hotair--2020-08-05--Rand Paul: Republicans should apologize to Obama for pretending that they cared about spending

This is cute , but no one owes apologies to Obama .
Nor , contra Paul , do any Republicans owe apologies for feeling obliged to spend during a once-in-a-century pandemic in which millions have been forced into unemployment by safety-driven government lockdowns .
But you know what I will take an apology for ?
I ’ ll accept one for running gigantic deficits during a sustained pre-pandemic economic boom with a Republican president in office , Republicans in control of the Senate , and , for two years , Republicans in charge of the House .
That ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tea party was a fraud to its core , not the exorbitant emergency relief effort that Congress is now engaged in .
What we ’ re seeing from Paul here , as we ’ ve seen from Ted Cruz lately , is a bit of early positioning by tea-party favorites to steer a post-Trump GOP back towards nominal fiscal conservatism if/when you-know-who gets thumped in November .
Never Trumpers are frequently accused of believing that all they need to do is get rid of Trump this fall and the party will magically revert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his candidacy in 2015 .
But in my experience that couldn ’ t be more wrong .
It ’ s opportunistic Trump-hugging cronies like Paul who think they ’ re one election away from relevance again .
Never Trumpers , in contrast , are the righties who are most thoroughly disillusioned about what they thought the GOP stood for .
Trump ’ s presidency isn ’ t an interregnum between periods of Reaganism in their view , it ’ s an expose that busted the myth that Republican politicians or voters ever cared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conservatism ” or , you know , basic ethics .
Stuart Stevens , a former GOP strategist and now a member of the Lincoln Project , has a book out this week about his own disillusionment with the party titled “ It Was All a Lie.
” You can ’ t do better than that as a summary of the Never Trump verdict on the pre-Trump GOP .
It was all a lie .
Hose it down with kerosene and light a match .
Never Trumpers have walked away .
Paul and Cruz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t figured out yet that it was all a lie or , more likely , because they still harbor presidential ambitions and think Tea Party 2.0 is their likeliest path to fulfillment .
Ross Douthat wrote a few days ago about the fork in the road the party will face if Trump goes down on Election Day .
There are more than two tines to that fork .
There ’ s Tea Party 2.0 ; there ’ s special-interest establishment Republicanism ; there ’ s nationalism and its assortment of white identity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ ll call “ post-Reaganism , ” which makes exceptions to fiscal conservative orthodoxy about spending and taxes in order to benefit middle-class families .
Oh , and there ’ s also Trumpism : Just because Trump is no longer president doesn ’ t mean his cult of personality is certain to vanish .
He could still exert influence from a remove .
Tea Party 2.0 is destined to be a strong faction not because any of its adherents particularly care about small government but because the modern GOP ’ s true @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for , is apt to be most directly inflamed by Biden ’ s domestic agenda .
We ’ ll be spending a fortune with Bernie and Warren whispering in his ear .
Ergo spending will be bad again .
But in truth , fiscal policy within the party will be beside the point going forward just as it was in the past .
The current GOP is foremost a party of culture war ; whichever faction emerges as dominant will have to be at least as passionate about prosecuting that culture war as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agenda .
Cruz seems to understand that .
He ’ s been chattier lately about federal spending because of the opportunity presented by the coronavirus relief negotiations , but watch him on Twitter and in his interviews and you ’ ll find that he doesn ’ t dwell on evangelizing about debt and deficits .
Most of his rhetoric is devoted to highlighting the excesses of the left .
What was it he held a hearing on this week ?
Was it the potential effects of coronavirus-related debt on America ’ s ability @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Medicare ?
Or was it Antifa ?
Cruz knows what Republicans care about .
Prove that you ’ re willing to prosecute the culture war and they ’ ll give you a wide berth on whichever fiscal policy you wish to pursue .
( That ’ s a core lesson of Trump ’ s ascendance , no ? )
He ’ ll have his hands full with the nationalists on cultural matters and with the post-Reaganists on fiscal matters .
I wish him luck .
The Never Trumpers will be long gone @

This is cute, but no one owes apologies to Obama.
Nor, contra Paul, do any Republicans owe apologies for feeling obliged to spend during a once-in-a-century pandemic in which millions have been forced into unemployment by safety-driven government lockdowns.
But you know what I will take an apology for? I’ll accept one for running gigantic deficits during a sustained pre-pandemic economic boom with a Republican president in office, Republicans in control of the Senate, and, for two years, Republicans in charge of the House. That’s the spending binge that proved that the tea party was a fraud to its core, not the exorbitant emergency relief effort that Congress is now engaged in.
Heartbreaking: The Worst Person You Know Just Made A Great Point pic.twitter.com/yyM5WQobYD — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 5, 2020
What we’re seeing from Paul here, as we’ve seen from Ted Cruz lately, is a bit of early positioning by tea-party favorites to steer a post-Trump GOP back towards nominal fiscal conservatism if/when you-know-who gets thumped in November. Never Trumpers are frequently accused of believing that all they need to do is get rid of Trump this fall and the party will magically revert to what it was before he announced his candidacy in 2015. But in my experience that couldn’t be more wrong. It’s opportunistic Trump-hugging cronies like Paul who think they’re one election away from relevance again.
Never Trumpers, in contrast, are the righties who are most thoroughly disillusioned about what they thought the GOP stood for. Trump’s presidency isn’t an interregnum between periods of Reaganism in their view, it’s an expose that busted the myth that Republican politicians or voters ever cared much about smaller government or “constitutional conservatism” or, you know, basic ethics. Stuart Stevens, a former GOP strategist and now a member of the Lincoln Project, has a book out this week about his own disillusionment with the party titled “It Was All a Lie.” You can’t do better than that as a summary of the Never Trump verdict on the pre-Trump GOP.
It was all a lie. Hose it down with kerosene and light a match.
Never Trumpers have walked away. Paul and Cruz are sticking around either because they haven’t figured out yet that it was all a lie or, more likely, because they still harbor presidential ambitions and think Tea Party 2.0 is their likeliest path to fulfillment.
Ross Douthat wrote a few days ago about the fork in the road the party will face if Trump goes down on Election Day. There are more than two tines to that fork. There’s Tea Party 2.0; there’s special-interest establishment Republicanism; there’s nationalism and its assortment of white identity politics; and there’s something we’ll call “post-Reaganism,” which makes exceptions to fiscal conservative orthodoxy about spending and taxes in order to benefit middle-class families. Oh, and there’s also Trumpism: Just because Trump is no longer president doesn’t mean his cult of personality is certain to vanish. He could still exert influence from a remove. Tea Party 2.0 is destined to be a strong faction not because any of its adherents particularly care about small government but because the modern GOP’s true credo, being against what Democrats are for, is apt to be most directly inflamed by Biden’s domestic agenda. We’ll be spending a fortune with Bernie and Warren whispering in his ear. Ergo spending will be bad again.
But in truth, fiscal policy within the party will be beside the point going forward just as it was in the past. The current GOP is foremost a party of culture war; whichever faction emerges as dominant will have to be at least as passionate about prosecuting that culture war as it is about the rest of its agenda. Cruz seems to understand that. He’s been chattier lately about federal spending because of the opportunity presented by the coronavirus relief negotiations, but watch him on Twitter and in his interviews and you’ll find that he doesn’t dwell on evangelizing about debt and deficits. Most of his rhetoric is devoted to highlighting the excesses of the left. What was it he held a hearing on this week? Was it the potential effects of coronavirus-related debt on America’s ability to meet its entitlement obligations, starting with Medicare? Or was it Antifa?
Cruz knows what Republicans care about. Prove that you’re willing to prosecute the culture war and they’ll give you a wide berth on whichever fiscal policy you wish to pursue. (That’s a core lesson of Trump’s ascendance, no?) He’ll have his hands full with the nationalists on cultural matters and with the post-Reaganists on fiscal matters. I wish him luck. The Never Trumpers will be long gone.


hotair--2020-08-05--Here's why there is a shortage of disinfectant cleaning wipes in your store

Checking off items from a weekly shopping list is a tricky task these days .
The coronavirus pandemic brought something most of us have never seen before in the United States – rows of empty shelves in grocery stores .
The shortages aren ’ t just food items .
There are some shortages in cleaning supplies , too .
No one wants to be without cleaning supplies when we are in the throes of a plague .
Antiseptic cleaning wipes are a common item in most American homes but that ’ s not the case now .
If you ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , you know that you can ’ t find a Clorox antiseptic cleaning wipe .
The wipes quickly flew off the shelves at the very beginning of the pandemic outbreak and we haven ’ t seen them since .
Get used to it , fellow shoppers .
Clorox CEO Benno Dorer says that the product won ’ t be back on store shelves in an adequate supply until sometime in 2021 .
Until then we ’ ll have to continue cleaning countertops and other surfaces the old-fashioned way – cleaning solution and water @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other container and applied with a cloth .
It usually works out to be a more economical way of disinfecting surfaces but the wipes are just so darn quick and convenient .
As mitigation recommendations became clear in the early days of the plague , shoppers began hoarding cleaning supplies , just as they did other items like toilet paper .
Clorox and other companies like Lysol were caught unprepared to meet the increased demands of consumers .
Clorox is the world ’ s biggest cleaning products maker .
The company sites a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The company is currently understocked across much of its portfolio , which includes Glad trash bags and Burt ’ s Bees lip balm .
Supply for most products , like liquid bleach , will improve dramatically over the next four to six months – but not wipes , Dorer said on Monday .
Clorox products are used in Uber vehicles and United Airlines planes , and are sold by major retailers like Walmart , Amazon and Kroger .
“ Disinfecting wipes , which are the hottest commodity in the business right now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s a very complex supply chain to make them , ” Dorer said .
It turns out that the supply chain is stressed because the cleaning wipes are made with polyester spunlace , a material currently in short supply .
It is also used to make personal protective equipment like masks , medical gowns , and medical wipes .
“ That entire supply chain is stressed .
… We feel like it ’ s probably going to take until 2021 before we ’ re able to meet all the demand that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in May Dorer predicted that store shelves would be restocked by the summer , that has not materialized .
Clorox has since made “ major ” capital investments to ramp up production and profits are up .
Since then , Clorox has made “ major ” capital investments so it can ramp up output each quarter , including simplifying its disinfectant product line-up at factories that run 24/7 every day of the year .
Clorox began outsourcing some manufacturing this year to 10 third-party supplies , and plans to keep looking for more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sales and earnings that widely topped analysts ’ expectations , driven by a 33 % increase in revenue from its health and wellness business , which makes cleaning products and accounts for more than 40 % of total sales .
Clorox shares were up 2.5 % on Tuesday .
I checked out Amazon this morning to see how the supply is there and the wipes are still sold out , except for one item I found .
There is a canister of Clorox wipes – Orange Fusion scented – for the outlandish price @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 75 wipes .
For reference , a regular price for a canister of 75 wipes goes for $ 4.99 .
Toilet paper returned at a quicker pace because manufacturers didn ’ t face a raw material shortage .
Proctor & Gamble , for example , had to make adjustments to bring supplies back to meet the demands of consumers .
Though shoppers were emptying shelves of toilet paper in the early days of the pandemic , increasing supply was a relatively straightforward process .
By April , Procter & Gamble ’ s Mehoopany @ @ @ @ @ @ @ making record amounts of Charmin and Bounty , more than we ’ ve ever made in the history of P & G , ” said Jose de los Rios , the site ’ s environmental leader .
The Mehoopany plant , which covers nearly 2 million square feet , is P & G ’ s largest facility in the U.S. and serves approximately half of the U.S. population , focusing mostly in the Northeast .
The Mehoopany plant did not face raw material constraints because the company gets most of its pulp from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the rise in demand for tissue was balanced out by the drop in demand for other pulp-derived products , such as office paper , due to widespread work-from-home policies .
While P & G was able to increase its paper production , doing so wasn ’ t as easy as simply adding more paper machines .
Although the existing machines already ran at close to 100 % production rate , according to de los Rios , buying new machines was not a viable solution .
These are extremely expensive investments of $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ process from ordering to getting the correct environmental permits to finally starting up production can take two years .
Instead , P & G has optimized its existing machines by reducing planned downtime events and changeovers .
It has also been “ streamlining ” its lineup to focus on the products that customers most want , according to Rick McLeod , vice president of product supply for P & G Family Care .
McLeod also said he believes the industry will get more efficient in the long term because of these changes .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ are scrambling to meet demands for wipes , too .
Lysol ’ s revenue was up over 50 % in the first quarter of 2020 , but its parent company Reckitt Benckiser continued to ramp up production to meet the high demand .
The gap exists for smaller players in the industry too .
Seventh Generation , a leading manufacturer in green cleaning and hygiene products , has already delivered 63 % more product in the first half of 2020 than in 2019 , but demand spiked 300-400 % , according to senior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The biggest snags in the supply chain have really been in disinfectant wipes , ” said Barch .
Since no one thinks the coronavirus is going away any time soon , it surely has changed many aspects of our day-to-day lives , including shopping for supplies other than food .
Just as shoppers learned lessons about preparedness early on with food products when shutdowns happen and people panic hoarded food , we are learning the same lessons about other necessities like cleaning products .
And , flu season will be here @ @ @ @ @

Checking off items from a weekly shopping list is a tricky task these days. The coronavirus pandemic brought something most of us have never seen before in the United States – rows of empty shelves in grocery stores. The shortages aren’t just food items. There are some shortages in cleaning supplies, too.
No one wants to be without cleaning supplies when we are in the throes of a plague. Antiseptic cleaning wipes are a common item in most American homes but that’s not the case now. If you’re the designated shopper in your family, you know that you can’t find a Clorox antiseptic cleaning wipe. The wipes quickly flew off the shelves at the very beginning of the pandemic outbreak and we haven’t seen them since.
Get used to it, fellow shoppers. Clorox CEO Benno Dorer says that the product won’t be back on store shelves in an adequate supply until sometime in 2021. Until then we’ll have to continue cleaning countertops and other surfaces the old-fashioned way – cleaning solution and water mixed together in a bucket or some other container and applied with a cloth. It usually works out to be a more economical way of disinfecting surfaces but the wipes are just so darn quick and convenient.
As mitigation recommendations became clear in the early days of the plague, shoppers began hoarding cleaning supplies, just as they did other items like toilet paper. Clorox and other companies like Lysol were caught unprepared to meet the increased demands of consumers. Clorox is the world’s biggest cleaning products maker. The company sites a six-fold increase in demand for its disinfectants.
The company is currently understocked across much of its portfolio, which includes Glad trash bags and Burt’s Bees lip balm. Supply for most products, like liquid bleach, will improve dramatically over the next four to six months – but not wipes, Dorer said on Monday. Clorox products are used in Uber vehicles and United Airlines planes, and are sold by major retailers like Walmart, Amazon and Kroger. “Disinfecting wipes, which are the hottest commodity in the business right now, will probably take longer because it’s a very complex supply chain to make them,” Dorer said.
It turns out that the supply chain is stressed because the cleaning wipes are made with polyester spunlace, a material currently in short supply. It is also used to make personal protective equipment like masks, medical gowns, and medical wipes. “That entire supply chain is stressed. … We feel like it’s probably going to take until 2021 before we’re able to meet all the demand that we have,” Dorer said. Though in May Dorer predicted that store shelves would be restocked by the summer, that has not materialized.
Clorox has since made “major” capital investments to ramp up production and profits are up.
Since then, Clorox has made “major” capital investments so it can ramp up output each quarter, including simplifying its disinfectant product line-up at factories that run 24/7 every day of the year. Clorox began outsourcing some manufacturing this year to 10 third-party supplies, and plans to keep looking for more. On Monday, Clorox reported fourth-quarter sales and earnings that widely topped analysts’ expectations, driven by a 33% increase in revenue from its health and wellness business, which makes cleaning products and accounts for more than 40% of total sales. Clorox shares were up 2.5% on Tuesday.
I checked out Amazon this morning to see how the supply is there and the wipes are still sold out, except for one item I found. There is a canister of Clorox wipes – Orange Fusion scented – for the outlandish price of $22.95. The canister holds 75 wipes. For reference, a regular price for a canister of 75 wipes goes for $4.99.
Toilet paper returned at a quicker pace because manufacturers didn’t face a raw material shortage. Proctor & Gamble, for example, had to make adjustments to bring supplies back to meet the demands of consumers.
Though shoppers were emptying shelves of toilet paper in the early days of the pandemic, increasing supply was a relatively straightforward process. By April, Procter & Gamble’s Mehoopany, Pennsylvania paper division plant was “making record amounts of Charmin and Bounty, more than we’ve ever made in the history of P&G,” said Jose de los Rios, the site’s environmental leader. The Mehoopany plant, which covers nearly 2 million square feet, is P&G’s largest facility in the U.S. and serves approximately half of the U.S. population, focusing mostly in the Northeast. The Mehoopany plant did not face raw material constraints because the company gets most of its pulp from North America and Latin America. Furthermore, the rise in demand for tissue was balanced out by the drop in demand for other pulp-derived products, such as office paper, due to widespread work-from-home policies. While P&G was able to increase its paper production, doing so wasn’t as easy as simply adding more paper machines. Although the existing machines already ran at close to 100% production rate, according to de los Rios, buying new machines was not a viable solution. These are extremely expensive investments of $250 million or more, and the process from ordering to getting the correct environmental permits to finally starting up production can take two years. Instead, P&G has optimized its existing machines by reducing planned downtime events and changeovers. It has also been “streamlining” its lineup to focus on the products that customers most want, according to Rick McLeod, vice president of product supply for P&G Family Care. McLeod also said he believes the industry will get more efficient in the long term because of these changes.
The makers of other brands of disinfectants are scrambling to meet demands for wipes, too.
Lysol’s revenue was up over 50% in the first quarter of 2020, but its parent company Reckitt Benckiser continued to ramp up production to meet the high demand. The gap exists for smaller players in the industry too. Seventh Generation, a leading manufacturer in green cleaning and hygiene products, has already delivered 63% more product in the first half of 2020 than in 2019, but demand spiked 300-400%, according to senior director of the supply chain Jim Barch. “The biggest snags in the supply chain have really been in disinfectant wipes,” said Barch.
Since no one thinks the coronavirus is going away any time soon, it surely has changed many aspects of our day-to-day lives, including shopping for supplies other than food. Just as shoppers learned lessons about preparedness early on with food products when shutdowns happen and people panic hoarded food, we are learning the same lessons about other necessities like cleaning products. And, flu season will be here before we know it.


hotair--2020-08-06--Retaliation? Project Veritas founder sues FBI after blacklisting for firearm purchases

How did James O ’ Keefe end up on a NICS denial list for firearms purchases ?
The founder of Project Veritas aims to find out , filing a lawsuit against the FBI for infringing on his Second Amendment rights .
The system “ falsely identified ” O ’ Keefe as a convicted felon , which is either a processing failure that should concern people about the accuracy of NICS , or retaliation of some kind , which should concern everyone .
In the meantime , O ’ Keefe is getting as much mileage out of the situation as he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has denied his ability to purchase a firearm , the FBI disclosed O ’ Keefe is falsely identified as a convicted felon on the NICS ( National Instant Criminal Background Check ) list .
He has never been convicted of a felony .
“ The lawsuit is being filed in the Southern District Court of New York seeking an order requiring the FBI to remove him from this list as required by law under 18 U.S.C .
§ 925A , ” said Jered Ede Esq.
, who is representing O ’ Keefe .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ disclosed what information it is relying on to place him on its watch list , ” Ede stated in the complaint filed with the court .
How did O ’ Keefe get on the NICS list in the first place ?
The most obvious explanation is that the FBI misinterpreted O ’ Keefe ’ s conviction in Louisiana in 2010 , when he got charged with a felony initially in his ill-conceived sting operation on then-Senator Mary Landrieu ’ s office .
That was an excessive charge at best , though , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a felony .
O ’ Keefe eventually pled guilty to a misdemeanor , paid a fine , and completed a three-year probation sentence several years ago .
O ’ Keefe and the other defendants apologized for their actions , and O ’ Keefe has never made that mistake since .
( He ’ s less apologetic now , as you ’ ll see in the video , and argues that he never should have been charged at all . )
His lawsuit notes that any information suggesting a felony conviction or a qualifying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and claims the FBI will not disclose their source for that information : In the video , O ’ Keefe wonders aloud whether his listing is retaliatory for his reporting : I ’ m unaware of any O ’ Keefe or PV reporting that put the FBI in a bad light .
In this case , I ’ d more inclined to apply Hanlon ’ s Razor : Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity .
Incompetence of one form or another is a likelier explanation ; either a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or it ’ s just a random error .
There are issues with those explanations as well , however .
For instance , how did NICS even hear about a misdemeanor case at all ?
How did O ’ Keefe end up being a random error in the system ?
And those explanations still raise questions about the competence of the NICS system ( in both directions ) , and how many other Americans with less visibility might be unfairly constrained from exercising their Second Amendment rights .
The lawsuit will be entertaining @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do the smart thing and moot it by correcting the NICS record .
For that , perhaps we need to coin another aphorism : Never bet on bureaucracy doing the smart and expedient thing .

How did James O’Keefe end up on a NICS denial list for firearms purchases? The founder of Project Veritas aims to find out, filing a lawsuit against the FBI for infringing on his Second Amendment rights. The system “falsely identified” O’Keefe as a convicted felon, which is either a processing failure that should concern people about the accuracy of NICS, or retaliation of some kind, which should concern everyone.
In the meantime, O’Keefe is getting as much mileage out of the situation as he can:
When asked why the FBI has denied his ability to purchase a firearm, the FBI disclosed O’Keefe is falsely identified as a convicted felon on the NICS (National Instant Criminal Background Check) list. He has never been convicted of a felony. “The lawsuit is being filed in the Southern District Court of New York seeking an order requiring the FBI to remove him from this list as required by law under 18 U.S.C. § 925A,” said Jered Ede Esq., who is representing O’Keefe. “Notably, the FBI has not disclosed what information it is relying on to place him on its watch list,” Ede stated in the complaint filed with the court.
How did O’Keefe get on the NICS list in the first place? The most obvious explanation is that the FBI misinterpreted O’Keefe’s conviction in Louisiana in 2010, when he got charged with a felony initially in his ill-conceived sting operation on then-Senator Mary Landrieu’s office. That was an excessive charge at best, though, and it was never brought to trial as a felony. O’Keefe eventually pled guilty to a misdemeanor, paid a fine, and completed a three-year probation sentence several years ago. O’Keefe and the other defendants apologized for their actions, and O’Keefe has never made that mistake since. (He’s less apologetic now, as you’ll see in the video, and argues that he never should have been charged at all.)
His lawsuit notes that any information suggesting a felony conviction or a qualifying jail sentence under NICS is false, and claims the FBI will not disclose their source for that information:
In the video, O’Keefe wonders aloud whether his listing is retaliatory for his reporting:
O’KEEFE: Denied. That’s crazy. I wonder if that’s more retaliation. RAY (RAY’S GUN SHOP): Could be. O’KEEFE: Insane. RAY (RAY’S GUN SHOP): They don’t like you. You’re in the newspaper business, man. O’KEEFE: That’s right. RAY (RAY’S GUN SHOP): If they don’t. O’KEEFE: I’m just trying to protect myself. RAY (RAY’S GUN SHOP): I’d go after em. And I’ll tell ya if it infringes off your work. Yeah. Get a lawyer. File a complaint against the FBI.
I’m unaware of any O’Keefe or PV reporting that put the FBI in a bad light. In this case, I’d more inclined to apply Hanlon’s Razor: Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity. Incompetence of one form or another is a likelier explanation; either a NICS employee misinterpreted the 2010 case, or it’s just a random error. There are issues with those explanations as well, however. For instance, how did NICS even hear about a misdemeanor case at all? How did O’Keefe end up being a random error in the system? And those explanations still raise questions about the competence of the NICS system (in both directions), and how many other Americans with less visibility might be unfairly constrained from exercising their Second Amendment rights.
The lawsuit will be entertaining, assuming the FBI doesn’t do the smart thing and moot it by correcting the NICS record. For that, perhaps we need to coin another aphorism: Never bet on bureaucracy doing the smart and expedient thing.


hotair--2020-08-06--Trump: Let's face it, Biden wants to "hurt God" and "hurt the Bible"

A clip that made me laugh out loud .
Not being religious myself , I ’ ve always grudgingly admired how transparent Trump is in his pandering to evangelicals .
He ’ s so naked in his insincerity that he attains a degree of honesty few other Republican pols match in their own religious pandering .
I think back to the “ Two Corinthians ” episode on the trail in early 2016 .
It would have taken so little effort for him to get up to speed on the basic trappings of Christian faith , but he ’ s just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time .
He ’ d rather play his eight hundredth round of golf .
Clearly he didn ’ t even run through the “ Two Corinthians ” speech with someone beforehand to say , “ What ’ s this ‘ II Corinthians ’ thing here ?
How do I pronounce that ?
” Having Park Police gas protesters out of Lafayette Park so that he could traipse across the street and wave around a Bible for the cameras is the supreme example .
He ’ s so crude in his religious grandstanding that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he respects the faith of his Christian supporters in any meaningful way .
“ What is it these people like ?
The Bible , right ?
Let ’ s go do some photos with a Bible or whatever.
” He doesn ’ t hide his cynicism .
And evangelicals don ’ t seem to mind .
So why should he change ?
Here ’ s a hilarious example .
You can imagine how a Republican politician who *is* versed in Christian belief would have framed this attack .
It would have started with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are pro-abortion , would have pivoted to the left ’ s crusade to use antidiscrimination laws to force Christian bakers and florists to cater gay weddings , and would have landed on the double standard practiced by Dem governors in locking down churches over COVID but not anti-racism protests .
He can ’ t be bothered to make the effort .
He goes straight to the subtext .
“ Yeah , anyway , here ’ s some stuff for the Christians .
Biden wants to hurt the Bible , he wants to hurt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guns , all the stuff you people like .
All right ?
Let ’ s go have lunch.
” It ’ s Christian conservatism as a second , or maybe even third , language .
How would one “ hurt ” a Bible , exactly , let alone God ?
What he ’ s offering here isn ’ t an argument or even a thought , properly understood .
It ’ s just pairing random threatening verbs with things Christians find sacrosanct , a la mad libs .
“ Biden wants to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
” “ Biden wants to the .
” It doesn ’ t have to make sense .
He ’ s just checking the box .
Again , Christians don ’ t seem to mind .
It ’ s true , Trump ’ s campaign did use an altered photo of Biden praying in a new ad to try to make him look weak : Fair point from Times reporter Maggie Haberman : Why is Trump steering the coverage towards Biden ’ s personal faith , which is a comparatively strong point for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instead of letting Biden ’ s latest insult to black voters percolate a bit ?
It reminds me of what one source told Politico earlier this week when asked about Trump ’ s strategy : He felt like accusing Biden of hurting God today so that ’ s what he did .
The Christians ’ ll love it .
Won ’ t they ?
I ’ ll leave you with this .
Eventually I ’ ll figure out why GOPers are so confident he ’ ll thrash Biden in the debates , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @

A clip that made me laugh out loud. Not being religious myself, I’ve always grudgingly admired how transparent Trump is in his pandering to evangelicals. He’s so naked in his insincerity that he attains a degree of honesty few other Republican pols match in their own religious pandering. I think back to the “Two Corinthians” episode on the trail in early 2016. It would have taken so little effort for him to get up to speed on the basic trappings of Christian faith, but he’s just never cared enough to carve out the time. He’d rather play his eight hundredth round of golf. Clearly he didn’t even run through the “Two Corinthians” speech with someone beforehand to say, “What’s this ‘II Corinthians’ thing here? How do I pronounce that?”
Having Park Police gas protesters out of Lafayette Park so that he could traipse across the street and wave around a Bible for the cameras is the supreme example. He’s so crude in his religious grandstanding that it’s impossible to conclude that he respects the faith of his Christian supporters in any meaningful way. “What is it these people like? The Bible, right? Let’s go do some photos with a Bible or whatever.”
He doesn’t hide his cynicism. And evangelicals don’t seem to mind. So why should he change?
Here’s a hilarious example. You can imagine how a Republican politician who *is* versed in Christian belief would have framed this attack. It would have started with the fact that Biden and the Democrats are pro-abortion, would have pivoted to the left’s crusade to use antidiscrimination laws to force Christian bakers and florists to cater gay weddings, and would have landed on the double standard practiced by Dem governors in locking down churches over COVID but not anti-racism protests. He can’t be bothered to make the effort. He goes straight to the subtext. “Yeah, anyway, here’s some stuff for the Christians. Biden wants to hurt the Bible, he wants to hurt God too, and also take the guns, all the stuff you people like. All right? Let’s go have lunch.”
Here's Trump in Ohio claiming that Joe Biden is "against God." "No religion, no anything, hurt the Bible, hurt God. He's against God," Trump says. 🙃 pic.twitter.com/IwAjgbkEyB — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 6, 2020
It’s Christian conservatism as a second, or maybe even third, language. How would one “hurt” a Bible, exactly, let alone God? What he’s offering here isn’t an argument or even a thought, properly understood. It’s just pairing random threatening verbs with things Christians find sacrosanct, a la mad libs. “Biden wants to [sinister verb] the [sacred figure] .” “Biden wants to vandalize the Holy Spirit .” “Biden wants to rape the archangel Gabriel .”
It doesn’t have to make sense. He’s just checking the box. Again, Christians don’t seem to mind.
Team Biden hit back:
Biden campaign: "Joe Biden's faith is at the core of who he is; he's lived it with dignity his entire life, and it's been a source of strength and comfort in times of extreme hardship." pic.twitter.com/BnphvelV5p — NBC News (@NBCNews) August 6, 2020
It’s true, Trump’s campaign did use an altered photo of Biden praying in a new ad to try to make him look weak:
Yesterday: Trump releases attack ad that uses photo of Biden praying in church to try to make him look pitiful Today: Trump says Biden is anti-God pic.twitter.com/fGxRXju9VB — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) August 6, 2020
Fair point from Times reporter Maggie Haberman: Why is Trump steering the coverage towards Biden’s personal faith, which is a comparatively strong point for the Democrat relative to Trump himself, instead of letting Biden’s latest insult to black voters percolate a bit? It reminds me of what one source told Politico earlier this week when asked about Trump’s strategy:
“What do you mean by strategy?” said a person close to the president when asked about Trump’s recent conduct. “I don’t think Donald Trump wakes up and says, ‘Here’s my strategy. Let me tweet out something.’ I don’t think there’s a political strategy there. He believes the way he interacts and communicates is what got him elected and he’s going to continue to do that.”
He felt like accusing Biden of hurting God today so that’s what he did. The Christians’ll love it. Won’t they?
FWIW, there isn't a whole lot of evidence to suggest Trump's doing worse among white born-again/evangelicals than he did against Clinton. Among all born-again/evangelicals, however, our last CNN poll did have Biden down only 16. The final poll in 2016 had Clinton down 25. — (((Harry Enten))) (@ForecasterEnten) August 6, 2020
I’ll leave you with this. Eventually I’ll figure out why GOPers are so confident he’ll thrash Biden in the debates, but it won’t be today.


hotair--2020-08-06--A third of Minneapolis police could leave the force by the end of the year with no replacements in s

A third of Minneapolis police could leave the force by the end of the year with no replacements in sight

The plan to disband the Minneapolis police force has hit a snag .
The the Minneapolis Charter Commission voted 10-5 to keep the issue off the ballot this November .
So , officially , the police aren ’ t going anywhere this year .
But that doesn ’ t mean the city isn ’ t facing a serious shortage of officers in the coming months .
Last month the Washington Post reported that as many as 150 officers were planning to file disability claims saying they had PTSD from their time on the streets in the wake of the killing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Star Tribune reported that , unofficially as many as a third of the entire force could be gone by the end of the year : Over the past two months , 40 cops have resigned , been fired or are in the process of leaving the force , and another 75 have taken a medical leave for post-traumatic stress disorder they say was caused by the riots that followed Floyd ’ s death .
Dozens more are expected to file for leave in the coming months .
MPD officials not authorized to speak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ budgeted for 888 officers this year , could lose as much as a third of its workforce by the end of the year .
The shortages highlight the challenge facing the city ’ s beleaguered police force as it faces calls for its defunding , or even abolishment .
Residents say that police are taking longer to respond to emergency calls , even as homicides , shootings and robberies have all increased by double digits from last year .
Because of action already taken by the city to cut the police budget there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lost officers any time soon : The decreased staffing levels among the MPD ’ s five precincts is a dilemma for the department , as it grapples with COVID-related budget cuts and sinking officer morale .
For instance , a recent Monday night found just six officers patrolling the 14.5 square miles of the Third Precinct , according to MPD officials… The deployment picture has worsened as the department tries to dig itself out of the budgetary hole it ’ s been in since the COVID-19 pandemic struck .
While a recent class @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , another class that was scheduled to start training in August has been canceled .
And with a citywide hiring freeze in effect until at least the end of the year , there are no replacements in sight .
For every officer that leaves , that means more work for those left behind in a department that expects to face further cuts in the future .
It ’ s a worst case scenario for morale and all of this is happening in the midst of a fresh wave of violent crime .
Here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of shots fired this year vs. last year and the decreasing police response .
Bottom line : Police are trying to avoid using force and criminals are taking advantage of that lull in enforcement .
There are secondary impacts from all of this .
As the NY Times reported last week , the area where George Floyd was killed has become a no-go zone for police and local residents are very worried about the increase in violence .
Additionally , the crime and lack of sufficient policing , on top of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made downtown Minneapolis an unattractive place to try to run a business .
So many businesses are now thinking about moving out .
A new survey by the Downtown Council shows 45 business owners say they are considering leaving downtown – citing the lack of people working or socializing downtown – and the idea that the police department could be dismantled .
Though they won ’ t say which businesses are considering pulling out of downtown , the council says one of the businesses employs 600 people .
Of course COVID has more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but adding the possibility that there could be a lack of police is just one more problem that makes business owners reluctant to try and stick out an already tough situation .
It ’ s not all that different than the situation for individual police officers .
They could stick it out and hope for the best but under the circumstances , with the city council and a significant portion of the population looking to disband them and violent crime on the rise , why would they ?

The plan to disband the Minneapolis police force has hit a snag. The the Minneapolis Charter Commission voted 10-5 to keep the issue off the ballot this November. So, officially, the police aren’t going anywhere this year. But that doesn’t mean the city isn’t facing a serious shortage of officers in the coming months.
Last month the Washington Post reported that as many as 150 officers were planning to file disability claims saying they had PTSD from their time on the streets in the wake of the killing of George Floyd. Last week the Star Tribune reported that, unofficially as many as a third of the entire force could be gone by the end of the year:
Over the past two months, 40 cops have resigned, been fired or are in the process of leaving the force, and another 75 have taken a medical leave for post-traumatic stress disorder they say was caused by the riots that followed Floyd’s death. Dozens more are expected to file for leave in the coming months. MPD officials not authorized to speak publicly estimate the department, which is budgeted for 888 officers this year, could lose as much as a third of its workforce by the end of the year. The shortages highlight the challenge facing the city’s beleaguered police force as it faces calls for its defunding, or even abolishment. Residents say that police are taking longer to respond to emergency calls, even as homicides, shootings and robberies have all increased by double digits from last year.
Because of action already taken by the city to cut the police budget there’s no hope of restaffing those lost officers any time soon:
The decreased staffing levels among the MPD’s five precincts is a dilemma for the department, as it grapples with COVID-related budget cuts and sinking officer morale. For instance, a recent Monday night found just six officers patrolling the 14.5 square miles of the Third Precinct, according to MPD officials… The deployment picture has worsened as the department tries to dig itself out of the budgetary hole it’s been in since the COVID-19 pandemic struck. While a recent class of recruits hit the streets last month, another class that was scheduled to start training in August has been canceled. And with a citywide hiring freeze in effect until at least the end of the year, there are no replacements in sight.
For every officer that leaves, that means more work for those left behind in a department that expects to face further cuts in the future. It’s a worst case scenario for morale and all of this is happening in the midst of a fresh wave of violent crime. Here’s a graph showing the increased number of shots fired this year vs. last year and the decreasing police response. Bottom line: Police are trying to avoid using force and criminals are taking advantage of that lull in enforcement.
There are secondary impacts from all of this. As the NY Times reported last week, the area where George Floyd was killed has become a no-go zone for police and local residents are very worried about the increase in violence.
Additionally, the crime and lack of sufficient policing, on top of the problems created by the coronavirus, has made downtown Minneapolis an unattractive place to try to run a business. So many businesses are now thinking about moving out.
A new survey by the Downtown Council shows 45 business owners say they are considering leaving downtown – citing the lack of people working or socializing downtown – and the idea that the police department could be dismantled. Though they won’t say which businesses are considering pulling out of downtown, the council says one of the businesses employs 600 people.
Of course COVID has more to do with this than anything else but adding the possibility that there could be a lack of police is just one more problem that makes business owners reluctant to try and stick out an already tough situation. It’s not all that different than the situation for individual police officers. They could stick it out and hope for the best but under the circumstances, with the city council and a significant portion of the population looking to disband them and violent crime on the rise, why would they?


hotair--2020-08-06--Tulane University postponed a discussion on racism after students called it "violent"

Robby Soave published a story about this earlier today at Reason .
It ’ s a pretty remarkable case of campus social justice warriors getting in their own way .
In this case their zeal to control speech on campus has essentially silenced an ally .
Earlier this month the school announced that author Edward Ball would be coming to campus for a discussion of his new book “ Life of a Klansman : A Family History in White Supremacy.
” The book is in no way celebratory of the Klan .
On the contrary , the author is best @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own family ’ s ownership of slaves .
The new book is in some sense a continuation of that effort to reckon with the legacy of racism in the author ’ s own family and has been positively reviewed in the NY Times and elsewhere ( “ ‘ Life of a Klansman ’ Tells Ugly Truths About America , Past and Present “ ) .
The discussion was to be mediated by a Tulane professor named Lydia Pelot-Hobbs ( pictured above next to Ball ) .
But the event was postponed after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and “ violent.
” Here ’ s the statement they posted on Instagram : That ’ s essentially the cover letter for this letter sent by two members of the student government to the school demanding an apology : “ In the current political atmosphere , it is imperative that we are all actively anti-racist , and endorsing speakers like these is antithetical to the anti-racist work being done by students , faculty , and staff on our campus.
” The letter continues , “ Instead of investing in speakers like Edward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the School of Liberal Arts should prioritize uplifting Black voices and amplify the experiences of Black , Indigenous , people of color.
” There is also a Change.org petition demanding the cancellation of the event which called it a “ slap in the face.
” Tulane ’ s attempt to facilitate a conversation of race is going to consist only of two white soeakers , one of whom is a descendant of a KKK member .
This is an act of violence against the Black students of Tulane , and should be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found at @ tulanesla on Instagram .
This is an embarrassment and a slap in the face to the Black Student Union , whose demands have not been acknowledged by the University .
Robby Soave at Reason points out that , at first glance , you might think the students are simply confused about the content of the book but that ’ s not the case .
The feedback was so unhinged that a casual observer might wonder whether they mistakenly thought the book was written by a Klansman , or endorsed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s announcement page—as well as statements by student government officials—make it abundantly clear this is not the case .
They know exactly what the book ’ s point of view is .
“ The last thing we need to do is allow someone who is even reflecting on the hatred of their ancestors to speak about white supremacy , even if their efforts come from a place of accountability , ” one student wrote on Instagram .
“ There is nothing that a book on white supremacy written by the descendant of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ influence an anti-racism atmosphere , ” wrote another .
The outrage here isn ’ t because of the content of the book , it ’ s because of the skin color of the author ( and the professor chosen to moderate the discussion ) .
But as Soave points out in his conclusion , the students aren ’ t asking for more black voices they are asking to silence the ( sympathetic ) white voices .
It would be one thing if the students were merely demanding additional speakers of color , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not believe someone like Ball should speak under any circumstances—and that they consider the very suggestion that he be allowed to speak ( in a virtual space ) an act of violence against marginalized students .
They are possessed of a smug certainty that he has nothing of value to say to anyone at Tulane .
This view is ridiculous and should be anathema at a university .
And of course the students making these demands have all been educated by Robin DiAngelo that any objection to what they ’ re doing is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s no way the author or the professor can advocate for a different understanding of why this discussion is worth having .
They simply have to agree to fade away and not be heard or else face further accusations about their own privilege and bad intent .
I ’ d love to hear Edward Ball ’ s honest take on being run off campus as a threat to BIPOC .
He must be a bit surprised to find himself a casualty in the revolution .

Robby Soave published a story about this earlier today at Reason. It’s a pretty remarkable case of campus social justice warriors getting in their own way. In this case their zeal to control speech on campus has essentially silenced an ally.
Earlier this month the school announced that author Edward Ball would be coming to campus for a discussion of his new book “Life of a Klansman: A Family History in White Supremacy.” The book is in no way celebratory of the Klan. On the contrary, the author is best known for a previous book tracing his own family’s ownership of slaves. The new book is in some sense a continuation of that effort to reckon with the legacy of racism in the author’s own family and has been positively reviewed in the NY Times and elsewhere (“‘Life of a Klansman’ Tells Ugly Truths About America, Past and Present“).
The discussion was to be mediated by a Tulane professor named Lydia Pelot-Hobbs (pictured above next to Ball). But the event was postponed after the student government claimed it was “inappropriate” and “violent.” Here’s the statement they posted on Instagram:
That’s essentially the cover letter for this letter sent by two members of the student government to the school demanding an apology: “In the current political atmosphere, it is imperative that we are all actively anti-racist, and endorsing speakers like these is antithetical to the anti-racist work being done by students, faculty, and staff on our campus.” The letter continues, “Instead of investing in speakers like Edward Ball who are closely related to Klansman, the School of Liberal Arts should prioritize uplifting Black voices and amplify the experiences of Black, Indigenous, people of color.”
There is also a Change.org petition demanding the cancellation of the event which called it a “slap in the face.”
Tulane’s attempt to facilitate a conversation of race is going to consist only of two white soeakers, one of whom is a descendant of a KKK member. This is an act of violence against the Black students of Tulane, and should be cancelled immediately. More details can be found at @tulanesla on Instagram. This is an embarrassment and a slap in the face to the Black Student Union, whose demands have not been acknowledged by the University.
Robby Soave at Reason points out that, at first glance, you might think the students are simply confused about the content of the book but that’s not the case.
The feedback was so unhinged that a casual observer might wonder whether they mistakenly thought the book was written by a Klansman, or endorsed the Klan. The comments on the event’s announcement page—as well as statements by student government officials—make it abundantly clear this is not the case. They know exactly what the book’s point of view is. “The last thing we need to do is allow someone who is even reflecting on the hatred of their ancestors to speak about white supremacy, even if their efforts come from a place of accountability,” one student wrote on Instagram. “There is nothing that a book on white supremacy written by the descendant of a Klansman can do to promote or influence an anti-racism atmosphere,” wrote another.
The outrage here isn’t because of the content of the book, it’s because of the skin color of the author (and the professor chosen to moderate the discussion). But as Soave points out in his conclusion, the students aren’t asking for more black voices they are asking to silence the (sympathetic) white voices.
It would be one thing if the students were merely demanding additional speakers of color, but their comments make clear that they do not believe someone like Ball should speak under any circumstances—and that they consider the very suggestion that he be allowed to speak (in a virtual space) an act of violence against marginalized students. They are possessed of a smug certainty that he has nothing of value to say to anyone at Tulane. This view is ridiculous and should be anathema at a university.
And of course the students making these demands have all been educated by Robin DiAngelo that any objection to what they’re doing is “white fragility.” So there’s no way the author or the professor can advocate for a different understanding of why this discussion is worth having. They simply have to agree to fade away and not be heard or else face further accusations about their own privilege and bad intent. I’d love to hear Edward Ball’s honest take on being run off campus as a threat to BIPOC. He must be a bit surprised to find himself a casualty in the revolution.


hotair--2020-08-06--Time to get rid of Ilhan Omar "for integrity and progress," says ... the Star Tribune editorial boar

Time to get rid of Ilhan Omar "for integrity and progress," says ... the Star Tribune editorial board?

Yikes .
Perhaps one has to live in the area — or at least be familiar with the Strib ’ s notoriously incurious coverage of Ilhan Omar — to fully appreciate what this endorsement of her primary challenger means .
The editors went out of their way to issue an endorsement of Antone Melton-Meaux , they note at the top of this piece , in order to praise his track record as a progressive mediator .
The real hammer drops in the second half , when the editors turn their attention to Omar : Omar ’ s 2018 victory launched @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first Muslim woman and first refugee elected to Congress .
But her time has been marred by missteps , including remarks on Israel widely regarded as anti-Semitic , an outsized number of missed votes , and campaign-finance issues .
Interestingly , the DFL Party has chosen to make an issue of Melton-Meaux ’ s finances , filing a late complaint that his campaign used “ shadow ” companies for his bid , a step the campaign told supporters was necessary because the Democratic Party blacklists companies that work for the challenger to an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a spokesman for Melton-Meaux ’ s campaign , a chance to note that Omar has sent more than $ 1.6 million to her husband ’ s D.C. political consulting firm , E Street Group , and is herself the target of a Federal Election Commission complaint regarding travel expenses .
It is just these kinds of ethical distractions that the Fifth District could do without .
In the Editorial Board interview , Omar took little responsibility for her rocky start , instead largely blaming her critics and saying her failing was perhaps in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” she would be in Congress .
“ Special unicorn ” ?
Puh-leeze .
Omar ’ s far from the first grifter or anti-Semite to get elected to Congress in either party .
The only thing special about Omar was the determined avoidance of those issues by local media , including the Strib , while she ran for state office and then the House .
Irregularities in her marriage record were all but ignored even though it pointed to potential immigration fraud .
This is hardly Omar ’ s first go-around on campaign-finance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Scott Johnson has spent the last few years covering all of these issues .
He ’ s a bit flabbergasted by the sudden interest from Star Tribune editors in those issues now : Understand that the Star Tribune sits squarely in Omar ’ s district .
As she has become an intergalactic superstar , the Star Tribune has served mostly as her media adjunct .
The exception is the Star Tribune ’ s most read story of 2019 , still worth reading in 2020 .
Despite its tactful approach to her , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporters for that story or for its most recent story on her campaign spending .
She nevertheless interviewed with the editors for their endorsement .
Note the twisted silence and count the dogs that don ’ t bark in this sentence of the endorsement editorial … So what does this editorial mean ?
For one thing , it means that Omar ’ s in bigger trouble than most people might have thought .
Scott ’ s correct about the outsized impact the paper has in MN-05 , but it ’ s more a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ writing must truly be on the wall , or at least someone ’ s scribbling as we speak .
That doesn ’ t mean Omar ’ s certain to lose , but Melton-Meaux must have made significant inroads here to get the Strib ’ s editors to endorse him at all .
Of course , an Omar loss would serve their purposes as well .
They have to be tired of handling Omar with kid gloves , especially when she won ’ t give them the courtesy of access in exchange for their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fresh with Melton-Meaux and perhaps regain a little of that “ integrity ” the editors claim he will bring back to the House seat in replacing Omar .
Keep an eye on Tuesday ’ s primary vote .
It ’ s possible that the Squad will lose the ground it gained in ejecting longtime progressive incumbent William Clay in Missouri this week .
Or , failing that , we might get a sense of just how limited the Strib ’ s editorial influence has become in MN-05 .
Either way … pass the @ @

Yikes. Perhaps one has to live in the area — or at least be familiar with the Strib’s notoriously incurious coverage of Ilhan Omar — to fully appreciate what this endorsement of her primary challenger means. The editors went out of their way to issue an endorsement of Antone Melton-Meaux, they note at the top of this piece, in order to praise his track record as a progressive mediator.
The real hammer drops in the second half, when the editors turn their attention to Omar:
Omar’s 2018 victory launched her into the national spotlight as the first Muslim woman and first refugee elected to Congress. But her time has been marred by missteps, including remarks on Israel widely regarded as anti-Semitic, an outsized number of missed votes, and campaign-finance issues. Interestingly, the DFL Party has chosen to make an issue of Melton-Meaux’s finances, filing a late complaint that his campaign used “shadow” companies for his bid, a step the campaign told supporters was necessary because the Democratic Party blacklists companies that work for the challenger to an incumbent. That gave Lee Hayes, a spokesman for Melton-Meaux’s campaign, a chance to note that Omar has sent more than $1.6 million to her husband’s D.C. political consulting firm, E Street Group, and is herself the target of a Federal Election Commission complaint regarding travel expenses. It is just these kinds of ethical distractions that the Fifth District could do without. In the Editorial Board interview, Omar took little responsibility for her rocky start, instead largely blaming her critics and saying her failing was perhaps in not realizing what a “special unicorn” she would be in Congress.
“Special unicorn”? Puh-leeze. Omar’s far from the first grifter or anti-Semite to get elected to Congress in either party. The only thing special about Omar was the determined avoidance of those issues by local media, including the Strib, while she ran for state office and then the House. Irregularities in her marriage record were all but ignored even though it pointed to potential immigration fraud. This is hardly Omar’s first go-around on campaign-finance violations, too.
Power Line’s Scott Johnson has spent the last few years covering all of these issues. He’s a bit flabbergasted by the sudden interest from Star Tribune editors in those issues now:
Understand that the Star Tribune sits squarely in Omar’s district. As she has become an intergalactic superstar, the Star Tribune has served mostly as her media adjunct. The exception is the Star Tribune’s most read story of 2019, still worth reading in 2020. Despite its tactful approach to her, Omar wouldn’t talk to the reporters for that story or for its most recent story on her campaign spending. She nevertheless interviewed with the editors for their endorsement. Note the twisted silence and count the dogs that don’t bark in this sentence of the endorsement editorial …
So what does this editorial mean? For one thing, it means that Omar’s in bigger trouble than most people might have thought. Scott’s correct about the outsized impact the paper has in MN-05, but it’s more a reflection of the status quo. The writing must truly be on the wall, or at least someone’s scribbling as we speak. That doesn’t mean Omar’s certain to lose, but Melton-Meaux must have made significant inroads here to get the Strib’s editors to endorse him at all.
Of course, an Omar loss would serve their purposes as well. They have to be tired of handling Omar with kid gloves, especially when she won’t give them the courtesy of access in exchange for their obsequiousness in coverage. They can start fresh with Melton-Meaux and perhaps regain a little of that “integrity” the editors claim he will bring back to the House seat in replacing Omar.
Keep an eye on Tuesday’s primary vote. It’s possible that the Squad will lose the ground it gained in ejecting longtime progressive incumbent William Clay in Missouri this week. Or, failing that, we might get a sense of just how limited the Strib’s editorial influence has become in MN-05. Either way … pass the popcorn.


hotair--2020-08-06--New York AG: I'm suing to dissolve the NRA

Normally I ’ d speculate that this is her bid to position herself as next in line for the governor ’ s office , as Attorney General is often a gubernatorial springboard in New York .
But New York already has a governor for life .
One who ’ s racked up enough of a body count that no pretender to the throne dare challenge him for power .
Anyway , the NRA has spent most of the past 16 months consumed with problems .
Ever since then-president Oliver North was ousted last April after demanding an internal review of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group has hemorrhaged scandal and legal fees .
Much of it has to do with the allegedly exorbitant spending habits of CEO Wayne LaPierre , who even got the group to agree to buy him a new $ 6.5 million mansion .
The NRA has reportedly paid — no typo — $ 54 million to lawyers in the past two years alone as it ’ s battled its former PR firm , Ackerman McQueen , in court .
Now it has to battle James and New York State .
Oh , and D.C. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a political motive in the mix here — James once called the NRA a “ terrorist organization ” while running for AG — but there ’ s plenty of reason to think there was bona fide malfeasance that requires probing .
Whether the filing of the lawsuit was saved for an opportune moment during the campaign or whether this is just how things worked out on the timetable is known only to James and her staff .
James accused the NRA leaders of flouting state and federal laws and signing off on reports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while diverting millions of dollars away from the NRA ’ s charitable mission to benefit themselves and their allies… In one new revelation , the attorney general said her investigation uncovered that LaPierre recently arranged a post-employment contract for himself with the NRA worth $ 17 million .
He never sought board approval for the deal , the suit claims .
The lawsuit also claims LaPierre failed to report large sums of personal income to the IRS .
James ’ s office said it found that the NRA chief funneled personal expenses through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him to avoid reporting hundreds of thousands of dollars of personal income… A central fraud embedded in NRA finances , James ’ s suit claims , was a secret agreement to pass questionable expenses through its Oklahoma-based advertising agency , Ackerman McQueen .
Under this agreement , the suit alleges , LaPierre and his inner circle of trusted deputies rerouted millions of dollars in lavish personal expenses for themselves , their families and allies through Ackerman McQueen .
The goal was to avoid having the board or other members of the NRA know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much money for LaPierre ’ s membership fees at golf clubs , private jets and designer suits , the lawsuit said .
James claims financial misconduct at the NRA has cost it $ 64 million in the past three years .
She wants LaPierre and three deputies to pay restitution to the organization and wants them barred from serving on nonprofits in New York State for the rest of their lives .
As for why she ’ s instituting this suit and not some other Democratic AG , it ’ s because the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state .
And no , the group couldn ’ t have just picked up and moved after she began digging around .
The permission of the AG is required for a nonprofit to dissolve and transfer its assets .
No one wants to vouch for the probity of LaPierre and the NRA leadership at this point so criticism of the lawsuit this afternoon has focused on James seeking to dissolve the organization .
Why do that ?
Why not just sue LaPierre et al .
instead of seeking to nuke the NRA itself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , particularly in light of James ’ s past comments about “ terrorism.
” It ’ s not the first legal skirmish between James and the group either .
“ The state is currently locked in First Amendment litigation with the gun-rights group after state officials warned banks about the reputational dangers of working with the NRA , ” notes the Free Beacon ’ s Steven Gutowski .
Coincidentally , a few hours before James announced her suit , Gutowski also reported that the NRA “ plans to spend tens of millions of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country for the 2020 election.
” Now , suddenly , the group will have its attention wrenched away from the campaign , forced instead to defend itself from an effort to liquidate it in its home state .
Go figure .
I think that ’ s the political angle here .
Lefties are pointing out on Twitter that dissolution of a corrupt charity isn ’ t some unheard-of penalty ; why , Trump ’ s own charity agreed to dissolve after James ’ s office accused it of misconduct too .
But the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same death penalty as Trump ’ s nonprofit in deeply Democratic New York isn ’ t an exoneration from the charge that James is playing politics that liberals seem to think .
The timing of the lawsuit may be designed to turn the NRA from an advocacy group that ’ s on offense against Dems this fall into a de facto legal fund that ’ s playing defense in New York .
Maybe the bad publicity and the exasperation among NRA members that so much of their donations have gone to court battles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gun rights will lead to the group being starved of money going forward .
In the end , they might choose to dissolve because fighting on is simply too expensive .
Whether the GOP ’ s allegiance to gun rights would be as steadfast without a powerful national lobbying group leaning on it is anyone ’ s guess .
But I ’ d say that the picture has brightened for Dems looking to pass universal background checks next year if they take back control of government .
And contra Balko , I don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kind of galvanizing moment for Trump voters : Which voters out there who had held off on supporting Trump until now will suddenly be awakened by James ’ s nuclear strike on the NRA ?
If you believe Biden ’ s coming for your guns , you were already MAGA .

Normally I’d speculate that this is her bid to position herself as next in line for the governor’s office, as Attorney General is often a gubernatorial springboard in New York.
But New York already has a governor for life. One who’s racked up enough of a body count that no pretender to the throne dare challenge him for power.
Anyway, the NRA has spent most of the past 16 months consumed with problems. Ever since then-president Oliver North was ousted last April after demanding an internal review of the group’s expenses, the group has hemorrhaged scandal and legal fees. Much of it has to do with the allegedly exorbitant spending habits of CEO Wayne LaPierre, who even got the group to agree to buy him a new $6.5 million mansion. The NRA has reportedly paid — no typo — $54 million to lawyers in the past two years alone as it’s battled its former PR firm, Ackerman McQueen, in court. Now it has to battle James and New York State.
Oh, and D.C. as well:
#BREAKING: We are suing the NRA Foundation for misusing charitable funds. Donors gave money to fund firearms safety, firearms education and marksmanship training. Instead, that money was diverted to support wasteful spending by the NRA and its executives: https://t.co/5uLweQ207l — AG Karl A. Racine (@AGKarlRacine) August 6, 2020
Unquestionably there’s a political motive in the mix here — James once called the NRA a “terrorist organization” while running for AG — but there’s plenty of reason to think there was bona fide malfeasance that requires probing. Whether the filing of the lawsuit was saved for an opportune moment during the campaign or whether this is just how things worked out on the timetable is known only to James and her staff.
James accused the NRA leaders of flouting state and federal laws and signing off on reports and statements they knew were fraudulent, while diverting millions of dollars away from the NRA’s charitable mission to benefit themselves and their allies… In one new revelation, the attorney general said her investigation uncovered that LaPierre recently arranged a post-employment contract for himself with the NRA worth $17 million. He never sought board approval for the deal, the suit claims. The lawsuit also claims LaPierre failed to report large sums of personal income to the IRS. James’s office said it found that the NRA chief funneled personal expenses through an outside public relations firm, allowing him to avoid reporting hundreds of thousands of dollars of personal income… A central fraud embedded in NRA finances, James’s suit claims, was a secret agreement to pass questionable expenses through its Oklahoma-based advertising agency, Ackerman McQueen. Under this agreement, the suit alleges, LaPierre and his inner circle of trusted deputies rerouted millions of dollars in lavish personal expenses for themselves, their families and allies through Ackerman McQueen. The goal was to avoid having the board or other members of the NRA know that the charitable organization was paying so much money for LaPierre’s membership fees at golf clubs, private jets and designer suits, the lawsuit said.
James claims financial misconduct at the NRA has cost it $64 million in the past three years. She wants LaPierre and three deputies to pay restitution to the organization and wants them barred from serving on nonprofits in New York State for the rest of their lives. As for why she’s instituting this suit and not some other Democratic AG, it’s because the NRA happens to be chartered in her state. And no, the group couldn’t have just picked up and moved after she began digging around. The permission of the AG is required for a nonprofit to dissolve and transfer its assets.
No one wants to vouch for the probity of LaPierre and the NRA leadership at this point so criticism of the lawsuit this afternoon has focused on James seeking to dissolve the organization. Why do that? Why not just sue LaPierre et al. instead of seeking to nuke the NRA itself? That reeks of a political motive, particularly in light of James’s past comments about “terrorism.”
If there's fraud and self-dealing (and it seems like there is), prosecute the people who did it. I've been very critical of the NRA, but dissolution seems really heavy-handed. It's also an absolute gift to Trump, 3 months before the election.https://t.co/Ym4VWiv92w — Radley Balko (@radleybalko) August 6, 2020
It’s not the first legal skirmish between James and the group either. “The state is currently locked in First Amendment litigation with the gun-rights group after state officials warned banks about the reputational dangers of working with the NRA,” notes the Free Beacon’s Steven Gutowski. Coincidentally, a few hours before James announced her suit, Gutowski also reported that the NRA “plans to spend tens of millions of dollars to sway close races throughout the country for the 2020 election.” Now, suddenly, the group will have its attention wrenched away from the campaign, forced instead to defend itself from an effort to liquidate it in its home state. Go figure.
I think that’s the political angle here. Lefties are pointing out on Twitter that dissolution of a corrupt charity isn’t some unheard-of penalty; why, Trump’s own charity agreed to dissolve after James’s office accused it of misconduct too. But the fact that the NRA is facing the same death penalty as Trump’s nonprofit in deeply Democratic New York isn’t an exoneration from the charge that James is playing politics that liberals seem to think. The timing of the lawsuit may be designed to turn the NRA from an advocacy group that’s on offense against Dems this fall into a de facto legal fund that’s playing defense in New York. Maybe the bad publicity and the exasperation among NRA members that so much of their donations have gone to court battles over malfeasance instead of court battles over gun rights will lead to the group being starved of money going forward. In the end, they might choose to dissolve because fighting on is simply too expensive.
Whether the GOP’s allegiance to gun rights would be as steadfast without a powerful national lobbying group leaning on it is anyone’s guess. But I’d say that the picture has brightened for Dems looking to pass universal background checks next year if they take back control of government. And contra Balko, I don’t think this will be some kind of galvanizing moment for Trump voters:
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1291435765575176192
Which voters out there who had held off on supporting Trump until now will suddenly be awakened by James’s nuclear strike on the NRA? If you believe Biden’s coming for your guns, you were already MAGA.


hotair--2020-08-06--Portland Police Chief: Crime is up and nightly protests are a drain on our resources (Brian Stelter

Portland Police Chief: Crime is up and nightly protests are a drain on our resources (Brian Stelter hardest hit)

We ’ ll get to the statements made by Portland ’ s Police Chief in a moment but first I want to look back at some of the recent efforts to downplay the significance of the nightly protests/riots in the city .
Remember this map of Portland showing the tiny area ( in red ) where nightly protests were taking place ?
It was created for a story by the Oregonian last month .
Here ’ s what the author of that story wrote at the time : The images that populate national media feeds , however , come almost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city : a 12-block area surrounding the Justice Center and federal courthouse .
And they occur exclusively during late-night hours in which only a couple hundred or fewer protesters and scores of police officers are out in the city ’ s coronavirus-hollowed downtown .
Those events are hardly representative of daily life , including peaceful anti-racism demonstrations that have drawn tens of thousands of protesters , in a city of 650,000 people that encompasses 145 square miles .
That argument made a big impression on CNN ’ s Brian Stelter ( among others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daily newsletter and talked about it on his TV show .
The real point of all this was to argue that the nightly protest/riots shouldn ’ t be seen as a big deal by anyone outside Portland since they weren ’ t even a big deal inside Portland .
As Stelter wrote at the time , “ Evidently a small group of self-described anarchists suddenly deserved national news coverage.
” Like a lot of things Stelter latches onto , it was a dumb argument with an obvious partisan bias .
Here ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time : And it turns out the impact of these nightly protests has been quite dramatic on the city as a whole in several ways .
First , police in Portland have spent an enormous amount of overtime dealing with the protests that often turn into riots .
As of two weeks ago the total cost was $ 5.4 million dollars .
And with local and state police taking over from the feds at the start of the month , that will likely soar .
Simply put , the cost of this won @ @ @ @ @ @ @ section of the map .
Second , crime is up sharply in Portland .
With police focusing enormous resources on the protests , they aren ’ t able to respond to other issues as quickly .
Two weeks ago , about the time Brian Stelter was arguing this wasn ’ t news , KATU 2 reported there was a spike in the number of break-ins in the city .
The average number of these crimes for the month of June in the past three years has been 401 .
This year the number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deal with these crimes are up as well .
One store owner who discovered she ’ d been robbed of $ 4,000 in jewelry called police and waited 24-hours for a response : Cole said she called police on the non-emergency line around 1 p.m. on July 16 , and the dispatcher told her an officer would be by within the hour .
“ Two hours went by and then three hours went by , ” Cole said .
“ Then they called me and said they weren ’ t going to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that day , which was insane to me.
” … In June and July from 2017 to 2019 , the average response time for a high-priority burglary was about 6 minutes and 20 seconds .
This year , it ’ s up more than 150 % , to just above 16 minutes… “ The PPB does not have a singular focus on demonstrations ; however , they are a significant draw on our already limited resources .
We make every attempt to respond to each call that comes into the PPB in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Shearer said .
And that ’ s not even the worst of it .
Violent crime in the city is up sharply as well .
The number of shootings in July is the highest the city has seen since the 1980s .
The Oregonian ( the same paper that argued two weeks ago the protests were a very limited phenomenon ) created this graph of homicides in the city .
The city ’ s police chief made it very clear yesterday that responding to nightly protests was leaving his officers tired and with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We continue to have some nightly , violent criminal activity that ’ s taking place in our city .
This has been problematic for us as it ’ s a drain on resources , ” Police Chief Chuck Lovell said .
He continued , “ We have people who are just dedicated to provoking a police response and that response is taking away from our ability to go out and give people the service they expect from the police bureau .
“ People expect to get their calls for service answered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to respond to their calls for service , respond to the shootings that we ’ re having and things of that nature .
So we ’ re really calling on people to come out and to say that that [ rioting ] activity needs to stop.
” Later in response to a question from a reporter Lovell said , “ When we pull those resources to assist with the crowd control , it leaves very few cars in the precinct to answer 911 calls , sometimes just 2 or 3 cars .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ critical incident there that requires multiple cars , people aren ’ t getting police service and that ’ s the real issue.
” He added that this also meant police weren ’ t out being pro-active and trying to prevent crime because they only have enough resources to respond to emergencies .
Forcing officers to respond to nightly riots is taking a toll on their ability to respond to everything else .
So if you live in Portland , the riots are impacting your city and potentially even your own safety whether you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or not .
Of course there are other factors influencing this including decisions by the city council which recently cut the PPB ’ s Gun Violence Reduction Team .
But the riots are one significant factor stretching resources too thin .
The impact of that is not limited to a tiny red square on a map .
Here ’ s Chief Lovell :

We’ll get to the statements made by Portland’s Police Chief in a moment but first I want to look back at some of the recent efforts to downplay the significance of the nightly protests/riots in the city. Remember this map of Portland showing the tiny area (in red) where nightly protests were taking place?
It was created for a story by the Oregonian last month. Here’s what the author of that story wrote at the time:
The images that populate national media feeds, however, come almost exclusively from a tiny point of the city: a 12-block area surrounding the Justice Center and federal courthouse. And they occur exclusively during late-night hours in which only a couple hundred or fewer protesters and scores of police officers are out in the city’s coronavirus-hollowed downtown. Those events are hardly representative of daily life, including peaceful anti-racism demonstrations that have drawn tens of thousands of protesters, in a city of 650,000 people that encompasses 145 square miles.
That argument made a big impression on CNN’s Brian Stelter (among others). Stelter wrote about in his daily newsletter and talked about it on his TV show. The real point of all this was to argue that the nightly protest/riots shouldn’t be seen as a big deal by anyone outside Portland since they weren’t even a big deal inside Portland. As Stelter wrote at the time, “Evidently a small group of self-described anarchists suddenly deserved national news coverage.”
Like a lot of things Stelter latches onto, it was a dumb argument with an obvious partisan bias. Here’s what I wrote about it at the time:
This strikes me as a fairly stupid argument for the Oregonian to make and for Stelter to embrace for several reasons. First, while the action may be happening in a small area downtown, the hundreds of people who are out there every night and the police who are battling them probably live in areas all over this map. So the idea that other communities are disconnected from these riots is a stretch.
And it turns out the impact of these nightly protests has been quite dramatic on the city as a whole in several ways. First, police in Portland have spent an enormous amount of overtime dealing with the protests that often turn into riots. As of two weeks ago the total cost was $5.4 million dollars. And with local and state police taking over from the feds at the start of the month, that will likely soar. Simply put, the cost of this won’t fall on just a tiny section of the map.
Second, crime is up sharply in Portland. With police focusing enormous resources on the protests, they aren’t able to respond to other issues as quickly. Two weeks ago, about the time Brian Stelter was arguing this wasn’t news, KATU 2 reported there was a spike in the number of break-ins in the city. The average number of these crimes for the month of June in the past three years has been 401. This year the number was 473. And response times to deal with these crimes are up as well. One store owner who discovered she’d been robbed of $4,000 in jewelry called police and waited 24-hours for a response:
Cole said she called police on the non-emergency line around 1 p.m. on July 16, and the dispatcher told her an officer would be by within the hour. “Two hours went by and then three hours went by,” Cole said. “Then they called me and said they weren’t going to be able to get to me at all that day, which was insane to me.”… In June and July from 2017 to 2019, the average response time for a high-priority burglary was about 6 minutes and 20 seconds. This year, it’s up more than 150%, to just above 16 minutes… “The PPB does not have a singular focus on demonstrations; however, they are a significant draw on our already limited resources. We make every attempt to respond to each call that comes into the PPB in a timely manner,” Assistant Chief Andrew Shearer said.
And that’s not even the worst of it. Violent crime in the city is up sharply as well. The number of shootings in July is the highest the city has seen since the 1980s.
Police recorded 99 shootings in July, up from 35 in the same month a year ago, police said. There were also 15 homicides in July, the largest number of killings in a single month in the city in three decades, police said.
The Oregonian (the same paper that argued two weeks ago the protests were a very limited phenomenon) created this graph of homicides in the city.
The city’s police chief made it very clear yesterday that responding to nightly protests was leaving his officers tired and with fewer officers to respond to other emergencies.
“We continue to have some nightly, violent criminal activity that’s taking place in our city. This has been problematic for us as it’s a drain on resources,” Police Chief Chuck Lovell said. He continued, “We have people who are just dedicated to provoking a police response and that response is taking away from our ability to go out and give people the service they expect from the police bureau.
“People expect to get their calls for service answered. They expect us to be able to respond to their calls for service, respond to the shootings that we’re having and things of that nature. So we’re really calling on people to come out and to say that that [rioting] activity needs to stop.”
Later in response to a question from a reporter Lovell said, “When we pull those resources to assist with the crowd control, it leaves very few cars in the precinct to answer 911 calls, sometimes just 2 or 3 cars. And if we get a shooting or a critical incident there that requires multiple cars, people aren’t getting police service and that’s the real issue.” He added that this also meant police weren’t out being pro-active and trying to prevent crime because they only have enough resources to respond to emergencies.
Forcing officers to respond to nightly riots is taking a toll on their ability to respond to everything else. So if you live in Portland, the riots are impacting your city and potentially even your own safety whether you ever see the rioters in your neighborhood or not.
Of course there are other factors influencing this including decisions by the city council which recently cut the PPB’s Gun Violence Reduction Team. But the riots are one significant factor stretching resources too thin. The impact of that is not limited to a tiny red square on a map. Here’s Chief Lovell:


hotair--2020-08-06--Today's hot topics on Relevant Radio®: Vote-by-mail, Unreal City, Hiroshima/Nagasaki lessons, social

Today's hot topics on Relevant Radio®: Vote-by-mail, Unreal City, Hiroshima/Nagasaki lessons, socialism cure, and more!

Once again , I get to step outside the box and guest host the Drew Mariani Show on Relevant Radio® from 3-6 ET today !
The Catholic talk-radio network is heard nationwide on the air , as well as online and through their free mobile app that plays live and podcast shows .
• Can America handle a national election with the US Postal Service ?
Reason ’ s Eric Boehm lays out the case against that plan — and it ’ s not what you think .
• Have we all abandoned reality ?
Anthony Esolen warns about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
• This week , we commemorate the 75th anniversaries of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki .
Joseph Capizzi discusses what Catholic teaching tells us , and how the context may or may not matter .
• How are we to approach rising homicide rates and the increase of firearms purchases ?
Dr. Charles Nemeth joins us to analyze the sudden change in direction this summer .
• We covered the illness of socialism ’ s return with Iain Murray last week — now he returns to tell us how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the cure !
• And more to come … stay tuned !
We may add more before the show starts today , plus we will have the chaplet of Divine Mercy in the second hour .
We will also take your calls at 1-888-914-9149 .
You can also listen on the Relevant Radio® app no matter where you are in the world , so download it now .
I ’ ll look forward to talking with you !

Once again, I get to step outside the box and guest host the Drew Mariani Show on Relevant Radio® from 3-6 ET today! The Catholic talk-radio network is heard nationwide on the air, as well as online and through their free mobile app that plays live and podcast shows.
Today’s Relevant Radio® show includes:
Can America handle a national election with the US Postal Service? Reason’s Eric Boehm lays out the case against that plan — and it’s not what you think.
Have we all abandoned reality? Anthony Esolen warns about the consequences in Sex and the Unreal City.
This week, we commemorate the 75th anniversaries of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Joseph Capizzi discusses what Catholic teaching tells us, and how the context may or may not matter.
How are we to approach rising homicide rates and the increase of firearms purchases? Dr. Charles Nemeth joins us to analyze the sudden change in direction this summer.
We covered the illness of socialism’s return with Iain Murray last week — now he returns to tell us how his book The Socialist Temptation can provide the cure!
And more to come … stay tuned!
We may add more before the show starts today, plus we will have the chaplet of Divine Mercy in the second hour. We will also take your calls at 1-888-914-9149. You can also listen on the Relevant Radio® app no matter where you are in the world, so download it now. I’ll look forward to talking with you!