TLDR DIGEST 8/22-29

“Any attempts to move the Trump case forward as a criminal one will first need to explain how it differs from the Bill Clinton case and from Hillary Clinton and her server. If DOJ can’t do that, then they have no basis to claim they are enforcing the law without fear or favor. It will be just plain old political quackery, using the criminal justice system to defeat Trump when the electoral system will not.”

The Clintons actually broke the laws Trump is accused of breaking

https://spectatorworld.com/topic/the-clintons-actually-broke-the-laws-trump-is-accused-of-breaking/?utm_source=Morning+Shot&utm_campaign=9414bc0e52-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2022_08_23_01_23&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_68055d3d21-9414bc0e52-155411261

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“[Oakland] schools, like thousands across the country, derived their learn-to-read curricula from the mind of Lucy Calkins, a so-called literacy expert who for years championed creative teaching that strongly favors the “whole language” approach and leaves only a minor role for phonics, which she dismisses as “drill and kill.”…Despite the lack of independent research supporting the efficacy of Calkins’ program, it was endorsed and accepted nationwide — until it wasn’t.  With the rise of the “science of reading,” the idea derived from neuroscience that literacy should be broken down into basic building blocks for the brain to digest, new research confirmed that phonics is the most effective known method for teaching kids to read, something hundreds of classical schools knew all along.”

‘It Just Works’: Progressive Educators Rediscover Power of Phonics after Failing with DEI-Infused Method

https://www.nationalreview.com/news/it-just-works-progressive-educators-rediscover-power-of-phonics-after-failing-with-dei-infused-method/?bypass_key=ZVU0WUZZaWZuVkNKSkpYV1MzbFc2UT09OjpUVU0yWldvelRteDFNbTVLZFZkc1JGQjFUVkp6WnowOQ%3D%3D?utm_source%3Demail&utm_medium=breaking&utm_campaign=newstrack&utm_term=28807704&utm_source=Sailthru

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“The Journal added that Liz’s defeat could haunt the GOP due to internal divisions in 2024. Again, a woman who can’t clinch 30 percent in her primary is the clearest example that there is no division on the subject. Also, this op-ed failed to mention the FBI’s raid on Mar-a-Lago, which has united the Republican Party to the nth degree regarding the overt displays of prosecutorial overreach from the Justice Department. Where are the paragraphs about how the search warrant and affidavit mention allegations of negligent handling of classified materials that aren’t grounded in actual law violations? The FBI has done more to unite the GOP around Trump this past week than the liberal media, so I’m not so sure about this ‘GOP divided’ narrative because loser Liz Cheney lost her re-election bid.”

What Everyone Is Apparently Missing About the Liz Cheney Beatdown

https://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2022/08/22/what-everyone-is-apparently-missing-about-the-liz-cheney-beatdown-n2612050?utm_source=thdailypm&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nl&bcid=272301c8f377cb4769525192b29cae221c10bb65c600b80a9e95a953d91ba2a2&recip=28870245

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“Wallace now wants a “CNN show or is threatening to walk,” Nicosia wrote to Twitter. “He is having staffers count how many times a day his promo is playing.” Nicosia added, “He’s telling anyone that will listen he wants Cuomo’s old time slot.””

Former Fox News Host Chris Wallace Having ‘Daily Breakdowns’ After Joining CNN

https://www.newspageindex.com/08/2022/20/665780?fbclid=IwAR1zbGzWeVb2CN4Xxiku-Rqc60WofeSmWWrrxJeedbW2bJkf1U7MJ9v66jk

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“Fauci’s resignation will not prevent a full-throated investigation into the origins of the pandemic. He will be asked to testify under oath regarding any discussions he participated in concerning the lab leak.” — Sen. Rand Paul

https://twitter.com/RandPaul/status/1561751391332438020?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1561751391332438020%7Ctwgr%5Ed40dc52543dcf3ac380fb2664e4abe63c67ae05e%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftownhall.com%2Ftipsheet%2Fkatiepavlich%2F2022%2F08%2F22%2Frand-paul-reaction-to-fauci-retirement-n2612073

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“For former U.S. history teacher Diane Tirado, the controversial policy was career-ending. Tirado taught at a Port St. Lucie public school in Florida. In 2018, she had assigned an explorer notebook project at the time, giving students two weeks to complete it. When several students did not turn it in, Tirado found out about what she calls a "no zero" policy, which is reflected in the West Gate student and parent handbook. When she refused to comply with the school policy, which required her to give out no less than a 50% on assignments, she wrote a note on the chalkboard informing her students she had been fired.”

Teachers weigh in on grading policies, debate 'no-zero' trend: 'Patently idiotic idea'

https://www.foxnews.com/media/teachers-grading-policies-debate-no-zero-trend-patently-idiotic-idea

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“In 2009, [Ofcom] began documenting Peace TV’s breaches of its broadcasting standards. These infractions include endorsing wife beating; comments from Naik in support of the death penalty for apostates who proselytize; support for maiming or execution, including crucifixion, for those who criticize Islam; and a dramatized stabbing…Naik reportedly has 22 million followers on Facebook.”

UK Regulators: Promoting Death for Apostates Not OK

https://islamism.news/2022/06/02/uk-regulators-promoting-death-for-apostates-not-ok/?fbclid=IwAR06QR_m4IalFuBQ76N8mtb-P_i9H1HcOASJzx8bBw_5WmHzHHNpy-z4I0M&goal=0_1ce70fade8-d12b9725c5-34174501

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“Unless Garland and the Biden administration give a clear idea of what exactly precipitated the Trump raid — whether it involved Trump funneling the names of spies to Putin, leaving launch codes out on a pizza box, whatever — Trump is going to continue to hammer this issue. Unless the man is literally in manacles before November 2024, this mess will remain an open wound for Democrats. Even if the raid wasn’t politically motivated, it will for sure continue to look politically motivated, if the Justice Department doesn’t come up with a better explanation than the six or seven leaked so far. Yet everyone is acting like that question has been answered.”

The Great Disappearing Raid Story

https://taibbi.substack.com/p/the-great-disappearing-raid-story?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

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“Prince Harry is allowed to talk, just. He crashes the interview at the beginning like an embarrassing dad trying to get down with the kids, or perhaps an over-enthusiastic bachelor uncle, telling Serena, “I like what you’ve done with your hair! That’s a great vibe.”…Never let common sense get in the way of rich women talking about female empowerment.”

The problem with Meghan Markle’s Archetypes podcast

https://spectatorworld.com/book-and-art/problem-meghan-markle-spotify-archetypes-podcast/?utm_source=Spectator+World+Signup&utm_campaign=0f9b01f145-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2022_08_23_05_42&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_edf2ae2373-0f9b01f145-154710445

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“..the newspaper that has spent recent years attacking and undermining some of the core principles that undergird American democracy via the 1619 Project will tolerate nothing other than sunny optimism from Republicans — especially non-white Republicans — on the very same civic pillars it has been chipping away at…the framing of this story about non-white Republican candidates seems an especially revealing case study in the chronic inability of the contemporary left to accept anything about today’s GOP as, well, normal.”

When the American Dream is a ‘dog whistle’

https://spectatorworld.com/newsletter/american-dream-dog-whistle-dc-diary-08-22-22/

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“Progressives hope that the policy will boost enthusiasm among disaffected youths. When Mr Biden, in remarks at the White House, said “this means people can start finally [to] climb out from under that mountain of debt,” he probably hoped that they would also make their way to the polls. (The pause on all student-debt payments was extended again until December, one month after the mid-term elections.) Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader in the Senate, prefers to term it “student-loan socialism”—a large redistribution from the working class to elites, and an inflationary one, to boot…It will not be the last fight. One less-noticed change proposed by Mr Biden would reduce the amount directly paid by future borrowers—with the federal government picking up the rest of the tab. The problem’s ugly head will rear again shortly…Good politics, maybe, but poor policy.”

Biden spends hundreds of billions on reducing student-loan debt

https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/08/25/biden-spends-hundreds-of-billions-on-reducing-student-loan-debt?utm_content=article-link-1&etear=nl_today_1&utm_campaign=r.the-economist-today&utm_medium=email.internal-newsletter.np&utm_source=salesforce-marketing-cloud&utm_term=8/25/2022&utm_id=1300555

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“For reasons known only to herself, Liz Cheney appears to believe that she has been invested with the authority to tell us who may and who may not serve as president of the United States…According to a YouGov poll, were she to run as an independent, she would take more support from Biden than from Trump.”

Liz Cheney: the self-appointed moral center of the GOP

https://spectatorworld.com/topic/liz-cheney-self-appointed-moral-center-gop/

TLDR DIGEST 8/15-22

“As of yet, though, President Biden has declined to punish Iran for the attack on Mr. Rushdie. Nor for as yet unsuccessful attempts against President Trump and officials of his administration, including a former national security adviser, John Bolton, former secretaries of defense and state, Mark Esper and Michael Pompeo, respectively, and the one-time point man on Iran, Brian Hook. Additionally, an American-Iranian dissident, Masih Alinejad, is in hiding after a second attempt on her life was foiled last month at Brooklyn.  “Iran is actively plotting against multiple Americans,” the ranking Republican on the House foreign affairs committee, Michael McCall of Texas, said in a statement today, adding, “Waiting to impose consequences until after an attack is a dereliction of duty.””

Biden Takes a Powder in Face of Attempt To Carry Out Fatwa Against Rushdie

https://www.nysun.com/article/biden-takes-a-powder-in-face-of-attempt-to-carry-out-fatwa-against-rushdie

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“As Winnie-the-Pooh was a Bear of Very Little Brain, Liz Cheney is a Woman of Very Little Imagination. Just as she could never see the potential and possibilities of Donald Trump and Trumpism, so when she looks ahead to the Republican Party of the future can she see only the party of the past redux, her father’s GOP. That party — it is clear to almost everyone except the Cheneys — is as dead as Roosevelt’s Bull Moose Party. Most of its luminaries are in retirement or defunct. Something new is here already, and the question is simply whether Trump or someone in the Trumpist mold will lead and staff it. The fact that Cheney cannot recognize this shows how unsuited she is for public office in America today.”

The last-ditch attempt to rescue Liz Cheney

https://spectatorworld.com/topic/the-last-ditch-attempt-to-rescue-liz-cheney/?utm_source=Morning+Shot&utm_campaign=07002408e0-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2022_08_16_01_33&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_68055d3d21-07002408e0-155411261

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“I would say it’s a sad day for political commentary when a random Argentinian tourist has a more acute understanding of American politics than Jonah Goldberg, but I’ve come to realize over the last few years that the “experts” don’t know what the hell they’re talking about. Now Goldberg says we’re un-American for suggesting the FBI isn’t pursuing a majestic and impartial course of justice…Goldberg makes a lot of “belief” in our country. But what Goldberg actually believes in is the Beltway.”

You’re Un-American

https://amgreatness.com/2022/08/11/youre-un-american/

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Republicans will be zeroing in on the FBI, either as best they can from the opposition or more aggressively if their party wins control of Congress in the midterms. Senator Grassley, who serves as the ranking member of the judiciary committee, is telling  me that the bureau’s “inconsistent decisions when it comes to politically sensitive investigations in recent years has understandably raised questions about the fair and equal application of the law.”…Part of the problem, according to Mr. Grassley, is that the bureau rarely holds its own accountable. A lawyer who pleaded guilty to doctoring evidence submitted to the secret surveillance court regarding Mr. Page, Kevin Clinesmith, was sentenced to probation in 2021. The District of Columbia Bar in December restored his status to member in “good standing.””

What Merrick Garland Failed To Mention About the FBI

https://www.nysun.com/article/what-merrick-garland-failed-to-mention-about-the-fbi

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“In her post-election book Our Time Is Now (2020), Abrams claimed, “modern-day suppression has swapped rabid dogs and cops with billy clubs for restrictive voter ID and tangled rules for participation.” Richard Lowry in National Review astutely pointed out the contradiction in her book, captured in a single sentence from it: “I watched in real time as the conflicts in our evolving nation became fodder for racist commercials, horrific suppression—and the largest turnout of voters of color in Georgia’s history.”  Indeed, the elections of 2018 featured the highest midterm turnout in a century, and black turnout in 2012 and 2020 was at historic highs.”

Voting Rights and Wrongs

https://claremontreviewofbooks.com/voting-rights-and-wrongs-2/

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“Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., who has repeatedly called for defunding the police, has seen skyrocketing crime in the Northern Bronx part of his district…Since taking office, Bowman has seen violent crime on the rise in the Northern Bronx region of his 16th congressional district, which includes the Spuyten Duyvil, Woodlawn, Eastchester Heights, and Co-op City neighborhoods of the New York City borough….The analysis found that violent crime is up roughly 30% overall in the Northern Bronx compared to last year, with the biggest uptick occurring in Precinct 50 with a 74% increase. That precinct, which includes the neighborhoods of Spuyten Duyvil, Fieldston and Riverdale, also recorded a 123.5% increase in robberies and a 153% increase in grand larceny auto since last year.”

‘Defund the Police’ Rep. Bowman sees 30% violent crime spike in Northern Bronx

https://apple.news/Al0EEkOdSRKifsqShqdAK8w

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“Abrams’s shift on the issue has generated anger from her former compatriots in progressive-activist circles. Her announcement of the “fund the police” initiative on Twitter garnered so much backlash that the social-media giant — absurdly — felt compelled to attach a “fact check” to her tweet arguing that “law enforcement are often paid less than a living wage.” (“Law enforcement officers in most jurisdictions are paid significantly more than the average worker with much better benefits and job security,” the fact check assured users.) “Abrams’ policy proposals represent another instance of the Democratic Party folding in the face of an all-too-predictable Republican and police backlash to 2020’s anti-police-brutality uprisings,” the Appeal complained. The Root reported that, while “it’s rare that anything Georgia Democratic gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams says is received with vitriol by Black folks or the political left,” she “may have made a rare political misstep” with her calls for more police pay.”

Is Anybody Buying Stacey Abrams’s Pro-Cop Makeover?

https://www.nationalreview.com/2022/08/is-anybody-buying-stacey-abramss-pro-cop-makeover/

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“Cheney and her fellow NeverTrumpers and establishmentarians in the GOP would be wise not to expect too much from their newfound admirers on the left in the coming months and years. Now that she is soon to be out of political office and off the January 6 Committee, she will be of little, if any, use to them but rather the opposite, as before; thus reverting in their eyes to her former identity as the daughter of George W. Bush’s war-mongering VP — and as the former reactionary representative who, while she was in Congress, voted for President Trump’s agenda 92 percent of the time.”

Liz Cheney: the end of the affair

https://spectatorworld.com/topic/liz-cheney-end-affair-wyoming-2024/?utm_source=Spectator+World+Signup&utm_campaign=ed0450e40d-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2022_08_17_06_19&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_edf2ae2373-ed0450e40d-154710445

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“..what has become of the yas-queening diehards now that the vice president is widely seen to have flopped as second-in-command and is more of a liability than an asset for her party? Savor the Daily Beast’s update on the Kamala fan club, where the mood is dour. One former #KHive member who “requested to speak anonymously so as not to alienate themselves from friends made through the movement” had this to say about Harris’s time in office so far:  “I would never, ever say that I regret supporting the first Black woman vice president, ever. But the disappointment is real. I was obsessed with the idea of this person who could undo the systemic, the systematic racism and sexism and heterosexism in government with one fell swoop, and now I’m thinking to myself, did I just make up a person in my head who could do those things?”  Yes, anonymous former KHiver. Yes, you did.”

Remember the KHive? 

https://spectatorworld.com/newsletter/cheneys-last-stand-dc-diary-08-17-22/?utm_source=Spectator+World+Signup&utm_campaign=ed0450e40d-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2022_08_17_06_19&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_edf2ae2373-ed0450e40d-154710445

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“Former president Jimmy Carter was, at the time of the original fatwa, the most prominent American to suggest that the crime of murder should be balanced against Rushdie’s crime of blasphemy. The ayatollah’s death sentence “caused writers and public officials in Western nations to become almost exclusively preoccupied with the author’s rights,” Carter wrote in an op-ed for The New York Times. Well, yes. Carter did not only say that many Muslims were offended and wished violence on Rushdie; that was simply a matter of fact, reported frequently in the news pages. He took to the op-ed page to add his view that these fanatics had a point. “While Rushdie’s First Amendment freedoms are important,” he wrote, “we have tended to promote him and his book with little acknowledgment that it is a direct insult to those millions of Moslems whose sacred beliefs have been violated.” Never mind that millions of Muslims take no offense at all, and are insulted by the implication that they should.”

SALMAN RUSHDIE AND THE CULT OF OFFENSE

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/08/salman-rushdie-fatwa-attack/671139/

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"The stabbing of Sir Salman Rushdie in New York State shocked the world last Friday, with expressions of condemnation and solidarity being issued across the West. Not though, it seems, at NYT Towers where, four days on, there has not been a single opinion piece by one of its many writers decrying the attack on the British author or defending free speech…Still, at least they had space for such gems as “The Joys of Swimming While Fat” and “I Still Believe in the Power of Sexual Freedom.” Talk about solidarity.”

The New York Times’s strange Rushdie silence

https://spectatorworld.com/topic/new-york-times-strange-rushdie-silence/?utm_source=Spectator+World+Signup&utm_campaign=dc605f09ed-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2022_08_16_04_40&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_edf2ae2373-dc605f09ed-154710445

TLDR DIGEST 8/8-15

“…the Climate Emergency Fund [is] a relatively new outfit,founded in 2019 by Rory Kennedy, daughter of Senator Robert Kennedy, and Aileen Getty, granddaughter of oil tycoon Jean Paul Getty…Aileen’s grandfather, Jean Paul Getty, made his fortune in oil…While the Kennedys may not be as synonymous with the black sticky stuff, America’s most glamorous political dynasty has petrol on its fingerprints. When Rory Kennedy’s uncle — Senator Edward Kennedy — ran for president, the Washington Post noted, “What is not well known is that Kennedy, as an investor, is something of an oilman…He and his children own an interest in dozens of oil and gas properties in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and several other states, at least 39 leases and 101 royalty properties.” These holdings constituted “14 to 17.4 percent of the assets held in blind trust for his immediate family.””

Oil Baron Fortunes Now Fuel Climate Change Activism

https://www.nysun.com/article/oil-baron-fortunes-now-fuel-climate-change-activism

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“There was a real chance that Trump would fall into this trap of 2020 election rants instead of telling us how he would fix the economy and undo the wreckage left by the Biden administration. That's all under the rug now. That's not even a top item. He, Trump, is viewed as the Democrats' public enemy number one. And now, the state has gone after him—you just cannot beat that campaign line. It's set to fill the war chests of the Trump machine many times over. 

“The Democrats' last gamble was to use the FBI, DOJ, and later the IRS to go after Americans to prevent them from running for office. It won't just be the presidency. It's not far-fetched now to think that any conservative running for federal office whom liberal America views as a threat to the gravy train will come under federal investigation. This raid was just the first shot, but a Trump presidency, or any presidency that doesn't have Biden in it—can stop that. 

“The FBI is the Democratic Party's political hit squad whose origins can be traced back to when Eric Holder became attorney general. It accelerated rapidly under the Obama administration, and the same traitorous snakes remain. That was made clear in the Mar-a-Lago incursion, which ended the 2024 GOP primaries.”

The 2024 GOP Primaries Are Over. The FBI's Raid on Trump's Mar-a-Lago Ended Them.

https://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2022/08/09/did-trump-already-win-the-2024-primaries-n2611460?utm_source=thdailypm&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nl&bcid=272301c8f377cb4769525192b29cae221c10bb65c600b80a9e95a953d91ba2a2&recip=28870245

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“As the New York Post reported, Batgirl, “which was doing test screenings for audiences in anticipation of a late 2022 debut, would rank among the most expensive cinematic castoffs ever.  Those tests were said to be so poorly received by moviegoers that the studio decided to cut its losses and run for the sake of the brand’s future. It’s a DC disaster. “They think an unspeakable ‘Batgirl’ is going to be irredeemable,” the source said.””

  

“More Hollywood-friendly (i.e., less inquisitive) outlets like Variety, Esquire, and the Hollywood Reporter chose not to mention the viewer feedback, instead focusing only on Zaslav’s cruel penny-pinching. But a day later, when asked about the Batgirl axing, Zaslav offered, “We’re not going to launch a movie to make a quarter and we’re not going to put a movie out unless we believe in it,” making it clear that Batgirl was dead and worth more to the company as a tax write-off than another flop.”

The Breaking of Batgirl

https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/the-breaking-of-batgirl/?utm_source=recirc-desktop&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=river&utm_content=more-in-tag&utm_term=second

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“In May, Meta — formerly Facebook — said that “discussing abortion openly at work has a heightened risk of creating a hostile work environment,” so it had taken “the position that we would not allow open discussion.” Progressive activists were surprised to see so many companies offering muted and generic statements about the Supreme Court’s recent abortion decision…Earlier this summer, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos effectively told his employees that it was time to stop complaining about programming that offended them: “If you’d find it hard to support our content breadth, Netflix may not be the best place for you.” New Warner Brothers CEO David Zaslav is reportedly meeting with Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling, indicating he’s not interested in complaints about her views on trans issues.”

Corporate America Isn’t Certain It Can Afford to Be Woke Anymore

https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/corporate-america-isnt-certain-it-can-afford-to-be-woke-anymore/?utm_source=recirc-desktop&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=river&utm_content=more-in-tag&utm_term=first

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"What if, for example, Jones’s lawyers knew their client had, against their advice, lied under oath in his deposition? And what if they “accidentally” passed the messages to the Sandy Hook lawyers and the judge in discovery… on purpose?  Why would they do this? Well, what if the Jones lawyers, given they knew their client had lied under oath, were concerned that they might find themselves accused of suborning perjury? ... Would Jones’s lawyers really want to put their license to practice law on the line? For Alex Jones?

"In a situation when an attorney’s client has lied in their deposition, one course of action would be to withdraw representation. But would “accidentally” sending proof of the client’s perjury not be another option for the Jones attorneys, so they could fulfill their ethical obligation to the court and save their skins?"

Conspiracy theory: did Alex Jones’s lawyers leak his messages on purpose?

https://spectatorworld.com/topic/conspiracy-theory-alex-jones-lawyers-leaked-messages-purpose/?utm_source=Spectator+World+Signup&utm_campaign=e32dc395fb-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2022_08_10_04_58&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_edf2ae2373-e32dc395fb-154710445

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“Strive seeks to beat the big fund managers at their own shareholder-activism game. That presents an obvious difficulty, akin to the challenge of starting a third political party: Even if your views are far more popular than the incumbents’, you’re starting from zero. How do you overcome their massive advantage in money, loyalty and voting power?  The Engine No. 1 saga points to one answer: by using the power to introduce resolutions and board candidates and inducing the big funds to vote your way. Mr. Ramaswamy’s strategy entails heightening ESG’s contradictions by crafting resolutions that “call the bluff of the doublespeak,” by which he means the claim that fund mangers are simultaneously “using capital to address shared global challenges like systemic racism and global climate change” and “exclusively looking after the financial interests of their clients.””

How Woke Capital Politicized Your Retirement Account

https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-your-retirement-account-got-politicized-blackrock-firms-money-investment-index-funds-markets-partisan-politics-11660058521?mod=e2fb&fbclid=IwAR0v856RpSmtH2CW8X9p15iLcH_na-u0GvnULJPX4ScEvqSl1_KhiwPdLt0

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“Muller deserves credit for being more honest than most mask advocates. He notes that the World Health Organization said in March 2020 that “there is no evidence” that masks work, and he adds that “it was the absence of significant positive effects from RCTs prior to the pandemic that informed the WHO’s initial [anti-mask] stance.” Yet Muller laments the reliance on RCTs as opposed to “mechanism-based reasoning.” This is a fancy term for applying one’s own reasoning faculties. Muller’s reasoning leads him to be convinced that masks must work. But that, of course, is why we have RCTs: to test people’s notions about what works and what doesn’t.”

Masks Still Don’t Work

https://www.city-journal.org/masks-still-dont-work?fbclid=IwAR293KS4iJ9JWrwFpvdyde5Y3oyIabXOfOxPrxlaO_CSc1xAIO13MAxUqEA

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“Omar, who previously said Minneapolis should “completely dismantle” its police department, told Fox 9 shortly after her primary win that Frey must do more to provide “adequate public safety” for city residents and address their worries about rising crime. But Frey dismissed her position as hypocritical, citing her outspoken advocacy for defunding the police and abolishing the city’s police force.  “Congresswoman Omar is telling us that we need to be providing adequate safety? This is the person that literally called out to defund and get rid of the police,” Frey said.”

Minneapolis mayor criticizes Ilhan Omar for 'making it about' herself after narrow primary win

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/minneapolis-mayor-criticizes-ilhan-omar-for-making-it-about-herself-after-narrow-primary-win/ar-AA10wxEj?ocid=NL_ENUS_A1_00010101_1_1&bep_ref=1&bep_csid=52541

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“Unless and until Garland goes for full transparency, telling us all exactly what he’s investigating, we have to fear he’s simply taking a huge roll of the dice — hoping to find a Trump-slaying mother lode of evidence at the great risk of turning the ex-prez into a martyr and the next president.”

If Merrick Garland doesn’t give a solid, fast reason for raiding Trump’s home, he’s probably just re-elected him

https://nypost.com/2022/08/09/merrick-garland-needs-to-give-a-reason-for-raiding-trumps-home/

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“Progressive, black, George-Soros-backed Albany County District Attorney David Soares has joined Mayor Eric Adams’ pleas for a special legislative session to truly fix the state’s criminal-justice laws.  The “black lives” cited to justify the no-bail and Raise the Age reforms “are the very black lives most impacted by the violence” these “reforms” have triggered, Soares points out. “The same young people” apprehended for “very violent acts [are] back out on the street” engaging in the same behavior, he warns.”

Soros-backed DA David Soares wants NY’s criminal-justice laws fixed ASAP

https://nypost.com/2022/08/09/soros-backed-da-david-soares-wants-nys-criminal-justice-laws-fixed-asap/

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“For the feds to claim they suddenly care about classified documents is a joke []…They would have to care about Adam Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, constantly leaking classified information and lying that Hunter’s laptop was Russian disinformation.  They would have to care about Hillary Clinton’s private server and missing emails.  They would have to care that former FBI Director James Comey and his deputy Andrew McCabe lied to officials and disclosed classified information.  They would have to care about Hunter’s laptop and the identity of the Big Guy.  “Let’s be honest,” said Giordano. “Plenty of people are above the law in the United States.””

So FBI, why no raid of Hunter Biden’s house?!

https://nypost.com/2022/08/10/so-fbi-why-no-raid-of-hunter-bidens-house/

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“On Tuesday, police identified the suspect as another Muslim man, who is believed to have been motivated by intra-Islamic sectarian hatred. Police detained 51-year-old Muhammad Syed, an Afghan Muslim migrant, and charged him with the murder of Aftab Hussein and Muhammad Afzaal Hussain. Syed is reportedly Sunni Muslim and killed the men in anger over his daughter marrying a Shiite Muslim. Police believe he could be culpable for a string of homicides in the city over the past few months.”

Mainstream Media Jump to Conclusions in Killings of Four New Mexico Muslim Men

https://www.nationalreview.com/news/mainstream-media-jump-to-conclusions-in-killings-of-four-new-mexico-muslim-men/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NR%20Daily%20Monday%20through%20Friday%202022-08-10&utm_term=NRDaily-Smart

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“Is it really plausible that Garland was so ignorant of the political needs and familiar patterns of behavior of both Trump and his own administration that he thought this would not be an immediate front-page political firestorm, one in which leading Democrats would leap into the fray to declare, yet again, that Trump’s criminal prosecution for all manner of things was imminent? If so, he’s a bigger fool than any of us guessed.”

The Trump-FBI Whodunit Only Gets More Embarrassing

https://www.nationalreview.com/2022/08/the-trump-fbi-whodunit-only-gets-more-embarrassing/?utm_source=recirc-desktop&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=right-rail&utm_content=top-stories&utm_term=second

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Since the FBI raided Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago compound on Monday, the Democratic Party’s resistance leaders have been tumescent.

The FBI kills a mosquito with a howitzer

https://spectatorworld.com/topic/the-fbi-kills-a-mosquito-with-a-howitzer/

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“The “deep state” is no right-wing myth. While administrations come and go, the more than 2 million people who work for the federal government are largely immovable objects who cannot be fired except for cause and, as the Obama-era IRS scandal (among other incidents) indicated, not always then either.”

Trump FBI raid more proof we must remake a politicized bureaucracy

https://nypost.com/2022/08/10/trump-fbi-raid-more-proof-we-must-remake-a-politicized-bureaucracy/?utm_source=pocket_mylist

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“…the purpose of speech is as an alternative to violence. Open discourse is a sign of progress. What we’re doing now is the opposite…As the political climate changes—which it inevitably does—they may eventually find themselves on the other side of things, outside the popular narrative, without the skills to cope with no longer being able to silence voices or ideas they dislike.”

Speech isn't violence; it's how we avoid it

https://fairforall.substack.com/p/speech-is-not-violence?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

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“For Inoue, any black student who does not want to speak in his or her “home” language is a dupe who wants nothing more than to “become a nice little cog in the system.” Thus, I argued, Inoue reflects the devolution of the field of rhetoric and composition, and perpetuates the infantilizing victimization of black students…In my view, Inoue’s beliefs make sense if the real goal is not writing instruction at all, but the fundamental transformation of society into one that deemphasizes the individual and emphasizes the communal—a society that does not see individuals as sovereign beings but as valuable parts in a collective; a society that sounds much to me like a Marxist utopia. I would argue that Inoue and his ilk are a temporal manifestation of the “long march through institutions” put forth by economic and cultural Marxists, who—despite their differences—agree that society is nothing more than a battle between oppressor and oppressed. It is this belief that informs Inoue’s pedagogy, and through citing prominent Marxist theorists and pedagogues, one can better understand why a writing teacher would, with such righteous indignation, refuse to actually teach writing.”

How Marxism replaces education with indoctrination

https://fairforall.substack.com/p/asao-inoue-marxism?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

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“Al Gore recently said that those still skeptical about global warming are no better than the police officers who did nothing after entering Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, during that heinous mass shooting that left 19 young children dead in May. Yes, being skeptical about cannibalizing trillions of dollars in economic growth and activity to ratchet down the Earth’s temperature less than a degree over the next ten or so years which could come at the cost of total catastrophe for our societies, makes us just like the do-nothing cops who got kids killed in Uvalde.   Go to hell, Al.”

Climate Change Advocates' Appalling Take on Lightning Strike That Killed Three in DC

https://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2022/08/08/climate-change-panic-peddlers-appalling-take-on-lightning-strike-that-killed-three-in-dc-n2611398?utm_source=thdailypm&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nl&bcid=272301c8f377cb4769525192b29cae221c10bb65c600b80a9e95a953d91ba2a2&recip=28870245

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“Even in celebration, liberals are miserable. They redirected fire into their ship, roasting one of their outlets, The Washington Post, for a headline that, for once, was accurate. Attorney General Merrick Garland did promise to depoliticize the Justice Department, but this raid has ended that promise, if there ever was one, in a brutal fashion.”

Why Liberals Had a Chernobyl-Level Freakout Over WaPo's Headline About Trump, the FBI, and Garland

https://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2022/08/11/liberals-melted-down-over-wapos-headline-about-merrick-garland-and-maralago-which-means-it-was-fine-n2611577

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“New York state law will no longer refer to prisoners as "inmates" and will instead call them "incarcerated individuals," according to a new law…Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the legislation Monday. She argues that removing the term "inmate" will help to "reduce harmful stigma against incarcerated people by correcting outdated terminology…In New York, we’re doing everything in our power to show that justice and safety can go hand-in-hand…We can make our streets and communities safer by giving justice-involved individuals the chance to complete their rehabilitation program and work at the same time. By treating all New Yorkers with dignity and respect, we can improve public safety while ensuring New Yorkers have a fair shot at a second chance," she added.”

New York to scrap 'inmate' in favor of 'incarcerated individual' in state law

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/new-york-scrap-inmate-favor-incarcerated-individual-state-law?fbclid=IwAR1G7qbYr86C_Nm5LlQB2bNENQXYieCKxG7Q6xychvTxsWZknTwWBAlMerk

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“Everyone should be deeply troubled by the recent report that the Army is on pace to miss its recruiting goal by dozens of thousands of troops and by the report that followed a few days later, alleging that the Border Patrol is running short of agents in Arizona and Texas. The border is so porous these days that even mayors of sanctuary cities are starting to complain about illegal immigration.  So, what is Congress doing about these crises? They are going to spend tens of billions of dollars to increase the number of ... IRS employees. The plan calls for spending some $80 billion to hire some 80,000 new agents and investigators. This will give the IRS the resources to double the number of people who get audited every year.  Is this about the most warped set of national priorities you've ever heard? If this $80 billion were rerouted to the Army and the Border Patrol, we could easily stop much of the tide of illegal immigration and staff up our military so we have the soldiers we need to defend our country.”

Biden Puts IRS Funding Ahead of Military and Border Security

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2022/08/09/biden_puts_irs_funding_ahead_of_military_and_border_security_148017.html?fbclid=IwAR0jwdUjJXmaZ26ow-4T1tv4lNmMDkdpFVGH1EQmvPAgWvIz0_zfrIUJ49Q

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“Francesca Albanese, the UN’s “Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967,” defended Palestinian terrorists on Monday after a ceasefire was put into effect following three days of fighting between the IDF and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ).”

UN ‘human rights’ investigator endorses ‘killing Israelis’

https://worldisraelnews.com/un-human-rights-investigator-endorses-killing-israelis-ngo-charges/?utm_source=newsletters_worldisraelnews_com&utm_medium=email&utm_content=UN%20Official%20Endorses%20%27Killing%20Israelis%27%3B%20Islamic%20Jihad%20Issues%20Ultimatum%3B%20%27Lion%20of%20Nablus%27%20Killed%20in%20IDF%20Raid%3B%20If%20No%20Objections%20Raised%2C%20%27Nuclear%20Deal%20will%20be%20Restored%27&utm_campaign=20220809_m168923760_UN%20Official%20Endorses%20%27Killing%20Israelis%27%3B%20Islamic%20Jihad%20Issues%20Ultimatum%3B%20%27Lion%20of%20Nablus%27%20Killed%20in%20IDF%20Raid%3B%20If%20No%20Objections%20Raised%2C%20%27Nuclear%20Deal%20will%20be%20Restored%27&utm_term=_0D_0A_09_09_09_09_09_09_09_09_09_09Read%20Now_0D_0A_09_09_09_09_09_09_09_09_09&fbclid=IwAR2HUBpnqSzk45tTefHG8v8UU669retKe9aqcXFWpFyaLxc6n1EE5_pLMNI

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“A college that codified these “competencies” would certainly dissuade faculty from expressing many widely-held political opinions — most obviously, opposition to affirmative action. Thus, the policy is likely illegal, running afoul of First Amendment law, which treats academic freedom as sacrosanct. Yet, from Arizona, to Utah, to North Carolina, such policies continue to be adopted and implemented.”

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is tearing academia apart

https://unherd.com/thepost/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-is-tearing-academia-apart/

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“Who wants a brick through the window, a death threat, a calumny, all that damage to your reputation? Write out of turn and you get what you deserve. People felt this was justice, not cowardice… in fact, that most people do not like freedom of speech very much. Most people — and that includes most writers — will not risk being banished to Siberia…What wasn’t so clear that morning in 1989 was how much further than Rushdie the culture of his fatwa would extend.”

How we gave up Salman Rushdie: Britain saw his fatwa and internalised it

https://unherd.com/2022/08/how-we-gave-up-salman-rushdie/

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“Progressive leftism and global capitalism, far from being antagonistic as some of us once thought, have turned out to be a usefully snug fit. Both are totalising, utopian projects. Both are suspicious of the past, impatient with borders and boundaries, and hostile to religion, “superstition” and the limits on the human individual imposed by nature or culture. Both are in pursuit of a global utopia where, in the dreams of both Lenin and Lennon, the world will live as one…If the past 40 years have taught us anything, it’s that dreams of universal equality can segue very easily into dreams of universal market access.”

How the Left fell for capitalism

https://unherd.com/2022/07/how-the-left-fell-for-capitalism/?=refinnar

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