News of the Week (September 29th, 2024)

Posted on September 29, 2024 by The Political Hat

 

News of the Week for September 29th, 2024


Election 2024

 

Republicans in swing states say they see scant signs of groups door-knocking for Trump
Republican activists in swing states say they have seen little sign of the teams tasked with knocking on doors and turning out infrequent voters on behalf of Donald Trump, raising concerns about the party’s presidential nominee relying on outside groups for an important part of his campaign operations.

RGA Calls It Quits on Additional North Carolina Ad Buys as Mark Robinson Staff Exodus Continues
The hits just keep on coming. Days after National Review reported on Friday that a Robinson fundraiser with special guest Tennessee governor Bill Lee, the chairman of the Republican Governors Association (RGA), was called off, a spokeswoman for the group tells NR that there are no plans to commit additional spending on his behalf in the lead-up to Election Day.

Robinson rejected offers of tech help to investigate posts on porn site, sources say
Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson’s alleged rejection of the offers sowed doubt among some staff members, people familiar with the matter tell WRAL. His response in the wake of the report likely played a role in the exodus of members of his gubernatorial campaign staff, they said.

Arizona official who certifies elections alleges fraud after his defeat
Fresh off losing a campaign for sheriff, Pinal County Supervisor Kevin Cavanaugh (R) voted “under duress” in August to certify the county’s primary election results.

The GOP Should Be Winning
Almost every metric by which Gallup pollsters gauge the political landscape currently favors the GOP.

A New Strategy for Retaining Sanity during Election Season: Get Covid
Many of Alexis de Tocqueville’s observations about America read as nearly prophetic, but one of the most striking is his description of the period of frenzy that precedes American presidential elections

Read the JD Vance Dossier
We’re publishing the supposed Iran-hacked document. Here’s why.

Elon Musk Suspends Reporter Who Published JD Vance Dossier
The X, formerly known as Twitter, account of journalist Ken Klippenstein was suspended on Thursday following the release of a dossier about Senator JD Vance that was allegedly from an Iranian government hack.

Donald Trump unveils new line of signed gold watches… and they’re going for an eye-popping amount
Time is money, former President Donald Trump is betting, as he launches a new branded watch sale in the closing weeks of his presidential campaign.

Cruz and Scott, both McConnell critics, get cold shoulder amid tough races
The Senate Leadership Fund (SLF), a big-dollar fundraising group affiliated with Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.), isn’t helping two of McConnell’s biggest critics in the Senate GOP conference — Sens. Ted Cruz (Texas) and Rick Scott (Fla.).

‘I’M NOT CRAZY!’ Roseanne Screams ‘They’ Are Drinking Blood and Eating Human Flesh at Tucker Carlson Event
Does Roseanne Barr believe the loony conspiracy theories that come out of her mouth? To hear her spout them, with the vigor she does, one can only conclude yes. The latest example was an on-stage appearance with an online conspiracy influencer (conspfluencer?) Tucker Carlson.

Vance to Appear With Evangelical Leader Who Spoke of Harris’s ‘Witchcraft’
Senator JD Vance of Ohio will campaign Saturday in Pennsylvania with Lance Wallnau, a self-described prophet who has said that former President Donald J. Trump was chosen by God and described Vice President Kamala Harris’s debate performance as “witchcraft.”

Vance appears at event hosted by hard-right Christian nationalist
Republican vice-presidential candidate JD Vance appeared Saturday at a town hall event organized by top Christian nationalist leaders who promote election denialism and portray Vice President Kamala Harris as a “demon.”

 

Abortion

Dobbs Decision

 

Newsom signs more anti-crime bills, including laws targeting rape and abortion protests
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed five more anti-crime bills sent to his desk by California lawmakers this month, enacting mostly modest increases in punishment and departing from a more liberal approach by state Democratic leaders in years past.

Hundreds rally in the streets of Paris to support world abortion rights
France is the first country with a constitutional right to terminate a pregnancy

Gun Rights

 

Kamala Harris’s Previous Support for a Ban on Handguns Highlights the Gun-Control Movement’s Broader Aims
Nowadays, Kamala Harris is boasting that she personally owns a handgun, that, with said handgun, she would happily shoot anyone who entered her house, and that the only guns that she wants to restrict if she’s president are those dastardly rifles. Handguns, you see, are fine. They’re normal. They’re not “tools of war,” unlike the most commonly owned rifle in the United States, the AR-15, which Harris wants to ban because it’s so unlike the bog-standard handguns that even she, a Second Amendment–respecting, gun-owning, intruder-shooting sort of person, has consented to possess.

 

Hide the Decline

Environment &“Green Energy”

 
The Case for Energy Security Finds an Ally, and Leadership, in Federalism

Electric Vehicles: A Warning from Italy
In the most recent Capital Letter, I wrote about growing signs of the disaster that may be facing European carmakers as a result of the coerced transition to electric vehicles (EVs).

Net Zero: ‘Exporting Jobs and Importing Virtue’
Former British prime minister Boris Johnson was not known for his attachment to the truth, but on one occasion, at least, he was, if accidentally, accurate.

 

Obamacare

Government in Healthcare

 

Newsom Bans Plastic Shopping Bags at Grocery Stores in California
Starting January 1, 2028, the state will also define a recycled paper bag as “one with more than 50% recycled material.”

Enviro Grift: Gov. Newsom Signs Bill Banning All Plastic Bags at Grocery and Convenience Stores
A ‘statewide poll’ on plastic pollution in 2022, used a sampling of 379 California residents

Untreated Side Effects of Abortion Drug Killed Amber Thurman, Not Georgia’s LIFE Act
After ProPublica published a piece last week on the tragic death of Amber Thurman, the media swiftly blamed pro-life legislation for her death.

Swiss police make arrests over suspected death in ‘suicide capsule’
Criminal case opened after Sarco capsule – which releases nitrogen gas at the touch of a button – used in Merishausen

War & Terror

 

Failure to Launch: Russia’s ‘Catastrophic Failure’ in New Nuclear-Arsenal Missile Test
At the beginning of the Russian war in Ukraine, it was fair to wonder if Vladimir Putin’s nuclear saber-rattling was merely a bluff or a terrifying sign that the world was inching towards the first use of an atomic or nuclear weapon since Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Putin has made threatening comments intermittently throughout the course of the war. (For background on Russian military doctrine involving tactical nuclear weapons, read here.)

2 hurt in explosion from intentionally set IED at Santa Maria Courthouse in California
One person of interest was detained.

China test-fires an intercontinental ballistic missile into the Pacific Ocean
China test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile into the Pacific Ocean on Wednesday, stirring security concerns in the region already tense over Beijing’s territorial claims and rivalry with the U.S.

NATO plans for large-scale transport of wounded troops in case of Russia war
NATO plans to coordinate the transport of a large number of wounded troops away from front lines in case of a war with Russia, potentially via hospital trains as air evacuations may not be feasible, according to a senior general.

Why Won’t We Let Ukraine Win?
On the morning of July 8, I was in Kyiv visiting a combined surgery ward and prosthetics clinic. To say I didn’t expect it to be the most uplifting stop on my trip through Ukraine sounds glib. But I mention it only because that’s precisely what it turned out to be. It was a remarkable place. Established by the nonprofit Protez Foundation in Oakdale, Minnesota, the two-story clinic is an open and sociable space where wounded Ukrainian fighters and civilians watch technicians build their hi-tech limbs, work with them on tweaks, undergo surgery, and finally train with doctors and therapists to use their new titanium arms or legs to maximum capacity. So the facility is infused with a kind of collaborative and surprisingly cheerful determination.

Trump Makes His Hostility to Ukraine’s Cause Clear
The measurable uptick in the former president’s hostile rhetoric toward Ukraine clears away the fog surrounding the his views on this conflict.

The Congressman Who Was Secretly Spying for the Soviets
Samuel Dickstein, the eleven-term New York Democratic congressman and New York State supreme court justice who was also a spy for the Soviet Union.

China’s new nuclear sub sinks at shipyard — suggesting Beijing is in over its head
China lost its most advanced nuclear submarine when it sank in a naval yard earlier this year — and it suggests the Communist nation could be in too deep as it tries to build a navy to rival America’s maritime might.

The War on Ukraine, and over Ukraine
In Ukraine, Putin’s forces commit war crimes day after day. The world in general may forget about it, but Ukrainians can’t. Here is a headline from yesterday: “Russian missiles and drones target Kyiv for 5 hours and hit Ukraine’s power grid.” (Article here.) Another report begins, “A Russian-guided aerial bomb hit a five-story nursing home for older people in the northern city of Sumy.”

Guess Where the Possibly Nuclear-Fuel-Leaking Sunken Chinese Submarine Is?
The same diligence, professionalism, and commitment to safety that Chinese virologists brought to their gain-of-function research on bat coronaviruses is on display by Chinese nuclear-submarine engineers and construction crews, as the Chinese fleet is now down one sub for the foreseeable future, and you’re probably not going to want to do any swimming in the Yangtze River anytime soon. To err is human, and all governments and militaries have accidents. But free societies are at least a little bit better at revealing uncomfortable truths and holding people accountable for the consequences of their actions.

U.S. Coast Guard watching uptick in Russian, Chinese navy activity near Alaska
The U.S. Coast Guard is watching an “uptick” in Chinese and Russian navy activity around Alaska and the northern Pacific but encounters to date have been very professional, a senior commander said on Friday.

China’s Presence Grows on US Doorstep
China’s presence in the Northern Pacific Ocean, which borders the United States coast off Alaska, has been growing as its coast guard fleet continues to patrol the area for fisheries law enforcement.

China’s Nuclear-Submarine Mishap Points to Challenge of Catching Up With U.S.
Vessel that sank in spring was part of a broad effort to expand military and compete in the Pacific

Hezbollah terror leader Hassan Nasrallah KILLED in massive missile blitz on chief’s Beirut HQ
Nasrallah’s death could mark a huge turning point in the conflict – and spark major escalation between Israel and Iran

 

National

 

University of Alabama student government moves to eliminate DEI position
The “Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” will become the “Vice President for Belonging and Wellness.”

California family battles City’s extortionary zoning laws
Chris and Jessica Pilling live in downtown Healdsburg, California, where they play an active role in their community. The couple owns and runs Bike Healdsburg, a business that offers bike tours of the city’s downtown breweries and restaurants, as well as lush, surrounding vineyards. They are also the proud parents of three beautiful children.

Musk decries government ‘censorship.’ His X has been more compliant.
X owner Elon Musk is the world’s wealthiest flag-bearer for free speech, but under his leadership the social media platform is acceding to government requests to take down or withhold user content at a significantly higher rate than it did in the years leading up to his 2022 purchase.

Efforts to End Affirmative Action Could Take a While
The Boston Globe published an overview today of the impact the Supreme Court’s affirmative action decision had on universities and colleges in Massachusetts. What the data shows is a general trend toward fewer black students and slightly more Asian students, exactly as the plaintiffs in the case predicted.

Eric Adams indictment unsealed: New York mayor charged in campaign contribution scheme
A federal indictment charging New York City Mayor Eric Adams with a decade-long campaign contribution scheme, bribery and other crimes was unsealed Thursday morning, hours after FBI raided his Gracie Mansion residence and seized his phone.

The fruits of Jack Smith’s 2-year investigation into Trump will land on Tanya Chutkan’s desk today
It may be the final inflection point in the case before Nov. 5.

California Has a Plan to Revive the Insurance Industry
California’s insurance industry has been struggling for more than a year. State Farm and Allstate announced they would continue doing business with existing customers but wouldn’t write any new policies. Farmers Insurance said they would cap the number of new policies they would write per month. Several smaller insurers just left the state entirely.

Newsmax reaches settlement with Smartmatic regarding claims about 2020 election
On the brink of trial, the cable news channel Newsmax on Thursday reached a settlement with voting machine company Smartmatic, bringing an end to a defamation lawsuit that accused the network of spreading multiple false claims surrounding the 2020 election.

Eric Adams and the Public Financing of Campaigns
It’s hard to say exactly which is the wildest part of the Eric Adams indictment for taking bribes and illegal campaign contributions from Turkey. (Props to the always-reliable New York Post for headlining the story “GRAND THEFT OTTOMAN.”) Andy has flagged Adams texting “first stop is always instanbul” [sic] even when flying to Ghana or Easter Island and engaging in comically inept and brazen efforts to destroy and conceal evidence when caught.

McConnell scolds Republican ‘cult of personality’ around Viktor Orbán
The Senate minority leader rebuked GOP leaders who have grown fond of the Hungarian leader despite the country’s “decade-long drift” toward U.S. adversaries.

Short Circuit: A Roundup of Recent Federal Court Decisions
Veterinary speech, inflation reduction, and Inspector Javert’s playbook.

Non-lethal weapons approved for UCLA police after anti-Israel protests
The University of California Board of Regents approved the use of additional non-lethal weapons for UCLA police on Thursday, following requests made by the department, which has dealt with some of the country’s largest student protests.

John Kerry against the First Amendment: Saying the Quiet Part Aloud
There is no doubt that the Kremlin (and other opponents of the West) do spread disinformation (lies spread to discredit, damage, or disorient an opponent), even if doing so is much less effective than often claimed. However, understandable concerns about disinformation are currently being used to talk up the threat posed by online misinformation (false information that is passed on by someone who thinks it is true), at which point this discussion enters treacherous territory. Determining that something is misinformation means determining that it is untrue. But, as a rule, establishing the truth of some disputed statement is more likely to be discovered by consulting multiple sources (ideally those that have proved reliable in the past) than by turning to one officially approved oracle. The officially approved oracle is useful for finding out the orthodox view, but orthodoxy is not necessarily the same as truth.

 

Economy & Taxes

 

Politicians Propose Price Controls to Solve the Problem They Created
Kamala Harris promises us that when she’s president, the government will crack down on greedy businesses that practice “price-gouging.” Donald Trump tells voters that he’ll put a cap on interest rates charged by greedy credit-card companies on unpaid balances.

Economic Collapse In Slow Motion
The commercial real estate market is in the doldrums across much of the U.S., but it is especially bad in some places.

Bastiat in Turtle Bay: Mr. Milei Goes to the U.N.
Not long after taking office, Argentine president Javier Milei went to Davos, where he gave a memorable (#understatement) speech.

Economists Understand Tariffs Just Fine. Oren Cass Does Not
I’ve been critical of Trump’s (and Biden’s) support for tariffs, so I was interested to read a defense of the former president’s trade plans that would challenge my view. Naturally, I turned to that reliable source of soundly reasoned Trump apologetics: the Atlantic.

Brits Should Not Be Taxed Extra for Buying Moroccan Tomatoes
Daniel Hannan, in a speech to the House of Lords, wants to know why British citizens are being taxed extra when they buy tomatoes from Morocco.

Trump’s Tariffs Would Be Worse Than Nixon’s
When the president imposed taxes on imports in 1971, he had a clear goal — and he lifted them when it was met.

The Economy Is Outperforming in Swing States — It’s Good News for Harris
Six of the seven battleground states expected to decide this year’s US presidential election saw faster growth than the US economy as a whole in the second quarter, adding to recent tailwinds for Vice President Kamala Harris close to a month out from the vote.

 

International

 

‘Leave No One Behind — Except Taiwan’: Envoy Calls Out U.N.’s Exclusion of His Country
Taiwan’s ambassador to the U.S., Alexander Yui, blasted the U.N.’s exclusion of his country, saying that the global body’s slogan for its annual high-level session this year is “leave no one behind — except Taiwan.”

 

Opinion

 

Rewriting Constitution: Can It Happen?
You hear an idea generated from the Left and say to yourself, “that will never happen.” Then the idea starts to spread and spread some more. All of sudden the idea you thought would never get anywhere is reverberating throughout the Left and enters the halls of Congress or state legislatures or city halls as something considered as “rational thought.” This has been happening over and over again. There is a new idea emerging. The Left is beginning to push this idea and unless we strangle it now, it could become mainstream Leftist thought.

Unserious Candidates in a Seriously Dangerous World
On the menu today: On the campaign trail, it’s all coconut-tree memes and Oprah touting “joy!” and official coins and gold sneakers. Meanwhile, U.S. commercial airline pilots are experiencing more GPS jamming when they fly internationally, the North Koreans are conning U.S. companies out of cash through fraudulent remote-work schemes, a new report concludes, “China is outpacing the United States and has largely negated the U.S. military advantage in the Western Pacific through two decades of focused military investment,” and “the U.S. public are largely unaware of the dangers the United States faces or the costs (financial and otherwise) required to adequately prepare.” It’s a Mad Max geopolitical scene, and our leadership is a Care Bear riding into town on a My Little Pony.

Mike Pence quietly lays the groundwork for a post-Trump future
Mike Pence stuck his head up this week to take a whack at Trumpism, urging Republicans to reject “protectionist tariffs” and “isolationism” while “unashamedly” recommitting to anti-abortion positions.

How Republics Unravel: From Rome to. . . America?
A great state can fall apart when the rule-breaking of one man inspires his enemies to break the rules, too.

Trump and our system, &c.
On the GOP’s three-time presidential nominee; horror in Cuba, and Nicaragua; fans of Calvin Coolidge; and more

You Can’t Govern with Negative Campaigning
This election season has managed to be grimmer and more dispiriting even than the last two. On their third run through a general election with Donald Trump, both parties have thoroughly acclimated themselves to running entirely negative campaigns, offering little in the way of positive policy or vision and even less that would be inspiring or exciting to anybody outside of the true believers in the candidates.

We Must Break the Cycle of Pandering
Voters deserve major-party candidates who treat them like grown-ups, telling them the truth rather than what they want to hear.

Communism Yesterday, Today . . . and Tomorrow?
An interview with historian Sean McMeekin

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