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Tag: Senate

Senate’s Last Minute Shutdown Deal. Hormuz Irony: Not Good for Greenies. “No Kings” Protest Seen as “Bad Therapy Session.” The Conversation Women Don’t Need. And More

Posted on by Charlotte Hays

Who blinked?

Well, of course. You don’t need a cheat sheet to get that right: “DHS Shutdown Breakthrough Comes at Cost for Republicans as Funding Fights Nears End” is the Fox Digital headline. Republicans “ceded ground” to advance a last-minute deal last night to end the partial government shutdown. Here’s the deal:

The Senate unanimously advanced a deal to reopen most of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in the wee hours of Friday morning, 42 days into the shutdown that was spurred by the Trump administration’s immigration operations in Minnesota.

It was an agreement that largely gave Schumer and Senate Democrats what they wanted — no funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and parts of Customs and Border Protection (CBP). But it lacked the stringent reforms they desired, like requiring judicial warrants or requiring agents to unmask.

Even with their fragile majority, the GOP apparently is no match for Dem ruthlessness or unity (pick one). The Senate deal came shortly before President Trump vowed on Truth Social to sign an Executive Order to immediately pay TSA officers: “Because the Democrats have recklessly created a true National Crisis, I am using my authorities under the Law to protect our Great Country,” Trump wrote. Not sure how the proposed EO affects or is affected by the Senate deal, which the House must pass before it goes to President Trump. The New York Post emphasizes that Dems didn’t get everything they wanted.

“Hamlet of the Hormuz.” That’s the clever headline on a London Spectator email. It alludes to President Trump’s announcement of a 10-day pause before striking at Iran’s vital energy infrastructure on Kharg Island. I love the email headline but President Trump as Hamlet? Nope. The Washington Post’s Marc Thiessen further rejects the Hamlet notion:

Speculation is flying that President Donald Trump, buffeted by rising gas prices and domestic political concerns, is desperate for an off-ramp and looking for a deal with Iran to end the war. These leaks, whispers and rumors are wrong. While others may be panicking, I know from well-placed sources that Trump has never been more determined to see this military campaign through to completion.

Nearly four weeks into Operation Epic Fury, the president is on the cusp of achieving all of the military objectives he has set — but he understands that none of them are yet fully complete. We are at the enemy’s 20-yard line, but the final yards are always the hardest. All the easy targets have been hit. What’s left are the most hidden, hardened and complex challenges.

A Wall Street Journal editorial urges President Trump not to go wobbly, arguing that stopping now would be “an incomplete victory.” Greens are proposing that the energy crisis created by the blocking of the Strait of Hormuz make the case for renewable energy. Au contraire, counter two intriguing articles.

“‘Renewable’ Energy Gives Us a Crisis” is a Wall Street Journal op-ed headline. Brenda Shaffer argues that the West handed Iran leverage by deluding itself that it could wean itself of fossil fuel:

Europe’s reliance on expensive and unreliable renewable power has already begun to deindustrialize parts of the Continent. The U.K. and Germany are experiencing economic challenges as high electricity costs diminish industrial competitiveness.

To restore global energy security, the U.S. and its allies must see the problem as a national-security imperative. The Trump administration should require that the World Bank and the G-7 unleash energy production in the developing world through restoration of public finance. Washington and its allies need to uphold freedom of navigation of the world’s seas and not wait until a crisis to address a threat.

Europe needs to face reality. Adding large amounts of renewable energy produced higher prices, less reliable grids, and more dependence on China.

Writing at City Journal (“Energy Lessons of the Strait of Hormuz Standoff”), Mark P. Mills proposed that the Hormuz standoff could spell the doom of “quit oil” policies once and for all. History buffs will enjoy Mills’ opening with the seventeenth century Battle of Hormuz, and energy realists will enjoy his conclusions.

So, is the rump regime of Iran living on fumes? The Gatestone Institute writes about “Iran’s Fantasy of Strength: When Bazaar Tactics Collide with Reality.” You know a regime is not at full-strength when you have to remove your negotiators from the kill list.  Meanwhile, an Iranian General warns that U.S. tourists will no longer be safe broad, and the Pentagon is considering more troops to the Middle East.

Tomorrow is the big “No Kings” protest. Have at it. It’s a free country. And you’ll feel heard. And that’s really the point according to a Wall Street Journal op-ed by New York and DC psychotherapist Jonthan Alpert (“‘No Kings’: Politics as Bad Group Therapy”):

In my work as a psychotherapist, I’ve seen a parallel change in how people interpret their personal lives. Feelings are increasingly treated not as signals to examine but as conclusions to affirm. Discomfort is no longer something to work through but something to explain—often by projecting blame onto an external source. This mindset doesn’t stay in the therapy room. It has begun to shape political life, and the No Kings rallies offer a framework that favors affirmation over scrutiny: a clean moral narrative in which there are those who are wronged, and those responsible for the wrongdoing.

At their core, the rallies resemble bad group therapy—gatherings that offer validation, solidarity and emotional release. They feel good in the moment. Participants vent, find reinforcement among like-minded people, and leave feeling heard and aligned. The experience can seem productive, even clarifying. But like bad group therapy, it stops at validation. …

The composition of these rallies helps explain part of their dynamic. According to a survey conducted at a No Kings rally in the District of Columbia, attendees skew heavily toward highly educated, left-leaning white women in their 40s. This demographic stands at the forefront of the broader shift toward therapeutic language, in which emotional experience is elevated, validated and often treated as a kind of truth in itself.

“No Learning Please, We’re Democrats!” is the headline on Ruy Texiera’s latest Substack piece.  Texiera argues that his party has learned little from their 2024 defeat. Here’s an example:

The culture problem. This is a big one. The yawning gap between the cultural views of the Democratic Party, dominated by liberal professionals, and those of the median working class voter is screamingly obvious. One approach to this problem would be to actually change some of the Democratic Party positions that are so alienating to those voters.

Nah! That would be way too simple plus would create fights within our coalition plus…we’re on the right side of history aren’t we so why the hell would we change our correct, righteous positions? 

One issue on which top tier lefties are intransigent is guys competing in women’s sports. But it’s a loser. Even the International Olympic Committee just decreed that males will no longer be allowed to beat the heck out of women (not the IOC’s exact wording). The lefty Guardian shed tear.

In “The Conversation About Women That We Don’t Need To Have” Carrie Lukas takes us to a Heritage Foundation panel. Conservative women were discussing women’s roles and how to encourage and support young mothers. It appears to have been a fruitful discussion until:

Yet this panel not only wanted to explore ways to nurture a more family-friendly society, but to get government involved in subsidizing traditional families – with a working father and stay-at-home mother caring for children – specifically. There was a desire not just to end government programs penalizing marriage or undermining one-income families, but to push the pendulum toward the opposite.

For example, the panel considered whether it was time to talk about a system where men (yes, specifically men) who were breadwinners for a wife and children should be paid more than other workers, in order to uplift and encourage the creation of that traditional family structure. … The United States should not consider policies that would discriminate in favor of men with wives and children, and entitle them to more support or higher pay because of that status.

Supreme Leader Cheated Death by Seconds. Hot Air: Al Jazeera More Positive to Iran War Than MSM! Trashy Elites. Jessie Buckley’s Paean to Motherhood. More

Posted on by Charlotte Hays

Lucky bathroom break?

It now appears that Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is alive, having cheated death by seconds:

Iran’s new supreme leader survived US and Israeli air strikes because he stepped outside for a walk in his garden minutes before his home was hit by missiles.

Leaked audio obtained by The Telegraph reveals that Mojtaba Khamenei was targeted in the same attack that killed his father and other members of the Islamic Republic’s leadership. But he had gone outside “to do something” moments before Israeli Blue Sparrow ballistic missiles hit his residence at 9.32am local time on Feb 28.

Two other of the rump regime’s senior leaders were not so fortunate. One was the Commander of the dreaded Basji militia responsible for crushing dissent.

We still don’t know the Supreme Leader’s condition or who’s calling the shots, so to speak, in Iran. The Wall Street Journal maintains in an editorial (“The Battle for the Strait of Hormuz”) that the terror state continues to give the U.S. and Israel ample reason to continue weakening it:

It’s no mystery what Iran intends to achieve by blocking the Strait of Hormuz. It seeks to pressure President Trump to end the war prematurely, establishing an Iranian veto on energy flows and winning impunity in the future. But what if Mr. Trump won’t play along? The result is the emerging Battle of Hormuz.

An Iranian tanker blockade has always been the main contingency anticipated by war planners, and the U.S. has followed a phased plan of degrading air defenses, missiles and navy. These are prerequisites to reopening Hormuz to commercial traffic.

Niall Ferguson at The Free Press marvels that the debilitated Iranian regime can still muster the wherewithal to attack shippers in the strait, but his headline is a chiller: “This Is How the Iran War Goes Global.”  

European allies, if term is not a misnomer, are not tripping over themselves to help secure the Strait. “On Iran, Is Only Bad News Fit to Print?” argue Mark Penn and Andew Stein, in a Wall Street Journal op-ed that explains why the MSM headlines give you a pit in your stomach.  Indeed, Hot Air’s David Strom put up a post last night headlined “Al Jazeera Is Now More Positive on US-Israeli Strategy Than US Media.”

Do you believe you just need President Trump to talk more about why the U.S. struck Iran? Well, the Examiner Chief Political Correspondent Byron York’s “Why Is There Still Uncertainty about Iran War Aims?” might be enriching.

The Silence of the Houthis. In “Why We Haven’t Heard from the Houthis” (not that we were eager to) Asher Orkaby suggests, The Yemeni rebels now likely see Iran as a weak horse.” Meanwhile, Walter Russell Mead writes that “Iran Will Define Trump’s Legacy.” “He has a strong case to make, but if he backs down, the costs will be profound,” argues Mead.

Trashy Elites? This is what it looked like after the glitzy/woke  Oscars. “Rich people leaving their dirt, as always, for poor people,” somebody commented.  But there was one moment during the Oscars that is getting rave reviews in conservative circles: Best Actress and new mother Jessie Buckley’s paean to motherhood. “‘Beautiful Chaos Of a Mother’s Heart’: Jessie Buckley Uses Oscar Speech to Honor Husband, Daughter,” is The Federalist headline:

It’s a known fact to viewers that the Oscars and other indulgent cinema award ceremonies have long prioritized political, feminist messaging over the art and family values normal people hold dear.

But that is exactly why actresses like Jessie Buckley make headlines when they use their platforms to break this trend by honoring their husbands and children ahead of themselves.

Making headlines by saying good things about motherhood. Think about that. National Review has a piece about the man who did a lot to make motherhood unpopular—the recently deceased Paul Ehrlich, author of the disastrous book The Population Bomb. Noah Rothman’s NR piece on Ehrlich’s legacy is well worth reading. Meanwhile, Jack Butler writes in the Wall Street Journal that Ehrlich’s alarmism had tragic consequences. Like convincing us that having children was bad for the world’s resources! 

“Will Republicans Fight for the SAVE Act—or Fold Again?” is the headline on a RCP commentary by Heather Higgins. Higgins writes:

Republicans didn’t win the Senate so their leaders could manage expectations. They won it to deliver results. Will Republicans leaders actually deliver? We are about to find out with the SAVE America Act.

The legislation requires proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections. That’s not some fringe idea. It’s the law of the land in nearly every nation in the world – and is one of the most widely supported election reforms in the United States.

A February Harvard CAPS/Harris poll found 85% of voters say only U.S. citizens should vote in American elections. The same survey found 71% support the SAVE America Act itself, 81% support voter ID, and 75% support proof of citizenship requirements. Perhaps most striking: Roughly 70% of Democratic voters support voter ID.

That’s not partisan territory, that’s consensus. When an issue commands that level of support, failure usually isn’t about policy. It’s about will.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has shown no shortage of will in keeping the Department of Homeland Security shut down, but Daniel McCarthy writes that the gambit is becoming riskier and riskier.  The New York Post calls on the Dems to “stop the charade before it is too late.” Meanwhile, Susan Rice, whom you remember from the Biden administration, appears to have no qualms about trying to keep companies in line:

A former top official in the Biden and Obama administrations recently caused a stir after she appeared to vow political retribution against companies once Democrats regain control in Congress and the White House.

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., last week condemned plans for political retribution he believes Democrats, such as Susan Rice, hope to enact when they regain power and argued that both parties should refrain from using government power to pressure their political opposition.

“What Ms. Rice is talking about is payback,” Kennedy said, referring to comments Rice, who served as Biden’s domestic policy council director, had made on a podcast last month.

Did the Governor fear payback … from the powerful teacher unions? Here’s the latest on Andy Beshear:

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is supposed to be the great moderate hope for Democrats in 2028, but on Friday he revealed himself as a captive of the left’s most destructive interest group. He vetoed a bill to opt his state into the federal tax-credit scholarship program, taking dictation from the teachers union….

The good news is that Republicans who run the Legislature are promising to override the Governor’s veto, which they can do with a simple majority. Mr. Beshear knows this, but he’s figuring his veto will win points with the union even as parents can still benefit from the scholarships. No doubt he’s right, but the rest of the country has learned something important about Mr. Beshear’s values and priorities—and none of it’s good.

And here’s something potentially important about the American Psychological Association. According to City Journal, the association plays both sides of the gender debate:

Unlike some peer organizations, the American Psychological Association (APA) appears to be attempting a “split the difference” communications strategy. It presented one face in response to Singal, and another to the trans activist community—all while denying the contradictions between the two. It thus embodies many of the institutional failures Singal laments.

The APA attempted this ploy when Singal asked the association for a comment for his Times op-ed. The APA referred him to a letter by Katherine McGuire, the APA’s chief advocacy officer, written to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The letter walks back the APA’s unambiguous support for pediatric medical interventions, strongly suggesting that the organization supports only psychological interventions for minors experiencing gender dysphoria.

Personnel Problem. A longtime security employee for outgoing Rep. Jasmine Crockett was killed in a standoff with a SWAT team after being accused of impersonating a police officer. He also apparently used an alias. Truly weird.

Has Anybody Actually Seen the Supreme Leader? Can’t Hide: John Thune Tees Up SAVE America Act—sans ‘Talking Filibuster.’ Edith Wilson Writes Memoir. Wait–It Was the OTHER One

Posted on by Charlotte Hays

Oil prices are surging as two tankers are burning off the coast of Iraq, while “dire strait” referring to the Straight of Hormuz is today’s most popular pun. It is dire: seven ships have been attacked in the Persian Gulf. Israel is bombarding Beirut, and the terrorist organization Hezbollah is launching attacks on Israel.

Closer to home, we learn that, according to an FBI memo, Iran aspires to attack the coast of California with drones.  The New York Post quotes a former Army intelligence officer on this threat. Oh, and nobody’s seen hide nor hair of the new Supreme Leader. Amit Segal of The Free Press has a theory on this (“Where in the World Is Mojtaba Khamenei?”):

The Iranian regime is trying to hide their new Supreme Leader while the IRGC is running the war.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon estimates that the Iran War has cost the American taxpayer $11 billion. To put that in perspective, it’s $2 billion more than low-end estimates of what Minnesota’s Somali welfare fraud cost the American taxpayer.

Oil prices are an immediate concern of the American taxpayer. An editorial in the Wall Street Journal (“America’s Strategic Oil Exports”) says that argues that thanks to former Speaker Paul Ryan’s 2015 deal U.S. crude is now helping the world. New York Post “On the Money” columnist Charles Gasparino acknowledges the problem the war has created but also blames hedge funds.

President Trump is constantly being implored to give the end date for the war and to better explain it. For my money, the Wall Street Journal’s Barton Swaim does an excellent job of explaining for Trump in a column headlined “Trump’s Old-Fashioned War.” It’s a simple explanation:

What’s driving both camps batty is that the only plausible motivation for his order to strike Iran is a judicious and honorable one: that the regime in Tehran constantly menaces America and its allies, and that its rulers can be counted on to continue their pursuit of a nuclear weapon. No bizarre ulterior motive necessary….

Mr. Trump’s logorrhea, together with his habit of describing whatever his administration does in superlative terms, led him on Monday to say the war is “very complete, pretty much.” Yet it goes on. He can change his mind about anything at any time, but Mr. Trump is too old-fashioned to think he can call his presidency a success if the U.S. comes to terms with a belligerent Iran.

Conservative London Telegraph columnist Alister Heath, noting what he calls the “ludicrously defeatist” commentary on the war urges President Trump not to cede victory to “drone-wielding barbarians.” The American Conservative (TAC) on the other hand worries about “The Iran Escalation Doom Loop.” An irony of Khamenei Senior’s tenure, according to an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, is that he cemented the relationship between the U.S. and Israel. A Beirut journalist describes “the war Lebanon never wanted,” but I am going to quote a passage on the novelty of Lebanon—Beirut was once called “the Paris of the Middle East—in the region:

Lebanon is the only Arab country founded on a formal power-sharing system in which Christians serve not merely as a minority to be accommodated but as co-architects of the state. That delicate balance has been under pressure for decades. …

Lebanon’s Christian population was once central to the country’s political and economic life. But sustained waves of emigration—driven by insecurity, economic collapse and political marginalization—have shrunk that role. What was once a confident founding community has become increasingly cautious, reactive and demographically diminished.

Marvel at the viciousness and stupidity of this New York Times “analysis:” “How Hegseth Came to See Moral Purpose in War as Weakness.”

Senate Majority Leader, who unlike Khamenei Jr. is very much in evidence, has teed up the Trump-backed SAVE America Act, which would require an ID for voting, but will not allow the “talking filibuster” that many Republicans demand. The President’s endorsement of a GOP Senate candidate in Texas—Senator John Cornyn and Texas AG Ken Paxton are in a runoff—figures into his effort to pass the SAVE America Act. Wall Street Journal columnist Kimberley Strassel isn’t so sold on the “talking filibuster.” Townhall’s Kurt Schlichter isn’t sold on Cornyn but he says the incumbent has a better chance to beat “fake Christian Alfred E. Swaggert” (James Talarico). Meanwhile, Karl Rove says “don’t bank on Texas’s turning blue” but adds that the outcome of the Cornyn-Paxton GOP primary is crucial. Speaking of Talarico, the Dems’ latest ‘moderate,” the lad has reportedly been busy deleting names of more radical supporters from his website.

“UT Austin Strikes a Blow to Critical Theory” is a highly recommended City Journal story by John Masko that heralds a promising development in public higher education:

Big things are happening in higher education. Take the recent decision by Jim Davis, president of the University of Texas at Austin, to consolidate four academic departments—African and African Diaspora Studies; American Studies; Mexican American and Latina/Latino Studies; and Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies—into a single new Department of Social and Cultural Analysis.

Davis’s move is about more than efficiency. University administrators know that the “studies” disciplines are really just one discipline—critical theory. Davis is announcing that the game is up. Other universities should follow UT Austin’s lead. …

Texas’s consolidation reflects the fact that the “studies” disciplines are not primarily about women, African Americans, America, or whatever their prefix happens to be. Rather, they are about the application to those topics of critical theory—“a lens,” in the words of Helen Pluckrose and James Lindsay, “that detects power dynamics in every interaction, utterance, and cultural artifact—even when they aren’t obvious or real.”

Aside from disturbing reports that Russia was helping Iran target U.S. operations, the Brics Bloc (say that ten times fast) has been curiously quiet during the Iran war. According to Sadanand Dhumein the Wall Street Journal, that’s because the Brics Bloc is a house of cards. But don’t fall for the hype that China is going green, says Bjorn Lomborg.

“How You Know When Taxpayers Are Being Defrauded?” is the headline on James Freeman’s “Best of the Web” column. Freeman writes about CBS’ investigative report yesterday that shone a light on massive hospice fraud in California and picks up a memorable line from the CBS expose. There were concerns that …

High rates of terminally ill patients later discharged alive

Freeman explores other instances of taxpayers being cheated through large government programs, which should be a hotter topic than it is.

But I’m Betting There Won’t Be a No Kings Rally in Tehran. An LA Times contributor writes that it was a mistake for Iran’s rump government to shift to a hereditary dynasty in picking Khamenei Jr. to succeed his father. John Lott writes that the endgame for gun control is a completely disarmed population.

I have Iran on the brain this morning, but imagine how things might be different if dissident Iranians had access to guns.

Edith Wilson Memoir Discovered. Well, no, Former First Lady Jill Biden will publish a memoir in June. The New York Times says Mrs. Biden “will give her own account of her husband’s fraught re-election campaign and her views on his stunning decision to drop out of the 2024 presidential race.” It was stunning all right, but who thinks it was Joe’s decision?

I don’t want to put a damper on the former First Lady’s literary exertions. But there’s probably a better source of insider tales than you’ll find in Jill’s book. President Trump is declassifying a lot of stuff from the Biden administration. Julie Kelly explores this in her “Declassified with Julie Kelly” on Substack. The headline is “Denial of Executive Privilege is the Latest Karmic Episode for Democrats.” Jill, can you compete with this?

Control of Tiny Island Could Determine War. Khamenei Jr. Lacking in Charisma–but not Real Estate. Thune, Texas, ‘Talking Filibuster ‘& More

Posted on by Charlotte Hays

All eyes are on the Strait of Hormuz, conduit to one fifth of the world’s energy supply. The New York Post suggests that the results of entire war may come down to control of one small island—Kharg Island—in the Persian Gulf:

An island one-third the size of Manhattan controls virtually all Iranian crude oil exports — and experts say its fate could be essential to President Trump’s endgame with Tehran.

Kharg Island is located about 16 miles off the Iranian coast in the Persian Gulf, making it difficult to defend and easier to isolate — reportedly drawing the attention of administration planners.

“Kharg Island handles roughly 90% of Iran’s crude oil exports. Take it out, and this means cutting off the military budget in addition to pulling the plug on the basic services that keep Iranian society functioning,” said Mohammed Soliman, a senior fellow at the DC-based Middle East Institute.

“Losing Kharg for even a few weeks will create a security and societal crisis in Iran at the same time. Tehran doesn’t get to choose which one to deal with first,” said Soliman, author of “West Asia: A New American Grand Strategy in the Middle East.”

Oil prices had dropped to around $80 a barrel early this morning, as the U.S walked back claims that an oil tanker had been escorted through the Strait. The Wall Street Journal highlights alleged differences between the U.S. and Israel as to when the war ends. Outraged Bernard-Henri Levy insists that the “notion that Benjamin Netanyahu is pulling the president’s strings is particularly absurd. … Anti-Semites will believe anything.”

Fog of War. National Review’s Andrew McCathy writes that President Trump is “preparing an off-ramp” and chides the President for what McCarthy sees as not making a stronger case for the war before launching it. Jason Riley of the Wall Street Journal says that the President’s “intentional ambiguity” on Iran will not serve the GOP well in the midterms. To get really fogged in read the MSM: Mark Penn posts a string of headlines from recent coverage of the Iran War and reflects:

The press is a drumbeat of negativity favoring the Iran regime. It’s puzzling at this point how any success is buried. The reality is likely the regime is being pummeled on all sides and has no ability to provide for its people.

Politico reports that the White House is hoping that the war will end before real economic pain but is skeptical. NEPO-NOPO. Iran’s Supreme Leader Junior is being protected by a special killer squad known as NOPO. Junior, incidentally, has a superb portfolio of international real estate, including digs in London’s exclusive Kensington Square. Junior, till keeping a low profile, is said to have the “charisma of a boiled potato.” Not that the old guy was a charmer either. I’ve noticed a shift in pro-Iran war rhetoric—Laura Ingram last night was imploring the Iranian people, whose pleas for help did not fall on deaf ears, to rise up.

We need to say a few more words about the Iranian women’s soccer team. After years of watching pampered American athletes kneel for our national anthem, we saw the Iranian women’s soccer team show real courage. There are consequences for not singing the national anthem in a bloody totalitarian regime. This brings us to a question: Why isn’t motormouth Megan Rapinoe using her megaphone for Iran’s female soccer team?

CNN’s original story on the attack at Gracie Mansion by ISIS-loving alleged terrorists is one for the books. We must never forget it. It must be quoted:

“Two Pennsylvania teenagers crossed into New York City Saturday morning for what could’ve been a normal day enjoying the city during abnormally warm weather,” read the post. “But in less than an hour, their lives would drastically change as the pair would be arrested for throwing homemade bombs during an anti-Muslim protest outside of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s home. Here’s what we know so far.”

CNN removed the report and is “spinning like mad” to cover its “terrorist apologia.” CNN lamely tried to say that the original quote didn’t meet its high editorial standards. But it passed muster of editors, right, and was published. National Review says that the left can’t hide the truth about the Gracie Mansion attempted bombing. NR Editor Rich Lowry wittily demolished the attempted coverup yesterday. But New Yorkers can’t get enough of the brave policeman who foiled the bomb attack.

Meanwhile, a group of House Republicans this morning publishes an op-ed at Fox Digital accusing Senate Republicans of “twiddling their thumbs” instead of working to pass the SAVE America Act, which would require an ID to vote. Senate Majority Leader John Thune is coming under attack because he resists forcing the Democrats to engage in a “talking filibuster” on the SAVE America Act, arguing that “the votes still would not be there.” The Save America Act could factor into a Trump endorsement in the Texas Senate race (also here). An editorial in the Wall Street Journal calls the “talking filibuster” a “mirage:”

The reality is that Democratic Senators could take turns giving interminable speeches. 

Texas’ Democratic Senate hopeful James Talarico is being compared to Barack Obama. He’s running as a moderate (natch), but National Review says Talarico is “not, in fact, a moderate, unless “moderate” is now a synonym for “white man.”  In Georgia, Trump-backed Clayton Fuller will face Democrat Shawn Harris the replace Marjorie Taylor Greene in the House.

Republic of Fraud. Minnesota’s multi-billion-dollar Somali fraud was just the beginning. Since learning about Minnesota’s welfare largesse, we’ve been assaulted by reports of mind-boggling fraud in other states, all seemingly involving government (i.e., taxpayer) money. Even when there is no fraud, expenditures are alarming. A front-page Wall Street Journal report on “the boom in autism therapy” doesn’t allege fraud, but shows how unevaluated Medicaid expenses can skyrocket:

Some companies have found lucrative opportunities to capitalize on a growing need, billing long hours and extracting payments as high as $800 an hour.

A CBS Investigation, meanwhile, is billed as “We visited “ground zero” for hospice fraud: Los Angeles, California:”

Medicare is federally administered, and hospices must be certified for reimbursements. But the state issues the licenses for hospices to operate.

Three years ago, California’s state auditor sounded the alarm that Los Angeles County had seen a 1,500% increase in hospice companies since 2010 – more than six times the national average relative to its elderly population.

Auditors estimated LA County hospices overbilled Medicare by $105 million in a single year. The report called out notable red flags – key warning signs of fraud.

Follow the Science. Joe Nocera has a piece headlined “Science Has a Major Fraud Problem” in The Free Press. Nocera follows “the murky world of fraudulent research, and the sleuths exposing dishonest science.” I’m betting that government money plays a big part in the story.

How smart is AI really? Kobe Yank-Jacobs argues that AI can do the work but asks if it can do the job. How smart is the Pentagon-Anthropic spat? A Wall Street Journal op-ed argues that the dust up is beneficial to China.

Brit transplant and Fox Contributor Steve Hilton, a Republican, appears to actually have a chance at being elected Governor of California. Hilton’s Rise Could Spare Dems from Disaster in California Gov’s Race” is the Politico headline:

Hilton, a Fox News commentator, leads the pack with 19 percent of likely voters in the latest UC Berkeley Citrin Center for Public Opinion Research-POLITICO poll. Behind him is a pile-up of virtually tied candidates — Democrat Tom Steyer at 13 percent and, with 11 percent each, Democrats Katie Porter and Eric Swalwell and Republican Chad Bianco.

Conservatives might be forgiven for thinking the catastrophe to be averted would be a continuation of current policies in California.

Underreported Stories of November 3

Posted on by Chrissy Clark

It’s Thursday, November 3, and these are the five underreported stories that you need to know. 

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