News of the Week for November 17th, 2024
- Election 2024
- Abortion
- Gun Rights
- Hide the Decline
- Obamacare
- War & Terror
- National News
- Economy & Taxes
- International News
- Opinion
Election 2024
Five Reasons Harris Lost
Democrats are reeling in the wake of their decisive electoral defeat. So perhaps we should forgive those who are arguing that President Trump was unbeatable due to factors outside the control of the Democratic Party, the Biden administration, or the Harris campaign (e.g., global inflation, sexism).
Democratic Blame Game Kicks Off in Earnest
The Democratic Party’s recriminations continue, and Senate Republicans brace for this week’s high-profile race to succeed Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, the longest-serving Senate party leader in American history.
Winning by Losing, Losing by Winning
Additional thoughts on the 2024 presidential election
The Best-Case Scenario for Trump’s Second Term
Setting the time machine for just short of four years in the future. . . .
Trump’s Swing County Romp Tells the Story of the Cycle
One week before Election Day, The Cook Political Report published a list of 13 swing counties to watch for clues about the results as votes began rolling in. In the end, President-elect Donald Trump appears poised to carry 12 of the 13 counties we highlighted, with Vice President Kamala Harris ahead solely in Nevada’s Washoe County — and by just 423 votes.
Beware the Mandate Trap
Trump won less because he was popular than because Harris wasn’t.
Pennsylvania Senate Race Headed to Mandated Recount
Pennsylvania holds a recount if the victory margin is below 0.5%.
Nevada: Clark County discovers 1,600 uncounted ballots, but results unchanged
The county said votes had been stuck in the “duplication stage” of the mail ballot counting process, but had been counted and were always under county control.
The disappearing partisan voter
We may have to confront the possibility that our two-party system is doing an abhorrent job of representing most people’s political views.
Abortion
Dobbs Decision
Pro-Abortion RFK Jr. Is a Disastrous HHS Pick
If the Senate confirms President-elect Donald Trump’s pick of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be secretary of health and human services, it would be a monumental disaster.
Gun Rights
Second Amendment Foundation threatens lawsuit over WA firearm background check delays
The Washington State Patrol is being threatened with a lawsuit from the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) over the agency’s inability to do background checks for firearm sales.
Hide the Decline
Environment &“Green Energy”
World Economic Forum Pushes ‘Forest Rights’
Our betters among the elites are increasingly embracing nature rights and its derivatives. Latest example: An editorial published by the World Economic Forum pushes “forest rights.”
Science Shock: U.K. Met Office is “Inventing” Temperature Data from 100 Non-Existent Stations
Shocking evidence has emerged that points to the U.K. Met Office inventing temperature data from over 100 non-existent weather stations. The explosive allegations have been made by citizen journalist Ray Sanders and sent to the new Labour Science Minister Peter Kyle MP. Following a number of Freedom of Information requests to the Met Office and diligent field work visiting individuals stations, Sanders has discovered that 103 stations out of 302 sites supplying temperature averages do not exist. “How would any reasonable observer know that the data was not real and simply ‘made up’ by a Government agency,” asks Sanders. He calls for an “open declaration” of likely inaccuracy of existing published data, “to avoid other institutions and researchers using unreliable data and reaching erroneous conclusions”.
US Unveils Plan to Triple Nuclear Power by 2050 as Demand Soars
Biden White House aims to see capacity rise by 200 gigawatts. President-elect Trump has offered support for new reactors.
Obamacare
Government in Healthcare
RFK Jr.’s new bully pulpit sends public health shock waves
President-elect Trump’s promise to let Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “go wild” on health is demoralizing public health experts, who worry he could meddle with key government agencies, amplify vaccine hesitancy and direct agency funding to favor his preferred views.
CUNY gets $19 million from taxpayer-funded NIH for health ‘equity center’
The City University of New York announced on Oct. 29 that its School of Medicine received $19.3 million from the NIH to create The New York Center for Minority Health, Equity and Social Justice.
Kennedy’s F.D.A.Wish List: Raw Milk, Stem Cells, Heavy Metals
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been unflinching in his attacks on the Food and Drug Administration in recent weeks, saying he wants to fire agency experts who have taken action against treatments that have sometimes harmed people or that teeter on the fringe of accepted health care practice.
Trump chooses anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as health secretary
President-elect Donald Trump says he will nominate anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, putting him in charge of a massive agency that oversees everything from drug, vaccine and food safety to medical research and the social safety net programs Medicare and Medicaid.
Trump expected to select Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead HHS
The choice will roil many public health experts after his years of touting debunked claims that vaccines cause autism.
Quebec tells doctors to start ignoring federal homicide laws
A new MAID practice veers into culpable homicide, so they’re simply ordering prosecutors to look the other way
Can RFK Jr. Fix Our Dysfunctional Public Health Agencies?
His priorities may not be the drastic reforms that are actually needed.
Trump gives RFK Jr McDonald’s ‘poison’ to eat on private plane
Next US health secretary forced to grin and bear it after previously criticising the president-elect’s ‘really bad’ diet
Assisted dying bill ‘could open door to involuntary euthanasia’
Safeguards promised by supporters of planned legislation will not hold, warns former chief coroner
War & Terror
Europe on alert as 4 countries tipped to be next on Vladimir Putin’s invasion hit-list
An expert says there are European countries that could be next on Vladimir Putin’s hitlist, but Russia could also target territory in Africa.
Taiwan considers big US defence purchases as overture to Donald Trump
Taipei wants to show new administration it is serious about protecting itself against China
Trump talked to Putin, told Russian leader not to escalate in Ukraine
President-elect Donald Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday and discussed the war in Ukraine, according to people familiar with the call.
China Is Already Trying to Dictate Terms to Trump
China’s government has already undercut the faux-conciliatory message that Xi Jinping sent Donald Trump two days after the election.
Trump’s defense choice stuns the Pentagon and raises questions about the Fox News host’s experience
President-elect Donald Trump stunned the Pentagon and the broader defense world by nominating Fox News host Pete Hegseth to serve as his defense secretary, tapping someone largely inexperienced and untested on the global stage to take over the world’s largest and most powerful military.
Trump Might Not Lead a U.S. Retreat from the World Stage After All
His early personnel choices indicate his incoming administration would be willing to use sticks as well as carrots to deal with Russia.
Ukraine and Russia fight for advantage ahead of Donald Trump’s return
Kyiv sends more medics to eastern frontline before Moscow’s expected onslaught
Trump Welcomes an Apologist for ‘the Butcher of Damascus’ into His Fold
I understand that the New Right favors the maximalization of transgression over ideological consistency and, therefore, has a soft spot for former congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard. I get that they may believe that bringing her aboard the Trump campaign appeals to its most transgressive elements – after all, she dismantled Kamala Harris during a debate, although that effect was limited to Democrats paying attention to and participating in a Democratic primary.
In win for Lombardo, Dems fall short of veto-proof supermajority in Legislature
We break down the status of supermajorities in each chamber and the results of consequential legislative races.
China opens huge port in Peru to extend its reach in Latin America
Chinese leader Xi Jinping will inaugurate a huge port in Peru on Thursday, expected to attract more than $3 billion in investment, to create a direct route across the Pacific Ocean and extend Beijing’s influence in Latin America.
The Coming Trump Administration and the Lurking Threat of Bioterrorism
With the national security slots in the incoming Trump administration filling up quickly, it’s unclear whether Matt Pottinger, who was deputy national security adviser in Trump’s first term, will return to government work. But I noticed that a few days ago, Pottinger co-wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post, warning that “researchers around the globe are tinkering with viruses far deadlier than covid-19.”
Insane moment British troops blow up highway bridge in warning to Putin
The Kanama viaduct on the Tallinn-Prnu-Ikla motorway in Estonia was destroyed in a controlled explosion at 1am in a show of military strength to Vladimir Putin.
In echo of Soviet era, Russians are informing on each other over Ukraine
On the last day of January, a woman took her son to see paediatrician Nadezhda Buyanova at Polyclinic No. 140 in northwest Moscow. The boy, aged seven, had a problem with one of his eyes.
Michael Anton and Sebastian Gorka in the running for deputy national security adviser
Either would be a controversial pick that is likely to stir anger in Washington.
Kim Jong Un orders mass production of suicide attack drones
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited an unmanned aerial vehicle facility and ordered the “full-scale mass production” of new suicide attack drones, state media reported Friday, amid growing military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow.
Poland Opens Long-Awaited US Missile Base
Polish and American officials on Wednesday opened a US missile base in northern Poland originally intended to defend the West against threats from the Middle East, but now aimed at confronting Russia.
Dear President-elect Trump, stop the handover of a key strategic base to China’s ally
America First faces an immediate challenge. If President-elect Donald Trump plays his cards adroitly, he can prevent the most strategically important U.S. base in the Indo-Pacific region from falling under the shadow of China.
National
Trump Demands Republicans Allow Some Nominees to Bypass Senate
Incoming president says next GOP leader must agree to permit recess appointments to speed up filling posts
Trump picks Rep. Elise Stefanik for UN ambassador
President-elect Donald Trump has named Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik as his pick for UN ambassador.
Playbook: The Rick Scott backlash builds
Just days after celebrating Trump’s thundering presidential victory, top MAGA luminaries this weekend set their sights on swinging another election: winning the top Senate leadership post for RICK SCOTT.
Trump Expected to Name Marco Rubio as Secretary of State
The president-elect appears to have settled on the Florida senator, who has taken hard-line positions on China, Iran and Venezuela, to be the nation’s top diplomat.
Trump picks Kristi Noem to serve as his Homeland Security secretary
President-elect Donald Trump has selected South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem as his next secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, according to two people familiar with the selection.
Trump Appoints Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy To Lead New Department Of Government Efficiency
President-elect Donald Trump announced Tuesday that Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will together establish a new Department of Government Efficiency in his second administration.
Supreme Court Could Invalidate Intrasession Recess Appointments
As I explained yesterday, President-elect Trump’s apparent idea of installing Cabinet officials by recess appointment is awful in so many ways. I have no illusion that anyone who likes that idea is going to be persuaded by anything else, but I’ll pass along another risk that applies both to it and to what I called the “much more modest and reasonable request” that the Senate enable intrasession recess appointments (by returning to its practice of formally adjourning for recesses instead of technically remaining in session via pro forma proceedings).
Senate Republicans Elect John Thune Majority Leader
Senate Republicans elected John Thune of South Dakota to serve as their next majority leader in the second round of private voting Wednesday, rejecting the social-media fueled populist push for Senator Rick Scott (R., Fla.) to succeed Mitch McConnell, the longest serving party leader in Senate history.
Read the National Archivist’s Statement on the Sentencing of the Vandals Who Dumped Paint on the Constitution and Declaration
In February, two people vandalized the display cases for the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., supposedly in protest of climate change. They poured paint on them, causing over $50,000 in damage and spurring additional security measures to protect the documents. The rotunda was closed for four days during clean-up, denying thousands of Americans the chance to see one of Washington’s most popular tourist sites.
Trump Taps Loyalist Lawmaker Matt Gaetz for Attorney General
President-elect Donald Trump says he is nominating Matt Gaetz to be attorney general, tapping a staunch conservative lawmaker to reshape US law enforcement and carry out his agenda on immigration, crime and hot-button social issues.
Trump appoints Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence: ‘Fearless spirit’
President-elect Trump announced on Wednesday that he is appointing Tulsi Gabbard to serve as director of national intelligence in his new Cabinet.
Rep. Matt Gaetz Resigns From Congress After Attorney General Nomination
It’s possible Gaetz’s seat could be filled by January 3.
A Lot of Bang for the Buck
As the nominee to be U.S. director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard might be getting a less influential gig than many expect, and as for Matt Gaetz, well, the number of reasons that Gaetz shouldn’t be the next attorney general must be in the . . . teens.
Matt Gaetz Resigns from Congress After Trump Tapped Him for AG, Meaning Ethics Committee Will Drop Sex-Trafficking Probe
Republican U.S. representatives, U.S. senators, and staffers were floored Wednesday afternoon on hearing that President-elect Donald Trump had tapped controversial Representative Matt Gaetz (R., Fla.) to serve in his administration as attorney general. “No words,” one House Republican put it in a text message to National Review after hearing the news.
Start with an Immigration Bill
One of the challenges of any new presidential administration is deciding what should lead the legislative agenda. Nothing dissipates faster than the momentum and legislative mandate that accompanies a strong election victory. This is especially true of second-term presidencies, as Trump’s is in spite of the Biden interregnum. George W. Bush attempted Social Security reform, failed at it, then turned to immigration and failed at that, too — while seeing a good deal of focus during the crucial early months of his second term diverted by the Terri Schiavo controversy. Barack Obama, riding high on hubris and driven by the …
Susan Collins plans to run for sixth term in the Senate
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) plans to run for a sixth term in the Senate, buoying Republicans’ hopes of retaining her seat in 2026.
Rep. John Curtis says he will be ‘tip of the spear’ on Social Security reform in the Senate
Utah’s newest U.S. senator also weighed in on the upcoming GOP Senate leadership vote
Manchin signals willingness to back Biden’s final push on judges
Sen. Joe Manchin (I-W.V.) suggested Thursday that he is open to voting for Democratic judicial nominees, even if they can’t secure any Republican support.
Trump’s team skips FBI background checks for some Cabinet picks
President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team is bypassing traditional FBI background checks for at least some of his Cabinet picks while using private companies to conduct vetting of potential candidates for administration jobs, people close to the transition planning say.
Second National Archives Vandal Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison
Two people vandalized the display cases for the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence in the National Archives building in Washington, D.C., in February, supposedly to protest climate change. They caused $50,000 in damage by pouring paint on them, which required the building’s rotunda to be closed for four days and the addition of greater security measures to protect the documents.
Short Circuit: A Roundup of Recent Federal Court Decisions
Ivory Law, non-essential supplies, and medically induced comas.
Economy & Taxes
US farmers gird for trade wars on Trump tariff pledges
Donald Trump’s first White House term saw a bruising trade war with China that left a lingering impact on farmers — and many are bracing for further fallout as the President-elect threatens higher levies on Beijing.
Toomey warns that Donald Trump’s tariff proposals will result in a recession.
Former Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey contends that president-elect Donald Trump’s tariff proposals would result in a recession and prompt public backlash from Republicans in Congress once consumers face the squeeze from price hikes.
Annual inflation rate hit 2.6% in October, meeting expectations
The consumer price index increased 0.2% in October, taking the 12-month inflation rate up to 2.6%. Both numbers were in line with expectations. The core CPI accelerated 0.3% for the month and was at 3.3% annually, also meeting forecasts. Despite signs of inflation moderating elsewhere, shelter prices continued to be a major contributor to the CPI move. Inflation-adjusted average hourly earnings for workers increased 0.1% for the month and 1.4% from a year ago.
What Trump Should Do If the Dockworkers Go Back on Strike
He should be prepared to stand up to an arrogant union that he’s previously supported, just as Reagan did.
Thune calls Trump’s across-the-board tariff strategy ‘a recipe for increased inflation’
U.S. Sen. John Thune, R-South Dakota, criticized former President Donald Trump’s sweeping trade policy proposals on Wednesday at Dakotafest, calling them “a recipe for increased inflation.”
How US businesses are buying more to prepare for looming Trump tariffs
Mr Rick Muskat woke up the morning after the US presidential election with an urgent task. He got his agent in China on the phone at 4.30am Beijing time and pressed him to ask their factory how many more pairs of men’s dress shoes they could make before Chinese New Year, at the end of January.
The Existence of Concentrated Benefits Does Not Justify Dispersed Costs
Economic analysis of tariffs frequently finds that they increase the domestic production of particular goods. (I made a list of some recent economic studies in this post if you want to read the details.) It actually expects that they would.
Credit card debt hits record $1.17 trillion, New York Fed research shows
Collectively, Americans owe a record $1.17 trillion on their credit cards, according to a new report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Still, credit card delinquency rates improved in the most recent quarter, suggesting that “rising debt burdens remain manageable,” the New York Fed researchers said.
Senator Grassley raises concerns over Trump’s tariff impact on agriculture industry
U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley is chiming in on the tariffs President-elect Donald Trump is looking to place on foreign imports.
How a second Trump presidency may influence economies abroad
Since the presidential election, we’ve been exploring what a second Trump administration and its policies could mean for the economy. Now, we turn our attention overseas.
Vindication for Scott Walker on Teachers’ Unions
A new study of education in Wisconsin provides evidence that unions protect bad teachers and getting rid of them can improve student performance.
International
Terrified friends burned to death in Tesla as electronic doors wouldn’t open after crash
The only survivor of the October 24 fire was a woman in her 20s who was able to get to safety after a quick thinking passer-by smashed a window of the burning Model Y car to free her
The Bravery of Vladimir Kara-Murza
Last Friday, the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation presented prominent Russian opposition leader Vladimir Kara-Murza with the Dissident Human Rights Award at the Victims of Communism Museum. The event was part of the organization’s annual Captive Nations Week Summit and allowed the revered figure to receive the honor in-person after having been awarded it in absentia last year while imprisoned.
Net Zero: Labour’s Pension Heist
One of the grubby threads running through the ESG saga is the notion that, when it comes to making sure that capital is directed in the “right” sort of way, people’s savings/pension funds are fair game. Of course, with the notion of fiduciary duty still being on the books, there was a lot of talk about how ESG was a way of “doing well by doing good,” how it could generate superior or at least less risky returns.
How a U.S. drug arrest made Mexico more violent
When a Mexican drug lord was bundled aboard a small Beechcraft jet and secretly flown to the United States in July, the U.S. government called it a major blow to fentanyl traffickers.
Opinion
Already with This?
I have no idea to what extent the Rick-Scott-must-be-Senate-majority-leader-or-else! movement is a real thing, rather than the expression of an online spat, but, regardless, some of the claims being made in Scott’s favor seem hilariously unsound to me.
What Trump’s Win Doesn’t Mean
The public continues to reject what both parties offer.
Trump’s MAGA advisers are setting him up for failure in Ukraine
Pressuring Ukraine into a bad deal would harm Ukraine, the United States and Trump’s own legacy.
More Milei, Less Malarky
With the presidential election mere weeks away, both candidates are going all out to win over swing voters, and their promises are growing increasingly outlandish — some bordering on illegal. While American voters despair that our election politics have devolved into ludicrous gimmicks, Argentina’s Javier Milei continues to show how commitment to democratic principles can still prevail.
Trump Doesn’t Have a Mandate for Chaos
Congressional Republicans who choose to defer to the president-elect’s worst instincts will do him, themselves, their party, and the country no favors.
RFK Jr. is a dangerous quack
If Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had been born with a different name, he’d probably be peddling miracle mushroom cancer cures on YouTube right now.
Why the Federalist Society Has Been a Great Success
Spilling the secrets
My visit from police on Remembrance Sunday is living proof of our two-tier justice system
A knock on the door to be accused of a non-crime hate incident from a year-old tweet is not what people fought and died for in the war
Thune and Senate traditions beat Musk, Carlson and the MAGA-verse
John Thune’s victory as GOP Senate majority leader shows not all of Washington is Trump-ified.
The Very Strange New Respect for Authoritarian Democrat Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The enemy of your enemy is not your friend; he’s a guy who might want to throw you in jail.
Don’t abolish advise-and-consent
Republican Senators and members of Congress have a job, and it is not to simply hand President-elect Donald Trump the keys.
If the Senate Wants to Help Trump, It Should Be Ready to Tell Him ‘No’
Every member of the Republican Senate conference wants President-elect Donald Trump’s forthcoming administration to be successful.
Why Getting Trump Elected Could Be The Start of Fox News’ Worst Nightmare
As the loudest conservative TV megaphone and President-elect Donald Trump’s go-to viewing option, Fox News Channel would appear to be sitting on top of the world. Yet as the network has discovered in the past, the silver lining associated with its preferred candidate’s victory comes with its share of dark clouds.
Senate Republicans Have a Job to Do
We shouldn’t over-romanticize the jobs that people in Washington have. Politicians, administration officials, judges, generals, and the like are just people. Their jobs are just jobs, if sometimes exceptionally challenging and important ones. There are a lot of talented, smart men and women in America with the relevant experience and skills who could do those jobs.
American Virtue is cancelled
Building a political network around imitators of Holocaust-denying white supremacist Nick Fuentes has its challenges. Ask the Bull Moose Project, a Generation Z populist nonprofit which has shuttered its “American Virtue” subsidiary hardly a year after launch.
Free Speech Unmuted: Free Speech in European (and Other) Democracies, with Prof. Jacob Mchangama
How does European free speech law differ from American free speech law, when it comes to “hate speech,” blasphemy, and misinformation? Jane Bambauer and I welcome Jacob Mchangama, who is CEO of The Future of Free Speech; research professor of political science at Vanderbilt; the author of Free Speech: A History from Socrates to Social Media and other works on free speech; Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression; and a trained Danish lawyer who is one of the leading experts in comparative free speech law.
The House Has No Authority to ‘Disagree’ with Senate’s Decision to Remain in Session
I’ve already explained that a president’s blanket recess appointments of Cabinet officials at the start of a presidential term would eviscerate the Senate’s fundamental power of advice and consent; that it’s even more outrageous to think that a president would try to adjourn the Senate in order to make recess appointments; and that any such effort could and should have the upside of enabling the Supreme Court to embrace the position taken by Justice Scalia, Chief Justice Roberts, Justice Thomas, and Justice Alito ten years ago in NLRB v. Noel Canning (2014)—namely, that the president has no power to make intrasession recess appointments. I will explain in this post why the particular scheme by which some in Team Trump would have Donald Trump try to adjourn the Senate is unconstitutional.
