News of the Week for May 12th, 2024
- Election 2024
- Abortion
- Gun Rights
- Hide the Decline
- Obamacare
- War & Terror
- National News
- Economy & Taxes
- International News
- Opinion
Election 2024
Most Nevada GOP candidates mum on election integrity after ‘Big Lie’ was prominent in 2022
Few campaigns are focusing on election security this election cycle, and some candidates have toned down their stances from their 2022 races.
Libertarian Party Decision to Pick Trump to Headline Their Convention Not Going Over Well
The Libertarian Party invited Donald Trump to be their headline speaker at their party’s convention later this month. Now, Libertarians are a little goofy, but they agree with conservatives on some important issues, especially on fiscal issues like low taxes, restrained spending, and the limited role government should play in society.
Indiana Presidential Primary Election Results 2024
Donald Trump has secured the delegates needed to win the Republican nomination. Joe Biden has secured the delegates needed to win the Democratic nomination.
Rating change: Nevada a Toss-up in presidential race
Biden’s challenge in Nevada is similar to struggles across the Sun Belt and South
R.F.K. Jr. Says Doctors Found a Dead Worm in His Brain
In 2010, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was experiencing memory loss and mental fogginess so severe that a friend grew concerned he might have a brain tumor. Mr. Kennedy said he consulted several of the country’s top neurologists, many of whom had either treated or spoken to his uncle, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, before his death the previous year of brain cancer.
5 twists that could shake up the election before November
Rarely is a presidential candidate on a glide path to the White House, with unexpected developments known for derailing momentum.
Opinion: Evangelicals See Trump’s Hedonism as Godly ‘Masculinity’
For those looking for salacious content, Stormy Daniels’ testimony at Donald Trump’s New York criminal trial did not disappoint.
Biden taps Obama, George Clooney, Julia Roberts and the Clintons for mega fundraisers
One high-profile event will feature a contest with Clooney and Roberts on social media platforms to engage grassroots donors, according to details first shared with NBC News.
Biden’s Approval Is Low, Except Compared With Everyone Else’s
It’s an old joke, but it still works. In fact, I’m monolingual myself, even though my academic work was largely focused on international trade and finance. In my defense, the great bulk of global economic research is published in English; and in general, Americans’ lack of language skills is less important than their insularity, their relative unfamiliarity with what happens and how things work in other nations.
Donald Trump bizarrely praises ‘the late great Hannibal Lecter’ as a ‘wonderful man’
Former US president Donald Trump has given a bizarre compliment to fictional cannibal killer ‘Hannibal Lecter’ while speaking to his fans at a huge rally in New Jersey
Psychologists make frightening prediction about Trump’s cognitive decline and the personality trait that will only get WORSE
Two psychologist have launched a podcast about Trump’s mental state
Nevada, Newly Trump-Friendly, Poses a Challenge and a Mystery for Biden
When the country catches a cold, Nevada gets the flu. That’s the common wisdom for the economy in the state, which is heavily dependent on tourism and suffered more than any other from pandemic lockdowns.
Trump Needs Another Judges List
Two of the unprecedented things Donald Trump did in 2016 were to release a list of potential Supreme Court picks and to win the presidency. The first of those was essential to the second. If he wants to win and govern successfully, he should do it again.
Biden and Trump agree to 2 presidential debates, with first set for June 27 on CNN
President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have both accepted an invitation from CNN to debate on June 27, a historically early showdown that will set the tone for the final months of the 2024 campaign.
Abortion
Dobbs Decision
Abortion rights initiatives make the ballot in Colorado and South Dakota
Voters in Colorado and South Dakota will have a say on abortion rights this fall after enough signatures were collected to put measures on ballots in both states.
Gun Rights
NSSF Applauds Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey for Signing Second Amendment Financial Privacy Act
NSSF®, The Firearm Industry Trade Association, applauds Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey for signing SB 281, the Second Amendment Financial Privacy Act, into law last week. This NSSF-supported law protects the privacy and sensitive financial information of people purchasing firearms and ammunition in The Yellowhammer State. With Alabama, there are now 15 states with laws that protect the Second Amendment financial privacy of their citizens.
Ninth Circuit finds that convicted felons also have Second Amendment rights
The appellate court ruled that a landmark decision by the U.S. Supreme Court means that convicted felons can’t automatically be deprived of their right to bear arms
Hide the Decline
Environment &“Green Energy”
A New Battery Promises Less Child Labor per Kilowatt
Day by day, the market produces better and better methods and modes for energy production and retention. One such technology is sodium-ion batteries, which use widely available materials (absent the currently ethically dubious elements in lithium-ion batteries . . . which may change as the U.S. looks to exploit its own deep reserves) and are complementary to their peers in the battery sector.
Yes, Aratina Solar Project Will Down Iconic Joshua Trees in Southern California
The solar project is destroying the Joshua trees…to save the Joshua Trees from “climate change.”
Colorado Town Learns the Harm Caused by Granting Rights to Nature
The nature-rights movement isn’t about conservation or responsible husbanding of the natural world. Rather, it seeks to handcuff human thriving by preventing most uses of our natural resources.
District Court Dismisses Genesis B. Kids Climate Suit Against the EPA
The district court recognizes that the plaintiffs lack standing, but grants them leave to amend.
Harvard Law to Teach Rights of Nature
The mainstreaming of the rights-of-nature movement is accelerating — to the point that it is deemed worthy of a class at Harvard Law and History Department.
Obamacare
Government in Healthcare
Dutch woman, 29, granted euthanasia approval on grounds of mental suffering
Zoraya ter Beek, who has has chronic depression, anxiety, trauma and unspecified personality disorder, expected to end her life soon
Canadian euthanasia doctor gushes about how much she enjoys killing people
Dr. Ellen Wiebe rejects the case made by disability rights groups that they are vulnerable, and that social pressure and even coercion often accompanies euthanasia.
War & Terror
The Magic of Missile Defense
Jamie McIntyre has an excellent look in the Washington Examiner at how far missile defense has come in proving decades of skeptics wrong. One of those skeptics, naturally, was Joe Biden, who is doomed to live long enough to see himself proven decisively wrong on everything sooner or later.
Russian Troops Massacred by Fellow Soldiers
Police are searching for a Russian soldier suspected of shooting dead six of his comrades in eastern Ukraine, according to reports. The manhunt comes as a Russian officer went on trial for killing seven soldiers under his command after he threw a grenade into a room last year.
What are tactical nuclear weapons and why did Russia announce it would hold drills?
Russia’s Defense Ministry said Monday that the military would hold drills involving tactical nuclear weapons — the first time such an exercise has been publicly announced by Moscow.
Meet the First ‘Space Cowboys’: 3 Guardians Complete Arduous Army Cavalry Spur Ride
After being covered in dust, sweat, dirt and blood, three officers emerged from the West Texas desert last week and were given their spurs and Stetson cowboy hats by the Army, becoming the first ever “space cowboys.”
Caracas Angered By US-Guyana Flyover As Border Dispute Simmers
American fighter jets flew over Guyana Thursday in a military exercise that irked Venezuela, which is embroiled in a diplomatic spat with its neighbor over an oil-rich border region.
China rapidly developing space weapons with nukes, ‘kamikaze satellites’ and robots
An expert fears China could ‘utilise a nuclear assault in space’ to assert its global dominance.
Philippines Considers Expelling Chinese Diplomats After Leaked Transcript
Just because it’s not front page news at the moment doesn’t mean this may not be one of the most important stories in the world right now. As discussed here and here, the conflict between China and the Philippines has been escalating for most of the past year. China claims that all of the islands in the South China Sea belong to it and the Philippines refuses to comply, especially with regard to island that are within its Exclusive Economic Zone.
Vlad’s spies & Wagner fighters recruiting far-right thugs to launch terror attacks in Britain in revenge for Ukraine aid
Thousands of British holiday flights are believed to have been hit by ‘extremely dangerous’ Russian jamming
Who Had Chinese Ebola Hamsters on Their 2024 Bingo Card?
The researchers assert that the aim has been to reproduce the symptoms of Ebola in a laboratory so as to better understand the condition and prevent its spread.
Russia reeling as Vladimir Putin’s troops can’t stop bombing their own villages
Russia has admitted in the past it had accidentally targeted villages in the Belgorod region which borders occupied Ukrainian territories.
Vladimir Putin’s gamble backfires as Ukraine vigorously hits back after Russian advance
Kremlin troops attacked the north-eastern region of Kharkiv this week, with many experts fearing the war could be swinging in Moscow’s favour.
West Point team’s computerized rifle scope adjusts itself in combat
While in the mountains of Afghanistan, some soldiers faced issues adjusting their sights to differing elevations when under fire during an ambush.
A Chinese Takeover of Taiwan without Full Invasion Is Plausible and Scary
Much of the discussion around a U.S. policy response to an attempt by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to take over the Republic of China (Taiwan) has revolved around defending the island from a full-scale invasion. A new report sheds light on what an attempt to take over Taiwan gradually with methods short of war would look like.
Putin’s Friends Are Helping Russia Upend the US-Led World Order
Vladimir Putin is wrapping up a trip to China, where his warm ties with President Xi Jinping have led to booming trade and increasing defense coordination. More than two years since his February 2022 invasion of Ukraine began, it’s a far cry from efforts by the US and its Group of Seven allies to isolate the Russian leader.
U.S. Fears Undersea Cables Are Vulnerable to Espionage From Chinese Repair Ships
U.S. officials are privately delivering an unusual warning to telecommunications companies: Undersea cables that ferry internet traffic across the Pacific Ocean could be vulnerable to tampering by Chinese repair ships.
‘Never Trump?’ ‘Never Biden’ voters might loom larger.
Certain Democrats trying to cope with President Biden’s continually underwhelming 2024 poll numbers share an article of faith: the ceiling theory.
National
Columbia University professor allegedly cancels final, gives everyone an A
A professor at Columbia University allegedly canceled the final exam and gave everyone an A.
Columbia Custodian Trapped by ‘Angry Mob’ Speaks Out
‘We don’t expect to go to work and get swarmed.’ A Free Press exclusive with facilities worker Mario Torres.
R.I.P. Boy Scouts
The Boy Scouts were founded 114 years ago during another acknowledged crisis for masculinity. Groups such as the YMCA and the Boy Scouts were meant to address what was seen as the de-masculinization of society, as people moved to urban centers and out of the country. The Scouting movement received crucial support from Teddy Roosevelt, America’s most popular president. The mission was “to teach [boys] patriotism, courage, self-reliance, and kindred values.”
Columbia Faculty Members Strike in Solidarity With Arrested Anti-Israel Students
“We will not return to a campus that is extremely dangerous for Black, Palestinian, Middle Eastern, Latinx, South Asian, Arab, Muslim, trans, queer, and other communities who are disproportionately profiled by police”
Equal Protection Project Files Supreme Court Brief Supporting School Parents First Amendment Rights
EPP urges SCOTUS to take the case of parents denied the right to record school conferences: “parents who have inquired into secretive school policies have been sued, charged with outrageous financial bills simply for requesting school records that are statutorily mandated to be open to the public, and harassed at both public and secretive meetings of school administrators”
California Attempts to Deny an Education to Religious Children with Disabilities
Sometimes in high-profile religious-liberty lawsuits, there are legitimate competing interests on both sides. Other times, it’s hard to escape the conclusion that governments’ dominant motivation is anti-religious prejudice rather than a sincere concern for the public interest.
New York Judge Blocks Amendment Banning ‘Gender Identity’ Discrimination
The Democrats in New York have been working for more than a year on a plan to place an amendment to the state constitution on the ballot this November. The proposed amendment would formally ban discrimination based on “gender identity” as well as “pregnancy outcomes.” It’s a transparent ploy to attempt to drive liberal voter turnout by putting both the trans agenda and abortion on the ballot as other states including Ohio have done. Unfortunately for them, they ran into a brick wall this week when a state Supreme Court judge ruled that the proposal could not appear on the ballot because the legislature made a procedural error while processing the initiative. This will set the process back to the point where there will not be sufficient time to resubmit it during this election cycle.
High School Student Allegedly Suspended for Saying “Illegal Alien” in Class Discussion Sues
You can read the just-filed Complaint in C.M. v. Davidson County Bd. of Ed.; here’s my post on the incident from when it first hit the news.
House Immediately Dismisses MTG’s Motion to Vacate Speaker Johnson
The House overwhelmingly dismissed a motion to oust Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) Wednesday night, shortly after Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R., Ga.) triggered a floor vote on her resolution.
New EEOC Guidelines Force Employers to Allow Men in Women’s Bathrooms, Prohibit “Misgendering”
Dissenting EEOC Commissioner: Women’s sex-based rights in the workplace are under attack—and from the EEOC, the very federal agency charged with protecting women from sexual harassment and sex-based discrimination at work.
Higher Ed’s Suspect Successor to Affirmative Action
Leftists are addicted to social engineering, and in the realm of education, they have been doing that through racial preferences (“affirmative action”) for the last 50 years. But some of them have been leery of racial preferences, correctly observing that the beneficiaries are almost always minority students from pretty affluent families who’d have fared well without any preferences and also provide only optical diversity.
Will the GOP Be Able to Keep Noncitizens Out of the Census?
To answer the title question, House Republicans are certainly giving it a try, though the prospects for success appear to be thin at best. The House GOP voted last night to add a citizenship question to the 2030 census form. If successful, this would be done with the intent of not counting noncitizens in each state’s total population when those figures are used to determine and apportion seats in the House as well as the distribution of federal funding. It’s a worthy goal, but it faces a number of significant, uphill challenges. This is not the first time the GOP has attempted to do this. Donald Trump was pushing a nearly identical proposal when he was in the White House. But last night’s vote moved the idea closer to being a reality than it has gotten in the past.
Is the Federal Property & Administrative Services Act Unconstitutional?
In an interesting dissent, Judge Allison Eid argues it violates existing nondelegation doctrine precedent.
Cornell’s President Resigns: ‘There Will Be Lots of Speculation’
And then there were five — five remaining Ivy League presidents, that is, with Cornell’s Martha Pollack announcing her resignation after the ousters of Harvard’s Claudine Gay and Penn’s Elizabeth Magill.
$1 million for boys kicked out of high school for greenface photo
Two 14-year-old boys were kicked out of their Catholic high school in 2020, because a three-year-old photo of them in green acne masks was interpreted as “blackface.” The day before, they’d posted a photo in a white acne mask.
Federal Court: Arkansas Teachers Can Teach CRT, But Can’t Make Students “Adopt, Affirm, or Profess” It
Court: This Order should give comfort to teachers across the state (and to their students) that Section 16 does not prohibit teachers from teaching about, using, or referring to Critical Race Theory so long as they do not compel their students to accept it as valid.
California exodus left a gaping population hole. Can the Golden State finally bounce back?
Despite a recent uptick in population, California still has a long way to go to make up for the exodus that began in 2019 and accelerated during the pandemic.
First Recipient of a Genetically Modified Pig Kidney Transplant Dies 8 Weeks after Historic Surgery
Richard Slayman underwent the historic surgery this March. The hospital reports that it had “no indication” the death was related to the transplant.
‘Portal’ connecting Dublin and New York attracting lewd displays
Bare behinds, swastika images and photos of New York’s Twin Towers in flames on 9/11 have all been shown on the art installation
Scorpions invade southwest Las Vegas valley neighborhoods, residents say
As the temperatures rise, so do bugs. According to residents, there have been some reports of scorpion sightings inside people’s homes, specifically in the Mountain’s Edge and Southern Highlands communities.
Two Virginia universities scrap DEI requirements after Youngkin audit
Two public universities in Virginia have scrapped their planned diversity, equity, and inclusion requirements after a review by Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s (R-VA) administration.
Gene editing breakthrough could soon cure herpes for good
A revolutionary new treatment may forever get rid of the painful and embarrassing blisters that come from a herpes flare-up. The herpes viruses that cause either cold sores around the mouth or blisters near the genitals stick around for life, lying dormant in nerve cells only to reactivate and cause sores again down the road. However, scientists in Seattle believe gene editing may be the solution. Researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center have taken a big step towards genetically zapping those viruses out of the body entirely.
Raw Milk Enthusiasts Demand Milk Infected With H5N1
“Deliberately trying to infect yourself with a known pathogen flies in the face of all medical knowledge and common sense.”
San Francisco Spends $5 Million of Taxpayer Money to Give Free Beer and Vodka Shots to Homeless
Meanwhile, CA Gov. Newsom dodges questions about blowing $24 billion to reduce homelessness without getting any results.
NYC Mayor Adams Thinks Illegal Aliens Could Be Lifeguards Since ‘They’re Excellent Swimmers’
“How do we have a large body of people that are in our city, our country, that are excellent swimmers and at the same time we need lifeguards.”
MA Teacher Who Went Viral for Being Unwoke and Encouraging Rational Student Debate is Fired From His Job
“Warren Smith, who burst on the scene in February when a video of him discussing J.K. Rowling with students went viral, has been fired from his job.”
Vietnamese groups furious over ‘Jane Fonda Day’ in L.A. County, in echoes of war
Citing her advocacy for social justice and environmental sustainability, Los Angeles County leaders last month declared April 30 as “Jane Fonda Day.”
Sonoma State Univ. President Placed on Leave After Going Rogue Under Protest Pressure And Agreeing To Academic Boycott of Israel
“My goal when meeting with students at the encampment was to explore opportunities to make meaningful change, identify common ground and create a safe and inclusive campus for all. I now realize that many of the statements I made in my campuswide message did just the opposite”
Masked pro-Hamas activists show up at UMich regents’ homes in middle of the night, lay ‘fake corpses’ on lawn
Anti-Israel occupiers at the University of Michigan showed up at the homes of several regents early Wednesday morning and “staged protests,” by setting up an encampment on their lawn.
LA County Board of Supervisors wants taxpayers to fund legal aid for UCLA pro-Hamas occupiers
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors passed a motion aimed at helping individuals with legal aid who were arrested during the University of California, Los Angeles, anti-Israel encampment.
Daniel Perry Gets Full Pardon From Texas Governor Abbott
“Texas has one of the strongest ‘Stand Your Ground’ laws of self-defense that cannot be nullified by a jury or a progressive District Attorney. I thank the Board for its thorough investigation, and I approve their pardon recommendation.”
Congress is Preparing to Restore Quotas in College Admissions
And everywhere else — as a very quiet part of the bipartisan “privacy” bill
Suicide Risks 1200% Higher After ‘Gender Affirming’ Surgery
Gee, this isn’t what we have been told. At least not what the MSM, the medical establishment, the President of the United States, every civil rights organization, or anybody in the Establishment has told us.
Congress is Preparing to Restore Quotas in College Admissions
And everywhere else — as a very quiet part of the bipartisan “privacy” bill
Short Circuit: A Roundup of Recent Federal Court Decisions
A right to go down in flames, a machete confrontation, and a jury that only goes up to eleven.
Court of Appeals: Maryland Parents Can’t Opt-Out K-5 Kids from Public School LGBTQ Curriculum
From the dissent: This ruling “forces the parents to make a choice—either adhere to their faith or receive a free public education for their children. They cannot do both.”
Jane Fonda ‘Cannot Believe There Is a Jane Fonda Day.’ Millions of Americans Can’t Either
Los Angeles County supervisors are up to their eyeballs in challenges. With the Summer Olympics coming to town in 2028, the world’s people are likely to meet in a region beset by nightmarish traffic, failing schools, and rampant street crime and homelessness. But the supervisors took time out from doing nothing to honor local favorite Jane Fonda with her own special day, April 30.
Economy & Taxes
Credit card delinquencies surge, almost 1 in 5 users maxed out: Research
Credit card delinquencies are on the rise, as research from the New York Federal Reserve shows nearly a fifth of borrowers are “maxed-out.”
Tim Cook is running out of ideas
When Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1997 after a 12-year hiatus, the company was in free fall. It was on the verge of bankruptcy after cycling through a series of chief executives, faced immense competition in the personal-computer market, and desperately needed to find its next big thing. Jobs immediately cut bait on a series of dead-end projects to refocus the company.
So Much for the Great UAW Unionization Wave
Workers at Mercedes-Benz in Alabama voted against unionizing with the United Auto Workers on Friday. Voter participation was high, with roughly 4,700 votes cast out of 5,075 eligible employees, and 56 percent voted against unionizing.
International
Sweden Shaken by Crisis of Violence
The Financial Times headlines: “The violent gang crisis shaking Sweden.” Spoiler alert: it all has to do with immigration.
Why Is Hungary’s Orban Boasting of ‘Cooperation’ With the Genocidal CCP?
Why is Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who sets himself up as a champion of Christianity and Western sovereignty, enthusiastically boasting of cooperation with the anti-Christian, West-hating, murderous Chinese Communist Party (CCP)?
Leftist male politicians in Mexico are identifying as women to fill electoral gender quotas
Stories about the impact of the transgender movement on politics are very rarely funny, but a recent headline that fits the bill caught my eye last month: “Leftist Male Politicians Are Self-Identifying As ‘Women’ In Upcoming Municipal Election To Secure Candidacy.”
Peru officially classifies trans people as ‘mentally ill’
The health ministry said the decree was the only way Peru’s public health services could “guarantee full coverage of medical attention for mental health”.
Why this French island in the Pacific is being roiled by violence over a vote held 10,000 miles away
Deadly violence on the French island of New Caledonia erupted for a third day Wednesday, with armed clashes between protesters, militias and police, and buildings and cars set on fire in the capital of the South Pacific archipelago.
Slovakian prime minister Robert Fico injured in shooting
Populist leader was meeting crowd of supporters when he was hit in stomach after four shots were fired, reports say
Finally (Probably), a Dutch Government
Just three weeks before elections to the EU parliament, in which the non-establishment Right is expected to do well, there will not be a lot of joy within the EU Commission that the Dutch may be about to have a government dominated by parties of that type, a mere six months after the country’s election (forming governments can take a while in the Hague). Geert Wilders, the leader of the PVV, the party of the populist Right that topped the poll, realized some time ago that, given how controversial a figure he is, it would be impossible to assemble a governing coalition if the PVV insisted on him being prime minister. That sacrifice paid off, as did other concessions made by his party (which is very much his party).
Opinion
DeSantis Wrong to Criminalize Lab-Grown Meat
Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill that makes the manufacture and sale of lab-grown meat (made from meat cells) in Florida a misdemeanor.
Br’er Rabbit In the Briar Patch
I want to bring to your attention something I played on my radio show yesterday, which was from former President Trump.
Florida’s Meat-Mandate Hypocrisy
On the first day of May, Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida signed SB 1084, a bill that completely prohibits the production and sale of lab-grown meat in the Sunshine State.
The Tea Party Movement Is Dead
Yesterday’s announcement of the abrupt closure and dissolution of FreedomWorks by its board of directors is the closest thing we will get to a formal date of death for the Tea Party movement, which in truth has been dead since Donald Trump descended the escalator at Trump Tower in June 2015. Trump did for the Republican establishment what it couldn’t do on its own in killing the Tea Party and its demands for small, constitutional government.
Firing the People
How companies, nonprofits, and political parties turned on those they serve
The Right Goes Marxist, Trans-Conservative
I do hope you will read John Davidson’s rejoinder to my defense of free markets and my accompanying monologue. He captures the failure theater of the right I have been growing concerned with.
Bipartisanship vs. the ‘Uniparty’
Yesterday, I wrote about the incoherence of the claim that a monolithic “uniparty” rules the United States. There are, of course, quite a few areas where the parties have irreconcilable disagreements.
The Late Republic
“The Late Republic, between 200-27 BCE, was defined by the collapse of the system of government.”
