News of the Week for October 22nd, 2023
- Abortion
- Gun Rights
- Hide the Decline
- Obamacare
- War & Terror
- National News
- Economy & Taxes
- International News
- Opinion
Abortion
Dobbs Decision
Newsom Taps Abortion PAC Chief and Marylander to Serve as California Senator
On Sunday night, California governor Gavin Newsom announced that he has picked Laphonza Butler, president of the pro-abortion political action committee EMILY’s List, to fill the Senate seat left vacant by the late Dianne Feinstein.
Gun Rights
Judge Benitez destroys the 2.2 rounds per DGU lie once and for all
Over two years ago, I read through some court filings in Duncan v. Bonta, the lawsuit against California’s ““large capacity” magazine ban. I was left scratching my head at a claim from the State of California in support of their magazine ban, that the average Defensive Gun Use (DGU) incident involves discharging only 2.2 rounds. The more I looked into it, the more obvious it became that this was unsubstantiated.
Ninth Circuit Rules California Law Banning Firearms Advertisements Likely Violates the First Amendment in NRA-Backed Case.
NRA scored a legal victory in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals against an overbroad California law that bans firearms advertisements that may be attractive to minors.
NZ gun owner has legit concerns on nation’s gun registration
A lot of people think gun registration is a good thing. I fail to see how it’ll accomplish anything in the grand scheme of things, but a lot of other people disagree.
Federal judge once again deems California’s ‘assault weapons’ ban unconstitutional, noting ‘guns in the hands of law-abiding responsible citizens are necessary’
A federal judge ruled Thursday against California’s so-called “assault weapons” ban, reaffirming law-abiding citizens’ right to defend themselves in the crime-ridden Democrat-run state.
NY Bill Would Require Background Checks to Buy 3D Printers, Attempts to Target Ghost Guns
The bill is in early stages in committee.
Hide the Decline
Environment &“Green Energy”
$8M Alberta advertising campaign against federal net-zero rules rolls out in 4 provinces
Ontario marketing professor says campaign may be ‘extremely difficult’ to pull off given stated parameters
Nevada lithium mine leads to ‘green colonialism’ accusations
In the high Nevadan desert near the Oregon border lies an enormous deposit of lithium, a metal that is essential in the production of electric car batteries.
Germany Resurrecting 3 Coal Plants in Quest to Stay Warm this Winter
German leaders vow they will make up for these evil CO2 emissions in some way. But at least Germans won’t freeze this Christmas.
French nun tackles environmental protester attempting to stop construction of religious center
A French nun was seen tackling an environmental protester outside the construction of a new religious center in what quickly became a viral online video. On Saturday, members of the eco-group Les Amis de la Bourges, which is translated to friends of the village, attempted to protest the building of a new religious complex in Saint-Pierre-de-Colombier.
Europe Notices That Its Power Grid Can’t Keep Up Under Green Energy
In many parts of the world, nations are noticing some of the growing pains associated with trying to do away with fossil fuels and rely increasingly on “green energy” such as solar and wind power. We’re seeing the same effects in the United States. One of the main obstacles is the inability of aging power grids to not only provide enough energy to keep the world moving but to accept the newer forms of energy being provided. The International Energy Agency in Europe is sounding the alarm, warning that rolling blackouts are once again becoming a very real risk if adjustments are not made. And in the northern hemisphere, having this happen just as winter is approaching is something of a worst-case scenario.
Obamacare
Government in Healthcare
Christian woman’s ‘Don’t euthanize me’ tattoo is a tragic necessity in modern Canada
Christine Nagel’s tattoo serves a dual purpose: to ensure that those around her respect her right to life should they need to be reminded, and to advocate for her view that all life is sacred.
Danish Council of Ethics Nixes Euthanasia/Assisted Suicide
We have sufficient experience with assisted suicide/euthanasia to understand where it leads — an ever-expanding regime of medicalized killing and acceptance of the dangerous concept of the life not worth living — all under the guise of so-called “death with dignity” (as if dying naturally isn’t dignified).
Arugula for Asphalt Crews
Unintended Elitism of Healthcare Wonks
Canada Will Legalize Medically Assisted Dying For People Addicted to Drugs
Some drug user activists have likened the move to “eugenics” and say Canada should be funding more harm reduction.
War & Terror
Putin’s top ally Dmitry Medvedev warns of World War 3 if UK troops are sent to Ukraine & says they’d be ‘destroyed’
VLADIMIR Putin’s closest ally has threatened to unleash World War 3 on the West if UK sends troops on to Ukrainian soil.
Russia may be testing nuclear-powered missile: report
Russia may be preparing to test an experimental nuclear-powered cruise missile with a range of up to 14,000 miles, according to The New York Times.
55 Chinese sailors are feared dead after nuclear submarine ‘gets caught in a trap intended to snare British and US vessels in the Yellow Sea’
Twenty-two officers were among the 55 reported to have died in the Yellow Sea
As China arrives with a splash in Honduras, the U.S. wrings its hands
When the leader of this impoverished Central American country visited Beijing in June, China laid out the warmest of welcomes. There was a state dinner in the president’s honor in the Great Hall with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, a 21-gun salute in Tiananmen Square and lengthy bilateral talks over a six-day visit.
Army Corps of Engineers to Solve “Nation’s Toughest Engineering Challenges” Through “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion”
As a former military professional, one of the worst aspects of this plan is the crushing bureaucracy that the Plan creates.
Russia withdrawing Black Sea fleet from its main base in Crimea
It has been three weeks since a Ukrainian attack seriously damaged a Russian submarine and a Russian landing vessel which were both in dry dock at a port in Crimea.
Israel strikes back with bomb blitz after Hamas terrorists kill 250 and take dozens of hostages in bloody all-out attack
ISRAEL blitzed Gaza City tonight in revenge for a bloody all-out attack by Hamas terrorists that left hundreds dead.
Hamas surprise attack out of Gaza stuns Israel and leaves hundreds dead in fighting, retaliation
Backed by a barrage of rockets, Hamas militants stormed from the blockaded Gaza Strip into nearby Israeli towns, killing dozens and abducting others in an unprecedented surprise attack during a major Jewish holiday Saturday. A stunned Israel launched airstrikes in Gaza, with its prime minister saying the country is now at war with Hamas and vowing to inflict an “unprecedented price.”
A timeline of Hamas’s unprecedented assault on Israeli communities
At least 300 killed, 1,590 injured, hostages taken in multi-pronged infiltration from Gaza, as terrorists attack civilians, soldiers at 22 sites; thousands of rockets fired at Israel
Netanyahu vows to turn Gaza into ‘rubble’: Israeli PM tells Palestinians to ‘leave now’ and says Hamas will pay an ‘unprecedented price’ after they kidnapped grans and launched shocking attack that has left hundreds dead on both sides
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to defeat the Hamas militant group after its deadly incursion into southern Israel which has seen them snatch grandparents, children and women off the streets but says the war will ‘take time.’
So Much For “Peace”
The Palestinians who invaded Israel have focused on kidnapping civilians, mostly young women. This was facilitated by the fact that there was a “rave for peace” going on near Gaza that many young people attended. The Palestinians no doubt knew this, and planned to attack the event. They took a number of young women captive there.
Six suspects in murder of Ecuador presidential candidate killed in prison, authorities say
The six Colombians had been arrested on the day Fernando Villavicencio was shot dead in August
A seventh man accused in killing of an Ecuador presidential candidate is slain inside prison
A seventh man accused in the August assassination of an Ecuadorian presidential candidate was killed inside a prison in Ecuador’s capital, authorities said Saturday, a day after six others allegedly linked to the crime were slain in a different lockup.
Jailed Iranian activist awarded a Nobel Peace Prize
An Iranian woman who is serving a 12-year prison sentence for advocating for Iranian women’s rights has been awarded a Nobel Peace Prize. An announcement was made on Friday that Narges Mohammadi was awarded with the prize for her activism against Tehran’s theocratic leaders and to boost anti-government protesters of the Islamic Republic.
U.N. Human Rights Council Held Moment of Silence for Lives Lost in ‘Occupied Palestinian Territory and Elsewhere’
UN Secretary General: “I am deeply distressed by today’s announcement that Israel will initiate a complete siege of the Gaza Strip, nothing allowed in – no electricity, food, or fuel.”
Horror: Israeli Soldiers Discover Bodies of 40 Babies, Some Beheaded
A mainline Israeli news station is reporting that the bodies of 40 babies have been found in the town of Kfar Aza following the invasion by Hamas militants on Saturday.
White House wants to link Ukraine and Israel aid
Assuming the Republicans can ever get their act together and put the gavel in a new Speaker’s hands (or even an old Speaker at this point), one of the first and easiest tasks on their plate should be a new package of aid to Israel. That should fly through without any issues, though I wouldn’t rule out some Squad members voting against it. Of course, the operative word there is “should.” It’s being reported that Biden has people working behind the scenes with leaders from both parties and discussing the possibility of combining the next package of aid to Ukraine with the Israel aid. That’s going to have some people setting their hair on fire, but this is unfortunately a common tactic they employ and they tend to get away with it.
Finland investigates suspected sabotage of Baltic-connector gas pipeline
Finland says damage to an underwater natural gas pipeline with Estonia on Sunday may have been deliberate and was probably caused by “external activity”.
According to KGB Defector Yuri Bezmenov, It’s Time for a ‘Crisis’
Soviet KGB defector Yuri Bezemov’s warnings should never have been ignored, unless our politicians ignored them on purpose. His foreboding prophecy is coming to fruition, and we’d be insane not to take a look at what he said in a landmark interview in 1984.
Israeli Official Calls for ‘Doomsday’ Nuclear Missile Option
An Israeli lawmaker is calling for her nation’s military to use nuclear warfare in response to attacks by Hamas.
First-ever phone call: Iran’s president and Saudi crown prince discuss Israel-Hamas conflict
Much-anticipated conversation followed a groundbreaking China-brokered agreement
Hamas Goal In Capturing Jewish Women, Children, and Babies Was To “Dirty Them, To Rape Them”, Admits Terrorist
Mass rape has been a key part of the terror of Hamas, just like ISIS, even the children and babies were to be raped.
Hamas “raped the women then they burned them alive”
We have shown some images and videos in prior posts, while being sensitive to the dignity of the dead. None of them have been as horrifying as this. Much like the Holocaust, it’s important to document what has happened because there will be deniers, and there already are.
Harvard Student Groups’ Pro-Palestinian-Statement Debacle Gets Even Worse
I’ve made a number of regrettable errors in my life — heck, I just posted a piece that jumped the gun in a major way — but in terms of the ones that were immediately, obviously bad ideas even at the time, I am comforted by the fact that I have never made a mistake quite so easily avoidable as deciding to go balls to the wall in defense of the terror group Hamas the way so many on the left have over the past five days. The most traditionally “woke” and ultraprogressive elements of the online commentariat have been producing junk masterworks of glib, breezily offhanded hatred and lizard-like amorality: Emblematic is the academic who smugly announced, “What did y’all think decolonization meant? vibes? papers? essays? losers.” (Calling both dead Jews and those horrified by the slaughter “losers” was a lovely touch.) Such flashes of gloating cruelty are usually typed (or favorited) in haste and regretted at leisure.
Russia: Getting Ready for Winter?
With Russia still showing every sign that it is prepared to tough out an even longer war in Ukraine, it will be doing everything it can to continue to use energy as a weapon against Europe — a weapon that is, of course, most effective in winter. Last year Europe was able to cope (although the process was more painful than is sometimes described) thanks to skillful planning, copious supplies of LNG (liquified natural gas) from the U.S. and Qatar, and an unusually warm winter (the second warmest on record).
US, Qatar refreeze $6 billion in Iran hostage payment
Well, well, well. Looks like this wasn’t a done deal after all, eh?
Qatar Interior Minister meets New York Police Commissioner
Minister of Interior and Commander of Lekhwiya Force H E Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani met yesterday at Lusail International Circuit with Commissioner of the New York Police Department H E Eddie Caban, who is visiting the country. During the meeting, they discussed a number of topics of common concern.
Ukraine smashes key Russian navy warships with drones in crucial Crimea strike
The Buyan-M-class small missile ship, known to carry Russia’s Kalibr missiles, was hit by Ukrainian drones said to be carrying experimental weapons.
“Hamas is inside the gates of American campuses”
My column in The Spectator (U.S.): “The use of the term “Resistance” to defend the mass murder and rapes against Israelis is no coincidence. HAMAS is an acronym for Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiya (Islamic Resistance Movement)…. they are promoting Hamas.”
Teacher Killed, Two Injured in Knife Attack in France in Possible Terrorist Attack
A Chechen immigrant allegedly stabbed and killed a teacher in France while screaming, “Allahu akbar.”
Anti-Semites Marking Jewish Houses With Star Of David In Berlin: Reports
Jewish-owned houses are being marked with the Star of David by anti-Semites in Berlin in images reminiscent of 1930s Nazi Germany, according to multiple reports.
Executions, bombings & child assassins – how Sweden became a gangland hell ruled by druglords Kurdish Fox & The Greek
SWEDEN has become a gangland bloodbath plagued by executions, bomb attacks, and child soldiers rampaging the streets.
Terrorist Captive: Admits Hamas “cut off their heads” after killing Israelis, and “raping and whoring” of children
“Old men, men, and women, and babies, little ones, young women, teenage girls” … “they killed them, they cut off their heads, placed them on the ground”
The Pentagon Gets High Marks in New Report, for Running Schools that Actually Educate Children
Serving 66,000 kids of service members and DoD employees aged five though 18, the system last year outperformed all 50 states on reading and math scores.
Behind a Secret Chinese Biolab in California, a Global Web of Connections
Chinese companies related to the biolab have a troubling history in the United States, Canada, Hong Kong, and a handful of other countries.
Japan Performs First Ever Railgun Test From Ship at Sea
The Japanese Ministry of Defense’s Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA) announced that it has accomplished a ship-board firing test of a railgun for the first time in the world. The test was conducted with the cooperation of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF).
Notes from Central Europe
An unusual experience on the train from Salzburg to Munich yesterday. The train stopped at the German border, whereupon eight police officers, well armed and wearing full body armor, boarded the train and asked to see passports. I haven’t had a passport check on a European train in years, and I thought they were obsolete in the era of the Schengen Zone that allows visa-free travel throughout the European Union. And even in the old days the passport checks were done by train conductors, or at most one police officer.
U.S. Soldier Freed From North Korea Faces Child Pornography Charges Back Home
Pvt. Travis King accused of brawling with superiors, breaking curfew, soliciting a minor for pornography
China deploys six warships to Middle East over fears Israel crisis could spark WW3
The Chinese military has deployed its 44th naval escort task force to the Middle East amid rising tensions in Israel.
Inside the Commando Raids Unnerving Russia in Crimea
Late one evening this month, two Ukrainian commandos eased into a side street in Kyiv in a battered SUV. Back from a dangerous nighttime assault on Russian positions in the Crimean peninsula, they slipped into a sparsely furnished apartment where they sat at desks, weary and a little disheveled, and described their latest operation in matter-of-fact fashion.
National
Gov. Gavin Newsom chooses Laphonza Butler to fill Dianne Feinstein’s Senate seat
Butler is the head of the group EMILY’s List, which works to elect Democratic women. She will be the third Black woman in history to serve in the Senate.
Laphonza Butler’s Non-California Residence Raises Questions
California Governor Gavin Newsom’s pick to replace recently deceased Democratic senator Diane Feinstein has raised eyebrows after it emerged that she resided with her family in Maryland until recently.
Laphonza Butler becomes first Black lesbian to serve in Congress
Laphonza Butler, the woman chosen by governor Gavin Newsom to replace late senator Dianne Feinstein, will make history as the first Black lesbian to serve openly in Congress.
He, She, They: The Pronoun Debate Will Likely Land at the Supreme Court
And the trend doesn’t look good for transgender kids.
Man gets 180 days in workhouse and probation after raping child for years
The county in which I live, Hennepin County Minnesota, elected a Soros prosecutor last year, and she has been letting criminals run wild ever since she took office.
Gang of illegal immigrants raped multiple young girls in Bemidji Minnesota
It was painful to read about this case, and just as painful to write about it.
House Votes to Oust Kevin McCarthy, Vacating Speaker’s Chair for First Time in Over 100 Years
The House narrowly voted Tuesday afternoon to oust Speaker Kevin McCarthy, with Democrats joining a small group of Republican rebels to vacate the speaker’s chair for the first time in more than 100 years.
Planned Parenthood Gives Autistic Teenager Hormones after Half-Hour Consultation
Aaron Sibarium today in the Washington Free Beacon profiles an autistic boy, Fred, who after cycling through many obsessive viewpoints in his childhood, began to identify as transgender. Hyper-aware that this could be a phase driven by his developmental issues, Fred’s parents tried to enroll him in the Gender and Autism Program at Children’s National Hospital. The clinic is the only one in the country to specialize in autistic youth, Sibarium notes.
Appeals Court Blocks School District’s Policy Mandating ‘Respect’ for Gender Identity
Violators were subject to ‘discipline by appropriate measures, which may include suspension and expulsion.’
Video confirms Ukrainian special forces fought Wagner group in Sudan
A video released today confirms a story that CNN reported a couple weeks ago. Ukrainian special forces were active in Sudan, attacking the local Rapid Support Forces (RSF) which were trying to overthrow the government with the help of Wagner group mercenaries. The video shows Ukrainian snipers and drone attacks on the RSF.
UNLV law school apologizes for using word ‘picnic,’ changes it to ‘Lunch by the Lake’
A scheduled “picnic” sponsored by the University of Nevada Las Vegas law school’s Environmental Law Society has been renamed “Lunch by the Lake” due to “diversity and inclusion” concerns.
RFK Jr. To Speak At CPAC
Presidential candidates Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Vivek Ramaswamy will speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) set to begin Oct. 18, according to a press release obtained exclusively by the Daily Caller.
Will Donald Trump have enough money to run for President?
We already know that Donald Trump is facing some headwinds in his bid to return to the oval office, despite is growing lead in many polls. He’s facing multiple court dates dealing with indictments in four different civil and criminal cases. None of them look to me like they would survive the appeals process even if a conviction is obtained, but it’s still at least an optics problem in terms of the politics involved. And the legacy media remains nearly universally arrayed against him, making effective messaging more challenging. But he may have one other problem that isn’t being discussed as much. It costs a lot of money to run for the presidency, and Trump is burning through it at a furious rate because of the legal fees associated with his trial dates. Here’s a detail that showed up on Thursday.
So Nevada is having BOTH a caucus and a primary
Nevada’s GOP primary for the 2024 presidential election is coming up in February. But the Nevada GOP caucus is also happening during the same week. How did that happen? Well… it’s complicated. Nevada GOP Chairman Michael McDonald had already set up a caucus to be held in February, but last week another Republican candidate announced they were running and registered for the primary. That triggered a state law making the primary election mandatory. But the state party isn’t backing down on it’s caucus plans, so apparently both events will take place. And it gets even more complicated from that point when you dig into the details.
Liberate children to do…sex work?
The Socialism 2023 conference–you know, the one where the president of the American Library Association insisted that libraries need to be spaces for Marxist indoctrination–featured a number of sick puppies bent on destroying civilization.
Biden’s Ridiculous ‘Gender-Neutral’ Family Policy
The Biden administration continues to undermine the sex-based realities and responsibilities of family life.
Columbia Student Group Celebrates ‘Historic’ Hamas ‘Counteroffensive’ against Israeli Civilians
A Columbia University student group celebrated Hamas’s “historic” massacre of Israeli civilians, characterizing it as a long-overdue “counteroffensive” against Israel’s purported apartheid regime. It also urged the university to respond to the situation by cutting off its partnerships with higher-learning institutions in Israel and slammed university administrators’’ messages condemning the terrorist attacks.
RFK Jr. Running for President as Independent
Will RFK Jr. spoil it for Biden?
Indigenous Slavers: American Indians Who Whipped and Owned Blacks
You won’t learn about Indigenous slaveholders from our textbooks.
Schools Cut Honors Classes to Address Racial Equity. It Isn’t a Quick Fix.
Districts in California, Illinois report data pointing to some benefits from changes as vocal parents push back
Harvard gave 79 percent ‘A’ grades in recent academic year
The ‘report establishes we have a problem,’ dean said
Pushback: Court rules that schools cannot punish or suspend students who defy queer agenda
Bring a gun to a knife fight: An federal appeals court last week ruled that schools cannot cancel the First Amendment rights of students by censoring or suspending or punishing them if they should refuse to use the preferred pronouns that advocates of the queer agenda demand.
Steve Garvey Runs for the Senate in California
It’s been rumored for a while — I wrote in June about the pros and cons — and this morning, former Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres first baseman Steve Garvey entered the race for the Senate seat in California that was, until recently, held by Dianne Feinstein. (It’s technically two races for the same seat, as Laphonza Butler’s term ends on election day, so the special-election portion of the race will fill the seat for two months until January 3). Unlike Butler, Garvey actually lives in California (his launch video notes that he came to California over 50 years ago when he was called up by the Dodgers in 1969, although it skims over him having lived in Utah for a number of years between then and now) and is well known in the state. Then again, Butler is not all that likely to be the leading Democrat in the race as it passes from the jungle-primary stage to two final contenders. Garvey announces just after a second Dodgers loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks puts them a game away from ending their own 2023 season.
Nazi-clad groups eat at Torchy’s Tacos in Fort Worth, spread fliers at Botanic Garden
A group dressed in Nazi clothing put anti-Semitic material on scores of cars at Fort Worth Botanic Garden on Sunday, the same day people wearing similar paraphernalia were videoed eating at a Torchy’s Tacos.
Appeals Court Upholds Tennessee Voter Fraud Law Restricting Absentee Ballot Application Distribution
The ban regulated “conduct, not speech,” and had no impact on the plaintiffs’ ability to engage in political speech, according to the court.
National Students for Justice in Palestine celebrates glider attack in ‘call to action’ image
The anti-Israel student group advertised the Day of Resistance with an ad that pays homage to the Hamas paraglider attack over the weekend.
California Introduces ‘Ebony Alerts’ for Missing Black Women and Children
California’s new “Ebony Alert” law creates a notification, like an AMBER Alert, to recognize missing Black women and children ages 12-25.
Conservative group circles two trucks with photos, names of Pro-Palestinian Harvard students around Harvard Square
Fallout from a controversial statement published and initially signed by about 30 student groups at Harvard University continued Wednesday as two trucks circled Harvard Square for much of the day, featuring the names and photos of students linked to the statement.
Majority Leader Scalise Withdrawing From Speaker of the House Race
“Our conference still has to come together and we’re not there. There are still some people that have their own agendas”
New Indictment Accuses Sen. Bob Menendez, Wife of Plotting to Act as Egyptian Govt. Agents
Members of Congress and officials cannot agree or act as an agent for a foreign government.
UCLA professors offering extra credit for “teach in” supporting Hamas
When will Americans wake up to just how compromised academia has become?
All GOP presidential primary eyes on… Nevada?
North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum is hanging in there. Instead of eyeing the exit to the Republican presidential primary race, his campaign has forged ahead and filed for a special caucus being held by the Nevada Republican Party.
Metal asteroid Psyche has a ridiculously high ‘value.’ But what does that even mean?
The asteroid’s absurd “value” could foreshadow future contributions to the budding space mining industry.
Georgetown Welcomes . . . Satan
No, this is not some kind of conservative’s crack about Jesuits. If only. Georgetown is hosting an event with “the Executive Ministry of the Satanic Temple” this coming Monday night in the name of “dialogue”
New law will allow some Mexican residents to pay in-state tuition at California community colleges
Agustin Guzman spends hours in bumper-to-bumper traffic and crosses an international border just to get to his college classes. But it’s worth it. Though he’s a resident of Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, he pays the same tuition as a student four miles away from Laredo, Texas, thanks to a long-standing state law.
Louisiana Flips Red: Republican AG Jeff Landry Wins Gubernatorial Election Outright, No Run-off
“Jeff Landry will be the 57th governor of Louisiana after scoring a surprise outright victory in Saturday’s primary that gives him a mandate to move Louisiana to the right”
Short Circuit: A Roundup of Recent Federal Court Decisions
SWAT takings, retaliatory liens, and a Spam confiscation.
Chutkan Gag Order: Trump Cannot Criticize Anyone Involved in the D.C. J6 Case
Chutkan believes his words “pose sufficiently grave threats to the integrity of these proceedings that cannot be addressed by alternative means.”
Congressman’s Wife Receives Anonymous Texts Warning Husband to Vote For Jim Jordan: ‘Will Not Hold Any Political Office Ever Again’
The wife of Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) reportedly received anonymous text messages and emails warning her husband to back Rep. Jim Jordan’s (R-OH) House speakership campaign ahead of Tuesday’s vote.
Jim Jordan’s Failed Speaker Bid Exposes Just How Bad Trump — and MAGA Media — Has Been For Republicans
Hard-right Republican Jim Jordan lost a second vote to become Speaker of the House on Wednesday — in a big loss for Donald Trump and the right-wing media that promoted him. The loss underscores just how damaging Trumpism and its proponents in the media have been for a functional Republican Party.
Poll finds support for exploring alternatives to democracy, using violence to stop opponents
A new poll found that American voters have a mutual mistrust of the other side and are open to exploring alternatives to democracy, and that a share of both Democrat and Republican voters believe it is acceptable to use violence to stop the opposing party from achieving its goals.
Large portion of Americans doubt democracy and view violence as acceptable, poll finds
A large portion of Americans on both sides of the aisle favor getting rid of democracy and imposing violence on their political opponents, among other authoritarian measures, according to a new poll.
Ibram X. Kendi’s Total Work of Grift
Over the weekend, Colorado State University philosophy professor Andre M. Archie argued that the anti-racism agenda of Ibram X. Kendi — briefly: that the many disparities of our systemically racist society are ipso facto proof of discrimination, and the only way to fight bad discrimination is with good discrimination — is a betrayal of the American color-blind vision that alone can save us from endless racial recrimination, and is therefore a dead end. “We cannot afford to go along any further with the anti-racism message,” Archie wrote.
Poll: With RFK Jr. in the Race, Trump Loses to Biden by Seven Points
In the months leading up to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s announcement that he would drop his Democratic presidential campaign and instead mount an independent bid for the White House, the polling suggested that Kennedy’s candidacy appealed more to Republicans. Indeed, Kennedy had been embraced by MAGA-flavored media venues not just because his candidacy represented an explicit critique of Joe Biden’s presidency but because he articulated a level of paranoid hostility toward established wisdom and polite convention that even Donald Trump could not achieve. Now, according to the latest NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll, the suspicion that Kennedy might draw more from Trump’s pool of voters than Biden’s has some substantiating evidence.
Soros-Backed DA Carjacked At Gunpoint In Blue City
New Orleans District Attorney Jason Williams was carjacked at gunpoint on Monday in his own city, the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) confirmed to the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Sidney Powell pleads guilty over efforts to overturn Trump’s loss in Georgia and agrees to cooperate
Lawyer Sidney Powell pleaded guilty to reduced charges Thursday over efforts to overturn Donald Trump’s loss in the 2020 election in Georgia, becoming the second defendant in the sprawling case to reach a deal with prosecutors.
No Third House Speaker Vote, Jordan Supports Giving Temp Speaker Expanded Powers
It would start at 1:00 PM ET. I’ll cover it live in this post if it does happen.
Nevada Assembly Speaker Yeager Voted For Bill Without Disclosing Conflict of Interest
Yeager did not disclose his personal, business, or financial relationship to Assembly Bill 398
Far-right Twitter troll gets 7 months in prison for election interference scheme
A far-right Twitter troll who posted fake ads telling Hillary Clinton supporters they could vote in the 2016 election by text was sentenced to seven months in prison Wednesday.
RFK Jr. comes out in favor of reparations, carving out lane to Biden’s left
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. supports issuing reparations to the black community, making him the most prominent 2024 candidate to favor the controversial policy meant to atone for slavery and legal segregation.
Trump Georgia Case: Kenneth Chesebro Takes Last Minute Plea Deal
Sidney Powell took a plea deal yesterday.
Jordan Loses Third Vote for House Speaker
Jim Jordan said he’s not dropping out.
Threatening Voicemail Message Left for GOP Lawmaker’s Wife: ‘We Are Now Antifa.’
Yesterday I wrote about threatening text messages and death threats to House Republicans who are not supporting Jim Jordan for speaker. Some other stories have emerged since I wrote that post. They are just as disturbing.
Supreme Court blocks restrictions on Biden administration efforts to get platforms to remove social media posts
The Biden administration had called a lower court injunction “unprecedented” for restricting officials’ ability to raise concerns about problematic social media content on issues like Covid-19.
Maryland Judge Andrew Wilkinson shot dead at his home in Hagerstown attack as troopers ‘rush to protect others’
A JUDGE has been shot and killed in the driveway of his home in Maryland.
White Supremacist Nick Fuentes is Causing Chaos Inside Texas Youth GOP
A simmering civil war among Texas’s young Republicans came to a boil this month after a prominent GOP donor was seen meeting with white supremacist influencer Nick Fuentes.
Short Circuit: A Roundup of Recent Federal Court Decisions
Harvesting Facebook data, directorial diversity, and corrupt intent.
Economy & Taxes
Why the Latest Continuing Resolution Changed More Than You Might Think
The continuing resolution signed into law Saturday, to keep the government funded for another month and a half, is significant less for its substance than for what its enactment says about some key power dynamics in Congress.
Magical Joe: $9B in student debt…POOF!
Three days. After years of not having to pay a dime, the bill came due again for student loans as of this past Sunday.
China: Trouble in the Cement Garden
In mid-August, Dominic Pino noted, “China’s largest property developer, bucolically named Country Garden, is on the brink of default. Its bonds are currently trading at less than 10 percent of their face value.
1970s-style stagflation may be at risk of repeating itself, Deutsche Bank warns
A major Wall Street bank is warning about the risk that inflation expectations could become unanchored in a fashion similar to the 1970s stagflation era.
Central Planning Didn’t Make China Richer
China has an economy that isn’t quite a command economy and isn’t quite a market economy. It also isn’t a mixed economy, or at least it isn’t what people normally mean by that term, i.e., a mostly market economy with heavy regulation and a welfare state. Many of China’s largest firms are state-owned, and even nonstate firms commonly have Communist Party minders within them to make sure they don’t run afoul of the regime. The line between the private sector and public sector is often nonexistent, and Xi Jinping has been cracking down on successful business sectors lest they become too powerful in society and challenge his authority.
The Realistic Case for Free Trade
Free-trade supporters sometimes make utopian arguments that, like all utopian arguments, fall apart when they confront reality. Some free-trade proponents have seen trade as a means to world peace. Others believe free trade will mean the abolition of national borders, as the entire human race enters into one commonwealth of commerce. A milder form of this argument is the belief that economic liberalization necessarily means political liberalization, and that more countries would become democracies on account of free trade.
It’s official: The era of China’s global dominance is over
We’ve reached the end of an era for the Chinese economy. For the past three decades, China has been on the upswing of a supercycle that saw an almost uninterrupted expansion of the country’s capacity to manufacture, appetite to consume, and ability to project power across the world economy. The Chinese Communist Party relentlessly pursued economic development over all else, even when that single-mindedness pushed the party to make debilitating policy mistakes — creating a massive bubble in the property market, saddling provinces with loads of debt, and failing to transition away from an overreliance on investment. There was no time to stop for corrections while China’s mind was on money alone.
International
Danish Studies: Mental, Cardiac Health Worse in Transgendered Persons
The gender-ideological hypothesis that so-called “gender-affirming” care is indisputably best for young people with gender confusion continues to be called into significant question. Two Danish studies increase the pressure on what gender ideologues call “settled science.”
Gender-affirming treatment and mental health diagnoses in Danish transgender persons: a nationwide register-based cohort study
The OR for mental health disorders was higher in transgender persons compared to controls and remained elevated throughout follow up, especially in transgender persons AMAB.
United Nations: ‘Remember, Trans Lesbians Are Lesbians’
On October 8, the women’s-rights branch of the United Nations felt moved to share a post on Twitter in celebration of “trans lesbians,” saying: “Remember, trans lesbians are lesbians too.”
Kindergarten-izing Oxford
Students huddled like penguins at the Oxford University student-club exhibition known as “Freshers’ Fair.” The event’s supervisors had strategically designed a narrow pathway for us to follow. You could not wander around to leisurely survey the organizations; instead, you had to proceed in an orderly line to catch even a glimpse of a club’s booth. The venue was so crowded that I could hardly see the tables and posters, let alone write down my email to register for activities. (My unfortunate constitution means I stand just above five feet, so I did have a view of the rugby players’ shoulders in front of me.)
Roman emperor’s face reconstructed for 21st century – and he’s ‘as hot as Daniel Craig’
Roman Emperor Augustus has been reimagined as a current-day man with thick brown hair as models of ‘propaganda’ statues were studied and turned into a modified, modern Emperor
Comet Impact Sparked a Massive Change on Earth 13,000 Years Ago
Imagine being a hunter-gatherer nearly 13 thousand years ago. You’re minding your own business – gathering berries and hunting wild animals – when suddenly a giant ball of fire appears in the sky.
‘Killer clown’ stalking village weeks before Halloween leaving residents terrified
A Facebook account set up by the clown – calling himself Cole Deimos – posted images of himself in the darkened streets of the village
Australia has had its Brexit moment. Woke PM Anthony Albanese asked Aussies to sign a blank cheque and got a big fat zero in return, writes OLLIE GILLMAN
Ollie Gillman has worked and lived in Australia for seven years
New Zealand Elects Its Most Conservative Government in Decades
After an election campaign of fits and starts, in which neither major party appeared to offer much solace to a weary nation, voters in New Zealand on Saturday were projected to oust the party once led by Jacinda Ardern and elect the country’s most right-wing government in a generation, handing victory to a coalition of two conservative parties.
Animal-Rights Philosopher: Let Animals Vote!
The radicalism never stops. A post published by Oxford University Press — not a fringe publisher! — has advocated giving voting rights to animals.
George Orwell was ‘sadistic, misogynistic, homophobic and sometimes violent’
George Orwell was a “sadistic, misogynistic, homophobic, sometimes violent” man who wrote women out of his story, according to a biographer of his wife.
The Aussie elites are in meltdown
The mass public rejection of the Voice to Parliament has come as a rude shock to the cosseted intelligentsia.
Astronomers detect most distant fast radio burst yet, unlocking new secrets of the universe
In a spectacular cosmic revelation, an international group of astronomers recorded a flash of radio waves coming from a galaxy so distant that its signals took eight billion years to reach Earth. This “fast radio burst” or FRB, labeled FRB 20220610A, is not only the most distant but also among the most powerful ever observed, unleashing energy equivalent to what our Sun produces over three decades—all in less than a millisecond.
In Historic Turnabout, Irish Admit to Privilege
In a draft of the state’s new proposed “social, personal, and health education” curriculum, Ireland will urge students to examine their “privileged status” if they are white, male, or ethnically Irish. The spunky news outlet Gript asked the minister of education about this. She promptly dissembled.
Opinion
Justice Kavanaugh taps the brakes on Supreme Court’s sharp move to the right
The crucial battles these days within the Supreme Court are among its six conservatives, not between them and the three liberals. And the outcome in close cases now turns most often on one justice: Brett M. Kavanaugh.
A Self-Inflicted Disaster as Republicans Vote to Boot Kevin McCarthy as Speaker
Perhaps some of my readers are not sad to see Kevin McCarthy voted out as Speaker of the House. And I’m here to tell you, you’re wrong.
Nationalists Are Responsible for the Conservative Schism
In a recent piece for the Corner, Dan McLaughlin accuses me of seeking to provoke a “schism” between nationalists and more traditional, individual liberty–oriented conservatives. For several reasons, his argument makes no sense.
Marjorie Taylor Greene Locks Arms with the Anti-American Left
Political realignments like the one Americans have witnessed over much of the last decade can be disorienting. But “disorienting” is too soft a word to describe Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene’s rudderless, impulsive embrace of the odiously undiscerning and only nominally pacifist organization Code Pink.
As the Supreme Court Begins a New Term . . .
The two most reliably conservative justices on the U.S. Supreme Court are also the two oldest: Clarence Thomas (75) and Samuel Alito (73). By the end of the next presidential term, their ages will be 80 and 78, respectively.
Columbus Day: The U.S. Holiday Instituted to Fight Prejudice
Today is Columbus Day 2023. It’s a day to celebrate Christopher Columbus, who made the United States possible by discovering the “New World,” and a holiday specifically founded in the best American spirit to combat prejudice and champion equal rights.
Norman Rockwell Paints the Age of Moonbattery
Norman Rockwell captured the essence of America when it was healthy and strong. The magic of AI allows us to apply his iconic style to the America progressivism has reduced us to
Advice to the Allies — 1945
This Article is a critique or parody of the normative basis of modern public international law.
UF President, Ben Sasse, Shows All Other Universities How to Write Public Statements
This statement from Ben Sasse, the president of the University of Florida, is pretty much perfect in every way
Tipper’s Foe, Reagan’s Bro
Brian Riedl is my guest on Q&A — here — and a wonderful guest he is. Bright, interesting, independent, honest. He is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and an economic-policy whiz. A budget whiz, in particular, you could say.
Tucker’s Tailspin
Tucker Carlson devoted the latest episode of his X/Twitter show to the Hamas/Israel war. He opens by searching for “the wise path forward” and asking what we should “do next in this chaotic moment.” For some reason, he doesn’t directly answer his own question. We are to infer, however, that it’s none of our business. It might be best to avert our eyes.
The ‘America First’ Crowd Doesn’t Know What America’s Interests Are
Tucker Carlson is right. American policy-makers have a “moral duty” as well as a paramount professional obligation to “represent the interests” of the United States. That, however, is where Carlson’s rectitude ended in his recent soliloquy on the dangers associated with America’s support for Israel’s right to defend itself and its people from the genocidal terrorists with whom it is surrounded.
Saving Humans Is More Important Than Saving Pigs
The chronic shortage of organs for transplantation has some bioethicists supporting unethical curatives, such as doing away with the dead-donor rule, allowing organ procurement to be not only paired with euthanasia — already being done in Canada, Belgium, and the Netherlands — but also used as a means of euthanasia, and even allowing healthy people to consent to donating their vital organs.
Our Public Schools Are a National Disaster
Perhaps what’s most distressing about the latest collapse in high school test scores is that no one seems to be very distressed.
Orbán, Putin, and Us
On Tuesday, Viktor Orbán, the Hungarian leader, met with Vladimir Putin in Beijing. That is completely natural. Orbán has cultivated warm ties with both the Kremlin and the Chinese government.
The Permanent ‘Anti-Establishment’ Racket
There is no more comfortable racket in today’s conservative movement than being permanently “anti-establishment.” Building things and running things is hard work. Posturing yourself as forever in opposition to whoever is in power in your own movement is easy. It’s like being a permanent teenager, always surly and complaining about authority, never having to actually make dinner and pay the mortgage. I had little patience for that sort of thing from other teenagers when I was one of them, and I have a lot less patience for hearing it from people in their 60s and 70s now.
The MAGA Wing Is Weaponizing Party Loyalty against the Loyal
Representative Jim Jordan and his allies have made explicit what was previously only implied, though all but universally recognized, as the MAGA Right’s biggest tactical advantage over the Republican Party’s more conventional conservatives. Those Republicans who have little or no use for the party as an institution are weaponizing the loyalty to it among those who do. And by taking their fight against Republican loyalists to the streets, they’re forcing the GOP’s remaining institutionalists to renounce their allegiances.
The kamikazes on America’s Capitol Hill
The Republican party has revealed its preference for misgovernance
Dear Friends in the Conservative Movement
Look at the progressives right now, please.
Jim Jordan Reveals That Conservative Purity Tests Are for Backbenchers
Representative Jim Jordan’s quest to secure the speaker’s gavel for himself has not been going well. On his first roll call vote on the House floor, Jordan’s bid for the speakership produced more Republican defections than Kevin McCarthy endured in his first vote back in January — a process that took 15 rounds to resolve itself. Jordan received even more “no” votes from his Republican colleagues on the second ballot. But the Ohio Republican hasn’t given up yet. While his campaign has begun to feel like a fruitless exercise, it is not valueless. In the effort to ingratiate himself among his skeptics, Jordan has demonstrated why leading a majority in Congress is inimical to the kinds of purity tests the congressman himself has imposed on his predecessors.
Intersectionality Devolves
Left-wing radicals have long supported the violent “decolonization” of Israel.
Civilizational Suicide
“Decolonization” leads inevitably to barbarism.
Why Does Turning Point USA Keep Pushing Anti-Semitism?
I have to interrupt your weekend, but I think this is important.
