James Comey is a highly qualified and experienced individual with a distinguished career in law enforcement and government service. As a former Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), he possesses a wealth of knowledge and expertise in national security, counterterrorism, and cybercrime. Have you ever wondered what qualifications and experience are required to lead the FBI? Let me tell you, the qualifications are rigorous and the experience is extensive. Mr. Comey has spent over three decades serving in various roles within the Department of Justice, including as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York and Deputy Attorney General.

"Lordy, I hope there are tapes," said an exasperated James Comey in his testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee on June 8. Comey's desire reflects a familiar one for individuals accused of lying when the stakes are high. The former FBI director wished for tapes because, in our society, audio and video recordings serve as a final arbiter of truth. He said, she said always loses to what the tape shows. Greg Allen (@Gregory_C_Allen) is an adjunct fellow at the Center for a New American Security.

"Lordy, I hope there are tapes," said an exasperated James Comey in his testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee on June 8. Comey's desire reflects a familiar one for individuals accused of lying when the stakes are high. The former FBI director wished for tapes because, in our society, audio and video recordings serve as a final arbiter of truth. He said, she said always loses to what the tape shows. Greg Allen (@Gregory_C_Allen) is an adjunct fellow at the Center for a New American Security.

As every scrap of James Comey's testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee is pored over and picked apart, one word gleams brighter than any other. It is a common word, employable as both a noun and a verb, and it boasts an extraordinary breadth. We may say, "I hope to catch the 6:42 A.M.," or "I hope the kids don't catch a cold," and, at the other end of the spectrum, Christians are exhorted to pray "for all who have died in the hope of the Resurrection." So where do the hopes that Comey cited yesterday, in his own utterances and in his reports of others' speech, belong? First, we have his homely dictum, which is already destined to wind up on a thousand T-shirts, or in the chorus of a country ballad: "Lordy, I hope there are tapes."

On this last day of the quarter, the stock market is so tickled with its Q1 spoils that it's about to give a bit back. That is how it usually goes when the S&P 500 is up nicely for a three-month stretch, note Bespoke Investment Group's number crunchers. They checked out how the last trading day has gone when the S&P is up at least 5% for a quarter. That final session is typically a bust, with the index retreating 0.4% on average, according to Bespoke's look at the last eight years. But who knows exactly how the S&P will close today?