News of the Week for August 13th, 2023
- Abortion
- Gun Rights
- Hide the Decline
- Obamacare
- War & Terror
- National News
- Economy & Taxes
- International News
- Opinion
Abortion
Dobbs Decision
What Ohio’s constitutional Issue 1 failure means for 2024
Yesterday morning, I took to Twitter (which I still refuse to call “X”) and predicted that Issue 1 in Ohio would fall short by a 55/45 margin.
The Pro-Life Movement Needs a Retreat
I recently saw a tracking that found that articles about abortion and religion are currently just about the least popular on a website close to my heart. (You can probably guess.) Robert Kennedy Jr., UFOS, and artificial intelligence rate the highest. So I may have to consider asking RFK Jr. for an interview or applying to embed on an Elon Musk journey to Mars.
Gun Rights
Democrats Reintroduce Legislation Proposing 1,000% Excise Tax on ‘Assault Weapons’
Just a reminder that the left won’t stop trying to usurp the Second Amendment.
Hide the Decline
Environment &“Green Energy”
For the Ecological Extremist, Civilization Is the Problem
Your failure to languish in interminable summer temperatures, dehydrate, and die from thermal shock isn’t just a personal moral failure but a shortcoming of civilization itself. As the Guardian observed, Goodell resents the extent to which “non-tech, carbon-neutral solutions dating back centuries” have been rendered obsolete by technological progress. Climate control has taught us to forget how to open a window.
Scottish Government Felling Almost 2,000 Trees per Day To Save the Environment
Just under 16 million trees have been cut down on publicly owned Scottish land to make way for wind farms. Conservation campaigners warn that planning regulations for new turbines on wild land are so relaxed they are difficult not to meet.
EPA Tries to Destroy the Grid
The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing a new rule limiting CO2 emissions from fossil fuel-fired (coal and natural gas) power plants. As you might expect, given the ideological bent of EPA, the rule is a Trojan horse, the real purpose of which is to induce the nation’s coal plants and some natural gas power generation to shut down under the increasing weight of federal regulations.
Will Biden and the U.N. Declare a ‘Climate Emergency’? Looks like it.
I’ve covered this topic before: ClimateTV: UN Plans ‘Climate Power Grab’ Over U.S. The Heartland Institute’s Justin Haskins wrote a stunning op-ed in The Federalist, revealing the behind the scenes planning: The U.N. Is Planning To Seize Global ‘Emergency’ Powers With Biden’s Support.
In Europe’s water wars, super rich play by their own rules
Local leaders, struggling to get wealthy residents to abide by water restrictions, are calling on the EU for help.
Biden’s eco crusade against gas stoves is even madder than you thought
Forcing Americans to buy hugely expensive appliances that save a few pennies at best
Obamacare
Government in Healthcare
Now you have to wait until you’re 7 to get trans treatment in the UK
For more than a year now, we’ve been praising the health services in Great Britain over their decision to pull back from “gender transition care” for children, starting with the closing of the Tavistock gender clinic last summer. (And there were many very good reasons to shut that clinic down.) The Brits were following a pattern that’s been showing up in other European nations including Sweden and Denmark where nearly all transgender “care” for children has been put on hold while clinical studies are conducted. That’s why I was rather surprised to see a headline yesterday suggesting that the British National Health Service would be funding “transgender treatments” for children provided they are at least seven years old. But as it turns out, there is a bit more to the story than the headline would suggest and it’s not nearly as bad as it looks at first glance.
Quebec Death Doctors Don’t Like Being Told to Stay within the Law
The pattern never changes. Euthanasia is legalized under the promise of “strict guidelines” preventing abuse. As time goes on, the strict guidelines are loosened, and then loosened again. Sometimes the process is slow and sometimes fast. But the direction is all one way.
Want help for suicidal thoughts? We’ll kill you for free
That is what Canada has turned into. every day you read a story about the government or the health care system (one and the same) offering death as a public service.
Child Psychiatric Association Refuses to Hear Scientific Evidence Critical of ‘Gender Affirming Care’
Slowly, it is becoming clear that the scientific data behind what is called “gender-affirming care” is sorely lacking. Consequently, several countries in Europe have hit the brakes on immediate social affirmation, puberty blocking, and surgeries in children.
War & Terror
Hong Kong police plan to arrest Danish artist, hold trial in mainland China: report
Police decline to confirm if Tiananmen massacre sculptor Jens Galschiøt is wanted by national security department.
Italy Quits China’s Belt and Road Initiative, Angers Beijing
Italian Defense Minister Crosetto: “We exported a load of oranges to China, they tripled exports to Italy in three years.”
U.S. Tracked Chinese and Russian Ships Near Alaska’s Coast
A joint patrol of Russian and Chinese warships traveled near Alaska this week, prompting the U.S. to mobilize aircraft and ships in response, officials revealed over the weekend.
China hacked Japan’s sensitive defense networks, officials say
Tokyo has strengthened its defenses after a major cybersecurity breach, but gaps remain that could slow information-sharing with the Pentagon.
Russia and China Are Trying to Tell Us Something
A fantasy persists among self-styled realist critics of the West’s support for Kyiv’s defense against Russia’s armed effort to devour Ukraine and yoke its people: The idea that the foremost geopolitical crisis on the planet is a sideshow and a distraction.
China’s Plan to Rule the World Through Its Smart Devices, FCC Urged to Act
When police, firefighters and other first responders across the U.S. rush to emergencies, they rely on special devices to avoid overwhelmed public networks. Chinese spies could be listening in.
China-Russia Flotilla Near Aleutians Prompts Calls For Naval Base In Alaska
The 11 Chinese and Russian warships near Alaska is further evidence of deepening military cooperation between the two countries.
Poland Beefs Up Border Security, Says Russia and Belarus Pushing New Migrant Wave
Poland’s Deputy Interior Minister: “We’re talking about an operation organized by the Russian and Belarusian secret services that is getting more and more intense.”
Wave “goodbye” to Niger – Victoria Nuland was there
This ghastly creature descending on a simmering conflict is like an overfed Fellbeast swooping in to pick off road kill. She is nothing but death, doom, war, and destruction come upon them, and she excels at it.
Niger: ECOWAS makes a move on Niger
When last we saw our our protagonists, the putsches who’d seized power in Niger weren’t budging, black crow of Death Victoria Nuland had landed to demand an outcome satisfactory to her and threaten consequences and was summarily dismissed. ECOWAS (Economic Community of African States) had tried and failed to negotiate the release of former Nigerien president Bazoum, and couldn’t agree amongst themselves whether to take action of a military nature against the junta or let things be. They were also stymied by the fact that the Nigerians, who they look to for leadership as they have the most professional military of all the member states, didn’t want to play.
National
UNC’s Obsession with ‘Structural Racism’
Most American colleges and universities are in the grip of an obsession — an obsession with what’s now misleadingly called “equity.” What that really means is eliminating any differences in group outcomes. If, for example, black students do less well than other groups in some field, that’s a problem for the institution to solve. Such disparities are always attributed to something called “structural racism,” since that eliminates all other possible explanations.
‘Fake’ elector plot raised concerns over legal peril, indictment shows
A contingency plan, a crime or a ‘donkey show’? Doubts across seven states and within the Trump campaign.
No Labels qualifies in Nevada as minor party for 2024 general election
National group has stated intent to run presidential candidate in all 50 states
Mass Gov: I’ll declare a state of shelter emergency
Back in 1983, Massachusetts passed a “right to shelter” law similar to the one in New York City, but it was long before anyone began seriously talking about “sanctuary” status. Rather than addressing illegal aliens, the state was simply affirming the right of its own residents to have shelter available. But the law wasn’t limited to those with legal residence in the state, so now illegal migrants have been benefitting from those rules as well. That gravy train has now been stretched to the breaking point, however, as a flood of migrants, particularly in Boston, has added to the state’s own masses of homeless citizens, and the shelters are already overwhelmed. This weekend, Governor Maura Healey edged toward deciding to do what so many other mayors and governors have done and declare a state of emergency based on the lack of housing. She still hasn’t made it official, but it sounds like it will happen presently. So what will that mean for Massachusetts?
Police Investigating the 7-Eleven Workers Who Stopped Would-Be Thief
The guy was robbing the 7-Eleven for the third time in a 24-hour span.
The British Are Coming: English Baroness Lobbies to Change U.S. Internet Laws
D.C. insider publication Politico recently published a glowing, subscriber-only profile about a “British baroness writing American online safety laws.” But did the publication miss a major scoop in recounting the tale of how Beeban Kidron, a member of the House of Lords and film industry bigwig, succeeded in pushing California into passing its Age Appropriate Design Code law (AADC)?
Ohio voters reject ballot measure in win for abortion rights advocates
Ohio voters on Tuesday rejected a Republican-backed measure that would have made it harder to amend the state constitution, an initiative aimed at lowering the chances of passage for a November referendum that would protect abortion access statewide.
U. Nebraska-Lincoln ‘Black Public Media Residency’ Challenged By Equal Protection Project
Artist in Residence must be black, but once selected, can bring another person (black or not) at the other person’s own expense.
Skid row: Anheuser-Busch now selling off craft brands
Doncha know they’re wishing they’d just stuck to someone who kinda dug WASSUP and bayou frogs?
Hotel workers should be protesting LA’s plan to force active hotels to become homeless shelters
The latest disturbing story from the annals of Homelessness in California is a report from the L.A. Grand Hotel that the hotel’s management disciplined a housekeeper because she spoke up in a staff meeting about concerns for her safety after interactions with the homeless guests.
Fox Corporation Stock Price Now Higher Than Before Dominion Settlement and Tucker Carlson Exit
After an exceedingly rough start to 2023, Fox News appears to have restored investors’ confidence in parent company Fox Corporation.
California Supreme Court: No Right to In-Person Cross-Examination of Accuser During Campus Sexual Assault Proceedings
The court highlighted the need to keep the accuser from ‘being retraumatized by the disciplinary process.’ Critics challenged this reasoning, arguing a Title IX proceeding exists to determine whether trauma occurred in the first place.
When Seconds Count, The Cops Aren’t Coming: Oakland PD Advises Using Air Horns To Alert Neighbors To Intruders
Democrats in DC, Oakland Sound Alarms Over Rising Crime: “Amid a surge in crime in Oakland, California, police have advised residents to use air horns to alert neighbors to intruders and add security bars to their doors and windows.”
Schools Are Done Hiding Radical Agendas
Oral arguments against Montgomery County Public Schools (a district that went viral when an interfaith parent coalition protested the school board’s gender and sexuality curriculum) began today. Parents vehemently oppose the district’s English Language Arts curriculum that instructs teachers to read aloud and discuss LGBTQ books in class. Families request only that the district reinstate an opt-out policy for these lessons; they aren’t asking MCPS to remove books from classrooms or dismantle the curriculum.
School District Claims Rogue Principal Okayed Anti-White Discrimination. Documents Suggest It Was Official Policy
A Wisconsin elementary school that directed teachers to prioritize meetings with students based on their race likely did not misunderstand district policies as the district has suggested, a lawyer who sued the district is alleging.
Feds Request January 2 Trial Start In DC Case Against Trump
The government is not wrong that it’s in the public interest to have an early trial, before people start voting in Iowa in mid January, but then the feds should have brought this case (if at all) a year ago. The timing of all these trials, possibly 4 in 2024, is election interference.
Virginia Tech officially ends affirmative action, legacy admissions policies
In compliance with the recent Supreme Court ruling, Virginia Tech indicated it will stop considering a student’s race in the admissions process.
Re-education at San José State
An institution of higher learning is becoming an intellectual prison.
Nevada: Democrats Kill Opportunity Scholarships For Hundreds of Low-Income Students
Governor Lombardo: ‘This is an unimaginable injustice’
The GOP pledge trap
The Republican National Committee wanted to enforce unity among GOP presidential candidates by requiring them to sign a pledge to support whoever becomes the Republican presidential nominee. But in doing so, the RNC set a trap for itself and might soon suffer the consequences.
Dueling GOP presidential nominating contests in Nevada raise concerns about voter confusion
Republicans in Nevada could have two chances next year to decide who they want to be their party’s presidential nominee. The catch: Only one will count.
Economy & Taxes
How Yellow Went Out of Business
Yellow Corporation has been around for 99 years, but it won’t make it to triple digits. The less-than-truckload (LTL) trucking company, known for its low rates and nationwide network, officially filed for bankruptcy on Sunday after slowly gliding out of business for years.
Argentina’s Next President Is on a Collision Course With Hyperinflation
Decades of failed policies and repeated debt defaults have led the country to 116% inflation. The question is who, if anyone, can avert a crash.
Quebec Superior Court can hear case calling on removal of Gov. Gen. due to lack of French
A judge rejected Ottawa’s arguments that such a case must be heard in federal court
Inflation Has Taken a Bite Out of Faculty Compensation
Welcome to the party, professor.
Historic Supreme Court case could imperil the entire US tax code
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear one of the most important tax cases in history, which could either greenlight the constitutionality of an economically disastrous wealth tax, or destroy critical parts of the U.S. tax system.
International
Have scientists discovered a new species of HUMAN? Ancient skull belonging to a child with no chin who lived 300,000 years ago suggests our family tree ‘needs another branch’
A fossilised skill, jaw and leg bones were found in Hualongdong, China in 2019. Interestingly, researchers say the unknown species ‘did not possess a true chin’.
Candidate in Ecuador’s presidential election Fernando Villavicencio shot dead
A candidate in Ecuador’s forthcoming presidential election who campaigned against corruption and gangs has been shot dead at a campaign rally.
BC Father Who Opposed Child’s Gender Transition Celebrates ‘Big Win’ in Court
A British Columbia father who was in and out of court for five years pursuing legal attempts to stop his teenaged child from getting cross-sex hormones is celebrating after what he calls a “big win” in court.
Cuban exodus update: 31,000 healthcare workers have fled the island in the past year
Castro, Inc.’s Public Health Ministry has been hard hit by the massive exodus of over 300,000 Cubans over the past year. Official figures from Castro, Inc. reveal that doctors and nurses account for 10% of that astounding number. Slave doctors sent abroad are not included in these figures.
Opinion
Gavin Newsom’s Latest Attack on California Parents Is Pure, Unalloyed Evil
What’s happening right now to California parents is no fairy tale; it’s a damned nightmare. The story goes something like this. Once upon a time, parents possessed natural parental rights due to the legal and biological bond with their offspring. Then the big, bad state wolf came for their parental rights, and by the end of this story, in true “Grimm’s Fairy Tale” fashion, the state plans to throw the parents into the oven and then eat the kids. It is little wonder that California Sen. Scott Wilk (R-21st district) warned during a public hearing, “If you love your children, you need to flee California.”
Bring on the Counterrevolution
Conservatives need a national agenda that reclaims American institutions from the Left. A blueprint exists, from a surprising source.
What’s the Matter With Sweden?
The following story was related to me by a former Governor of Minnesota, who was of Norwegian descent. A number of years ago, a Norwegian dignitary (the Prime Minister, I think) visited Minnesota. Talking to our governor, the Prime Minister tut-tutted about Minnesota’s crime rate, saying that there was much less crime in Norway. Minnesota’s governor replied, “We don’t have a crime problem with our Norwegians, either.”
Ron DeSantis Knows the Time: It’s 2023, Not 2020
John Davidson asks at the Federalist, “Does DeSantis Know What Time It Is? Didn’t Sound Like It In That NBC Interview.” Responding to DeSantis’s assertion that Donald Trump lost the 2020 election and was in large part responsible for allowing Covid-driven rules changes that helped Democrats collect a lot of mail-in votes.
The Dangers of Giving Trump Impunity are Far Worse than those of Prosecuting Him
Giving presidents impunity for using force and fraud to try to nullify election results is far worse than any potential risk of prosecuting Trump.
Trump Is Disqualified from Being on Any Election Ballots
Section Three of the Fourteenth Amendment bans anyone from holding any federal office who has taken an oath to uphold the Constitution and who then breaks that oath by engaging in “insurrection or rebellion against the same.” Donald J. Trump is precisely such a person.
Ultra MAGAs: Let’s Talk About Trump’s Brain-Dead Support of Ronna McDaniel
It’s always fun to begin a column by incurring the wrath of the Escalator MAGA faithful by breaking their “Thou Shalt Not Criticize Donald Trump” rule, but I don’t worship politicians and this subject has been bugging me since January.
The Hijacking of Education — and How to Save It
“It is difficult to overstate what a sea change the last few years have been for educational choice in America,” write Nicole Stelle Garnett and Michael McShane in the latest National Review magazine, a special issue on education.
Did women in academia cause wokeness?
As I’ve argued before, the two key events giving rise to the Great Awokening (the sudden increase in woke sentiment beginning in around 2012) were the launch of social media and the Occupy Wall Street protests. These two events led to the formation of a bootlegger-baptist coalition, with social-media activists as the self-righteous baptists, and woke corporations as the self-serving bootleggers. This woke coalition then proceeded to engineer the most rapid cultural shift in recent history.
