 Quality Score: News: 34% Publisher: 98% United States Headlines News United States Latest News,United States Headlines Robert Lee is a senior author at Collider who focuses on modern movie releases and animation, as well as both the best and worst films in a genre.
[WT논평] The Chinese army controls Huawei
By Rick Berman (columnist) The U.S. Border Patrol is encountering thousands of Chinese illegal immigrants. Between last October and April this year, the Border Patrol has encountered over 27,000 Chinese nationals. Perhaps these are farmers sent here to find more agricultural land to grow soybeans. China already owns about 384,000 acres of U.S. soil, a 30% increase since 2019. China bought real estate assets near U.S. military bases.
[WT논평] The Chinese army controls Huawei
By Rick Berman (columnist) The U.S. Border Patrol is encountering thousands of Chinese illegal immigrants. Between last October and April this year, the Border Patrol has encountered over 27,000 Chinese nationals. Perhaps these are farmers sent here to find more agricultural land to grow soybeans. China already owns about 384,000 acres of U.S. soil, a 30% increase since 2019. China bought real estate assets near U.S. military bases.
[WT논평] The Chinese army controls Huawei
사설칼럼 자동요약 기사 제목과 주요 문장을 기반으로 자동요약한 결과입니다. 전체 맥락을 이해하기 위해서는 본문 보기를 권장합니다. Too many American leaders are soft on China, partly because toeing the Communist Party line can be lucrative. Between 2019 and 2023, China spent more than $330 million on lobbyists. According to one national security expert, "China's lobbying roster reads like a 'who's who' of Washington insiders." 중국군이 화웨이를 지배한다 릭 버먼(칼럼니스트) 미국 국경순찰대는 수많은 중국인 불법 이민을 대면하고 있다. 음성재생 설정 남성 여성 느림 보통 빠름 글자크기 설정 파란원을 좌우로 움직이시면 글자크기가 변경 됩니다.
10 Best Digimon Adventure Episodes, Ranked
📆 6/19/2024 1:03 PM 📰 screenrant ⏱ Reading Time: 80 sec. here 3 min. at publisher 📊 Quality Score: News: 35% Publisher: 94% United States Headlines News United States Latest News,United States Headlines Coleman Clark is a queer nerd exploring identity through media and art.
Captain Janeway "Chose Not To Have A Lover" On Star Trek: Voyager, Explains Kate Mulgrew
📆 6/16/2024 11:37 AM 📰 screenrant ⏱ Reading Time: 29 sec. here 2 min. at publisher 📊 Quality Score: News: 15% Publisher: 94% United States Headlines News United States Latest News,United States Headlines Captain Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) with the USS Voyager being destroyed in the background. This article covers a developing story. Continue to check back with us as we will be adding more information as it becomes available.
1 Of Star Trek: Voyager’s Best Episodes Was Saved By Rick Berman
📆 6/12/2024 2:11 PM 📰 screenrant ⏱ Reading Time: 60 sec. here 2 min.
China owns U.S., and it's not just about TikTok
OPINION: Are Mexican cartels operating a travel agency out of Beijing? The U.S. Border Patrol is encountering thousands of Chinese illegal immigrants. Between last October and April this year, the Border Patrol has encountered over 27,000 Chinese nationals. Perhaps these are farmers sent here to find more agricultural land to grow soybeans. China already owns about 384,000 acres of U.S. soil, a 30% increase since 2019.
Start revoking visas: Iran's leaders count on students sent to America to be their cheerleaders
OPINION: My recent opinion piece in The Washington Times on antisemitic protests missed a big player in plain sight: Iran. They send tens of thousands of their students to our universities. Tehran is counting on them to be cheerleaders, at the least, for jihads against Israel and the United States. The FBI has warned that we could be looking at something far worse.
Who is paying these 'outside agitators' at college protests?
OPINION: If you weren’t sure about outside money stoking the mob scenes on our college campuses, what happened at Yale should remove all doubt. Most of the protesters were warned about arrests and expulsions. When they left, these student activists abandoned their expensive tents. After all, the mint-condition shelters weren’t theirs to begin with.
Star Trek: Generations (1994)
When a mad scientist, Soran (Malcolm McDowell), threatens to murder on a global scale to make his way back to the Nexus, a galactic ribbon full of joy–Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) must team up with the presumed dead Captain Kirk (William Shatner) to save the day. On their heroic mission, extreme emotional trauma will be met by wild comedy as Star Trek: Generations brings together a series of space-traveling teams.
One easy trick for charity chicanery: Beware of joint cost accounting
OPINION: If you’ve ever been on the internet, you’ve probably seen an ad boasting one easy trick to lose weight. On reflection, we know it’s not so simple. It is that simple, however, if you run a charity and want to mislead the public into thinking you do more good work than you actually deliver. There’s a trick for that, and it’s perfectly legal. Here’s how it works. Imagine you run a large charity that claims to help animals.
How big Is our national debt? Big enough to terrify you
OPINION: Try to visualize a trillion dollars. Comparisons for a trillion of anything are difficult. Using time as a familiar frame of reference, a million seconds will elapse in about 12 days. A trillion seconds stretches beyond 30,000 years. When you see reports on $35 trillion in federal debt, you may finally appreciate we are courting disaster. Every 100 days, the federal government transfers $1 trillion from tax receipts to cover interest payments (not principal) on earlier borrowing.
We may regret the move away from plastic bottles
OPINION: Passengers flying out of Los Angeles International Airport noticed something odd last summer: There’s not a single shop or vending machine where you can buy a regular plastic bottle of water. The airport authority ordered a phase-out at the end of June, following San Francisco’s lead. Now aluminum cans are the only practical option left, and travelers will come to regret it.
'Everything will kill you' crowd fools us again with plastic particles health scare
OPINION: Unless your brain filters out news about popular science, you’ve heard that researchers have detected the tiniest particles of plastic ever found in the world around us. They’re so small, the story goes, that the human body’s normal sieve can’t strain them out of your organs. This sounds horrible, and it’s mostly wrong — because news outlets hire science reporters who wouldn’t make good scientists.
Donors are wasting money on bad veterans charities
OPINION: Mike Lindell, the My Pillow Guy who has seemingly been the largest paid presence on Fox News, recently announced he has been banned from the network for his political beliefs. Newsweek reported it was due to a failure to pay for ads that had already run (the specifics are in dispute). The squabble caught my attention as a board member of the RAM Veterans Foundation. Fox News has also banned us — and not for a refusal to pay our bills.
Pro-Hamas protesters with signs and slogans can't change facts
OPINION: I recently wrote in this section that anti-Israel war protesters are seemingly ignorant of history. As I pointed out earlier, the protesters who want to free “Palestine” are apparently unaware there are no “Palestinian” people. There has never been a country called Palestine. No government with elected officials. No country borders. No official currency, etc. The borderless area referred to was known by many other names throughout history, including Judea and Samaria, Canaan, and Israel.
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