News of the Week for Nov. 7th, 2022
- Election 2022
- Abortion
- Gun Rights
- Hide the Decline
- Obamacare
- War & Terror
- National News
- Economy & Taxes
- International News
- Opinion
Election 2022
Mandela Barnes: ‘Oil Is Destroying the World’
Mandela Barnes, the Wisconsin Democratic Senate candidate, said in 2015 that he believes “oil is destroying the world”—an apocalyptic claim that conflicts with his more recent campaign promise to try to make gas more affordable for consumers.
Republican Election Prospects Rise as Inflation Overshadows Abortion, WSJ Poll Finds
New survey shows GOP with an edge in midterm voting enthusiasm as economic pessimism grows
Red tsunami alert? Bolduc slides ahead of Hassan in NH poll
Say what? Maggie Hassan had supposedly saved herself from political oblivion by employing Claire McCaskill’s Akin strategy — promoting the least electable Republican in the primary into the nomination. Democrats went heavy to get Don Bolduc into the general election as a way to salvage what had looked like a very vulnerable Senate seat.
WSJ Poll: Suburban Women Breaking the GOP’s Way
The economy has always been the dominant issue in the midterms, but the trend recently has been that it’s becoming even more dominant.
Knives Out on the Center-Left
Democrats are in trouble next Tuesday, and the only question to be determined is exactly how much trouble. Which has center-left pundits considering where it all went wrong after Joe Biden won a national majority in 2020, Democrats took the Senate, and Biden held a strong position in the polls until the fall of Afghanistan. Matt Yglesias argues that polls have painted an unrealistic picture of how popular the Democrats and some of their agenda was, and this led them to abjure more moderate stances and positioning that might have worked against weak Republican candidates in battleground states
No Cuts, Tax the Rich, Proud to Operate beyond the Wisconsin Constitution
At an event hosted by the Milwaukee Rotary on the third floor of the Milwaukee War Memorial, Mandela Barnes was asked by a panel of local journalists if cuts would be necessary to clamp down on the rapid advance of deficit spending that has seen the nation’s debt total move past $31 trillion.
Will the Republican Exodus from New York Save Kathy Hochul?
Democratic policies have driven a record number of New Yorkers to flee the state in recent years, but ironically, that just may be what saves New York governor Kathy Hochul from defeat.
2010 Redux or 2014 All Over Again? A Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Story
I have lived through three major Republican wave elections. The first one in 1994 tolled the beginning of my political awareness. The most recent one in 2014 represents, to my mind at least, the zenith of recent GOP performance, a cycle where they won pretty much every close race and nearly ran the table (ah, Virginia Senate . . . the one that got away). But in between those two came the 2010 election, the first midterm after Barack Obama took office. You may remember it as an exhilarating repudiation of Obamacare and Obama’s fiscal policies (this was the “Tea Party” electoral cycle, after all). And you would have good reason to: The Republicans added a whopping seven seats in the Senate and scored a 63-seat gain in the House (their best performance since before the Great Depression).
Why Lifelong Democrats in Oregon Say They’re Ready to Vote Red
‘Look outside. You see the homelessness, people dying in the streets from overdoses, people having psychotic breaks. It’s in shambles. It wasn’t always like this.”
Pennsylvania Supreme Court: Undated Absentee and Mail-In Ballots Can’t Be Counted
“The Pennsylvania county boards of elections are hereby ORDERED to refrain from counting any absentee and mail-in ballots received for the November 8, 2022 general election that are contained in undated or incorrectly dated outer envelopes.”
Quinnipiac: Say, we’ve just discovered an eight-point flip to the GOP — among registered voters
Gee, this looks like a trend, no? The question, as it was earlier today with the sudden shifts in polling at CNN and NPR/Marist, is what’s actually trending. Is it voters or pollsters?
The Republican Path To A House Majority Goes Through The Suburbs
Reintroducing our urbanization index for 2022.
Gunman opened fire at Republican candidate’s North Carolina home while his children were sleeping – as Democrat is forced to drop campaign ad he filmed in front of the property in heated race
A bullet landed in Pat Harrigan’s Hickory, North Carolina, home in October. His children and parents were inside at the time, but no one was injured. The FBI are now investigating the ballistics, according to a local report
McConnell’s PACs Spend Millions to Bail Out Trump’s Candidates
In his latest Washington Post column, Marc Thiessen presents some interesting facts on the efforts of super PACS affiliated with Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell to shore up candidates endorsed by Donald Trump
How Grim Is the Outlook for Incumbents Polling below 50 Percent?
As Greg Corombos observed on Wednesday, we’ve reached that time of year when the moment many of us type the letter “R” in a web browser, we automatically load the URL for the RealClearPolitics list of the day’s latest polls.
Why suburban women are flocking to the GOP: As simple as A,B,C
Something’s happening in the suburbs. On the one hand, polls indicate that white suburban women are shifting — hard — toward the Republican Party. On the other, lots more parents are homeschooling their kids, post-pandemic. These phenomena are not unrelated.
How the Governors Races are Breaking, Election Saturday Morning
Updating the polls via the method I discussed here and last reviewed on Thursday, here is where the races for governor stand in the RealClearPolitics average of public polls, through the end of Friday
Who’s running in ’24? Check Nevada visitors in ’22
And who might those challengers be? Well, we can draw some clues about that from some recent visits to Nevada from once and future contenders for the presidency, all of whom know Nevada is going to be fairly high on the 2024 nominating calendar if not (dare to dream!) first on the list.
How the Senate Races Are Breaking, Election Saturday Evening
Earlier today, I updated my layout of the status of the races for governor as of all the polls in through the end of Friday, in the same format I’ve used this fall. Now, let’s look at the Senate races. The prognosis for Republicans is fairly optimistic, but the big four races remain very much up in the air — Nevada, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Arizona — joined by the surprising fifth, New Hampshire
Biden’s Closing Message: ‘No More [Oil] Drilling. . . . I Haven’t Formed Any New Drilling’
The number one concern of voters heading into the midterms is rising costs, so this seems like a poor message ad-libbed by President Biden on Sunday
Donald Trump humiliated J.D. Vance for fun
Donald Trump needs you to know that Republican candidates don’t just like him, they love him. And they need him. Badly. At a rally on Saturday night for Ohio GOP Senate nominee J.D. Vance, Trump made sure the crowd knew that Vance was subservient to him – big time.
Election officials fear counting delays will help fuel claims of fraud
Officials in a handful of closely contested states are warning that the winners of tight races may not be known on election night, raising the possibility of a delay that former president Donald Trump and his allies could exploit to cast doubt on the integrity of Tuesday’s midterm vote.
My Final Assessment
Look, I am putting myself out there for the shots if I’m wrong. I get that. But I might as well.
Abortion
Dobbs Decision
Actress Elizabeth Banks on NPR: Abortion Is ‘Our Society’s Insurance Policy’ for Easy Sex
For your daily laugh that NPR calls their evening newscast All Things Considered, on Saturday night they celebrated the new pro-abortion movie Call Jane with actress Elizabeth Banks. Over eight and a half minutes, NPR host Michel Martin had no difficult or challenging questions, just facilitations.
NPR shocks by airing audio of woman getting an abortion: ‘Disturbing and evil on every level’
NPR correspondent notes ‘soothing music’ playing, says it feels ‘like a childbirth’
A Working Abortionist Opposes California’s Deadly Proposition 1
California obstetrician-gynecologist Dr. Forrest Smith says he polled 147 of his patients. When he first asked, they were planning to vote for Proposition 1 on Election Day, for a “Constitutional Right To Reproductive Freedom.” When he then explained to them that it would legalize the killing of viable, healthy babies, every single one of those patients changed their minds and said they would vote against it. He calls what Proposition 1 would allow “moral monstrosity that we cannot allow in our state’s constitution.”
Gun Rights
U.S. judge suspends many of New York’s new gun restrictions
A federal judge in New York temporarily suspended many parts of the state’s new gun restrictions on Monday to allow members of a gun-owners’ rights group to continue their lawsuit challenging the new law as unconstitutional.
Hide the Decline
Environment &“Green Energy”
Greta Thunberg throws in her lot with the anti-capitalist Left
The activist has been showing a more overtly political stance in London
Extreme Climate Activists Declare ‘Pause’ on Defacing Priceless Art with Soup, For Now — Threaten ‘Escalation’ in Coming Days
Just Stop Oil, the climate activist group behind a series of protests in the U.K., announced a “pause” to their “civil disruption,” while also threatening an escalation in the coming days if the government takes no action on climate change.
Europe’s winter of discontent
The continent has been wracked by protests that haven’t been sufficiently covered by the American media. Protests in the UK, in France, in Germany, in Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium…. Pretty much every populace is up in arms about what is happening to their countries, their livelihoods, and their prospects for the future. As much as the prevailing Narrative™ is that the EU is the place to be™ and that America should be more like Europe, things are bad over there and getting worse.
UK Trapped in The Green Energy Cul-de-Sac
Often I have referred to the situation that the UK, Germany, California and others have set themselves up for as “hitting the green energy wall.” But now that the UK has actually gotten there and has begun to deal with the consequences, I’m not sure that “hitting the wall” is the best analogy. A better analogy might be “driving into the green energy cul-de-sac.” After all, when you hit a wall you can probably just pick yourself up and turn around and be on your way. In the cul-de-sac you are trapped with no evident way of getting out. You might be in there for a long time.
Manchin Blasts Biden’s ‘Offensive and Disgusting’ Promise to Shut Down Coal Plants and Worsen Inflation
On Saturday, West Virginia Democratic senator Joe Manchin denounced a statement made by President Biden on Friday that he would shut down coal plants all around the country.
Germany’s Gas Storage Could Be Depleted After A ‘Few Freezing Cold Days,’ Energy Regulator Warns
Reuters: “Germany’s gas storage facilities could be quickly emptied if this winter gets really cold.”
Obamacare
Government in Healthcare
There’s a Shortage of Some Amoxicillin, FDA Says
A surge in demand is to blame, according to the agency’s website
CHOP’s gender clinic founder says ‘age is just a number’ when advocating for double mastectomies for healthy 14-year-old-girls
Video footage has emerged on social media of the founder of the gender clinic at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) saying age is just a number while testifying before a health committee that her clinic refers girls as young as 14 for medically unnecessary bilateral mastectomies.
“If you’re not willing to risk your job, your relationships, your friendships, if you’re not willing to risk that to protect children from medical experimentation — what would motivate you?
“My name is Erin Brewer and I pretty much have committed my life to doing everything I can to stop the medical transitioning of children”
‘Nullectomy’: Physician-Assisted Mutilation
I don’t know how much more of this our culture can take. “Gender-affirming” surgeries are growing increasingly extreme. A source sent me links to websites operated by doctors who perform “bottom surgeries” advertising “genital nullification” — a.k.a. “nullectomy” — procedures that remove genitalia in order to create a “smooth” appearance in the groin.
Canadian Doctors Urged to Suggest Euthanasia
What would it feel like if your doctor suggested euthanasia as a “treatment” for your medical problems? It would enervate hope, to say the least, and suggest that the doctor does not think your life worth living.
War & Terror
US to Put Nuclear-Capable B52s in Australia as Taiwan Invasion Fears Grow
The long-range heavy bombers will be provided as part of a $1 billion-plus upgrade of military assets across northern Australia.
Russia Tries the Food Weapon Again: Wheat Prices Jump
Over the weekend, a swarm of Ukrainian drones attacked the Admiral Makarov, the flagship of Russia’s Black Sea fleet. It’s not clear how much damage was done, but the Makarov fared better than the Moskva, its predecessor as flagship, which was sunk in April. It was an embarrassing moment for Russia, made all the more humiliating by the fact that the attack took place at Sevastopol, a major Russian naval base in Crimea — and a symbol of empire — for well over two centuries (it was leased to Russia after Ukraine won its independence after disputes throughout most of the first half of the 1990s).
In Reclaimed Towns, Ukrainians Debate: Who’s a Collaborator?
Many citizens thought Russian occupiers were there to stay. Some fought back, others actively supported the invaders, while the majority just tried to survive.
Indictment of 7 Chinese Nationals for ‘Forced Repatriation’ of US Resident to China Indicates Similar Operations in Canada
A federal court in New York has charged seven Chinese nationals for harassing and coercing a U.S. resident to return to China as part of Beijing’s international extralegal repatriation campaign known as Operation Fox Hunt.
So now China wants peace in Ukraine?
The past year or more has seen China’s position on the world stage change quite a bit. The nation’s increasingly aggressive stance toward Taiwan and the rapid expansion of its military and economic influence across the Pacific has left many western nations on edge. And, of course, China’s continued support of Russia during the invasion of Ukraine puts them at odds with all of NATO and the rest of our allies. That’s why it was rather surprising to see German Chancellor Olaf Scholz flying to Beijing this week to meet with Xi Jinping. Scholz clearly wanted to talk about renewed trade deals and economic partnerships with the Chinese, but he couldn’t avoid bringing up Ukraine and the need to end the ongoing war there. Even more surprising was Xi Jinping’s reported decision to agree with him and call for peace as well. Or did he?
Tom Cotton: GOP Congress Would Aid Ukrainian Effort to Repel Russian Invasion
On Wednesday night, Arkansas GOP senator Tom Cotton told Newsmax that if Republicans take control of Congress, military aid to Ukraine will continue.
National
Alito appeared to reference Elizabeth Warren when he asked about ‘family lore’ on Native American ancestry during Supreme Court affirmative action case
Samuel Alito appeared to reference Sen. Elizabeth Warren during the Supreme Court’s affirmative action case. The justice asked whether someone who identifies as Indigenous based on “family lore” could include that on a college application. The Supreme Court is hearing a case challenging affirmative action in college admissions.
“Save the Tomboys”: Gays Against Groomers Takes A Stand Against The Lie That Tomboys Are Inherently Transgender
“It’s okay to be a masculine girl or a feminine boy.”
Justices appear skeptical of affirmative action during oral arguments (plus the Elizabeth Warren question)
Oral arguments in two affirmative action cases are taking place today at the Supreme Court. The NY Times is reporting that it sounds as if conservatives on the court are skeptical of the policy
When Democrats Embrace Nationalism
Those nefarious right-wing authoritarians are at it again — this time, in the Atlantic. A sitting U.S. senator calls for a “real agenda of economic nationalism.” His party, he writes, should lay out “a pro-family platform of economic nationalism salted with a bit of healthy tech skepticism.” In language echoing Patrick Deneen’s Why Liberalism Failed, the senator denounces neoliberal consumerism for shredding America’s cultural fabric: “The consumerism that was supposed to fill our lives with the material rewards necessary for happiness instead left many feeling empty as our cultures and identities got swallowed up by the shapeless, antiseptic, profit-obsessed international economy.”
Political Accountability Versus Campus Autonomy
In North Carolina and elsewhere, universities must police themselves or submit to legislative oversight.
U.S. Supreme Court poised to give companies new power to sue over strikes
The U.S. Supreme Court appears set to deliver on another longstanding conservative policy goal in its first major labor law case this term, with a ruling that could hobble workers’ right to strike, amid a resurgence of worker organizing and a cost-of-living crisis.
Ketanji Brown Jackson clashes with anti-affirmative action lawyer during Supreme Court arguments
Jackson pressed lawyer over if use of race as a factor in admissions is enough for ‘standing’ to sue
The Supreme Court’s Options in the Harvard and UNC Affirmative Action Cases
The conservative majority on the Court is highly likely to rule against the two schools’ use of racial preferences in admissions. But there are several different ways it could do so, which have different implications for future cases.
Justice Barrett and Affirmative Action
In Grutter v. Bollinger (2003), Justice O’Connor wrote, “We expect that 25 years from now, the use of racial preferences will no longer be necessary.” I never took this sentence–or really anything Justice O’Connor wrote–very seriously. And even if she was serious about that point, no one who joined her majority opinion remains on the Court. Yet, in the New York Times, Justin Driver suggests that the quarter-century countdown may provide affirmative action with a six-year stay of execution. For the reasons Ed Whelan explains, I find this possibility extremely unlikely.
Supreme Court Conservatives to Universities: “When Is The End Point” Of Race-Based Affirmative Action?
Supreme Court majority seems skeptical universities ever intend to stop considering race
The Daily Chart: Public School Spending by Race
One notable aspect of the oral argument yesterday about affirmative action was Justice Sotomayor going full critical race theory about the issue, claiming, among other things, that blacks were segregated into public schools that are “under-resourced.” While it may be true that urban public schools lack a lot of resources when it comes to common sense and rigorous instruction, Sotomayor, like most liberals, measures this only in money.
Chief Justice Roberts for the Win
I listened to all five hours of the Supreme Court oral argument today while on a long car drive home, and am hoping to post a special podcast tomorrow going over the whole scene, but for me, one single moment especially stands out. Seth Waxman, the primary attorney defending Harvard (a former solicitor general under President Clinton), was going head-to-head with Chief Justice John Roberts about whether race is a “minor” factor in admissions, or a decisive factor, as the defenders of race-conscious admissions were trying to have it both ways all day.
The time has come today
The subject of what goes under the shibboleth of “affirmative action” is both close to my heart and one about which I have frequently written, usually drawing on Andrew Kull’s legal history The Color-Blind Constitution, Published by Harvard University Press in 1998, it remains a terrific book. If Kull updated it to take cases of the past 25 years into account, the update would vindicate his analysis. One cannot miss Kull’s admiration for those who have sought to enforce “the color-blind Constitution” in lawsuits going back to 1850 and the doublethink that has defeated it.
Death Knell for Race Discrimination?
I haven’t seen or read a transcript of today’s Supreme Court hearing. Scott or Steve may offer more informed commentary shortly. But, based on news accounts, the day seems to have gone well for opponents of race discrimination in higher education.
The Arbitrariness of Racial Classifications Gets Attention as SCOTUS Considers Affirmative Action
I did not time my book on racial classifications to coincide with litigation over affirmative action. Indeed, the book is not about affirmative action, and much of the book has nothing directly to do with it.
Board of Trustees unanimously votes to affirm Ben Sasse for university president
12 people came for the public comments portion of the meeting. All but one condemned the appointment of Senator Sasse as UF’s president.
So Much for Equal Protection
To see how far the racism of CRT has penetrated our legal institutions, consider a ruling by the Supreme Court of Washington that gives a clear advantage to black litigants.
Scientists fighting “scientific racism”
We are already watching the angst building up on the left as the Supreme Court reconsiders the matter of affirmative action in the college admissions process. The standard objections are showing up in the media, claiming that the conservative majority on the Supreme Court will somehow institutionalize racism in the United States all over again if schools judge all applicants on the same basis without regard for the color of their skin.
Feds may slash states’ access to Colorado River water
If you’ve seen any pictures of the Colorado River over the past year or two, you’re probably aware that it has dried up to a relative trickle in many places. An ongoing drought has led the seven basin states that draw from the river (along with Mexico) to increase the amount of water they have been extracting. Now the river is almost empty. This week, the Interior Department issued a stern warning to all of the impacted states, saying that they would give them “one last chance” to voluntarily come up with plans to reduce their water usage or Uncle Sam will step in and do it for them. The anticipated move would impact how much water is released from Lake Mead and Lake Powell on a regular basis.
More on the affirmative action oral arguments
Oral arguments in two cases involving affirmative action in university admissions were heard at the Supreme Court Monday. The consensus from everyone who listened to the arguments is that the six conservatives on the court seemed very skeptical of affirmative action while the three progressives were doing their best to defend it. Today law professor Ilya Shapiro has an opinion piece at Fox News arguing that the Justices should end the DEI bureaucracy on college campuses.
Stanford to host Academic Freedom Conference
The Stanford Graduate School of Business is sponsoring an Academic Freedom Conference to be held November 4-5. The speakers at the conference hope to shed light to the important issues of free speech, academic freedom, and open inquiry.
Oath Keeper Rhodes had violent message for Trump after Jan. 6, witness says
Four days after the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes tried to tell President Donald Trump it was not too late to use paramilitary groups to stay in power by force, according to testimony Wednesday in federal court.
College students turn more liberal, OK speech death penalty
Calls for diversity on campuses and in Main Street businesses and banning hate speech, even that protected by the First Amendment , are no longer issues to fight over for college students.
Emails show JeffCo school administrators knew “furries” were an issue but publicly denied it
One month after Jefferson County school administrators denied that kids were dressing up as so-called “furries” at school, CBS News Colorado has obtained emails showing the district was aware of the issue and yet denied it was happening.
West Hollywood gay pioneers clash with younger progressives over future of city
John Duran is styling himself as a law-and-order candidate for West Hollywood City Council, posing in front of sheriff’s cruisers on his campaign website and touting his endorsement by the deputies’ union.
Wells are running dry in drought-weary Southwest as foreign-owned farms guzzle water to feed cattle overseas
Workers with the water district in Wenden, Arizona, saw something remarkable last year as they slowly lowered a camera into the drought-stricken town’s well: The water was moving.
Short Circuit: A Roundup of Recent Federal Court Decisions
Wanted posters, vague and threatening letters, and dragging a 75-pound dummy.
Some Observations on the Court’s ‘Diversity’ Oral Arguments
Last week, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments on the two cases challenging the legality of racial preferences. What was the substance of the arguments?
What golden years? California retirees lament the ‘venom’ coursing through American politics
The Leisure World and Laguna Woods retirement villages envelop you in tranquility from the moment you enter their gates.
U.S. Facing Shortage of Liquid Amoxicillin as RSV Cases Surge
Penicillin is the top medicine against bacterial infections.
US citizens crossing border in record numbers — to live in Mexico: report
A record number of Americans are crossing the southern border — to live in Mexico, according to a new report.
Economy & Taxes
Inflation Soars Over 300% in Venezuela in Blow to Maduro Rebound
Inflation is roaring back in Venezuela, threatening to undermine the fragile economic recovery orchestrated by President Nicolas Maduro and rekindle a migration wave that had just begun to ease.
Is a meat recession coming?
Online meat delivery company Good Ranchers warned consumers on social media that “a meat recession is knocking and supply is about to be tight” as cattle herd continues to shrink.
Bank of England expects UK to fall into longest ever recession
The Bank of England has warned the UK is facing its longest recession since records began, as it raised interest rates by the most in 33 years.
Deceleration? US adds 261,000 jobs, unemployment edges up in October
Welcome to Bizarro World, an environment transformed by inflation and the need to correct monetary policy to the point where more jobs may be bad news. The US economy beat expectations in today’s BLS jobs report, which sounds like great news, except that it likely will keep pressure on the Fed to keep hiking interest rates.
Corporate Governance with Chinese Characteristics
I’ve argued for a while now that the Chinese economy has moved from the relative freedom of the post-Deng era to something that, under Xi, looks a lot like the harnessed capitalism found in fascist economic theory and, frequently, practice.
International
Bolsonaro hasn’t conceded to Lula. Is he following the Trump playbook?
Brazil and its president-elect, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the winner of Sunday’s election, woke up Monday to a question familiar to Americans: Will the loser concede?
Police arrest nine over Indian bridge collapse, toll reaches 134
Indian police arrested nine people on Monday, including ticketing clerks and contractors, as they investigate the collapse of a foot bridge in which at least 134 people, including many children, were killed.
How Xi sacrificed China’s future in pursuit of total power
They called it the Shanghai diet. Every morning during the two-month lockdown in China’s most populous city, Maggie found herself in a bidding war for spinach and pak choi.
Ancient mummified child was drugged with psychedelics before ritual sacrifice to gods, scientists reveal
AN ANCIENT Peruvian civilization drugged children with psychedelics before sacrificing them in a religious ritual to their Gods, scientists now claim.
Denmark’s left wins razor-thin election victory
Final vote count gives PM Frederiksen’s side 87 seats in mainland Denmark, with another three coming from the autonomous overseas territories of Faroe Islands and Greenland, giving the bloc a majority of 90 seats in the 179-seat parliament.
Ancient DNA analysis sheds light on the early peopling of South America
The Americas were the last continent to be inhabited by humans. An increasing body of archaeological and genomic evidence has hinted to a complex settlement process. This is especially true for South America, where unexpected ancestral signals have raised perplexing scenarios for the early migrations into different regions of the continent.
Christian monastery possibly pre-dating Islam found in UAE
An ancient Christian monastery possibly dating as far back as the years before Islam spread across the Arabian Peninsula has been discovered on an island off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, officials announced Thursday.
Yair Lapid calls Netanyahu to congratulate him on winning election
Prime Minister Yair Lapid spoke with opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu and congratulated him on his victory in the elections on Thursday.
Dengue epidemic rages uncontrolled in Cuba; children among the hardest hit
Every few days a news story about Castrogonia’s dengue epidemic surfaces. Every new account paints a grimmer picture.
Argentina’s Kirchner Stokes Speculation On Presidential Run
Argentina’s Vice President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner called for a political “reorganization,” on Friday, hinting at the possibility of a presidential run next year as speculation builds about her candidacy.
In Xi’s China, even internal reports fall prey to censorship
When the coronavirus was first detected in Wuhan in late 2019, reporter Liao Jun of China’s official Xinhua News Agency told conflicting stories to two very different audiences.
Canadian intelligence warned PM Trudeau that China covertly funded 2019 election candidates: Sources
Canadian intelligence officials have warned Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that China has allegedly been targeting Canada with a vast campaign of foreign interference, which includes funding a clandestine network of at least 11 federal candidates running in the 2019 election, according to Global News sources.
Opinion
We Won’t Be Able to Dodge a Major Political Assassination Forever
The details from the criminal complaint concerning the attack on Paul Pelosi are horrific. The complaint reveals that Paul was woken up in the middle of the night by a hammer-wielding lunatic who said he was willing to wait days for House speaker Nancy Pelosi to return home so he could break her kneecaps and thus she would serve as an example to other members of Congress.
Don’t Dither, DeSantis
Yesterday, in light of rumors that DeSantis “will not run if Trump does,” my colleague Isaac Schorr eloquently explained (again) why Ron DeSantis shouldn’t back down from challenging former president Donald Trump in 2024. I second that assertion. However, I would add that the risk of losing momentum is also something the Florida governor might want to keep in mind.
Trump Hates DeSantis for the Offense of Being in the Way
If there were any doubt that all the chatter about Trump being consumed with resentment of and hatred for Ron DeSantis is true, he removed it with his gratuitous shot at the Florida governor . . . at a rally for Republican candidates in Pennsylvania . . . three days before the midterms. Trump called DeSantis “Ron DeSanctimonous,” a relatively sophisticated nickname, although not one likely to stick. Trump must have been thinking of the “God made a fighter” ad, which everyone seems to be taking literally even though it’s clearly a reference to the famous Paul Harvey “God made a farmer” speech. Trump’s shot won’t have any effect on DeSantis on Tuesday, but it shows how much DeSantis is on Trump’s mind, previews the brutish attacks to come, and shows Trump will have no compunction about crushing the future of the party to maintain his grip for another two years and possibly beyond.
The Old Man Put His Foot In It
He got on stage at a late midterm rally and railed against Ron DeSantis. He blasted DeSantis’s handling of COVID. He claimed DeSantis was part of the Republican establishment. “Ron DeSanctimonious,” he called him.
Increasingly Bizarre Examples of the Liberal Descent into Alternative Reality
We do not expect satire to be the literal truth, but in order for it to be humorous, it must be based in some sense on truth. Kashana Cauley, over in the New Yorker, has written a humor item based upon just about the most untrue argument I could imagine reading in the pages of that publication. Entitled “I, a Conservative, Am Terrified by the Crime in a City I’ve Never Been To,” its entire thesis is that the crime fears driving New York voters are entirely the product of people who have never set foot in New York City.
