News of the Week for January 7thth, 2024
- Abortion
- Gun Rights
- Hide the Decline
- Obamacare
- War & Terror
- National News
- Economy & Taxes
- International News
- Opinion
Abortion
Dobbs Decision
Pro-Choice Activists’ ‘Freedom’-Centric Messaging Has Caught Republicans Flat-Footed
A few months ago, I asked an anti-abortion activist why the pro-life movement has been caught so flat-footed in the post-Dobbs era. His answer? Pro-choice activists have learned how to use traditionally Republican messaging to their advantage: “In political campaigning, you always want to be able to tie your message back to a fundamental American value, and the one that they tie theirs back to is freedom,” he said. “As Republicans, we’ve trained our voters that the side who says ‘freedom’ is the winning side, right? So we’ve put ourselves in a bind.”
Supreme Court to decide if U.S. law requires some emergency room abortions
The Supreme Court said Friday it will review a case challenging Idaho’s strict abortion ban, which the Biden administration says conflicts with a federal law requiring emergency room doctors to perform the procedure in some circumstances.
Gun Rights
Wayne LaPierre announces resignation as NRA chief
LaPierre’s resignation takes effect Jan. 31
Hide the Decline
Environment &“Green Energy”
UN Puts “Climate Integrity” at the Heart of their 2024 Election Plan
“… We’ve seen narratives created … to delay climate action … a challenge we cannot afford to ignore as we head into a bumper election year in 2024…”
Obamacare
Government in Healthcare
Australia Human Rights Commission Pushes Assisted Suicide for Children
Assisted suicide is being legalized all over Australia, and I fear the country is going to go the dark route Canada has after it legalized euthanasia. Case in point: There is a bill before the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) to legalize assisted suicide.
War & Terror
Iranian warship Alborz enters the Red Sea
Iran’s Alborz warship has entered the Red Sea, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Monday, at a time of soaring tensions on the key shipping route amid the Israel-Hamas war and attacks on vessels by forces allied to Tehran.
Russian Jets Downing in Ukraine Fuels F-16 Speculation
Russian fighter jets downed this month over Ukraine have caused speculation that F-16s have been deployed early in the country. A total of eight Russian jets have been shot down over Ukraine in the last three weeks, including three Su-34 fighter-bombers on December 22.
Russia’s Pals and Collaborators
The facts set out by economist Robin Brooks in a recent series of tweets (click on the links to see the charts that come with them) should not be much of a surprise, but they illustrate how far dreams of any rapprochement with China are removed from reality.
The Question of Allies
Baltic people, and others who have known Soviet or Russian occupation, can ill afford naïveté. People farther away might dismiss Putin’s assault on Ukraine as a “territorial dispute,” obsessed over by “D.C. elites.” But Balts, Poles, Czechs, and others know better, as a rule.
Hamas Retreats in Hostage Negotiations As IDF Seizes Key Intel Center
Well, well, well. Hamas had insisted in recent days that it would release no hostages until the IDF withdrew from Gaza, a position that left the Israeli government in firm position to reject. After more losses on the battlefield, however, Hamas has had second thoughts.
Attack on Cologne Cathedral Foiled
The Christmas/New Year season is one of heightened terrorism alert in Europe. Today, German authorities announced that they had stopped an intended Islamic attack on Cologne’s (Koln’s) historic cathedral
Iran says at least 103 were killed in blasts at a ceremony honoring slain general
Two bombs exploded and killed at least 103 people Wednesday at a commemoration for a prominent Iranian general slain by the U.S. in a 2020 drone strike, Iranian officials said, as the Middle East remains on edge over Israel’s war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
China’s Balloons Are Back. This Time They Are Over Taiwan.
Taiwanese defense ministry reports four Chinese balloons floating across the self-ruled island ahead of pivotal election
British Warship Arrives in Guyana, Amid Ongoing Border Dispute with Venezuela
Brazil gets nervous as Venezuela will hold military exercises off its shores in response.
Defense Stocks as Barometer
The entertainingly cynical story (which I have cited before) that the stock in the British engineering company Vickers, a leading defense contractor, fell after the Munich agreement with Hitler was settled, prompting a headline in the Financial Times that the Vickers share price had been hit by “peace fears” may or may not be true (probably not), but it is a useful reminder that the stock market can be a cold, cold place.
China Benefits from Iran’s Proxy War
Before Operation Prosperity Guardian — a multinational naval coalition tasked with restoring stability in the Red Sea, which has so far been an abject failure — another multinational naval force charged with deterring aggression and piracy around the Horn of Africa failed in a similarly spectacular and predictable fashion.
The next Kim? &c.
On succession in North Korea, the hijab in Afghanistan, the presidency of Harvard, the Republican Party, and more
Which Hostile Power Is Getting Free Passage from the Houthis?
On the menu today: Few Americans have noticed that a bunch of Iranian-backed militants have effectively shut down one of the world’s major shipping lanes to everyone . . . with one exception. One company’s ships seem to be passing through the dangerous waters without being targeted. Care to guess which hostile nuclear-armed power is getting free passage from the Houthis? Meanwhile, Chris Christie complains that Noah Rothman and Hugh Hewitt aren’t being fair to him.
National
Trump paid me to find voter fraud. Then he lied after I found 2020 election wasn’t stolen.
The cries that the 2020 election was lost or stolen due to voter fraud continue with no sign of stopping. But If voter fraud had impacted the 2020 election, it would already have been proven.
MAGA ‘Prophet’ Predicts ‘Overthrow’ of US Government
Pastor Julie Green, a self-proclaimed prophet known for her allegiance to the MAGA movement, has predicted an “overthrow” of the U.S. government.
The Fight to Stop California Politicians from Enshrining Racism in State’s Constitution
A petition campaign against ACA7, an underhanded bill to repeal the state’s equality-supporting Proposition 209 based on The Science™
Portland Facing Shigella Outbreak, Generally Found in Third-World Countries
“People transmit the infection after getting the microbes on their hands and then touching their mouths. People can also spread the intestinal infection through sexual intercourse.”
Navajo Nation president asks NASA to delay Moon launch over possible human remains
Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren has asked NASA to delay a scheduled launch to the Moon that could include cremated remains.
Harvard President Claudine Gay Resigning Tuesday Afternoon
Bye bye!
A Professor Gave a Woke Course and Nobody Came
The DEI revolution’s under-enrollment problem.
First Republican Rep Could Soon Follow Trump in Getting Removed from Ballot
A lawsuit has been filed against Pennsylvania Congressman Scott Perry aiming to remove him from the 2024 primary ballots with the same insurrection argument used to disqualify Donald Trump in two states.
Las Vegas Strip tourists can’t stop on pedestrian bridges under new county ordinance
Police say the rule will prevent stampedes and unruly behavior, but critics call it overly harsh.
Rep. Bill Johnson’s Resignation Lowers Republican Majority to Two
Johnson’s seat will likely stay Republican, but until it is filled, the GOP has a tiny majority.
Anti-Israel Girl Who Attacked Teenager in IDF Sweatshirt Graduated From Barack Obama School for Social Justice
“Free Palestine! F*cking die, b*tch!”
Nevada’s Chaos Caucus: If Only Someone Could Have Seen This Coming
Sample ballots for the official February 6 Nevada Presidential Preference Primary started hitting mailboxes this week and Republican voters are having a cow over them.
‘Bizarro’ and ‘It’s over:’ Five takeaways from Nevada fake elector grand jury transcripts
Trump’s lawyer said he viewed submitting fake electoral votes from Nevada as pointless because lawsuits over the results had already been tossed.
Prosecutors: Trump Superfan Deserves 11 Years
Florida Man, 58, was convicted of forging late dad’s name on ballot
Las Vegas: Defendant Leaps Over Bench, Attacks Judge During Sentencing
“Judge Holthus experienced some injuries and her condition is being monitored.”
A fistful of watches
Senator Robert Menendez wants to hang on to his Senate seat and who can blame him? It has served him well. The original indictment handed up against Menendez last year alleged a mind-boggling level of depravity and corruption. Among other things, he seems to have abused his chairmanship of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in a disgusting manner. The betrayal of trust involved is difficult to fathom if not to credit.
California Schools Push Kids To Watch Films On Transgenderism That Showcase Puberty Blockers
The recommended resources push the “diversity of gender” and discuss the use of puberty blockers on children
Trump Shares Messianic Video About God Sending Him To Save World
Former President Donald Trump is now at the “go to any lengths necessary” stage of his public career to get attention. To wit? He just posted a satirical version of Paul Harvey’s famous “So God Made a Farmer” video in which HE is the subject.
Trump’s evangelical voters remain loyal as he violates the Ten Commandments
Former President Donald Trump enters 2024 leading his Republican rivals by a national poll average of 51 percentage points. However, Iowa influencers from Trump’s loyal base of evangelical voters have established goalposts also applicable to the general electorate, should Trump top the GOP ticket.
First US moon lander since Apollo prepares to blast off on Monday
Commercial Peregrine mission aims to deliver Nasa scientific equipment to moon along with mementos and ashes of Star Trek creator
The Iowa School Shooter Was an LGBTQ+ Activist
A school shooting occurred in Iowa on Thursday morning. According to reports, the shooter injured at least three people before turning the gun on himself.
TX university replaces DEI office after statewide ban with ‘Office of Campus and Community Belonging’
The University of Texas at San Antonio recently closed its DEI office to comply with a Texas state law banning such offices at public schools. The school is now replacing it with the Office of Campus and Community Belonging, which will focus on areas such as the ‘campus climate.’
Donald Trump: Instrument of God
Through the magic of AI technology, the former president’s staff have adapted legendary broadcaster Paul Harvey’s famous monologue, “So God Made a Farmer,” replacing references to agriculturists as a class and replacing them with mentions of Trump.
Slamming Trump, DeSantis Promises to Overturn Birthright Citizenship for Illegal Aliens
In a CNN town hall on Thursday night, Ron DeSantis promised the voters of Iowa that his administration would limit the scope of birthright citizenship to prevent the children of illegal aliens from qualifying as U.S. citizens simply because they were born on American soil.
Supreme Court agrees to weigh whether Trump can be kicked off ballot in Colorado
The case raises a novel legal question under a constitutional clause that prohibits those who have “engaged in insurrection” from serving in the federal government.
Is there life on Saturn’s moon?
Data suggests substances in Enceladus’s atmosphere hint at a potential for life in its dark ocean, exciting scientists
What You Need to Know Now about the Supreme Court Taking Up Trump’s Ballot Qualification
The Supreme Court this afternoon agreed to hear Donald Trump’s challenge to the Colorado supreme court decision disqualifying him from the primary ballot. The Court’s order in Trump v. Anderson (No. 23-719) sets the schedule.
3 times academics pushed inappropriate books for children
Campus Reform surveyed the entire US and found instances of K-12 public school districts carrying children’s books with messaging about ‘gender identity,’ some including sexually explicit material.
Crime in the USA
A short primer and collection of basic descriptive facts
Short Circuit: A Roundup of Recent Federal Court Decisions
Gross, degrading, and deeply concerning.
Ohio State health sciences program sparks controversy with mandatory ‘privilege’ assignments
A health science course at Ohio State University requires students to engage in assignments and discussions titled ‘Unpack the Invisible Knapsack.’
Economy & Taxes
US Overtakes China as South Korea’s Top Export Market
South Korean exports to the US exceeded shipments to China for the first time in two decades last month, in a sign of shifting ties amid global tensions over economic security and tech supply chains.
International
Haneda airport fire: At least 5 dead as passenger plane smashes into coastguard jet & EXPLODES before 379 are rescued
Pictures from inside the passenger plane show the cabin filling with smoke
Canada: National Ballot: CPC 40, LPC 27, NDP 18, BQ 7, GPC 5, PPC 2
Nanos tracks unprompted issues of concern every week. To access full weekly national and regional tracking visit the Nanos subscriber data portal.
China’s Xi Is Resurrecting Mao’s ‘Continuous Revolution’ With a Twist
The Chinese leader has made his corruption purge—with millions punished—a pillar of his rule. It risks paralyzing his party.
Ridiculous push to ban the phrase ‘brother’ and ‘sister’ – as ‘woke’ equality group reveals the new ‘inclusive’ term we should be calling our loved ones
NSW reviewing anti-discrimination laws
UK-based Methodist Church issues guidance discouraging use of terms ‘husband’ and ‘wife’
Church told CP they are ‘very proud’ of their guidance ‘to repent of any hurtful language’
UK: Former Leader in “Gender Diversity” Organization Pleads Guilty to Live-Streaming Castrations, Distributing Child Pornography
A former queer activist from Norway has pleaded guilty in a London court after carrying out castrations and livestreaming the footage as pornography to a paying audience over a span of six years. Marius Gustavson, 46, uploaded recordings of the illicit surgeries to his ‘Eunuch Maker’ website, netting up to £200,000 from subscribers.
The China (Degrowth) Syndrome
The Beijing communists can’t command growth from either their economy or population
Germany’s Olaf Scholz humiliated by 10,000 strong protest while economy crumbles
Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government backtracked on controversial cost-saving measures following farmers’ protest.
Trans model shouldn’t represent women, UN told
Women’s rights groups have written in opposition to a decision by UN Women UK to have a transgender woman as its “UK champion”. They have voiced their “dismay and disappointment” following the decision to select Munroe Bergdorf, 36, a model and broadcaster, to take on the role in November.
Europe’s “Hard Right” Uprising
Across Western Europe, the right is rising. This strikes fear into the hearts of Brussels bureaucrats, as the London Times reports, with this headline: “‘Hormonal’ voters could hand hard-right victory, EU chief fears.”
Taiwan’s Presidential Elections Could Have Big Implications for China and the US
Taiwan’s Presidential Elections are just over a week away. To say a lot is riding on the outcome would be putting it very mildly. The leading candidate in the race is William Lai Ching-te, who is also the current Vice President. William Lai represents the Democratic Progressive Party which is center left when it comes to politics but which supports Taiwanese identity and is generally seen as the party most opposed to “reunification” with mainland China.
Russia: The Continuing Rehabilitation of Stalin
Can you imagine a “respectable” party in Germany putting up “Hitler centers” around the country?
Elusive ‘alligator’-like creature found in treetops of Mexico. It’s a new species
Tucked in the treetops of southern Mexico was an “alligator”-like creature. Hidden by the foliage and obscured by the height, the “unusually large” animal had generally avoided detection. When determined scientists eventually found the scaly animal, it turned out to be a new species.
Opinion
Reforms We Want in 2024
The Martin Center staff share our hopes for the new year.
“Anti-Racism” Is Racist
That is obvious from the “anti-racists'” explicit precepts, which call for race discrimination extending indefinitely into the future. If most people had any idea what the anti-racists say, they would be horrified.
The ‘New Right’ Looks Pretty Small
Two weeks ago, news broke that Japan’s Nippon Steel reached a deal to acquire U.S. Steel. Republican senators J. D. Vance (Ohio), Josh Hawley (Mo.), and Marco Rubio (Fla.) urged Treasury secretary Janet Yellen to block the acquisition on national-security grounds. (Secretary Yellen is chairwoman of the Committee on Foreign Investments in the United States, which examines these kinds of deals for national-security risks and which will review this acquisition.)
Star Wars Is Now a Feminist Warhammer 40k
Dominic, Jeff, and Zach all make points worthy of an Ewok’s dung-tipped spear (see: Butler’s views) — which is to say, theirs are practical and horrifyingly accurate observations. They’re right: Star Wars ran out of magic or midichlorians four years ago, and those responsible are still running the franchise straight into the trench along the Death Star’s superstructure. (R.I.P. Porkins, whom we should celebrate for his body positivity — a capable but round man limited by his orange jumpsuit.) More’s the pity.
The Shambhalic Henry Wallace
Henry Wallace! I have long thought that Roosevelt’s replacement of Wallace with Truman on the Democratic ticket in 1944 provided irrefutable proof that God looks out for the United States. Wallace was a fool who would have altered the course of history very much for the worse if he had succeeded Roosevelt to the presidency in 1945 instead of Truman.
Republicans, Stop Letting Democrats Manipulate You
The Democratic Party’s unabashed opportunism would produce no political rewards if Republicans did not play directly into the president’s hands.
