Stephen Silver
Verified- Assistant Editor, AppleInsider
- Writer, Freelance
- Reporter, Backstage
- Contributor, Broad Street Review
- Contributing Writer, Jewish Telegraphic Agency
- Contributing Writer, The Philadelphia Inquirer
Philadelphia
Dad, Writer, Critic. Cofounder of @philafcc, member of @criticschoice Words: @phillyinquirer @JTANews @broadstreview @splicetoday2022 @substack
Articles by Stephen Silver
Many Decades Later, General George Patton’s Best Army Line on Attacking Is Still One of the Greatest Military Quotes in Armed Forces History
Summary and Key Points: Stephen Silver traces the line attributed to George S. Patton, “When in doubt, attack,” through Patton’s own words and deeds: his pre-North Africa vow to “attack and attack until we are exhausted, and then we shall attack again,” the Third Army’s pivot of 250,000 men to relieve Bastogne and close the Bulge at Houffalize by January 16, 1945, his letter calling leadership “the thing that wins battles,” 750,000 prisoners, and his death in December 1945.
Fin: It’s way too early to get angry about the Oscars
Covering the Philadelphia Film Festival this week, I’ve been watching a lot of films that seem likely to get serious consideration for the Oscars and other awards this year. This tends to happen every year at PFF, so by the end of October I have a better sense of what’s in play for awards season, and what I like and don’t like from that crop of films. But as I’ve made clear various times over the years, I don’t make Oscar prognication into any type of major part of how I approach film criticism.
Poor Little Rich Girl
A Talent for Murder doesn't live up to its potential. A Talent for Murder has an irresistible premise and three strong performances from appealing performers. But the execution falters, and the film adds up to little.
From Holocaust survivor to Nazi hunter to Entebbe hero
To Kill a Nazi tells the story of Michel Cojot, shown above on a visit to New York. (Courtesy Dvir Productions and Tradition Pictures) JTA – When Boaz Dvir flew from the United States to Israel in late September to screen his new film, To Kill a Nazi, he didn’t expect its story to become newly relevant. But just as Dvir arrived, the thwarting of an apparent hijacking of a flydubai flight bound for Israel offered an uncanny echo of the history his film recounts.
Donald Trump Is Losing the One Group That Never Seemed To Ever Leave His Side: The Farmers
In all his election campaigns, Donald Trump has done well in rural areas, including among Americans who live in farm country or are farmers. But now, heading into the midterm elections, there are many indications that farm country is beginning to lose faith in Trump and Trumpism. President Donald Trump meets with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Tuesday, May 6, 2025, in the Oval Office. Vice President JD Vance attends. (Official White House Photo by Emily J.
Scary Scenario: Donald Trump Loses the Midterms and Tries to Say Another Country Meddled or Cheating Was the Reason
Among the numerous, interlocking theories that Donald Trump has claimed cost him the 2020 presidential election was the idea that some foreign power had interfered. In July, almost six years after that election, Trump suddenly claimed that China had intervened in 2020. President Donald J.
Trump just pulled off a strategic master mistake in the Iran war — and voters are going to now vote against the GOP
The Iran war has jacked up oil prices dramatically, and Trump has few ways to bring it back down: The average gasoline price in the United States, as of GasBuddy's weekly report on Monday, was $4.24 per gallon, down slightly from the previous week and month but still high by historical standards, up more than a dollar from a year ago. Some of the recent decline, analyst Patrick De Haan wrote, was due to some states suspending their gas taxes.
Democrats Have One Question for President Donald Trump: What Happens with the Iran War After the Election?
If Democrats have a big night in the midterm elections in early November, President Donald Trump’s decision to launch a war in Iran will be a major reason why. The war has been unpopular since it began, for several reasons. U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptors assigned to the 27th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron and Philippine Air Force FA-50PH light jet fighters conduct joint combined exchange training, above Basa Air Force Base, Phillipines, on Aug. 9, 2024.
Iran has just dropped a new list of demands to open the Strait of Hormuz and end the war once and for all
There hasn't been much lately in terms of talks between the U.S. and Iran over reopening the Strait of Hormuz or bringing about a negotiated end to the Iran War. The situation seems to be in a holding pattern until after the midterm elections next month, with President Donald Trump promising not to attack Iran before the elections. Iran has reportedly made clear what it will require to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and it's similar to what it's been offering throughout the fall.
Donald Trump Just Promised the Unthinkable to Try and Win the Midterms: $5,000 Checks for Every American if the GOP Wins
Last month, at the midterm convention in Dallas, President Donald Trump made a surprising proposal: he would distribute $5,000 checks to all Americans if Republicans won both houses of Congress in the midterms. The offer immediately drew skepticism for a few reasons. Trump has offered similar things before, including during the “DOGE Dividend” days and a later proposal to return money from tariff revenue, but none came to pass. President Donald J.
Donald Trump Thinks He Can Solve the Data Center Controversy
As anyone who has watched television in the last three months knows, data centers are a major part of political messaging in the current midterm elections, with candidates frequently accusing each other of supporting their construction. This issue cuts across partisan lines, with the right and left each having distinct reasons to oppose the proliferation of data centers. In many cases, politicians took pro-data-center positions before the issue became as politically toxic as it is today.
Trump Just Got Handed His Lowest Mark of the Second Term: Approval Drops to Thirty-Four Percent Among Registered Voters, the Times Finds
With the midterm elections less than two weeks away and early voting already underway, the polling news remains bad for both President Donald Trump and his party. The latest polling blow comes from a New York Times/Siena University poll, which found the president’s approval rating has sunk to 36 percent, while 59 percent disapprove of his performance as president, a 23-point spread. This marks a new low for Trump in his second presidency.
Iran Has Just Dropped a New List of Demands to Open the Strait of Hormuz and End the War Once and For All
There hasn’t been much lately in terms of talks between the U.S. and Iran over reopening the Strait of Hormuz or bringing about a negotiated end to the Iran War. The situation seems to be in a holding pattern until after the midterm elections next month, with President Donald Trump promising not to attack Iran before the elections. Iran has reportedly made clear what it will require to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and it’s similar to what it’s been offering throughout the fall.
Something strange is happening to the US military: They won't deliver Patriot missiles to Ukraine to stop Russia
President Donald Trump's vacillation over who he's more sympathetic to in the Russia-Ukraine war has flipped once again in recent weeks, with the president seeming to side with Russia. He agreed to a deal to buy diesel oil from Russia and lift sanctions, and has called for Volodymyr Zelensky to be replaced as Ukraine's president by someone more willing to agree to a deal with the Russians to end the war. Now, there's another report about Trump taking an action that helps Russia and hurts Ukraine.
Trump just got handed proof of a deeper problem: The election looks lost but America thinks he looks corrupt
When Donald Trump returned to the White House, it soon became clear he was running a wide variety of schemes to enrich himself, and many, especially the president's vocal opponents, felt despair. After all, Trump had been impeached twice in his first term and had escaped major punishment from four separate criminal indictments during his time out of office, but he still returned to the presidency.
What if Donald Trump won't accept the GOP lost the midterms?
Donald Trump, infamously, did not accept the result of the 2020 election, leading to an attack on the U.S. Capitol and his second impeachment. Trump, to this day, refuses to concede that he lost that election, and has been known to demand that government appointees go along with the conceit that he really won in 2020. Trump has long baselessly alleged a “deep state” conspiracy to undermine American elections.
Trump Just Got Handed Proof of a Deeper Problem: The Election Looks Lost But America Thinks He Looks Corrupt
When Donald Trump returned to the White House, it soon became clear he was running a wide variety of schemes to enrich himself, and many, especially the president’s vocal opponents, felt despair. After all, Trump had been impeached twice in his first term and had escaped major punishment from four separate criminal indictments during his time out of office, but he still returned to the presidency. President Donald J.
What If Donald Trump Won’t Accept the GOP Lost the Midterms?
Donald Trump, infamously, did not accept the result of the 2020 election, leading to an attack on the U.S. Capitol and his second impeachment. Trump, to this day, refuses to concede that he lost that election, and has been known to demand that government appointees go along with the conceit that he really won in 2020. Donald Trump Speaking at CPAC. Image Credit: Creative Commons. Trump has long baselessly alleged a “deep state” conspiracy to undermine American elections.
Donald Trump Says America Will Become Like France and Have Chaos if Democrats Win
France has been engulfed in civil unrest for the last week, which the New York Times reports is the “most destructive in decades.” According to the Times, the riots in France are driven by students protesting school conditions, others protesting the high cost of living, and “opportunistic rioters” using the unrest to loot.
Something Strange Is Happening to the US Military: They Won’t Deliver Patriot Missiles to Ukraine to Stop Russia
President Donald Trump’s vacillation over who he’s more sympathetic to in the Russia-Ukraine war has flipped once again in recent weeks, with the president seeming to side with Russia. He agreed to a deal to buy diesel oil from Russia and lift sanctions, and has called for Volodymyr Zelensky to be replaced as Ukraine’s president by someone more willing to agree to a deal with the Russians to end the war.
Putin Has A Sneaky New Plan to Try and End the Ukraine War on His Terms
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has proposed several times this year a tripartite summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump. No such summit has taken place, and now Putin has floated a different three-way summit that would exclude Zelensky. Tim Murry, a foreign threats compound contractor, drives a T-72 battle tank into position to serve as adversary targets for a joint service exercise, Emerald Flag, at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Nov. 30.
New documentary tells story of Entebbe’s unsung Jewish hero
When Boaz Dvir flew from the United States to Israel in late September to screen his new film, “To Kill a Nazi,” he didn’t expect its story to become newly relevant. But just as Dvir arrived, the thwarting of an apparent hijacking of a flydubai flight bound for Israel offered an uncanny echo of the history his film recounts.
A new documentary tells the story of Entebbe’s unsung Jewish hero Original
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... When Boaz Dvir flew from the United States to Israel in late September to screen his new film, “To Kill a Nazi,” he didn’t expect its story to become newly relevant. But just as Dvir arrived, the thwarting of an apparent hijacking of a flydubai flight bound for Israel offered an uncanny echo of the history his film recounts.
The 2026 Philadelphia Film Festival opens with T he Only Living Pickpocket in New York and La Bola Negra
If you can get past the fact that the Philadelphia Film Festival opened with a movie that is as New York as you can get, its 35th edition started with a bang on October 15: The Only Living Pickpocket in New York. Written and directed by Noah Segan, who was on hand for a Q&A, it’s a poignant crime drama starring John Turturro as an aging criminal out of time, in more ways than one.
A victory for Donald Trump: Iran's main oil terminals are now empty and have been for weeks
As a result of the ongoing U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's main oil terminals are now empty, and have been for weeks, Bloomberg News reported Monday, citing its own data and additional data from Kpler and Vortexa. According to the Bloomberg report, no tankers have docked at the Kharg Island crude-exports terminal since August. Iran exported nearly a million barrels a day in July, but that figure is now zero.
‘They Think They Can Bring Down a Presidency’: Why Iran Is Reportedly Timing Its Pressure Campaign to the US Midterms
With various actions, most recently the oil deal with Russia to lift sanctions and purchase diesel, President Donald Trump has been accused of acting with the midterm elections in mind. But a new report says Iran is also eyeing those elections in its own decision-making.
Donald Trump’s Biggest Fear Just Came True: His Poll Numbers Are Sinking Like a Stone and Defeat Looks Certain
With the midterm elections now just over two weeks away, the news continues to be bad for President Donald Trump and the Republican Party. According to the Washington Post, citing its own Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll, Trump now has approval from just 33 percent of adults, with twice that number, 66 percent, disapproving, the worst numbers yet in Trump’s time as president. President Donald J.
Genghis Khan’s Simplest Military Quote Just Might Make Total Sense: ‘There is no good in anything until it is finished.’
Genghis Khan Made Military History and Changed Humanity Forever Genghis Khan Map of Conquest. Image Credit: Creative Commons. Military History Quote of the Day: “There is no good in anything until it is finished.” – Genghis Khan Genghis Khan was one of history’s great conquerors. Living in the 12th and 13th centuries, Khan established what was then the largest land empire in history, comprising 11 to 12 million square miles.
Crime blotter: Man arrested for damage to Macau Apple Store
iPhone transaction leads to an armed robbery in Florida, an iPad is stolen from a museum in Vermont, and an iPhone catches a suspected carjacker in Baltimore, all in this week's Apple Crime Blotter. The latest in an occasional AppleInsider feature, looking at the world of Apple-related crime.
Nobel Peace Prize winner just said Donald Trump is providing Russia with opportunities to earn more money to fight Ukraine
A week ago, President Donald Trump made the shocking announcement that he had agreed to a deal with Vladimir Putin to lift sanctions and buy hundreds of thousands of tons of diesel oil from Russia, amid concerns about still-rising diesel prices.
79 Years Later, General George S. Patton’s Best US Army Line on Fear in War Is Still the Greatest Military Quote in Armed Forces History
Summary and Key Points: Journalist Stephen Silver builds a piece around George Patton’s line from his posthumously published 1947 memoir War As I Knew It: “The courageous man is the man who, despite his fear, forces himself to carry on.” He sets it against December 1944, when Col. Oscar W. Koch’s December 9 briefing let Patton see the Bulge coming and tell the Verdun conference to let the Germans reach Paris, then chew them up, and flags two unsourced Patton quotes. US Army General George S.
Nobel Peace Prize Winner Just Said Donald Trump Is ‘Providing Russia with Opportunities to Earn More Money’ to Fight Ukraine
A week ago, President Donald Trump made the shocking announcement that he had agreed to a deal with Vladimir Putin to lift sanctions and buy hundreds of thousands of tons of diesel oil from Russia, amid concerns about still-rising diesel prices.
Donald Trump Is Back on the Warpath Again and the Target Is Ukraine
The Trump Administration’s posture towards Ukraine, vis-à-vis its war with Russia, has changed quite a few times throughout the last 20 months. President Donald Trump returned to office and, on his first day, repeatedly promised to end the war. That didn’t happen, but the president later hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office, where Trump and Vice President JD Vance dressed him down in front of television cameras.
Donald Trump Just Can’t Run from the Truth: Republican Voters Are Done with How He Damaged the Economy
Throughout the first nearly two years of Donald Trump’s second term, the stock market has risen more than 30 percent, while unemployment has remained low. However, because inflation remains stubbornly high, voters don’t see the economy as strong, and it could cost the president’s party the midterm elections.
Donald Trump just can't run from the truth: Republican voters are done with how he damaged the economy
Throughout the first nearly two years of Donald Trump's second term, the stock market has risen more than 30 percent , while unemployment has remained low. However, because inflation remains stubbornly high, voters don't see the economy as strong, and it could cost the president's party the midterm elections.
Donald Trump Can’t Stop Grocery Prices from Skyrocketing and Voters Are Going to Punish Him For It
The Republican Party is looking at a potentially brutal midterm election, thanks to discontent with the high cost of living and the Iran war, among other issues. And while gas prices get a lot of attention, new reporting suggests higher-than-usual grocery prices are also bothering many voters. The Grocery Prices Elections The Bureau of Labor Statistics released data showing consumer prices are up 3.7 percent from a year ago, with food costs up 2.5 percent.
Forget Peace: Donald Trump Might Drop the Mother of All Bombs on Iran
In another case of the Trump Administration telegraphing a major military maneuver by talking about it in advance, they are reportedly considering dropping a Mother of All Bombs (MOAB) on Iran. The weapon, which is officially called the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast, is considered the most powerful non-nuclear bomb in the United States military’s arsenal. U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt.
Russia's refineries just got handed a warning: Zelensky tells the FT 'the block is out' as Ukraine ends its strike pause
The relationship between Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has had many ups and downs over the years. Trump's first impeachment, in his first term, involved a phone call to his Ukrainian counterpart. By the time Trump returned to office, Russia and Ukraine were at war, a war that Trump vowed to end as soon as he got back into the White House.
'Unprovoked, unjustifiable, and a breach of international law': Iran is now openly attacking ship after ship in the Strait of Hormuz
Things may be at a standstill when it comes to negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, amid the possibility that the United States could resume military action after the midterm elections next month. However, some strikes have continued on ships near the Strait of Hormuz. According to Reuters, two cargo ships have sunk in the last 24 hours after projectile strikes. UPI reported that the first ship hit was the Singapore-flagged GFS Pride, from which all crew were successfully evacuated.
Russia’s Refineries Just Got Handed a Warning: Zelensky Tells the FT ‘The Block Is Out’ as Ukraine Ends Its Strike Pause
The relationship between Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has had many ups and downs over the years. Trump’s first impeachment, in his first term, involved a phone call to his Ukrainian counterpart. President Donald J. Trump calls the International Space Station from NASA Mission Control Center at the NASA Johnson Space Center, Friday, August 28, 2026, in Houston, Texas.
Trump the turncoat: The reasons why America betrayed Ukraine that is fighting for its very survival against Russia
Last week, President Donald Trump shocked the world by announcing a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin, in which the U.S. agreed to allow the release of thousands of tons of oil. The move was widely panned as a betrayal of a U.S. ally and an undermining of the international sanctions regime against Russia, as well as a naked appeal by Trump to get energy prices down ahead of the midterm elections. And it all comes at Ukraine's expense and looks like a betrayal.
Belly of the Beast
Whalefall is never boring, for all its faults. Give Whalefall points for its degree of difficulty; it’s not easy to make a movie where most of the time is spent with one man alone inside a whale without getting boring. And Whalefall never is. Beyond that, though, the film has some issues—daddy, and otherwise.
‘It couldn't have gone much worse': New Trump White House press secretary might ‘not stay in the position for very long'
The White House recently appointed Katie Zacharia, a former Fox News contributor, as the new press secretary, replacing Karoline Leavitt, who recently left the role. Zacharia has long defended Trump on television and has now been promoted to doing so from the White House podium. Zacharia's first briefing on Tuesday went poorly, with liberals mocking her performance and some Trump supporters speculating she may not stay in the position long.
Donald Trump has one mission: to break Iran's economy and push Tehran to make a deal
In late September, shortly after announcing the new Operation Economic Outcast initiative to punish countries that trade with Iran, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent predicted that, thanks to the U.S. blockade, Iran would have nothing left to trade in two weeks.
Many Decades Later, General George Patton’s Best US Army Line Is Still the Greatest Military Quote in Armed Forces History
Summary and Key Points: Journalist Stephen Silver traces George S. Patton’s line, “There can never be too many projectiles in a battle. Whether they are thrown by cannon, rockets, or recoilless devices is immaterial,” from his 1947 memoir “War As I Knew It” back to November 1917, when the Army’s first tank soldier wrote a 58-page report that created the tank corps, ran the Bourg light tank school and led the 304th Tank Brigade, then moved 1,000 tanks in 1940.
Donald Trump is dragging the party down: Republicans just got handed a warning from within and the midterms look bad
The 2026 midterm elections are just three weeks away and are shaping up to be a bloodbath for President Donald Trump's Republican Party, thanks to the unpopularity of the president himself, as well as the Iran War and the still-high cost of living, including high gas prices. It's not a great state of affairs for the president, who won the election to return to office two years ago, largely because of the inflationary environment during the Biden years.
Donald Trump Diesel Scandal Erupts: ‘Putin Doesn’t Look Like He’s Serious About Peace’ and It Might Not End Ukraine War
President Donald Trump shocked the world, and angered a large section of it as well, last week when he reached an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin, in which the U.S. will import millions of tons of diesel from Russia. The agreement cuts against the sanctions regime that’s been in force against Russia since the start of the war in Ukraine more than four years ago, as well as the new sanctions law passed by Congress and signed into law by Trump less than a month ago.
‘Donald Trump Is Dragging the Party Down’: Republicans Just Got Handed a Warning From Within and the Midterms Look Bad
The 2026 midterm elections are just three weeks away and are shaping up to be a bloodbath for President Donald Trump’s Republican Party, thanks to the unpopularity of the president himself, as well as the Iran War and the still-high cost of living, including high gas prices. It’s not a great state of affairs for the president, who won the election to return to office two years ago, largely because of the inflationary environment during the Biden years.
Something Strange Is Happening to Donald Trump: He Just Can’t Grasp the Fact He Is About the Lose the Midterms
The midterm elections in the United States are just three weeks away, and new polling shows President Donald Trump has little time left to improve his flagging approval ratings, especially on the economy. And something strange is happening with Trump — he doesn’t seem to grasp the reality of the hole he is in. Donald Trump Can’t Seem to Grasp the Trouble He Is In on Midterms President Donald J.
Donald Trump Has a Problem: His Diesel Deal with Putin Is Making Republicans Sweat Bullets Trying to Survive the Midterms
Last week, President Donald Trump announced a shocking agreement with Russia to buy diesel fuel from the country, as diesel prices hit a record high, exceeding $6 a gallon for the first time in history earlier this fall. According to the Associated Press, the deal, struck during a phone call between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, abruptly reverses years of U.S. policy and undermines the Western sanctions regime.
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