News of the Week for July 14th, 2024
- Election 2024
- Abortion
- Gun Rights
- Hide the Decline
- Obamacare
- War & Terror
- National News
- Economy & Taxes
- International News
- Opinion
Election 2024
Republicans Make Fiscal Irresponsibility Part of Their Official Platform
For decades, the criticism of Republicans among limited-government advocates was that the party would talk a big game about balancing the budget and reducing the debt when seeking power, only to toss aside those goals once in power. Ever since the party was taken over by Donald Trump, Republicans have backed away from speaking of debt reduction as an important goal — even as the situation has deteriorated. Now, they have made that fiscal irresponsibility part of their official platform.
The Body-Positive Woman Has Yet to Sing for Democrats
Ragin’ Cajun James Carville is in the pages of the New York Times with a plan to save the Democrats from Joe Biden and, in his famously caustic way, makes no bones about it.
French Election: Gaul Is Divided into Three Parts
Whatever France’s President Macron wanted to achieve by calling snap parliamentary elections, this was probably not it. Stung by the success of Marine Le Pen’s RN in elections to the EU parliament in June, when the RN took nearly 32 percent of the vote, Macron called the snap elections. The first round of voting, on an unusually high turnout, saw the RN increase its share to 33 percent, while the left/far-left coalition known as New Popular Front (NFP) took 28 percent and Macron’s Ensemble Alliance stood at 20 percent.
GOP Platform Nixes Support for Right-to-Carry Reciprocity
Pro-life activists are up-in-arms over the RNC’s removal of any language relating to abortion from the Republican platform, but they’re not the only group of conservative voters who’ve seen their top priority pushed out of the GOP’s official priorities. As Jake Fogelman reports at The Reload, the RNC has also purged the 2024 platform of almost every mention of support for the right to keep and bear arms.
Trump Donors on the Brink of Civil War Over J.D. Vance for VP
In his rise from Donald Trump critic to viable contender to be the presumptive Republican nominee’s running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio has come so far. But he may fall just short thanks to some risk-averse GOP donors.
Gay Furry Hackers breach Project 2025’s Heritage Foundation
SiegedSec, a group of self-proclaimed “gay, furry, hackers” breached the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank known for their Project 2025 “blueprint”.
Ex-Kanye West muse Amber Rose says she’ll speak at Republican National Convention
Amber Rose — a former stripper who has fiercely criticized Donald Trump in the past — will be a speaker at the Republican National Convention in support of the 45th president’s re-election.
Bombshell Speaker For Trump’s Nomination Night At RNC: Tucker Carlson
Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson will be speaking on the night Donald Trump is nominated at the Republican National Convention in Wisconsin next week, it was reported on Saturday.
What Went Wrong in the Republican-Platform Process
In Toy Story 2, the band of very alive playthings had to cross a busy highway, which they managed to do in safety while leaving behind a massive wreck of cars and trucks. One of them, Mr. Potato Head, quipped, “That went well.” Welcome to this year’s version of the Republican-platform process.
Donald Trump whisked off stage in Pennsylvania after apparent gunshots rang through the crowd
Donald Trump was whisked off the stage at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania after apparent gunshots rang through the crowd.
Shooter in Trump Assassination Attempt Identified
The FBI has identified the individual suspected of attempting to assassinate former president Donald Trump at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday.
Explosives Found in Car of Would-Be Trump Assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks
Explosives were found in the car of would-be Trump assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks after he was killed in a failed attack on the former president during a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, according to multiple reports.
Nikki Haley to Speak at RNC
There has been another unexpected twist in the plans for the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee which kicks off tomorrow. It’s been revealed that Former South Carolina Governor and Republican Presidential primary candidate Nikki Haley has been invited to speak at the convention. As recently as last week, one of Haley’s senior aides told reporters that Haley had not even been invited to attend the convention, to say nothing of being a speaker. The invitation reportedly went out earlier this week, so this was a last-minute decision and it almost certainly had to have been approved by Donald Trump. We don’t yet have confirmation as to whether Haley will accept the invitation.
The Stubborn Race
Democrats may say “Biden can’t win,” but what’s really happening is that Biden’s odds have gotten longer. I’ve believed that Trump is the favorite for a long time now, but this is a close race with the vast majority of people already dug in. Even though the past couple of weeks have been miserable for Biden, the last four major media polls have the race tied (Washington Post), Biden up two points (NPR), Trump up two (NBC), and Trump up one (Fox). This race is not done and dusted.
Deeper into the Abyss
In moments like these, writing anything at all feels like an imprudent exercise. It’s hard to think of anything that will make a positive contribution to the discourse. The most prudent course would be to say nothing at all, gather information, and produce something of value when passions have cooled. But taking that path means ceding the environment to firebrands and political vandals whose enterprise depends on thoughtless fervor. If writing injudiciously risks exacerbating tensions in a political landscape rife with them, it’s just as irresponsible to allow the miscreants and demagogues to control the mic. So here goes.
Retired Fire Chief Corey Comperatore Slain By Assassin’s Bullet Aimed At President Trump
“The 50-year-old died a hero as his family revealed he was shielding his young daughter and wife from the gunfire when he was killed.”
Abortion
Dobbs Decision
New RNC Platform Doesn’t Mention Abortion
Never forget that without our natural rights don’t matter if we don’t protect our natural right to life.
Gun Rights
The N.R.A. Is Facing a Court Fight for Control of Its Future
Five months after the longtime face of the gun rights movement, Wayne LaPierre, was found liable for misspending $5.4 million of the National Rifle Association’s money, the gun group’s leadership will return next week to a Manhattan courtroom.
Hide the Decline
Environment &“Green Energy”
NYU Law Pushes MOTH — ‘More Than Human’ Rights Project
How radical are our leading law schools becoming? I wrote recently that Harvard Law School and Harvard University are instituting a class that will teach nature rights. Well, it’s way behind New York University’s School of Law, which recently launched and sponsors the MOTH project — “more than human life” — an initiative of the TERRA (The Earth Rights Research and Action) Program that pushes the nature-rights paradigm toward societal dominance.
Obamacare
Government in Healthcare
Canadian Death Doctor Has Euthanized Hundreds of Patients
Legalizing euthanasia corrupts everything — the ethics of medicine, the public’s perception of people experiencing illness, disability, or elder frailty, the media that continually swoon over medics who kill.
Survey: MDs Support Expanding Assisted Suicide Beyond the Terminally Ill
The myth that legal assisted suicide is about terminal illness is becoming harder to swallow.
War & Terror
Modi bear hugs Putin in Moscow, marking deep ties between Russia and India
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been hosted by President Biden at a state dinner and lavished with praise by White House officials, who describe ties with India as “one of the most consequential relationships” for the United States.
US Coast Guard patrol spots Chinese naval ships off Alaska island
A U.S. Coast Guard cutter on routine patrol in the Bering Sea came across several Chinese military ships in international waters but within the U.S. exclusive economic zone, officials said Wednesday.
NATO allies call China a ‘decisive enabler’ of Russia’s war in Ukraine
In their most serious rebuke against Beijing, NATO allies on Wednesday called China a “decisive enabler” of Russia’s war against Ukraine and expressed concerns over Beijing’s nuclear arsenal and its capabilities in space.
Cotton Warns That Shein’s Supply-Chain Software Could Funnel Data to China
Senator Tom Cotton described new supply-chain tracking software from shopping site Shein as “potentially fraudulent” and likely to funnel data from U.S. firms to the Chinese government.
The Gray Zone Darkens: Russian Assassination Plot Foiled in Germany
As the level of tension between the West and Russia continues to ratchet up, expect to see more and more hostile activity in the “gray zone.” There have been plenty of instances of sabotage credibly linked to Russia in recent months.
National
Northwestern law discriminates against white men in hiring, lawsuit alleges
Northwestern University’s law school deliberately avoided hiring highly qualified white male legal scholars in an effort to develop a more diverse faculty makeup in violation of federal anti-discrimination laws, alleges a lawsuit recently filed by a prominent conservative legal group.
The California Assembly wants to regulate homework
Assembly Member Pilar Schiavo says her bill–AB 2999–”definitely” doesn’t ban homework, but to watch her video she sure seems to believe her bill will move schools in that direction. Evidently, homework is causing students anxiety (and evidently that’s bad). We are doomed when these kids grow up and are in charge of our once-great civilization.
Teachers’ Union Staff Goes on Strike during Teachers’ Union Convention
The staff of the National Education Association, the largest U.S. teachers’ union, went on strike during the union’s annual convention in Philadelphia.
Want to Build an Elevator? Good Luck
Stephen Smith of the Center for Building in North America has written a report, summarized in a New York Times op-ed, that does an international comparison of the elevator industry. In the rest of the developed world, the elevator industry has become more standardized over time, with international best practices leading to lower costs and easier installation. In the U.S., a strong labor union and government regulations have made it more expensive and more difficult to install an elevator, or even maintain ones that already exist.
Oregon college’s ‘math for welders,’ practical applications classes help struggling students
Career-specific math courses preparing students for workforce, instructors say
California Courts ‘Sealed My Case to Hide Their Corruption’ as Ex-Wife Seeks ‘to Castrate My Son,’ Father Warns
A Texas father is fighting in court to prevent his ex-wife from subjecting their son to experimental transgender medical interventions after she moved to California, seemingly taking advantage of the Golden State’s “transgender sanctuary” law.
Tennessee Woman’s ‘Fuck Em’ Both 2024′ Sign Is Protected Speech, Rules District Court
The town of Lakeland will have to refund Julie Pereira $688 in fines and fees and pay her $1 in nominal damages for violating her First Amendment rights.
In Las Vegas, a Violent Sport Sparks Controversy
When the meaty palm of Vasil Kamotskii, a 360-pound, 34-year-old pig farmer from Siberia known as Dumpling, struck the tender cheek of the man who faced him, it sounded like a thunderclap. Dumpling didn’t appear to expend much effort — he swung lazily, the way you might bat a fly. But it was enough to send his opponent, Kamil Marusarz, a 26-year-old from Orland Park, Illinois, toppling to the ground.
Coach of the Cuban girls national softball team defects in Miami
The coach of the Castro dictatorship’s Under-12 girls softball team took advantage of a layover in Miami on the way to Puerto Rico and defected. The team was on its way to the 2024 Latin American Little League Softball Championship for Girls when the coach turned herself in to ICE officials at Miami International Airport and requested political asylum.
The Supreme Court Refuses To Extend Robinson v. California, A Non-Originalist Decision
Even if an erroneous precedent cannot be overruled, isolate the damage, and decline to extend it to new circumstances.
Senators unveil bipartisan deal on stock trading ban
A bipartisan group of senators reached a deal Wednesday on legislation to ban stock trading by members of Congress, setting the bill up for action in the Senate later this month.
Harvard class on Byzantine Empire to study ‘trans monks’ and ‘genderless angels’
The course focuses ‘on the entire spectrum of binary and non-binary conceptualizations, representations and performances of gender in Byzantium.’
Up, up and away: ‘Recalibration’ is raising AP exam scores
Advanced Placement scores were released this week, and they’re higher than ever. But not necessarily because students are learning more. College Board, which runs AP, has “recalibrated” seven exams to make it easier to earn a passing score of 3, 4 or 5, writes John Moscatiello of Marco Learning. More exams will be recalibrated in the future.
AT&T hacker steals call, text records of ‘nearly all’ customers
AT&T said one person has been arrested so far
Sacramento City Attorney Reported to Have Threatened a Target Store for “Nuisance” Theft Calls
Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, smash-and-grab robberies have evolved into crash-and-grab.
Short Circuit: A Roundup of Recent Federal Court Decisions
Amateur sports, geofence warrants, and a Saudi kill squad.
Economy & Taxes
How red tape sent California’s cannabis industry up in smoke
The ‘green rush’ expected after legalisation in 2018 has failed to materialise because of chaotic regulations, while a black market thrives
The Faux Populism of Conservatives for Higher Corporate Tax
Two nights ago at the National Conservatism Conference, Senator Josh Hawley (R., Mo.) told the audience that Trump’s 2017 cut of the corporate income-tax rate to 21 percent is at the top of the list of economic policy mistakes. I am not sure how the people there responded to the claim, but American Compass’s Oren Cass applauded it.
Innovation vs. Industrial Policy
Former defense secretary Leon Panetta and former congressman Mike Gallagher (R., Wis.) have a piece in the Wall Street Journal worth highlighting. They argue that the best way to make the country stronger and better able to face potential geopolitical threats is not government-driven industrial policy but, instead, greater reliance on our nation’s capacity for commercial innovation
Inflation falls 0.1% in June from prior month, helping case for lower rates
The CPI, a broad measure of costs for goods and services, declined 0.1% from May, putting the 12-month rate at 3%, around its lowest level in more than three years.
Union Corruption Is Constant
“Corrupt union boss” might sound like an outdated trope. Jimmy Hoffa has been dead for decades, the major organized-crime families got busted up in the 1980s and 1990s, and unions now are mostly known for far-left political activism rather than criminal behavior. But the fact that unions have a much lower profile than they did decades ago, with only 6 percent of private-sector workers claiming union membership today, doesn’t mean the criminality of union leaders has changed.
It’s time to think honestly
Theological and economic error in the so-called “parallel economy”
International
Japan introduces enormous humanoid robot to maintain train lines
The 12-metre high machine has coke bottle eyes and a crude Wall-E-like head, as well as large arms that can be fitted with blades or paint brushes
Hilary Cass Given a Seat in the House of Lords
In British news that escaped much public attention amid the country’s momentous July 4 elections and the subsequent change in government, Dr. Hilary Cass is set to receive a life peerage as part of former prime minister Rishi Sunak’s “Dissolution Honours” list. Dr. Cass, who will become a baroness, is unaffiliated with a political party and will sit in the U.K.’s House of Lords as a cross-bench peer.
A Little-Known Retiree Is Challenging Venezuela’s Strongman—and Leading Big in Polls
Edmundo González is an anomaly in the country’s rough politics but faces a rigged election system
Conservative supporters more susceptible to Russian false narratives: report
A large majority of Canadians have been exposed to Russian false narratives about the war in Ukraine — and people who support the Conservative Party are more susceptible to believing Kremlin disinformation, according to a new report.
BBC Chooses ‘Racially Diverse Cast’ to Play Characters in Drama About 1066 Battle of Hastings
Historian slams decision as “hugely confusing and downright misleading.”
Population of Cuba decreases by 18% in one year
Between 2022 and 2023, nearly 2 million Cubans fled the island and the tyranny of the communist Castro dictatorship. According to an independent study, the mass exodus of Cubans during that period and which continues to this day, has left the island with a population of 8.62 million. To make matters worse, more Cubans are dying than are being born every year.
BRICS Announces Plan To Form Parliament
The BRICS group of nations is continuing its development into a geopolitical world power. On Thursday, the bloc announced its plans to create its own parliament to oversee the alliance and its initiatives.
The Paris Olympics is turning into a catastrophic financial flop
The clock is already ticking down to what should prove the most spectacular event of the summer. In less than two week’s time, the Paris Olympics will open. According to the plan, as well as a sporting festival, it should hugely boost tourism, revive the city, draw investment and kick-start a French economy that is badly in need of a boost.
Colombia Faces a New Problem: Too Much Cocaine
For decades, one industry has sustained the small, remote Colombian village of Caño Cabra: cocaine.
Opinion
How Liberal College Campuses Benefit Conservative Students
Right-wing culture warriors ignore the value of being surrounded by ideological opponents.
Coolidge Had the Right Recipe for National Success
In the midst of this tumultuous and frightening election year, it’s worth looking back a century to the election of 1924, handily won by Calvin Coolidge. His pledge was not more government interference in our lives, but much less. In downsizing the federal government, he continued what President Harding had begun. The budget went down, as did the national debt. People and resources were freed for productive use and the consequence was the Roaring Twenties.
