RFK Jr. as Independent Would Propel Trump to Deliver Crushing Blow - Roger Kimball

 

​ by Roger Kimball

RFk Jr. could announce on October 9

 

 

So it looks as if Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., is just about to turn up the volume. It was bad enough for the Democratic establishment when he announced he was going to run for President on the Democratic ticket. Didn’t he know that The Committee already had its heir and a couple of spares, none of whom was named Kennedy? “Look at your poll numbers, Bro. Even against a senile and visibly failing puppet you are trailing by 50 or 60 points. Give it up now before you embarrass yourself further!”

No such luck. It seems that Kennedy is in for the duration. A couple of days ago rumors started circulating that he would soon announce that he was going to run as an independent. Several sources put the magic day as October 9.

As I have said elsewhere, I think Kennedy and Vivek Ramaswamy are—or at least were—the most interesting things to happen in the early stage of this campaign. Both are ferociously articulate. Both have lots of ideas. And neither is named “Trump,” the kiss of death among uniparty factota, Republican as well as Democratic.

According to my astrolabe, the glitter has dissipated somewhat from Ramaswamy. He is powerfully glib, has put forth many good policy ideas, but often seems like a reincarnation of the Energizer Bunny—if not, it pains me to say, that character in Humbolt’s Gift whom Saul Bellow described  as “smooth as a suppository.”

In any event, I suspect that Ramaswamy’s presidential prospects, certainly for 2024, are gibbous waning.

And Kennedy? It’s hard to say. I like his forthrightness. And the fact that Wikipedia, that reliably left-wing fount of approved ideas, castigates him as someone who is “known for advocating anti-vaccine misinformation and public health-related conspiracy theories” tends rather to endear him to me than otherwise. I disagree with Kennedy quite strenuously about many things—the second Amendment, for example, the climate, taxes, and some of what he has said about vaccination. But the fact that he has, as Wikipedia sniffs, “targeted prominent figures such as Anthony Fauci, Bill Gates, and Joe Biden” I regard as a public service.

Perhaps this is also the place to say a word about “conspiracy theories.” Have you noticed that the phrase is nearly always used with an aura of disapproval. It’s almost as if the people who employ the phrase to discredit someone whose ideas they dislike believe that there are no such things as conspiracies about which one might develop compelling theories. But when Calpurnia and the Soothsayer warned Caesar about a conspiracy to assassinate him, they spoke not idly but truthfully. Their theory, that is to say, was grounded in empirical fact. How about the theory that the Wuflu, aka Covid 19, originated in an American-funded Chinese lab whose experiments were overseen in part by Anthony Fauci. Was that a “conspiracy theory?” Or was it a conspiracy exposure?  In any event, I think it is worth bearing in mind the extent to which the accusation that someone is a “conspiracy theorist” is often just a way of declaring him beyond the pale, not worth listening to, beneath our consideration.

Who knows whether Joe Biden the candidate will make it to the November 2024 election? I have been suggesting for some time that he wouldn’t. The consensus is solidifying that he is but one serious fall away from Golden Pond. Hence the sneakers, the physical training, the shorter stairs in and out of Air Force One.

But whoever heads up the Dem ticket in November—my money is on Gavin Newsom, with a small hedge bet on Michelle Obama—the entry of RFK Jr. into the race as an independent will act as a serious drag on the Dems. Maybe he will pick some POC female-to-male transexual to share the ticket and pander to the Dem base. But if David French is unavailable, the Dems could do something really clever and convince RFK to complete the ticket with some squishy, low testosterone Republican: someone like Mitt Romney, say. That would give the ticket the requisite “bi-partisan” window dressing.

But whomever RFK picks, his candidacy would peel off many more votes from the Dem ticket than from the Republican ticket.  Let’s say, as seems very likely now, absent an act of God, that Donald Trump is the Republican candidate. There are some anti Trump fanatics who would vote for RFK, especially if he can boast some uniparty Republican puppet as a running mate. But for every vote RFK peeled off from the Republican ticket, he would peel off three or four from the Democratic candidate. In other words, he would assure Trump’s victory, a victory that I believe is becoming more and more likely with every passing week with or without RFK’s bid as an independent.

That, I know, is a  minority opinion wherever the waters are full of AntiTrump and NeverTrump solvents. I am always interested to ponder the opinions of people whom I respect but disagree with. What are they seeing, I ask myself, that I don’t? In many cases, it saddens me to acknowledge, the answer is “lots of things.” But in this case, I suspect that there may be one or two things that the “Trump-can’t-win” contingent are overlooking.

One common theme in their argument is that the Democrats, those wily critters, have been building up Donald Trump only because they think he would be easier to beat than, say, Ron DeSantis or Nikki Haley (yes really). One even hears the name “Mike Pence” uttered in this context. I think that is a woeful misreading of the tea leaves. To stick with Ron DeSantis for a moment. Can anyone argue that he has run a compelling campaign?  I agree that he has been an outstanding governor of Florida, but I think his campaign has been one misstep after the next, from his disastrous Twitter launch to his his grim performance in the debates.

Why are the Dems going hell-for-leather after Trump, saddling him with four preposterous sets of indictments in different locales? The Dems-are-Machiavellian-Geniuses faction says that it is because they know that each indictment strengthens the resolve of the Trump base, thus increasing the likelihood of his nomination, after which they will come down on him like a ton of bricks.

But I think that the ton of bricks has already been offloaded. No “grab ’em by the pussy” video clip, Russia collusion hoax, or conversation with Ukrainian politicians is going to shock the voting public. Trump’s millions of voters already know the worst.  The Dems have been hammering him for some six years now, but to no avail.

Moreover, isn’t it possible that the Dems keep inventing things to indict him for not because they think he is the most beatable candidate but because they are terrified by his political potency and fear that, were he nominated, he might well win? That’s what I thought even before I heard that RFK Jr. was thinking about running as an independent. If that happens, I suspect that Trump will not only win but will do so while dealing a crushing defeat to Joe Biden or whatever puppet The Committee decides to put in his place.

Roger Kimball

Source: https://amgreatness.com/2023/10/01/rfk-jr-as-independent-would-propel-trump-to-deliver-crushing-blow/

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Congress averts government shutdown, but bruising battles over Ukraine, spending cuts still ahead - Charlotte Hazard

 

​ by Charlotte Hazard

President Biden signed temporary spending bill giving lawmakers to mid-November to resolve disputes over Ukraine aid, spending cuts.

With just hours to spare, Congress averted a government shutdown Saturday evening by passing a temporary spending bill that keeps agencies funded through mid-November as exhausted lawmakers deferred for a few weeks bruising battles over spending cuts, Ukraine war aid and possibly House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s future.

Defying media predictions, McCarthy maneuvered a last-minute continuing resolution (CR) and garnered significant support from Democrats to keep agencies’ doors open for 45 days and provide $16 billion in federal disaster aid to hard-hit American communities. But he cut out any new assistance for Ukraine’s war against Russia that the White House wanted.

The Senate followed a few hours later with its approval, and President Joe Biden signed the bill shortly before midnight to avert the shutdown.

“This is good news for the American people,” Biden said after inking the deal.

The vote in the House was 335-91, with 209 Democrats joining in approval and 90 Republicans opposed.

The measure buys time for lawmakers to resolve bitter disputes over the size of future aid to Ukraine as it tries to drive Russian invaders from its land and for Republicans to deliver on their promise to voters to cut spending and complete a normal budget process that reviews all 12 federal agency spending plans individually, something that hasn’t happened in years.

Emotions ran high inside the House GOP caucus.

“Leadership sweetened the pot (with your $ dollars) and we broke our word,” Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., wrote on social media after the vote, signaling the distaste of at least two dozen fiscal conservatives who wanted the House to complete the 12 spending bills before the Sept. 30 end of the fiscal year.

Still, the deal was a win for McCarthy, whom the media predicted was headed to a government shutdown. Also, Saturday’s deal was a win for Republicans in Virginia, who are trying to recapture control of their legislature in the November election and feared a government shutdown would pose a death knell for that effort.

Still a few votes short, McCarthy earlier Saturday abandoned a GOP-only plan that would have cut agency spending and forced Biden to close down a porous southern border that has allowed millions of illegal immigrants to stream across since the Democrat took office.

The speaker’s decision to pass a bill with Democrats poses significant political risk. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., vowed Sunday that he would seek to oust Kevin McCarthy as House speaker.

“I do intend to file a motion to vacate against Speaker McCarthy this week,” Gaetz  told CNN. “I think we need to rip off the band-aid. I think we need to move on with new leadership that can be trustworthy.”

After the vote on Saturday, Gaetz accused McCarthy of violating the deal he made with conservatives in January to get the speakership, but was coy on whether he would pursue a motion to vacate the Speaker’s chair. Instead he implored House and Senate lawmakers to finish the job of reviewing the 12 federal spending bills before the new Nov. 17 a deadline.

“House conservatives made @SpeakerMcCarthy agree to spending guardrails in January. He has blown through those guardrails, which is what brought us to this moment,” he wrote on X.

“The only way to save America from financial ruin is to pass single-subject spending bills that are able to be reviewed at a programmatic level,” he added.

McCarthy defended the last-minute deal as necessary to keep troops funded and get disaster relief to hard-hit communities from Florida to Hawaii. But he also made clear he is committed to finishing the 12 spending bills as Gaetz and his faction of conservatives have sought since January.

"We need more time to get the job done," McCarthy told reporters.

Later, he added on X: “I just signed and sent this short-term stop-gap bill to the White House in order to fund our troops, deliver emergency relief, and keep government open while Congress gets back to work through regular order.”

Charlotte Hazard

Source: https://justthenews.com/government/congress/senate-votes-x-x-pass-houses-stopgap-funding-bill

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F-16s for Ukraine, Just as Soon as Belgium Wakes Up - Drieu Godefridi

 

​ by Drieu Godefridi

If the overall Western policy is just "not to let Ukraine lose" rather than to defeat an unprovoked attack against a democracy, Russian President Vladimir Putin will be emboldened to continue his aggression, and China will read the weakness as a green light to invade Taiwan

 

• Ever since Russia invaded Ukraine, the most advanced Free World circles have been calling for Belgian F-16s to be delivered to Ukraine, and the Ukrainian pilots to be trained as quickly as possible. The fact is that by giving the Russians control of the skies, they are almost automatically guaranteed to keep their troops in the Donbass.

• If the overall Western policy is just "not to let Ukraine lose" rather than to defeat an unprovoked attack against a democracy, Russian President Vladimir Putin will be emboldened to continue his aggression, and China will read the weakness as a green light to invade Taiwan... The US cannot afford another display of weakness or surrender. Putin sent his troops to the Ukraine in September of 2021, just a few weeks after the US abandoned Afghanistan. He got the message that "the coast was clear." Unless there is a clear strategy to defeat Russia, anything short of that will look globally like Afghanistan, the sequel; another example of US fecklessness, and a good reason not to be an ally.

• The environmentalists do not want to hear about the delivery of F-16s to Ukraine -- first because they are pacifists, in the most ideological, surrendering sense of the word, and second because they know what the European environmental movement owes to Russia. The Russian government has massively financed German environmental foundations, and in addition, the Belgian Energy Minister Tinne Van der Straeten (Groen/Ecolo Party), was a 50% partner in a law firm called BLIXT, one of whose main clients was Gazprom -- in other words, the Russian government.

• These are just two of many examples of European environmentalists effectively becoming a fifth column in Europe of the Russian Federation....

• There is also a technical obstacle: the F-35 fighter jets intended to replace Belgium's F-16s will be delivered late, and the country cannot do without fighter jets. Its air force is the last sector in which the Belgian military is credible in the eyes of its partners.

• According to sources who asked not to be named, the solution Belgium is heading for is the initial delivery of four F-16s to Ukraine, then progressively more when Belgium's F-16s are replaced by F-35s.

• However, a movement has recently emerged within the Belgian military, which considers that the Belgian interest is that on the one hand the Russians do not sweep away the Ukrainians and on the other hand that the Belgians regain the respect of their NATO allies.

• Belgium's reputation with its NATO partners is on the line. There needs to a delivery of at least a limited number of Belgian F-16s to Ukraine, and their Ukrainian pilots trained at once.

Belgium's reputation with its NATO partners is on the line. There needs to a delivery of at least a limited number of Belgian F-16s to Ukraine, and their Ukrainian pilots trained at once. Pictured: A Belgian Air Force F-16 at Florennes Air Base, Belgium, on October 5, 2022. (Photo by John Thys/AFP via Getty Images)

Last week, realizing that Belgium was once again being laughed at by its NATO partners, Belgian federal government ministers David Clarinval and Hadja Lahbib put the idea of delivering Belgian F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine back on the table.

Their recommendation is immensely important for the US and the West. If the overall Western policy is just "not to let Ukraine lose" rather than to defeat an unprovoked attack against a democracy, Russian President Vladimir Putin will be emboldened to continue his aggression, and China will read the weakness as a green light to invade Taiwan. The US is already seen as having abandoned Afghanistan, during a conflict former President Barack Obama had called "the good war." The US cannot afford another display of weakness or surrender. Putin sent his troops to the Ukraine in September of 2021, just a few weeks after the US abandoned Afghanistan. He got the message that "the coast was clear." Unless there is a clear strategy to defeat Russia, anything short of that will look globally like Afghanistan, the sequel; another example of US fecklessness, and a good reason not to be an ally.

Ever since Russia invaded Ukraine, the most advanced Free World circles have been calling for Belgian F-16s to be delivered to Ukraine, and the Ukrainian pilots to be trained as quickly as possible. The fact is that by giving the Russians control of the skies, they are almost automatically guaranteed to keep their troops in the Donbass.

First Belgium pledged to deliver F-16s, then it changed its mind on the extremely questionable grounds that its F-16s were "too old". Several European countries have already committed to delivering them. In August, Denmark and the Netherlands declared their intention to provide Ukraine with F-16s. According to Associated Press:

"Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called [it] an important motivation for his country's forces that are embroiled in a difficult counteroffensive against Russia."

The Belgian media does not talk much about it, but from the outset the Belgian "left" has adopted a fierce "wait-and-see", if not frankly collaborationist, stance towards the Russian regime.

The current Belgian federal government is an unlikely combination of right-wing liberals, left-wing socialists and far-left environmentalists.

The environmentalists do not want to hear about the delivery of F-16s to Ukraine -- first because they are pacifists, in the most ideological, surrendering sense of the word, and second because they know what the European environmental movement owes to Russia. The Russian government has massively financed German environmental foundations, and in addition, the Belgian Energy Minister Tinne Van der Straeten (Groen/Ecolo Party), was a 50% partner in a law firm called BLIXT, one of whose main clients was Gazprom -- in other words, the Russian government.

These are just two of many examples of European environmentalists effectively becoming Russia's fifth column in Europe, in the same way France's Communist Party was in the days of the USSR.

Then there are the socialists, who are also opposed to any substantial aid to Ukraine, other than verbal support. Belgian socialists, especially the French-speaking ones, are still living in the mental atmosphere of the 20th century, when any criticism of Russia was seen as inherently "poisonous."

However, a movement has recently emerged within the Belgian military, which considers that the Belgian interest is that on the one hand the Russians do not sweep away the Ukrainians and on the other hand that the Belgians regain the respect of their NATO allies.

After years of reductions in defense budgets, Belgium's military is now in a challenging condition. Military spending stands at 1.2% of GDP.

Cabinet Ministers Clarinval and Lahbib therefore put the issue of F-16s for Ukraine on the federal government's table, demanding that it be reopened and that the planes be transferred to the embattled Ukrainians.

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo (center-right) immediately followed suit, as Groen/Ecolo Party and Socialist Party ministers looked on in anger: they seem to see any form of direct military help to Ukraine as "evil." Georges Gilkinet (Ecolo), Minister of Mobility, immediately spoke out against "this irresponsible escalation of hostilities," as if the delivery of F-16s to Ukraine would aggravate war.

De Croo is aware that Belgium must regain its stripes with its partners if it wants to keep the headquarters of NATO in Belgium.

There is also a technical obstacle: the F-35 fighter jets intended to replace Belgium's F-16s will be delivered late, and the country cannot do without fighter jets. Its Air Force is the last sector in which the Belgian military is credible in the eyes of its partners.

According to sources who asked not to be named, the solution Belgium is heading for is the initial delivery of four F-16s to Ukraine, then progressively more when Belgium's F-16s are replaced by F-35s. According to the Air Force, they can do without four F-16s while retaining enough operational units to ensure the protection of Belgian skies and the supply of spare parts.

At the time of the invasion of Ukraine, Gilkinet urged the prime minister to phone Putin "to tell him to stop" -- nothing else. That appears to be the level of geopolitical thinking of the Belgian Greens.

The issue of Ukraine divides the Western right. A sizeable proportion reportedly think that far too much is being done for Ukraine, and that the West is co-responsible for the outbreak of hostilities by having supported the coup d'état against the democratically elected pro-Russian Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, in 2014.

The issue, however, is not so much Ukraine as Belgium's lost credibility with its NATO partners. Belgium, with one of the most shamefully underfunded militaries in NATO (along with Germany), is hardly in the same realm of sanctity with its partners and allies. In 2017, President Donald Trump openly criticized and threatened NATO member nations for not fulfilling their financial responsibilities to the alliance and refrained from reaffirming America's dedication to the alliance's mutual defense agreement. "Members of the alliance need to adequately fulfill their financial commitments," Trump said to the leaders, many of whom stood quietly behind him, some visibly uneasy.

Belgium's reputation with its NATO partners is on the line. There needs to a delivery of at least a limited number of Belgian F-16s to Ukraine, and their Ukrainian pilots trained at once.

Drieu Godefridi is a jurist (Saint-Louis University of Louvain), a philosopher (Saint-Louis University of Louvain) and a doctor in legal theory (Paris IV-Sorbonne). He is the author of The Green Reich.

Source: https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/19988/belgian-f16s-ukraine

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China’s Hackers Got a List of Every State Dept Email - Daniel Greenberg

 

​ by Daniel Greenberg

The hackers accessed about 60,000 State Department emails.

 

Sadly, by the standards of past Chinese hacks, this isn’t even all that notable. The PRC was targeting Biden’s Indo-Pacific Summit, a placeholder pretense of countering China, but they also got targeting information for future attacks.

The hackers were also able to access a list of every State Department email address, according to the Senate staffer. That kind of reconnaissance could be useful information for any follow-on hacking efforts aimed at the State Department.

At a press briefing Thursday, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller confirmed that the hackers accessed about 60,000 State Department emails.

Bizarrely, the State Department is trying to spin this as a win because it wasn’t even worse. The low bar we’re at is that China walking away with 60,000 emails and a list of every State Department email address is a win for our side.

Among the most sensitive information stolen, the staffer said, were victims’ travel itineraries and diplomatic deliberations. Fletcher also said that 10 Social Security numbers were viewed — or could have been viewed — via the hack.

And what’s our response? Investing more money into security while letting China have a clear field to carry on more attacks.

Daniel Greenberg

Source: https://www.frontpagemag.com/chinas-hackers-got-a-list-of-every-state-dept-email/

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Video: CIA Analysts Paid Off to Deny COVID Lab Origin, Whistleblower Says - Frontpagemag.com

 

​ by Frontpagemag.com

But despite evidence, "scientists" tell you what to think.

 

In this new video, Matt Christiansen talks about how an unnamed CIA whistleblower testified that the most senior analyst of a seven-member CIA team investigating the origin of COVID-19 supported the theory of transmission from an infected animal host into people. The whistleblower then alleged that the six other team members who supported the lab-leak origin were then bribed to change their position. Don’t miss this important report in the ongoing COVID origin saga, where ‘scientists’ tell you what to think.

Frontpagemag.com

Source: https://www.frontpagemag.com/video-cia-analysts-paid-off-to-deny-covid-lab-origin-whistleblower-says/

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Pennsylvania latest state to embrace automatic voter registration, triggers new integrity fears - Natalia Mittelstadt

 

​ by Natalia Mittelstadt

“Recent history proves that automatic voter registration is inherently problematic,” said Jason Snead, executive director of the Honest Elections Project.

 

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) has implemented automatic voter registration, triggering new legal and election integrity concerns over voter roll maintenance as nearly half of U.S. states now follow such a policy.

Shapiro announced last Tuesday that the commonwealth would implement automatic voter registration, which means that residents obtaining state ID cards and driver’s licenses at Department of Transportation (PennDOT) centers will be automatically registered to vote.

Prior to the announcement, eligible residents had to opt into voter registration at the Department of Motor Vehicles, but now they will have to opt out if they don’t want to be registered to vote.

“Automatic voter registration is a commonsense step to ensure election security and save Pennsylvanians time and tax dollars,” Shapiro said in a statement. “Residents of our Commonwealth already provide proof of identity, residency, age, and citizenship at the DMV – all the information required to register to vote — so it makes good sense to streamline that process with voter registration.”

Shapiro's announcement says that registration would be automatic for "eligible" residents, but it does not provide any detail on how the state would filter out foreign nationals. Citizenship is not a requirement to obtain a driver's license in Pennsylvania.  

Pennsylvania is the 24th state to implement automatic voter registration, following Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia.

On Monday, former President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social regarding the new policy in Pennsylvania.

“Pennsylvania is at it again! The Radical Left Governor, Josh Shapiro, has just announced a switch to Automatic Voter Registration, a disaster for the Election of Republicans, including your favorite President, ME!” Trump wrote.

“This is a totally Unconstitutional Act, and must be met harshly by Republican Leadership in Washington and Pennsylvania. Likewise, the RNC, and Ronna McDaniel, must spend their time working on this, instead of meaningless Debates where I am up by more than 50 points,” he continued.

Trump later added, “Start suing now, & get the right lawyers this time! The Pennsylvania Republican Party must likewise not let this happen. It will be a disaster for our Nation, which is being destroyed by these Lunatics, Marxists, & Fascists, whose only real ability is to CHEAT on Elections.”

On Tuesday, both the Republican National Committee and the Republican Party of Pennsylvania wrote letters to the Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth and the Pennsylvania Secretary of Transportation regarding the implementation of automatic voter registration in the state.

In both letters, the GOP groups wrote, “the only information provided on this new voter registration process is found in Governor Shapiro’s press release, leaving unanswered many important questions about how PennDOT is implementing these changes, how the new system operates, and what safeguards are in place to keep ineligible individuals off the state’s list of registered voters.”

The letters also noted that the “new process has been implemented just weeks before the October 23, 2023 voter registration deadline for the November 7, 2023 election.”

The GOP organizations asked for clarification as to the implementation of the new automatic voter registration process.

The Pennsylvania Freedom Caucus announced last Friday that it was planning to take legal action against Shapiro’s “overreach” by implementing automatic voter registration through the executive branch.

“This political maneuver, promulgated under the guise of increased voter participation, bypassed the proper, lawful procedural channels,” the caucus wrote. The group added that of the 23 other “states that adopted automatic voter registration, twenty did so through legislation or voter approval.”

Ken Cuccinelli, National Chairman of the Election Transparency Initiative and former Virginia Attorney General, told Just the News on Thursday that he believes the Pennsylvania Freedom Caucus would win in a lawsuit against Shapiro’s directive because he is “attempting to enact a law on his own,” contrary to the state constitution.

Cuccinelli added that, with automatic voter registration, it is difficult for the state to follow voter registration laws across “different state databases.”

He noted that there is “nothing in place to filter” voter eligibility requirements with the new process. This is because Shapiro and radical Democrats "don’t care about those requirements and are trying to find a way to get around them,” Cuccinelli said. “That is the logical conclusion and this is just a blatantly illegal way to go about it, and it undermines actual electoral integrity and people’s basic confidence in the election system.”

Shapiro is looking to “dirty [elections] up,” according to the former Virginia attorney general. Cuccinelli believes that this is because “if messy elections result in litigations,” then “the left accurately believes they have the advantage in just pure litigation because of [George] Soros-funded DAs.”

Jason Snead, executive director of the Honest Elections Project, told Just the News on Wednesday that automatic voter registration has caused issues in states before.

“Recent history proves that automatic voter registration is inherently problematic,” Snead said. “California botched tens of thousands of registrations and registered 1,500 ineligible people—including noncitizens—when it adopted automatic voter registrations. Illinois improperly registered hundreds of noncitizens when it implemented automatic voter registration.

“Many states are already struggling with bloated voter rolls filled with inaccurate, outdated, and duplicative voter registrations,” he added. “Pennsylvania is no exception. In fact, Pennsylvania was recently forced to admit to allowing 11,000 noncitizens to register to vote in the state. Automatic voter registration compounds these problems by making it even easier for ineligible people, noncitizens, and even illegal aliens to register to vote, especially when states do a poor job—or even outright refuse—to clean up dirty voter rolls.”

Shapiro’s office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday.

Regarding the letter from the RNC and PA GOP, PennDOT told Just the News on Friday that the department had received it.

The Pennsylvania Department of State's office told Just the News on Friday that it had "received the letter."

Following the legal action announcement of the Pennsylvania Freedom Caucus, Shapiro’s press secretary, Manuel Bonder, said in a statement, “It is abundantly clear that this commonsense step to securely streamline voter registration and enhance election security is within the governor’s authority.

“Gov. Shapiro has been committed to working with both Republicans and Democrats to get things done since day one — and any assertion otherwise is a distraction from the real work Pennsylvanians are expecting from their government,” Bonder continued. "Our Administration will remain focused on protecting our democracy and ensuring our elections are free, fair, safe and secure — and despite any attempts to spread misinformation and conspiracy theories about our elections, that is exactly what this action does.”

PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll said in a statement regarding Shapiro's announcement last week, “At PennDOT, we’re proud of our role in the voter registration process. These latest enhancements are a great example of how, through constant collaboration with the Department of State, we work to make this process as efficient as possible for eligible Pennsylvania residents.”

Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt also said in a statement with Shapiro's announcement, “Registering eligible Commonwealth residents to vote during their visits to driver and photo license centers is a commonsense action. The voter is already in a state government facility with their identification documentation in hand, and they will have their picture taken and sign their name electronically. Having all of that happen at the same time means the verification process is extremely secure and makes the registration process more efficient.” 

Natalia Mittelstadt

Source: https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/elections/pennsylvania-gov-implements-automatic-voter-registration-raising-legal

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Nonbinary actor claims 'trans-misogny' when podcaster asks about transition surgeries for minors - Brianna Herlihy

 

​ by Brianna Herlihy

Jonathan Van Ness cried on Dax Shepard's 'Armchair Expert' podcast discussing transgender rights

 

 

Advocates and lawyers of women who have detransitioned are speaking out after nonbinary Netflix "Queer Eye" star Jonathan Van Ness suggested it was "transphobic" of actor Dax Shepard to question if minors should undergo transition surgeries.

As a guest on an episode of the Shephard’s podcast, "Armchair Expert," Van Ness suggested Shepard was "parrot[ing] what he deemed "trans-misogyny" and "transphobic ideologies" for questioning if it is fair to women to oppose men in sports or to "question" if teenagers should undergo gender transitions. 

"I think to say that someone can't question without threatening to take someone's rights away to explore these things … some people are very uncomfortable about teenagers transitioning, they're challenging that. How do we know that the person is not going to change their mind?" Dax asked.

"This whole notion that to be critical or to question … because to even question it makes you an enemy. I don't think that's the way forward."

WHITE HOUSE PUNTS ON 'YES OR NO ANSWER' TO TRANSGENDER ATHLETES PLAYING FEMALE SPORTS

Dax Shepard (Jason Bollenbacher/Getty Images for SXSW)

Van Ness at one point responded that "there isn’t legitimate questioning" but rather an "onslaught towards queer people." 

"There's been 500 bills this year alone in the United States that target trans kids. Whether that's gender-affirming care, whether that's bathrooms, whether that sports. There isn't legitimate questioning going on. There is like a public targeted onslaught towards queer people," Van Ness said. 

But lawyers and advocates for women who have undergone hormone therapies and surgeries at a young age, who later regret and "detransitioned," are disputing Van Ness’s claims. 

Kelsey Bolar, an author and creator of the series "Identity Crisis," which documented the stories of several women who have detransitioned, said labeling such questions about gender transitioning as "transphobic" is "cruelty cloaked in altruism." 

PEDIATRICIANS' STATEMENT ON TRANSGENDER KIDS IGNORES THREE WORDS THAT HAVE GUIDED DOCTORS FOR MILLENNIA

"A growing number of young women, who are now adults, feel betrayed by medical professionals who allowed and encouraged them to pursue opposite-sex hormones and surgeries before they were able to truly consent," Bolar told Fox News Digital. 

"These individuals now suffer from a range of permanent and debilitating side effects, including irreversible harm to their sexual function, reproductive health and general health. Though the total number of detransitioners is unknown, as no large-scale, long-term studies have tracked the incidence of detransition and regret, their devastating stories are becoming more frequent.

"Queer Eye" star Jonathan Van Ness cried during an appearance on a podcast after claiming trans kids are being excluded in America. (Nina Westervelt/Variety via Getty Images)

"To suggest that it's ‘transphobic’ to question whether children should be given access to drugs and surgeries that are banned in other countries due to their adverse effects is dangerous, naive and insulting to the experiences of an untold number of detransitioners.

"Simply put, it's cruelty cloaked in altruism."

HOSPITAL INSIDER WARNS TRANS KIDS ON HORMONES FREQUENTING ER FOR HARMING THEMSELVES IN CRY FOR HELP

Chuck Limandri is an attorney representing Chloe Cole, who at 15 years old underwent a double mastectomy and at 13 was prescribed testosterone and hormone blockers. At 16, she detransitioned. She is now 19, an outspoken activist on a mission to "end child transition procedures," and she’s suing doctors, claiming she could not properly consent to those procedures at such a young age.

Limandri says the defendant, Kaiser Permanente, has a policy of not asking questions to get to the root of gender dysphoria or looking at underlying comorbidities. It moves right to surgeries and treatments for transitioning. 

Chloe testified before the House Judiciary Committee this summer about her experience, saying her "childhood was ruined." She said she felt "perfectly normal" feelings for a young girl, like body insecurity. 

Detransitioner Chloe Cole took issue with American astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson using 1950s "gender stereotypes" to defend hormone treatments and transgender surgeries.  (Twitter/Screenshot)

Her issues with her body and gender, she said, led doctors to treat her for gender dysphoria to prevent suicide. However, she said she did not experience suicidal thoughts until after receiving medical treatment for gender dysphoria

"What message do I want to bring to American teenagers and their families? I didn't need to be lied to. I needed compassion. I needed to be loved," Cole testified. "I needed to be getting therapy to help me work through my issues. Not affirmed to my delusion that by transforming into a boy, it would solve all my problems," Cole said.

US MORE LENIENT ON TRANSGENDER TREATMENT THAN EUROPE, STUDY SHOWS

Prisha Mosley, now a 25-year-old woman, started to medically transition at 16 and had a double mastectomy at 18. She is suing her doctors, hoping it will "serve as a warning to other doctors and therapists not to do this to anyone else."

"I trusted these health care providers to take care of me. Because of that relationship of trust and my vulnerable condition, I believed what they said, and I thought they were treating me properly, "she wrote in an op-ed published on Fox News Digital in July. 

"Years later, I realized that I had been lied to and misled in the worst possible way. Years of taking testosterone prevented my body from developing as it should have. It caused significant vaginal atrophy and the inability to have intercourse.

In an interview with Dax Shepherd, left, Jonathan Van Ness, right, railed against the "onslaught" of bills in various jurisdictions that seek to prevent biological boys and men from competing in girls and women's sports. (Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Feld Entertainment | Taylor Hill/WireImage)

"My voice was permanently changed; I was no longer able to lift my voice and sing, which I used to love doing. I experienced severe pain in my shoulders, neck, and genital area. I do not know if I will be able to conceive and give birth to a child.

"As a result of breast surgery, I have to live without my breasts, and I am unable to nurse a child, should I be able to conceive one. I have pain in my chest where my breasts used to be."

"Do I wish that the trans woman athlete had access and could play and follow her dreams? I do," Shephard said on his podcast. "Will I elevate her rights over women? We're pretending that women aren't the ultimate marginalized class throughout history. 

"People have written ‘cervix haver’ and she goes, ‘No, there's a name for us. You can't steal my identity to help your cause. You can't take away the defining characteristic that allows me to relate to all these other women who have been oppressed.’

"What people are questioning, which is, could the captain of the water polo team that was male for 19 years, next month or in one year compete against girls and women? Would that be fair to girls and women? That's a fair question." 

Van Ness suggested some Republican lawmakers have used that argument as a "boogeyman to make us feel that our girls are being attacked, that their things are being taken away with fairness and sport." 

Van Ness got emotional, saying through tears he wished "that people were as passionate about little kids being able to like be included or grow up as they were about fictitious women's fairness and sports.

"I have to tell you, I am very tired."

"I’m not calling you a transphobe," Van Ness argued. "You can not be transphobic and still have thoughts that espouse trans-misogyny and espouse transphobic ideologies or beliefs and not be transphobic.

"Little kids are not getting gender reassignment surgery," Van Ness added. "Three-year-olds are not going to need a hysterectomy. We're not getting f---ing breast implants."

 

Brianna Herlihy

Source: https://www.foxnews.com/us/actors-attack-skepticism-minors-gender-transitions-cruelty-cloaked-altruism-critics-say

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Shocking number of Europeans say you should only be able to fly 4 times in your life due to climate change - Anders Hagstrom

 

​ by Anders Hagstrom

Climate activists across the globe are pushing restrictions on everything from gas stoves to cars

 

A new poll shows that a shocking number of French citizens support banning people from flying more than four times in their lives due to climate change.

A poll from research firm Consumer Science and Analytics Institute (CSA) found that 41% of citizens would support such a limit. That number rose to 59% support among 18-24-year-olds. The suggested limit, proposed by engineer Jean-Marc Jancovici, would apply to air travel for business and pleasure.

The poll surveyed 1,010 French residents over the age of 18. It found that support for air travel restrictions was far higher among younger age groups. While a majority opposed the four-flight lifetime maximum, 64% of the respondents said they would be willing to limit their air travel in the near or medium term to combat climate change.

Climate activists across the globe have pushed for wide-ranging restrictions aimed at reducing carbon emissions, from limiting car travel to banning plastic straws.

BIDEN ADMIN BEGINS ENFORCING NATIONWIDE LIGHTBULB BANS, IGNITING BACKLASH FROM GOP: 'LIBERAL FANTASIES'

A new poll shows that a shocking number of French citizens support banning people from flying more than four times in their entire lives due to climate change. (iStock)

In the U.S., President Biden's administration has issued its own restrictions on gas-powered furnaces. It's only the latest move from Democrats targeting home appliances.

FAILED BIDEN NOMINEE QUIETLY APPOINTED TO TOP ROLE OVERSEEING WAR ON HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES

The proposal, according to the agency, requires non-weatherized gas furnaces and those used in mobile homes to achieve a far higher level of efficiency than cheaper models on the market.

"At the direction of Congress, DOE is continuing to review and finalize energy standards for household appliances, such as residential furnaces, to lower costs for working families by reducing energy use and slashing harmful pollutants in homes across the nation," Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said in a statement last week.

In the U.S., President Biden's administration has issued its own restrictions on gas-powered furnaces. It's only the latest move from Democrats targeting home appliances. (Chris Kleponis/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

"Today’s measure, along with this Administration’s past and planned energy efficiency actions, underscores President Biden’s commitment to save Americans money and deliver healthier communities," she continued.

EXPERTS WARN BIDEN ADMIN'S WATER HEATER CRACKDOWN WILL HIKE PRICES, REDUCE CONSUMER CHOICE

President Biden has targeted a variety of home appliances in an effort to implement an aggressive energy efficiency campaign. (CBS/Paramount Plus/'The Daily Show'/YouTube)

However, consumer groups and experts have criticized the administration's aggressive energy efficiency campaign. They have argued the new regulations will reduce consumer choice and increase costs for Americans.

"It's just spreading to more and more appliances. It seems that almost everything that plugs in or fires up around the house is either subject to a pending regulation or soon will be," Ben Lieberman, a senior fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, previously told Fox News Digital. "Consumers aren't going to like any of it. These rules are almost always bad for consumers for the simple reason that they restrict consumer choice."

Fox News' Thomas Catenacci contributed to this report
 

Anders Hagstrom is a reporter with Fox News Digital covering national politics and major breaking news events. Send tips to Anders.Hagstrom@Fox.com, or on Twitter: @Hagstrom_Anders.

Source: https://www.foxnews.com/world/shocking-number-europeans-should-fly-4-times-life-climate-change

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New York GOP lawmaker announces she will introduce resolution to expel Bowman over fire alarm stunt - Charlotte Hazard

 

​ by Charlotte Hazard

"This is the United States Congress, not a New York City high school," Malliotakis wrote on X.

 

New York GOP Rep. Nicole Malliotakis announced Saturday that she would be introducing legislation to expel Democrat Rep. Jamaal Bowman from Congress for pulling the fire alarm during votes for a resolution on U.S. government spending. 

"This is the United States Congress, not a New York City high school," Malliotakis wrote on X, formerly called Twitter. "This action warrants expulsion & I’m introducing a resolution to do just that."

Bowman is currently under investigation for pulling the fire alarm during votes. He allegedly did it to interrupt the ongoing proceedings and to delay a vote.

Capitol Police have released the photo of Bowman pulling the fire alarm. 

“Congressman Bowman did not realize he would trigger a building alarm as he was rushing to make an urgent vote. The Congressman regrets any confusion,” Emma Simon, Bowman’s digital director, said in a statement, according to Politico. 

Other GOP lawmakers called out Bowman for his behavior. 

"I’m hearing Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) was CAUGHT ON CAMERA pulling the fire alarm in a House Office Building to delay the CR vote," Texas GOP Rep. Troy Nehls wrote on social media. 

"IF TRUE: he should be charged with obstructing an official proceeding which is a FELONY. As a former Sheriff, I’d happily slap the cuffs on him," he continued. 

Colorado Republican lawmaker Lauren Boebert also criticized Bowman. 

"If true, this is a crime that carries up to six months in jail," Boebert said. "While Republicans are trying to be productive, Democrats are pulling fire alarms in the halls of Congress."

Charlotte Hazard is a reporter at Just the News. Follow her on X.

Source: https://justthenews.com/accountability/new-york-gop-lawmaker-announces-she-will-introduce-resolution-expel-bowman-over-fire

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