News of the Week for December 17th, 2023
- Abortion
- Gun Rights
- Hide the Decline
- Obamacare
- War & Terror
- National News
- Economy & Taxes
- International News
- Opinion
Abortion
Dobbs Decision
Michigan Gov. Whitmer Repeals Law Restricting Health Insurance for Abortions
“Let’s keep protecting every Michigander’s fundamental freedom to make their own decision about their own body.” You know, except for the unborn human being. They don’t get a say about what happens to their body.
Gun Rights
On Gun-Control, It’s Now Hunter Biden v. Joe Biden
It looks as if we’re going to get that Hunter Biden v. Joe Biden Second Amendment case after all.
Hide the Decline
Environment &“Green Energy”
Net Zero: Stigmatizing Disagreement
The EU is a technocracy. The opportunity offered by climate fundamentalism for bureaucrats who like to command and control is one that some of its officials are unable to resist.
Net Zero’s dirty secret: Britain’s green transition is powered by Chinese coal
New Statesman analysis of climate and trade data exposes how much the UK’s net-zero agenda depends on cheap foreign coal power, particularly from China.
Al Gore Melts Down Over an “Inconvenient Truth” in X-Rant about UN Climate Summit Failure
The real “inconvenient truth”: The Iron Law of Electricity >>> Climate Crisis Narrative
China brings world’s first Generation IV nuclear reactor online
China claims to have brought the world’s first Generation IV commercial nuclear reactor online. The Shidao Bay Nuclear Power Plant HTR-PM high-temperature gas-cooled (HTGR) pebble-bed reactor in Shidao Bay, Shandong Province, reportedly went into service this month.
Blue State Dems Introduce Law That Could Jail People For Using Gas Powered Lawn Mowers
Two Democratic Washington state representatives pre-filed a bill on Dec. 5 that would make operating a gas-powered lawn mower or leaf blower a gross misdemeanor punishable by jail time, a fine or both.
The Next Kids Climate Case: Genesis B. v. EPA
Another climate change lawsuit filed on behalf of children, this time against the Environmental Protection Agency.
Animism Watch: Ireland
“Ireland could become the first country in the EU to enshrine the rights of nature into its national constitution.”
Obamacare
Government in Healthcare
4 ways to repeal Obamacare
Republicans should pursue incremental changes to Obamacare that empower patients not bureaucrats
War & Terror
China Will Have 1,000 Nuclear Warheads by 2030
The Chinese nuclear buildup, according to the former Commander of US Strategic Command, Admiral Charles Richard, is both “breathtaking” and “accelerating”
US intelligence assesses Ukraine war has cost Russia 315,000 casualties
A declassified US intelligence report assessed that the Ukraine war has cost Russia 315,000 dead and injured troops, or nearly 90 percent of the personnel it had when the conflict began, a source familiar with the intelligence said on Tuesday.
Cyber attacks against key US infrastructure continue, but this time its China
Attacks are being carried out as practice in the event of war
Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua’s links to America’s enemies present a threat to U.S. national security
Cuba’s communist dictatorship, along with its socialist allies in Venezuela and Nicaragua, are strengthening their ties with America’s enemies, such as Iran, Russia, and China. They are providing these enemies with a base of operations in our own hemisphere, creating a clear and present danger to U.S. national security.
Venezuela Shaking Angry Coconut Rattles at Guyana
Threats, threats, and more threats. Venezuela’s President dictator, Nicolás Maduro, has been beside himself lately, blustering on about his neighbor on the southeast side, the tiny sliver of a country called Guyana.
A World in Disarray? A Longtime Diplomat Says It’s Worse Than That
Richard Haass offers his perspective on the wars in Ukraine and Israel, and China’s outlook
Negotiate with Whom?
The Americans who are increasingly discomfited with U.S. support for Ukraine’s defense against Russia in its war of territorial conquest — most of whom are self-identified Republicans — fancy themselves the only realists in the room.
Ukraine: Security Does Not Stop at the American Border
There is every reason to be concerned about the dangerous fiasco at the southern border and, for that matter, signs of growing illegal immigration from the north too. The administration’s failures in this area are, as it knows perfectly well, an area of political vulnerability, and, as we enter an election year, that ought to offer leverage to those who rightly want to see tougher immigration enforcement.
Congress approves bill barring any president from unilaterally withdrawing from NATO
Congress has approved legislation that would prevent any president from withdrawing the United States from NATO without approval from the Senate or an Act of Congress.
Xi Making Kissy Faces at Vietnam: Promises to Love Them, Long Time
The Chinese chairman AND the missus are in Hanoi (She’s “super classy” you know). They’ve arrived on a major charm offensive, hoping to strengthen ties with the Vietnamese and help cement that area firmly in China’s corner.
Finland Reopened Its Border Today and Then Immediately Announced It Would Be Closing Tomorrow
Last month, Finland announced it was closing all but one of its border crossings with Russia because it had been seeing a suspicious number of migrants from the Middle East and Africa arriving at the crossings on bicycles. Finland accused Russia of transporting the migrants across their territory as a way to stir up trouble. Here’s what Finland said about the situation at the time.
The mystery of the missing binder: How a collection of raw Russian intelligence disappeared under Trump
A binder containing highly classified information related to Russian election interference went missing at the end of Donald Trump’s presidency, raising alarms among intelligence officials that some of the most closely guarded national security secrets from the US and its allies could be exposed, sources familiar with the matter told CNN.
National
POLL: 50% of young Americans think the Holocaust may be a ‘myth’
Anyone who attended a deficient history class in K-12 or college can visit any international Holocaust museum, which provides documents, videos, and photographs of the genocide.
Portland will consider race, gender to ‘support’ disruptive students
Portland (OR) schools will design “support plans” for disruptive students that consider trauma, race, gender identity/presentation and sexual orientation, reports Alec Schemmel.
Mandate Standardized Testing
Only an objective measure can assure North Carolinians that their universities are not cheating on race.
Seattle student failed quiz for saying men can’t get pregnant
An activist history teacher failed a Seattle student on a quiz for saying only women can get pregnant and that only men have penises.
New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu Set to Endorse Nikki Haley in GOP Presidential Race
Move is a blow to former Gov. Chris Christie, who has focused his campaign on the state
Poll: Average American should be able to afford a dream home by age 33 — and retire by 44!
We’re seeing a lot of research these days emphasizing how more of America’s young adults still rely on their parents financially well into their 20s. Yet according to a new poll of 2,000 adults, Americans believe the average person should be able to afford their “dream home” — by age 33! And if you think that’s wild, the age at which people think retirement becomes attainable is two decades earlier than the standard.
Gubernatorial candidate Mac Warner: ‘The election was stolen, and it was stolen by the CIA’
West Virginia’s chief elections officer, now a candidate for governor, has again said the 2020 presidential election was rigged.
University of Wisconsin Regents Would Rather Lose $800 Million of Funding Than Submit to DEI Reforms
“In a shocking turn of events, the board rejected the proposal 9 to 8, leaving over $800 million on the table”
Bay Area CEO accused in lawsuit of enslaving assistant, taking her into ‘dark abyss of sexual horror’
ACEO fired this fall from a major Bay Area technology company is accused in a new lawsuit of enslaving his assistant and sending her into “a dark abyss of unwanted sexual horror.”
Harvard Choose DEI over Academics
Claudine Gay is off the hook. Harvard’s president brought opprobrium upon herself following a glib performance before a congressional committee last week. There, she and two of her counterparts at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Pennsylvania displayed conspicuous tolerance for acts of antisemitic harassment. The same performance cost Penn president Liz Magill and a university board member their jobs, and some assumed that Gay, too, would find herself on the wrong side of Harvard’s stakeholders. That was a misreading of the extent to which Harvard has committed itself to the pursuit of ideological objectives over and above, you know, academics.
Lawsuits filed to block Nevada redistricting ballot initiatives
Lawsuits were filed Thursday to block the 2024 initiative petitions that seek to establish an independent redistricting commission. Plaintiff Eric Jeng, a Clark County resident who also serves as senior adviser for the Asian Community Development Council, argues in the complaints filed in Carson City District Court that the initiatives violate the Nevada Constitution because they would require government funding.
Lawsuit Filed to Stop Voter ID Ballot Initiative
This is the second lawsuit filed by Marc Elias’s team against Nevada’s Secretary of State related to Repair The Vote’s attempt to introduce Voter ID in Nevada
Living machine? Scientists create biocomputer combining circuits with real human brain tissue
In what seems like a scene from a science-fiction movie, scientists from Indiana University have constructed a hybrid biocomputer that combines laboratory-grown human brain tissue with traditional circuits. This innovative technology, known as Brainoware, has the potential to integrate into artificial intelligence (AI) systems and advance neuroscience research models of the human brain.
Recordings describe 2020 Oval Office photo-op where Trump was briefed on fake electors and January 6
Before a group of supportive lawyers entered the Oval Office for a photo-op with then-President Donald Trump in December 2020, they were given a clear instruction, according to one attendee: Don’t get Trump’s hopes up about overturning the election.
The ‘Giantess’ kink was the height of horniness in 2023
The Giantess fantasy is the most searched for fetish of 2023, according a leading kink content site, and while it may seem niche, it’s appealing to millions.
Boston City Hall roiled by email party invitation for ‘electeds of color’ sent to all
A Wu administration official, on behalf of the mayor, mistakenly sent all Boston city councilors an email Tuesday inviting them to a holiday party that was meant exclusively for “electeds of color,” prompting an apology and mixed reactions.
Protesters block 110 Freeway in downtown L.A. demanding cease-fire in Gaza
Dozens of protesters calling for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war brought traffic to a halt on the 110 Freeway in downtown Los Angeles Wednesday morning.
Michelle Wu: Democrat Mayor of Boston Defends Her Decision to Host ‘No Whites’ Holiday Party for ‘Electeds of Color’ after Facing Backlash
On Wednesday afternoon, just before the party, when asked if she believed the gathering was divisive, Wu responded with a firm “No.”
OK Gov. Stitt Orders DEI Reviews, Cuts at Public Universities in the States
State Sen. Rob Standridge (R-Norman) filed four anti-DEI bills “that prohibit the establishment of a DEI office or hiring or assigning of employees at Oklahoma higher education institutions to carry out DEI practices.”
CDC Issues Warning After 3 People in California Die From Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
This announcement comes a couple weeks after a San Diego resident died of the disease.
PROF ELLWANGER: Plagiarizing Toward Social Justice©
The implication that plagiarism is a piece of white culture matters – it’s a major reason why a black academic like President Gay will not face any significant consequences for her offenses.
Donald Trump’s Lousy Lawyers Shaft Him Again
As I have noted before, Donald Trump is the client from hell. He stiffs his lawyers on bills. He ignores their advice. He demands that they take impossible, extreme, and indefensible positions. He lies to them or withholds information so that they are sent out to burn their own credibility on his behalf, after which he throws them under the bus. He doesn’t protect attorney–client privilege, so lawyers get forced to testify about their communications with him (a long-standing pattern; the ghostwriter of Art of the Deal recounted how Trump would let him listen on speakerphone to Trump talking to his lawyers). Several of the people who advised or represented him in his uniformly failed challenges to the 2020 election ended up getting indicted, disbarred, or both. His lawyers in the Mar-a-Lago boxes case got dragged into testifying because Trump had them tell falsehoods to the feds, which then unraveled.
How Trump netted evangelical votes in Iowa, with help from a young Christian operative
Before Donald Trump stepped on stage for a rally in Cedar Rapids, Iowa in early December, several leaders joined him in a prayer on behalf of a candidate whose latest presidential quest they see as a mission ordained by God.
Academia’s “Ethnic Cleansing” Hits Music
No performer or theorist is safe from the progressive mob.
The Conservative Coterie Behind Trump’s Second-Term Agenda
A small group of loyalists is influencing his campaign policy plans, as many past top aides have broken with the former president
Giant Spiders from Asia Now Weaving Their Way Up the US East Coast
Bonus: the Murder Hornet’s Cousin Is Now in the U.S.
Dept. of Ed awards grant to ‘equity’-based mental health program
The University of Colorado Denver recently secured a $3.15 million dollar grant for Project ASPIRE, an ‘equity-focused mental health’ program. One of the project’s principal researchers has previously called for schools to have ‘fewer cops and more mental health professionals.’
Rudy Giuliani ordered to pay over $148 million to Georgia election workers for defamation
Rudy Giuliani, the former New York City mayor, already had been held liable for defaming two Georgia election workers before the civil trial began in Washington, D.C., federal court.
Baby boy tossed from Tennessee home after he was ‘sucked up’ by tornado is miraculously found ALIVE in fallen tree
A baby miraculously survived after he was thrown through the air by a tornado that ripped through his Tennessee family’s mobile home
Chicago Board of Education Passes Plan That Could End School Choice in the City
They don’t care about the kids. They consider the move a “critical step toward closing opportunity and achievement gaps.”
What You Didn’t Know About the Boston Tea Party, Which Took Place 250 Years Ago Today
We often hear that the Boston Tea Party was all about the colonists’ refusal to pay a tax on tea because it was too high and that most of the participants dressed as Native Americans.
Oklahoma bans DEI requirements at public colleges and universities, requires cuts to ‘non-critical personnel’
Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt announced the mandate Wednesday, citing a need to spend more money on preparing young Oklahomans for the workforce, and less on ‘six-figure salaries to DEI staff.’
LGBTQ Lobby: We Don’t Need No Stinking Definitions
Changing directions rarely is easy. In this, societies are much like cosmic boulders hurtling through space: Inertia rules.
California’s Troubled Community-College System Just Got Worse
The new chancellor is sure to exacerbate the problems in a network already roiled by progressive administrators.
Short Circuit: A Roundup of Recent Federal Court Decisions
Gag orders, sleeper berths, and a prosecutor’s “dodgy side hustle.”
San Francisco DA to Charge 80 Protesters Who Blockaded Bay Bridge Last Month
Interestingly DA Brooke Jenkins replaced the recalled Soros-backed Chesa Boudin and is making other intriguingly sensible decisions.
Economy & Taxes
How Much Does the Jones Act Cost?
Almost $800 million per year in costs for consumers of petroleum products alone, according to a new paper.
Rich Californians flock to Las Vegas for cheaper property, lower crime rates and less taxes
Nevada city becomes the second most popular destination in the US – with lion’s share of homebuyers coming from Los Angeles
Your Ultimate Guide to the Next Tax and Spending Battle
Adam Michel’s post, titled “2026 Tax Increases in One Chart,” discusses the impending tax changes set to occur in 2026 due to the expiration of the tax cuts and reforms implemented by Republicans in 2017. The post includes a fantastic table summarizing the current policy, the automatic tax changes for 2026, and Michel’s recommendations for addressing these changes, all of which I agree with. (Here is the PDF version of his table).
In-N-Out Burger’s opening day in Idaho ends in chaos with 8-hour lines and customers fuming after they camped overnight
People fear they’ll have to wait for months before the lines die down
Adam Smith, a Roman Emperor, and Slavery
Smith fabricated an anecdote from Roman history to illustrate the inhumanity of slavery.
Leading tanker company warns it may divert from Red Sea trade route
Maersk Tankers seeks option to sail around Africa instead to avoid spate of attacks on merchant ships
International
“Son of a bitch, this is our country”: Muslim youths attack a Father Christmas in Kassel, Germany
He used to play St Nicholas occasionally, often in the Marburg-Biedenkopf area. In 1996, he even rode a horse as St Nicholas. But he has never experienced anything like what happened to him on St Nicholas’ Day in Kassel this year, says 54-year-old Rainer B. The man, who comes from Ulm, was hired as St Nicholas in Kassel for the first time. Last week Wednesday, he was due to perform in the Königsalm on Königsplatz.
Outrage as transgender woman Melody Wiseheart, 50, competes against TEENAGERS in Canadian swim meet ‘and shares changing room with terrified girls’
Furious parents claim Melody Wiseheart their young daughters were disturbed by Melody Wiseheart’s inclusion in the Trojan Cup in Barrie, Ontario
Gay Pedophile Activists Call For Lesbians To Be Removed From Berlin LGBT Museum Over Opposition To Pedophilia
A politically connected pro-pedophile activist group in Germany is demanding lesbians be removed from an exhibit at Berlin’s Gay Museum due to their historical opposition to pederasty. Krumme-13 is protesting the Museum, claiming that lesbians “submitted in every way to the anti-pedophile zeitgeist of the heterosexual mainstream.”
Letter showing Lord Nelson to be a racist supporter of slavery is forged, historian says
Chairman of the Nelson Society says the note was the work of opponents to the abolition to boost their cause
Opinion
The Retribution Election
Trump supporters’ first order of business is punishing Republican dissenters; revenge against the Democrats will come later, if at all.
Russell Kirk and Kids These Days
For those who watch contemporary youth on the right with dismay — the interest in organizations that simply stoke the fires of partisan vitriol, the gravitational pull of unserious political figures — last Tuesday night at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C., could soothe fears. Several hundred guests attended an event held by the Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal and sponsored by, among other organizations, the National Review Institute in celebration of the 70th anniversary of Kirk’s seminal work The Conservative Mind. Notably, a significant swath of the audience was quite young.
If Russia Wins in Ukraine, America Loses Too
The US obviously didn’t start the war in Ukraine. That was Vladimir Putin’s decision. As we all known, Putin really believed he’d roll tanks into Kyiv, government figures like Zelensky would flee and he would have effectively won in a matter of days or weeks. It didn’t happen like that thanks partly to Zelensky but primarily thanks to a coalition of western and eastern countries (the US, Britain, EU, Japan, South Korea) who recognized that nothing good could come from letting Putin walk all over one of his neighbors at will.
Killing Off Santa Claus Is a Bad Propaganda Move
I just spent the past hour looking into this organization, and for the life of me, I can’t figure out who is funding it.
How to Really Fix American Higher Education
Our universities must return to their original purpose: to seek the truth and give youths the knowledge they need to flourish. Here are four ways to do that.
Attempt to Vanish My Article About Attempt to Vanish My Article About Attempt to Vanish Other Articles
I wrote about Hyman v. Daoud, a case that sought the takedown of various online items—including mainstream media articles—in November 2020. I then wrote in 2021 about an attempt to get Google to deindex my article (among others), aimed at causing it to disappear from search results.
Happy birthday, Bill of Rights Dec
On this day in 1791 the Bill of Rights were ratified by three-fourths of the states. At the insistence of the Anti-Federalists led by Thomas Jefferson the first 10 amendments were added to the new Constitution.
