There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true. —Soren Kierkegaard. "…truth is true even if nobody believes it, and falsehood is false even if everybody believes it. That is why truth does not yield to opinion, fashion, numbers, office, or sincerity–it is simply true and that is the end of it" – Os Guinness, Time for Truth, pg.39. “He that takes truth for his guide, and duty for his end, may safely trust to God’s providence to lead him aright.” – Blaise Pascal. "There is but one straight course, and that is to seek truth and pursue it steadily" – George Washington letter to Edmund Randolph — 1795. We live in a “post-truth” world. According to the dictionary, “post-truth” means, “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.” Simply put, we now live in a culture that seems to value experience and emotion more than truth. Truth will never go away no matter how hard one might wish. Going beyond the MSM idealogical opinion/bias and their low information tabloid reality show news with a distractional superficial focus on entertainment, sensationalism, emotionalism and activist reporting – this blogs goal is to, in some small way, put a plug in the broken dam of truth and save as many as possible from the consequences—temporal and eternal. "The further a society drifts from truth, the more it will hate those who speak it." – George Orwell “There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.” ― Soren Kierkegaard
My soul! nothing can be more grateful and commendatory to the state of thine insolvency, than the recollection of what thy God and Saviour hath taught in this beautiful parable; that the debtor of five hundred pence, and the debtor of fifty, being both equally incapable of discharging the respective claims upon them, are equally considered as objects of mercy, and are therefore both alike forgiven. And this, indeed, is the distinguishing property of grace. It is totally distinct from merit; yea, in direct opposition to it. Hadst thou the least pretensions to divine favour, or couldst thou have put forth the least helping hand towards thine own salvation; grace then would have been no more grace. The frank forgiveness of all debt, carries with it the plainest testimony of man’s total helplessness, and the sovereign freedom of divine love. And hence, when the sinner, of every description and character, is brought into this glorious privilege of redemption, the whole result is “to the praise of the glory of his grace, who hath made us accepted in the beloved.” What a beautiful and interesting view is this of the gospel of Jesus! It is full, and free, and suited to every case, and answering to the state and circumstances of every poor sinner. For as all have sinned and come short of God’s glory, so all, being unable to make the smallest restitution, are equally objects suited to divine mercy; and whatever other causes operate, certain it is, that the greatness or smallness of the debt, in a state of total insolvency, becomes no bar to pardon. So runs the charter of grace, and the proclamation from the court of heaven. Let all that are poor, and insolvent, and helpless, and conscious of their lost state, come alike to the footstool of the mercy-seat. The Son of God will have his court surrounded with such; and every one to whom his free salvation is welcome, that poor creature, be his circumstances what they may, shall be welcome to take it; whether him that oweth ten thousand talents, or whether him that oweth fifty; having nothing, either of them, to pay, the Lord frankly forgives both! Oh! the unsearchable riches of grace! Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift!1
Child of God, do you hesitate to appropriate this title? Ah! has your unbelief made you forget that you are greatly beloved too? Must you not have been greatly beloved, to have been bought with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot? When God smote his only begotten Son for you, what was this but being greatly beloved? You lived in sin, and rioted in it, must you not have been greatly beloved for God to have borne so patiently with you? You were called by grace and led to a Saviour, and made a child of God and an heir of heaven. All this proves, does it not, a very great and superabounding love? Since that time, whether your path has been rough with troubles, or smooth with mercies, it has been full of proofs that you are a man greatly beloved. If the Lord has chastened you, yet not in anger; if he has made you poor, yet in grace you have been rich. The more unworthy you feel yourself to be, the more evidence have you that nothing but unspeakable love could have led the Lord Jesus to save such a soul as yours. The more demerit you feel, the clearer is the display of the abounding love of God in having chosen you, and called you, and made you an heir of bliss. Now, if there be such love between God and us let us live in the influence and sweetness of it, and use the privilege of our position. Do not let us approach our Lord as though we were strangers, or as though he were unwilling to hear us—for we are greatly beloved by our loving Father. “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” Come boldly, O believer, for despite the whisperings of Satan and the doubtings of thine own heart, thou art greatly beloved. Meditate on the exceeding greatness and faithfulness of divine love this evening, and so go to thy bed in peace.1
THEN spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. (In what a sad plight is the teacher concerning whom such advice must be given—“do as he says and not as he does.” From such teachers may the Lord save our country.)
4 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.
5–7 But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. (The love of applause is a very common sin, and we may easily fall into it. Let us pray to be kept from seeking honour from men in our religious or charitable acts, for the influence of such a motive will be most pernicious. Self-seeking makes virtue itself a vice.)
8 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.
9, 10 And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. (All titles and honours in the church which exalt men and give occasion for pride are here forbidden. In the Christian church we should seek to realise a truer “Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity,” than that for which the world clamours in vain.)
11, 12 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. (A strong expression setting forth the fact that they regarded trifles and neglected weighty duties; they strained out gnats from their wine, but cared nothing for huge sins.)
25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
27, 28 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
29–31 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. (Here we have much the same teaching as we have read before. The faults denounced are hard to remove, hence the Saviour exposes them again and again. He was not ashamed to preach many times upon the same topic when there was need to do so. Let us learn from this passage to avoid all self-seeking and hypocrisy in religion. May the Lord make us true and humble.)
Jeremiah 2:35 — This echoes Luke 5:32. God is begging sinners to acknowledge they are sinners.
Jeremiah 3:1 — This is in sharp contrast to Islam which states that if a man divorces his wife a third time, she cannot go back to her ex-husband unless she marries someone in between! To get around this, there arose “Nikah Halala,” a temporary marriage/consummation/divorce to permit the woman to remarry the first husband. However, the Prophet Muhammad cursed those who practiced Nikah Halala.
Jeremiah 3:3 — God can withhold physical blessing from those who are in spiritual rebellion.
Jeremiah 3:10 — Notice the word “feignedly” (KJV) which means “simulated, pretended, or insincere.” Do we have whole-hearted repentance or just simulated repentance? Have we admitted that we have not obeyed His voice (Jeremiah 3:13)?
Jeremiah 3:16 — Ellicott highlights the contrast between this verse and 2 Maccabees 2:4-5 because the symbol of the presence of the LORD will be replaced with the Presence of the LORD Himself!
Colossians 1:4-5 — In contrast to the Corinthians who had to be taught about faith, love, and hope (1 Corinthians 13:13), the Colossians are commended for their faith in Jesus, love for the saints, and hope in heaven!
Colossians 1:9 — I’m usually quick to let people know I’m praying for them – and I try to pray right away for them – but how often do we cease to pray as opposed to ceasing not to pray?
There is thus an active force imposed on the universe, which actively holds the very atoms of the material world together moment by moment, day by day, century by century.
Not Sennacherib, nor Nisroch his god, but Jehovah alone, who with a silent rebuke had withered all the monarch’s host.
“Fear him, ye saints, and then ye shall have nothing else to fear.”
The fear of man is a snare, but the fear of God is a great virtue, and has great power for good over the human mind. God is to be feared profoundly, continually, and alone. Let all worship be to him only. And who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry? Who indeed? The angels fell when their rebellion provoked his justice; Adam lost his place in Paradise in the same manner; Pharaoh and other proud monarchs passed away at his frown; neither is there in earth or hell any who can abide the terror of his wrath. How blest are they who are sheltered in the atonement of Jesus, and hence have no cause to fear the righteous anger of the Judge of all the earth.
I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.Psalm 16:8
This is the way to live. With God always before us, we shall have the noblest companionship, the holiest example, the sweetest consolation, and the mightiest influence. This must be a resolute act of the mind. “I have set,” and it must be maintained as a set and settled thing. Always to have an eye to the Lord’s eye and an ear for the Lord’s voice—this is the right state for the godly man. His God is near him, filling the horizon of his vision, leading the way of his life, and furnishing the theme of his meditation. What vanities we should avoid, what sins we should overcome, what virtues we should exhibit, what joys we should experience if we did indeed set the Lord always before us! Why not?
This is the way to be safe. The Lord being ever in our minds, we come to feel safety and certainty because of His being so near. He is at our right hand to guide and aid us; and hence we are not moved by fear, nor force, nor fraud, nor fickleness. When God stands at a man’s right hand, that man is himself sure to stand. Come on, then, ye foemen of the truth! Rush against me like a furious tempest, if ye will. God upholds me. God abides with me. Whom shall I fear?
Israel Declares UN Secretary-General Guterres ‘Persona Non Grata’ Israel has declared United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres persona non grata and barred him from entering the country, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz announced on Wednesday via X/Twitter. The decision came in response to what Katz described as Guterres’s failure to unequivocally condemn Iran’s recent missile attack on Israel. “Anyone who cannot unequivocally condemn Iran’s heinous attack on Israel, as almost every country in the world has done, does not deserve to step foot on Israeli soil,”
NASA’s Hubble finds that a black hole beam promotes stellar eruptions In a surprise finding, astronomers using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope have discovered that the blowtorch-like jet from a supermassive black hole at the core of a huge galaxy seems to cause stars to erupt along its trajectory. The stars, called novae, are not caught inside the jet, but apparently in a dangerous neighborhood nearby. “This means there’s something missing from our understanding of how black hole jets interact with their surroundings.”
IDF confirms: Limited ground operation in Lebanon begins the IDF on Monday night began limited, localized, and targeted ground raids based on precise intelligence against Hezbollah terrorist targets and infrastructure in southern Lebanon. These targets are located in villages close to the border and pose an immediate threat to Israeli communities in northern Israel, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said.
Shechem: Two terrorists eliminated, IDF soldier severely injured Four IDF soldiers injured, one of them seriously, in a shootout with terrorists in Shechem; two terrorists eliminated, including a key figure in Judea, Samaria, terror. … guided by ISA intelligence, eliminated terrorist Abed Shahin, who advanced and carried out terror and shooting attacks on IDF forces in Judea and Samaria.
IDF announces new restrictions for Jerusalem & central Israel after Tel Aviv rocket attack wounds 3 Israelis New restrictions were issued for the Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, the Sharon region, the Carmel area, Wadi Ara, and the northern West Bank, and will stay in place until Saturday, after the Jewish New Year holiday. This means that schools and workplaces will be opened only if a shelter is available in time, and gatherings will be restricted to 30 people outdoors and 300 people indoors.
Jordan’s King Abdullah – Friend or foe to Israel? The same monarch who came to the aid of Israel, when attacked by Iran on April 13th, allowing Israeli aircraft full operational freedom in their airspace and helping to intercept Iranian drones on their way to our territory, has just categorically announced that “Jordan will never be the alternate homeland of the Palestinians.” Apparently wanting to make it clear, that no matter how the Israel-Hamas war turns out, these people will not be able to find a refuge on his shores. But those sentiments are widely known, so why did he feel the need to forcefully express them now?
Churchill’s Warning: Betraying Israel will bring Disaster From boycotting Prime Minister Netanyahu’s speech to Congress to blocking critical arms shipments to Israel, many American political leaders have done nothing less than stab Israel in the back as the Jewish state battles evil terrorists on multiple fronts. But this is not the first time a supposed friend of the Jewish people has backstabbed the people of Israel. Long before American politicians cynically chose to sacrifice Israel in the hopes of gaining political support from Arabs in Dearborn, Michigan, British politicians were doing the same thing –
Dockworkers at ports from Maine to Texas go on strike, a standoff risking new shortages Dockworkers at ports from Maine to Texas began walking picket lines early Tuesday in a strike over wages and automation that could reignite inflation and cause shortages of goods if it goes on more than a few weeks. The contract between the ports and about 45,000 members of the International Longshoremen’s Association expired at midnight, and even though progress was reported in talks on Monday, the workers went on strike. The strike affecting 36 ports is the first by the union since 1977.
Israel says Iran has fired missiles and it warns residents to shelter in place The Israeli military said Tuesday that Iran has fired missiles and it ordered residents to remain close to bomb shelters as air raid sirens sounded across the country. A series of window-shaking explosions were heard in Tel Aviv and near Jerusalem, though it was not immediately clear whether the sounds were from missiles landing or being intercepted by Israeli defenses, or both.
British Prime Minister condemns Iranian missile attack on Israel: It cannot be tolerated British Prime Minister Keir Starmer after Iranian ballistic missile attack: We stand with Israel, Iran must stop these attacks, together with its proxies like Hezbollah. “Iran has menaced the Middle East for far too long, chaos and destruction brought not just to Israel, but to the people they live amongst – in Lebanon and beyond.
Netanyahu responds to attack: Iran made a big mistake and it will pay for it “Tonight, Iran again attacked Israel with hundreds of missiles. This attack failed. It was thwarted thanks to Israel’s air defense system, which is the most advanced in the world. I congratulate the IDF on its impressive achievement. It was also thwarted thanks to the vigilance and responsibility you – the citizens of Israel – showed. I also thank the United States for its support in our defense effort,” said Netanyahu.”Iran made a big mistake tonight – and it will pay for it. The regime in Iran does not understand our determination to defend ourselves and our determination to retaliate against our enemies. Sinwar and Deif did not understand this, Nasrallah and Mohsen did not understand this, and there are probably those in Tehran who do not understand this. They will understand.”
Khamenei threatens Israel in Hebrew, Geert Wilders fires back in explosive exchange In an unusual exchange on X, formerly Twitter, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Dutch politician Geert Wilders both tweeted in Hebrew, further intensifying the rhetoric surrounding the Israel-Hamas conflict. Khamenei threatened that “the blows of the resistance front will grow stronger and more painful against the worn and decaying body of the Zionist regime,” signaling Iran’s increasing hostility toward Israel.
MKs from coalition, opposition call for strikes on strategic Iranian assets two Members of Knesset (MKs) from the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee (FADC) called on the government to take advantage of the attack in order to conduct strategic strikes against Iran. Religious Zionist Party MK Ohad Tal, a member of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee (FADC), said he was surprised that Iran went through with the attack despite the capabilities that Israel displayed against Hezbollah in the past two weeks and despite threats of retaliation from both Israeli and US officials.
IDF strikes terror targets in Beirut The IDF has begun operating in Beirut, striking terror targets in the area, the IDF reported on Wednesday overnight. This is a developing report.
Only Fatality From Mass Iranian Missile Attack Is Palestinian Man From Gaza A Palestinian man in the West Bank village of Nu’eima, near Jericho was killed by falling fuselage from an intercepted missile during a massive Iranian missile attack against Israel, according to the Israel Defense Forces. The man, Sameh Asli, 37, a Palestinian from Jabalia in Gaza, is currently the only reported death from the Iranian attack against Israel.
Trump on Biden’s handling of Iran missile attack: ‘No one is in charge’ “The world is on fire and spiraling out of control,” the former president said. “We have no leadership, no one running the country.” Trump said that U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were “nonexistent” and “completely absent,” respectively.
Israel threatens direct strikes on Iran’s nuclear or oil facilities, report says Israel reportedly conveys message to Iran, saying it would retaliate by targeting strategic facilities in Iran for any strike on its territory, ‘no matter how small or large’; Netanyahu: Iran has made a ‘grave mistake’ … the recent Iranian attack might strengthen voices in Israel advocating for a preemptive strike on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.
A Ferocious Battle Over Whose Worldview Will Define A Nation Ever since … Obama’s vow to fundamentally transform America—a promise he kept—each Election Day has become less about politics and personalities and more of a ferocious battle over whose worldview will define a nation. Values that used to unite us have vanished, replaced by the hard contours of two parties without much common ground.
Lies And Activism: Media Shifts Blame Toward Pro-Life Laws After Mother Dies From Abortion Pill Jesus called Satan the father of lies and said that the devil’s followers are just like him—they lie by nature (John 8:44). So it shouldn’t be any surprise to us as believers when the secular world consistently obscures the truth and outright lies to push their cause. And this is perhaps nowhere more obvious than in the abortion debate.
Thousands of US troops deployed to Middle East amid rising tension U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is sending a “few thousand” additional troops to the Middle East as tensions increase in the region amid Israel’s ongoing attacks against the Hezbollah terrorist organization. The increase in U.S. Forces in the Middle East comes as Israel has launched strikes and limited operations in Lebanon over the past several days. The Pentagon’s announcement also comes after Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was assassinated on Friday,
US destroyers intercept Iranian missiles as Mideast crisis intensifies Two U.S. destroyers fired a dozen interceptors to help Israel ward off a barrage of some 180 Iranian ballistic missiles, about twice as many as Tehran launched in its previously unprecedented April 14 strike, Pentagon officials said Tuesday evening. You don’t launch that many missiles at a target without the intent of hitting something. So absolutely, just like the last time, their intent is to cause destruction,”
House Oversight Committee Issues Subpoena After Whistleblower Steps Forward with Info on Tim Walz and the Chinese Communist Party The Chinese Communist Party has a “longstanding connection” with Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who is also the running mate of Vice President Kamala Harris, according to allegations from the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability. “During briefings held with over twenty federal agencies, the Committee has learned of the CCP’s efforts to influence subnational government leaders, including state governors.
Iran attacks Israel with 181 ballistic missiles At least 181 ballistic missiles were launched from Iran toward Israel Tuesday evening, as Rosh Hashanah (Feast of Trumpets) in Israel had begun. Multiple explosions were heard in Jerusalem. Despite several impacts, no casualties have been reported. A number of people were injured following falls on their way to shelters. Also, over 20 people were treated for emotional shock.
Israel and U.S. Vow ‘Significant Response,’ ‘Severe Consequences’ for Iran After Missile Attack An Israeli official said Israel had a “significant response” planned for Iran and that damage Iran and its terrorist proxies have suffered is “only a promo” for what Israel has in store for the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism. U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan, who’s been disastrous for foreign policy, claimed there’d be “severe consequences for this attack, and we will work with Israel to make that the case.”
Netanyahu promises Iran ‘will pay’ for its ‘grave mistake’ He told his Security Cabinet, “Iran made a big mistake tonight – and it will pay for it. The regime in Tehran does not understand our determination to defend ourselves and to exact a price from our enemies.”
US Navy shoots down Iranian missiles; Jordan allows use of airspace. A Jordanian official clarified that Jordan would do the same for “any other missile flying over our airspace.” Additionally, the Pentagon said that two US Navy destroyers fired about a dozen interceptors against Iranian missiles aimed at Israel.
Israeli military urges evacuation of Lebanese border towns amid ground incursion Israeli military on Tuesday warned people to evacuate nearly two dozen Lebanese border communities hours after launching what it said was a limited ground incursion against Hezbollah. “You must immediately head north of the Awali River to save yourselves, and leave your houses immediately,” said the statement posted by the Israeli military’s Arabic spokesperson. The border region has largely emptied out over the past year as the two sides have traded fire. But the scope of the evacuation warning raised questions as to how deep Israel plans to send its forces into Lebanon.
Eight Israelis Dead, Seven Wounded In Tel Aviv Terrorist Attack Two terrorists were neutralized after opening fire on Jerusalem Boulevard on Tuesday, killing 8 people and leaving 7 wounded. The attack came shortly before Iran launched ballistic missiles at Israel.
Switzerland: Three children injured in knife attack at Zurich daycare center Three children were injured, one seriously. A police spokesperson said a 23-year-old Chinese man attacked a group of children who were being led to the center by a staff member. A daycare worker and a bystander managed to overpower the attacker and restrain him until police arrived. Officers have yet to reveal a motive for the attack.
Typhoon Krathon reaches super strength as it nears Taiwan Krathon reached super strength on Sept. 30 after leaving at least 2 people dead in the Philippines. The system is expected to slightly weaken before its center approaches Taiwan on Oct. 2 and 3. Krathon will be the first landfalling typhoon in southwestern Taiwan since 1988, bringing strong winds and heavy rain, with up to 1,000 m (39 inches) in mountainous regions.
Ports Strike, Halting Half the Nation’s Ocean Shipping The strike blocks everything from food to automobile shipments across dozens of ports from Maine to Texas, in a disruption analysts warned will cost the economy billions of dollars a day, threaten jobs, and potentially stoke inflation.
U.S. Manufacturing Shrinks for Sixth Month in a Row The report comes as the U.S. economy faces additional challenges. Hurricane Helene wreaked over $110 billion of damage to the eastern U.S. This is on top of earlier Hurricanes Beryl and Debby, which cost upwards of $25 billion each. Then there’s the union workers’ strike shutting down 36 U.S. ports and idling about 50,000 workers. Risks to retail goods supply chains could be massive, impacting Thanksgiving and Christmas shopping. Higher wages demanded by the union will show up in higher prices at Walmart, Lowes, Home Depot, Ikea, and Amazon.
Americans pull together to help hurricane victims; migrants arrested for looting Americans are pulling together to help victims of Helene in seven states (moving swiftly ahead of the Harris-Biden administration’s slow response) with food, water, Starlink, generators, transport, GoFundMe campaigns, and other ways to help. President Trump is among them. Then there are those using the disaster to steal from Americans rendered vulnerable and helpless by the storm. A group of migrant workers are accused of looting properties in a flooded part of Tennessee.
Jeep announces recall for almost 200 thousand plug-in SUVs at risk of spontaneous combustion. Electric vehicles are already an exaggerated hazard on the road—weight and risk of fire—but now, a quality control problem is exacerbating the latter of those factors. Jeep is recalling over 194,000 plug-in hybrid SUVs worldwide because they can catch fire with the ignition turned off. In addition, Jeep is urging owners not to charge the SUVs and to park them outdoors away from structures until they’re repaired.
Douglas Andrews, Thomas Gallatin, & Jordan Candler
Security
Iran fires multiple missile strikes across Israel (Fox News)
Blinken hailed the Biden admin’s “clear-eyed” approach to Iran in op-ed ahead of missile attack (National Review)
Seven people killed in shooting, stabbing terror attack in Jaffa (Times of Israel)
Russians claim key city of Vuhledar in Ukraine’s east (BBC)
Government & Politics
FEMA’s perverse priorities: As folks all across the Southeast suffer terribly in the aftermath of a generational disaster, at least they can take solace in knowing that FEMA values diversity. As The Daily Caller reports, “The Biden administration’s Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) 2022-2026 strategic plan outlines three ‘ambitious goals,’ with the first focusing on equity.” Helpfully, FEMA’s goals are to “instill equity as a foundation of emergency management,” to “lead the whole community in climate resilience,” and to “promote and sustain a ready FEMA and a prepared nation.” FEMA, of course, is not the Federal Equity Management Agency. But don’t try telling that to the leftist bureaucrats who are calling the shots there and failing the American people in their time of need. Heckuva job there, FEMA.
EV drivers face risk of fires during flooding following hurricanes (Washington Examiner)
Newsom signs law banning voter ID: California Democrats have made it clear they don’t believe in secure elections. Similar to their soft-on-crime policies that resulted in crime spikes across the state, Democrats have embraced an anti-election-integrity policy. Case in point: On Monday, Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law a bill that bans the enforcement of voter ID. The bill was crafted in response to the city of Huntington Beach’s approval of a requirement that voters show ID in municipal elections. As Elon Musk pointedly noted, “Wow, it is now illegal to require voter ID in California! They just made PREVENTING voter fraud against the law.” He then added, “If the Dems win, they will force this on the whole country.” He’s right.
Wolverine State Dems want to tax fun: Democrats in Michigan would love to generate more revenue for the state government by imposing a so-called “amusement tax.” First introduced in 2019, the bill is the brainchild of Detroit City Councilperson Angela Whitfield-Calloway, who contends that the state must raise taxes on commercial entertainment, sports games, and movie tickets so local governments can cash in on tourism. “We want to make sure everyone who supports our venues is safe [and] we’re able to clean up after everything is over,” she argued. Republican State Representative Donni Steele responded to the tax proposal by noting that Democrats “want to turn $10 ballpark hotdogs into $15 ballpark hot dogs so they can give even more handouts to foreign governments.”
Economy
Consumer confidence nosedives: Americans’ confidence in the Biden-Harris economy is clearly on shaky ground, as consumer confidence has taken its steepest drop in over three years. The consumer confidence index fell from 105.6 in August to 98.7 in September. According to Dana Peterson, lead economist at The Conference Board, “Consumers were also more pessimistic about future labor market conditions and less positive about future business conditions and future income.” Jamie Cox of the Harris Financial Group observed, “Consumers are clearly concerned about the implications of the upcoming election, the increasing conflict around the world, and the stubbornly high cost of food and credit.” As Democrat strategist James Carville once famously said, “It’s the economy, stupid.”
Culture
A “Week of Rage” for the Jew-haters: For decent people, October 7 should be a day like December 7 or September 11: a day that will live in infamy. Sadly, though, there are evidently no decent people in the Jew-hating pressure group called the National Students for Justice in Palestine. The NSJP has set aside October 7, the day of the barbaric attack by Hamas on Israel, for a nationwide “Week of Rage” on college campuses across the country. The group says it’s marking “a year of genocide in Gaza.” Never mind that the Jewish state has gone to extraordinary lengths to avoid civilian casualties, even as their Hamas enemies are encouraging such casualties. “For over 11 months now, the Zionist entity, with the backing of the U.S. and our universities, has committed a horrific assault on the nearly 2 million Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip,” went a September 16 Instagram post from the group. “Since the start of this genocide, the people of Gaza have continued to stand steadfast, resilient, and unwavering in the face of these crimes. It is for them that we rise.” Hopefully, the disgraceful group will be drowned out that week by counterprotesters.
Detransitioners need not apply at AAP: During last night’s vice-presidential debate, JD Vance noted that the Democrats have a fondness for censorship, and the behavior of the nation’s largest professional association of pediatricians is a case in point. The American Academy of Pediatrics booted from its conference a group of transgender detransitioners who’d sought to share their perspectives and experiences with conference attendees. Apparently, the doctors who’ve bought into the cultishness of transgenderism are afraid to accommodate a second opinion on this issue. As Matt Walsh points out, “The AAP has kicked out a detrans group that included Chloe Cole, Abel Garcia, Soren Aldaco, and Nicolas Flowers from their annual conference. Why is the AAP preventing doctors from hearing these stories?” Indeed. And why doesn’t even one doctor there have the guts to say their names?
Good News
Another women’s volleyball team cancels game against trans player: There appears to be a promising and growing trend. Female athletes are deciding enough is enough and will not compete against males who identify as women. On Tuesday, the University of Wyoming’s women’s volleyball team canceled and forfeited their game against San Jose State University over the latter’s inclusion of a “transgender”-identifying male on their team. This makes Wyoming now the third school in the Mountain West NCAA Division I conference to cancel a match with SJSU over the issue of including “transgender” males in female sports. Boise State and Southeast Utah are the two other schools. Wyoming Republican Governor Mark Gordon praised the university’s decision, offering his “full support.” He added, “It’s important we stand for integrity and fairness in female athletics.” Former NCAA swimmer and women’s sports advocate Riley Gaines also commended the school’s decision, stating, “This is the way. Do not comply.”
A daughter’s wedding and a dad’s determination: “I did what any dad would do,” said David Jones. But that simple statement isn’t entirely accurate — at least not unless it’s a given that every 64-year-old dad would trek nearly 30 miles, by car and then by foot, through the debris and destruction of Hurricane Helene, all to make it on time to his daughter’s wedding. After starting up the generator on Friday at his home in Boiling Springs, South Carolina, Jones set off and headed “over the mountain to get to the spot where his daughter was scheduled to get married the following day, a trip that normally takes just two hours by car,” says People magazine. “After seven hours, he finally made it across the state line into Tennessee. The interstate was completely shut down and he saw cars and trucks stopped as law enforcement officers told them they could not go any further.” Correction: You can’t go any further unless you’re a dad who’s committed to being there for his daughter, come hell or high water.
Misc.
Biden struggles with being out of the national conversation (NBC News)
Speaker Johnson promises reduced government, fiscal responsibility if GOP wins out in November (Washington Times)
Controversial Taylor Lorenz leaves Washington Post weeks after calling Biden “war criminal” (NY Post)
Trudeau survives second confidence motion in Canada parliament (Reuters)
Humor: Nation in awe Kamala Harris managed to find running mate dumber than she is (Babylon Bee)
On the bright side for Tim Walz, he didn’t lose last night’s vice-presidential debate due to a boneheaded gaffe — such as when he said, “I’m a knucklehead at times,” or when he said, “I’ve become friends with school shooters.”
Inasmuch as “Vice President Knucklehead” has a charming ring to it, Walz lost the debate over the course of the evening on one issue after another, on both style and substance. And it wasn’t even close.
Take CNN’s word for it: “JD Vance came to this debate to land a bunch of punches, and he did,” said CNN political correspondent Abby Philip, adding, “Tim Walz did not seem prepared for it.” Said her CNN colleague Dana Bash, “I think the lack of interviews that [Walz] has done with national media, with local media, it shows.” Longtime anchor John King piled on, “The two issues driving the campaign right now are: Harris has a big deficit on the economy, Harris has a big deficit on immigration. And Republicans were happy tonight and Democrats a little bit nervous.”
Or ask NBC News, whose Kristen Welker said, “Senator JD Vance knew his challenge tonight was to come off as more likable. I received a number of texts from Republicans and Democrats who say he was very effective at doing that.”
Even the traditional Trump critics at National Review were impressed with the hillbilly-turned-Marine-turned-Yalie: “Vance made as strong a case for Trump as could be made — a better one, in fact, than Trump typically makes for himself.” Editor-in-Chief Rich Lowry wrote, “It was the best debate performance I can remember, perhaps going back to Obama in 2008 or Clinton in 1992. It didn’t hurt that Walz was completely pathetic, but Vance still put on a master class.”
As we noted yesterday, Walz got his debate wish, and he’s now living to regret it. At a rally in Philadelphia on August 6, the day after he joined the Harris ticket, Walz said of Vance, “I’ve gotta tell you, I can’t wait to debate the guy — that is, if he’s willing to get off the couch and show up.”
Oops.
But Vance didn’t just whip Walz; he also whipped CBS News, whose co-moderator, Margaret Brennan, told us at the start of the debate that her job would be to “provide the candidates with the opportunity to fact-check claims made by each other,” but who nonetheless falsely fact-checked Vance on a question about Springfield, Ohio, and the 20,000 Haitian immigrants who have overrun that town. Vance calmly and surgically called Brennan out on it, and he corrected her by providing context. Then she admitted her guilt by cutting his mic.
Those who might’ve wondered why Donald Trump picked the young first-term Ohio senator to be his running mate are wondering no more. The debate began with a question about Israel and Iran and whether the candidates would support a preemptive strike by Israel. Walz nervously fumbled his way through it, and then it was Vance’s turn. After thanking Walz and the moderators and thanking the American people for tuning in, Vance artfully introduced himself and then made an airtight case for Trump as commander-in-chief:
Now, to answer this particular question, we have to remember that as much as Governor Walz just accused Donald Trump of being an agent of chaos, Donald Trump actually delivered stability in the world, and he did it by establishing effective deterrence. People were afraid of stepping out of line. Iran, which launched this attack, has received over $100 billion in unfrozen assets thanks to the Kamala Harris administration. What do they use that money for? They use it to buy weapons that they’re now launching against our allies and, God forbid, potentially launching against the United States as well. Donald Trump recognized that for people to fear the United States, you needed peace through strength. They needed to recognize that if they got out of line, the United States’ global leadership would put stability and peace back in the world.
Walz had a tough time of it, partly because he’s a weirdo, but mostly because he was given such a tough task: namely, defending the top of his ticket. Vance brilliantly pointed this out, almost as if he were patting little Timmy on the head: “Honestly, Tim, I think you’ve got a tough job here because you’ve got to play Whac-a-Mole. You’ve got to pretend that Donald Trump didn’t deliver rising take-home pay, which, of course, he did. You’ve got to pretend that Donald Trump didn’t deliver lower inflation, which, of course, he did. And then you’ve simultaneously got to defend Kamala Harris’s atrocious economic record, which has made gas, groceries, and housing unaffordable for American citizens.”
Then there were the tough questions from the moderators about Walz’s deployment-dodging and his valor-thieving, and about Harris’s many flip-flops on important issues — on fracking, on amnesty, on the wall, on single-payer healthcare, on offshore drilling, on defunding the police, on abolishing ICE. And there was the zinger about Harris’s support of taxpayer-funded sex-change operations for imprisoned illegal immigrants.
Just kidding. The moderators didn’t ask about any of those things.
Still, Brennan did test Walz on his honesty at one point, and he failed miserably. “You said you were in Hong Kong during the deadly Tiananmen Square protest in the spring of 1989,” said Brennan. “But Minnesota Public Radio and other media outlets are reporting that you actually didn’t travel to Asia until August of that year. Can you explain that discrepancy?”
Walz couldn’t. And he didn’t. See if you can figure out how on earth he got from that specific question to this utterly irrelevant word salad:
Yeah. Well, and to the folks out there who didn’t get at the top of this, look, I grew up in small, rural Nebraska — [a] town of 400. Town that you rode your bike with your buddies till the streetlights come on, and I’m proud of that service. I joined the National Guard at 17, worked on family farms, and then I used the GI bill to become a teacher. Passionate about it, a young teacher. My first year out, I got the opportunity in the summer of ‘89 to travel to China, 35 years ago, be able to do that. I came back home and then started a program to take young people there. We would take basketball teams, we would take baseball teams, we would take dancers, and we would go back and forth to China. The issue for that was, was to try and learn. Now, look, my community knows who I am. They saw where I was at. They, look, I will be the first to tell you I have poured my heart into my community. I’ve tried to do the best I can, but I’ve not been perfect. And I’m a knucklehead at times, but it’s always been about that. Those same people elected me to Congress for 12 years. And in Congress I was one of the most bipartisan people. Working on things like farm bills that we got done, working on veterans’ benefits. And then the people of Minnesota were able to elect me to governor twice.
Walz continued on in this rambling and disjointed vein. And on. And on. But he never circled back to the actual question. So Brennan asked him again: “Governor, just to follow up on that, the question was, can you explain the discrepancy?”
To which Walz replied, with a deer-in-the-headlights look, “No. All I said on this was, is, I got there that summer and misspoke on this, so I will just, that’s what I’ve said.”
Time and again, the moderators asked questions that could’ve been written by the Harris-Walz campaign, and time and again, Vance hit them out of the park or smoothly segued to friendlier turf. For example, when Norah O’Donnell dredged up January 6 and the 2020 election, Vance responded: “Well, Norah, first of all, I think that we’re focused on the future. We need to figure out how to solve the inflation crisis caused by Kamala Harris’s policies. Make housing affordable, make groceries affordable, and that’s what we’re focused on.”
Vance then turned the question back on the media and the Democrats: “I believe that we actually do have a threat to democracy in this country,” he said, “but unfortunately, it’s not the threat to democracy that Kamala Harris and Tim Walz want to talk about. It is the threat of censorship. It’s Americans casting aside lifelong friendships because of disagreements over politics. It’s big technology companies silencing their fellow citizens. And it’s Kamala Harris saying that rather than debate and persuade her fellow Americans, she’d like to censor people who engage in misinformation.” It was a brilliant bit of rhetorical jiu-jitsu, and it was one of many. And the defeated look on Walz’s face spoke volumes.
While it’s true that vice-presidential debates rarely move presidential needles, this one clearly showed that Donald Trump has an eye for talent, and Kamala Harris does not.
Yesterday, we predicted that JD Vance would clean Tim Walz’s clock. He didn’t disappoint.
Thomas Gallatin: Iran and Israel Are on the Brink — Yesterday’s hostilities are threatening to broaden the Middle East conflict into a direct war between Israel and Iran.
Jack DeVine: War and Peace — When necessary, cut the head off the snake.
Emmy Griffin: Bogus Trans Study Backs Bogus Trans Science — The Trevor Project dubiously claims banning minors from medically transitioning is increasing the number of suicides.
‘Day One Was 1,400 Days Ago’ — At the vice-presidential debate, JD Vance delivered his closing statement blasting Kamala Harris over her failed record.
‘I’m a Knucklehead’ — Tim Walz eventually admits he wasn’t in Hong Kong during the Tiananmen Square massacre.
Ignoring Us While We Drown — Hurricane Helene unleashed chaos across the Southeast. Entire towns are submerged, hundreds are missing, and the fatality toll keeps climbing. Where is the federal government?
The Shocking Discovery That Men Like Hot Women — The world has become so upside down that journalists are now bringing in experts to help them understand why men, specifically conservative men, are attracted to beautiful women.
A Father’s Love — A dad walks nearly 30 miles through flood debris to walk his daughter down the aisle.
SHORT CUTS
The BIG Lies
“It is not right that the teachers and the firefighters that I meet every day across our country are paying a higher tax than the richest people in our country.” —Kamala Harris
“People are better off than they were four years ago.” —former Clinton White House aide Keith Boykin
Hot Air
“The severity and frequency of extreme weather events are only increasing.” —Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas
Race Bait
“Latinos want to be white. They want to be with the cool kids. … They don’t want to be identified with all of those other immigrants that Donald Trump speaks so badly of.” —NPR’s Maria Hinojosa
Useful Idiot
“I’m comfortable with [Israel] stopping.” —Joe Biden regarding the IDF’s Lebanon operation
Observations
“Hezbollah turned vibrant towns in the north of Israel into ghost towns. … Just imagine if terrorists turned El Paso and San Diego into ghost towns. Then ask yourself: How long would the American government tolerate that? … I doubt they would tolerate it even for a single day. Yet Israel has been tolerating this intolerable situation for nearly a year.” —Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
“It is emotionally and psychologically difficult for most people to stare evil in the face. Evil is widely described as ‘dark.’ But it is not dark; it is easy to look into the dark. What is far harder to look at is blinding bright light. … Once one declares something evil, one is morally bound to resist it, and people fear resisting evil.” —Dennis Prager
Political Futures
“Liberals accuse Trump of being cozy with dictators, but the dictators of Iran’s cruel and corrupt regime find comfort only with Trump’s Democratic opponents. … The terror state’s hope is that a Harris administration will be as pliable as Obama’s was and could pressure Israel to call off its war on Iran’s surrogates.” —Daniel McCarthy
“If Harris doesn’t win Pennsylvania and loses the presidency because of it, picking Tim Walz over Josh Shapiro is going to be remembered as the political equivalent of picking Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan in the 1984 NBA draft.” —Jim Geraghty
For the Record
“There [are] 3,143 counties in the United States of America. They’ve let 13,000 murderers in. That means four for every county in America.” —Corey Lewandowski
“Vice President Kamala Harris’ visit last Friday to a border region in Arizona takes political cynicism to a new low. It is like hoping to score political points by visiting the relative of someone who has been murdered by a man your policies caused to be let out of jail despite his criminal record that includes repeated offenses.” —Cal Thomas
And Last…
“Democrats want the government to solve your problems. Republicans want you to have freedom to solve your own problems — and live with the consequences.” —Victor Joecks
Artificial intelligence has become ubiquitous in modern society, but, despite its broad presence, its effects — whether good or bad — remain a mystery.
Nashville-based Pastor Russ Ramsey, an amateur art historian and author, recently appeared on CBN’s “Faith vs. Culture,” where he talked about concerns he has over the prevalence of AI, especially as it pertains to artistic expression.
“I’ve avoided AI in every way, shape, or form,” Ramsey said. “Because I’m a writer, I don’t ever want to not be the one who’s writing the words that I use, even if they’re not as precise or tight as an AI generator might make a paragraph.”
The crux of Ramsey’s concern with AI is simple yet profound: it doesn’t have a soul.
Ramsey’s argument is rich in biblical truth. While Scripture isn’t perfectly clear about the parameters of the soul, the Bible’s writers, each of whom were inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16-17), are unambiguous in their acknowledgment that — as beings made in God’s image (Genesis 1:27) — humans are firstly souls and secondarily bodies.
In Acts 2:41, for example, the Apostle Luke referred to human beings who received salvation as “souls.”
“Part of what makes so much of the art that we go visit in museums so powerful is it’s made from someone with a soul and somebody who has experienced suffering,” Ramsey explained. “AI doesn’t know what suffering is and AI doesn’t have a soul.”
“So technically — and even creatively — we can see things we never would have imagined seeing before, but it’s not coming from someone who’s wept,” he continued. “It’s not coming from someone who’s buried a loved one. It’s not coming from somebody who’s been caught in sin and had to repent. And, in that sense, my concern is that, culturally, we’re moving to a place where we’re trying to normalize avoiding those parts of the human experience that really are integral to spiritual growth.”
While Ramsey certainly addresses the issue of AI from a Christian perspective, it’s a topic that has, in recent years, garnered a great deal of consternation.
Last year, Hollywood actors went on strike over a host of matters, including the use of artificial intelligence in celebrities’ performances. Studio executives and actors were battling over whether performers’ images could be scanned, paid for a day of acting, and their likenesses used by film and television studios in perpetuity, according to Wired.
Needless to say, the conversation about AI and its role in society is not going away. So it’s important to have conversations about a biblically moral approach to its use and value.
You can watch our full, wide-ranging conversation with Ramsey in the “Faith vs. Culture” episode above.
Americans’ reliance on government support is soaring, driven by programs such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
That support is especially critical in economically stressed communities throughout the U.S., many of which lean Republican and are concentrated in swing states crucial in deciding the presidential election. Neither party has much incentive to dial back the spending.
The big reasons for this dramatic growth: A much larger share of Americans are seniors, and their healthcare costs have risen. At the same time, many communities have suffered from economic decline because of challenges including the loss of manufacturing, leaving government money as a larger share of people’s income in such places.
This spending accounts for a big and growing share of the national debt. But this year’s presidential candidates, Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump, have said little about reining it in. In fact, both have offered plans that would add to the costs. Trump would end taxes on Social Security benefits. Harris would expand the Earned Income Tax Credit for lower-income workers and extend Affordable Care Act subsidies that are due to expire, among other proposals.
The data help explain why. Though counties that rely significantly on government spending tend to be small, they are still home to nearly 22% of the U.S. population.
Counties at least 25 Percent Dependent on Government Aid
In 2000 there were about 300 countries dependent on Government assistance. Now there are nearly 2,000.
Battleground States
Many of the counties that rely heavily on government safety-net and social-program money have this in common: They are clustered in the battleground states that will decide the presidential election.
About 70% of counties in Michigan, Georgia and North Carolina are significantly reliant on the government income. So are nearly 60% of counties in Pennsylvania. In Arizona, 13 of the 15 counties are heavily reliant on safety-net income.
Measured another way, more than 44% of Michiganders live in counties that are significantly reliant on the government programs. In Arizona, Pennsylvania and North Carolina, more than a third of the populations live in such counties.
Spending on these programs has outpaced the income people earn from other sources, the EIG analysis shows. Meanwhile, pressure from a graying population won’t let up: By 2060, nearly a quarter of the U.S. will be at least 65, the Census Bureau projects.
Wow.
And Trump thinks Tariffs will help. All Tariffs will do is raise prices.
On today’s NEWSMAX Daily podcast:
[1:12] – Rob Schmitt and Greta Van Susteren recap the VP Debate. [Newsmax Post Debate Show]
[8:23] – Tim Walz struggles to answer a question about when he was in Tiananmen Square.
[11:52] – Political analyst Mark Halperin: “Tim Walz didn’t come ready for that debate.” [Wake Up America]
[13:29] – Florida Congressman Jared Moskowitz, member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, discusses Iran’s attack on Israel. [The Record with Great Van Susteren]
California wants to protect politicians from being mocked, but the First Amendment exists to protect the right of Americans to say what they want — and especially their right to criticize and call out those in positions of power.
The Babylon Bee, the popular Christian satire site, has filed a lawsuit challenging two new California laws that restrict the ability to mock or criticize political candidates and elections.
In explaining the legal action, Babylon Bee CEO Seth Dillon stated, “Our job is hard enough when our jokes keep coming true, as if they were prophecies. But it becomes significantly more difficult when self-serving politicians abuse their power to try and control public discourse and clamp down on comedy. Unfortunately for them, the First Amendment secures our right to tell jokes they don’t like.”
The lawsuit is the culmination of a series of events that started this summer. In July, a political commentator created a satirical video of a campaign ad for a national candidate that was clearly marked as parody but used artificial intelligence (AI) to make it look like the candidate was saying things that hadn’t been said in real life.
The video garnered widespread attention online, including being reposted by X owner Elon Musk, whose post gained over 100 million views.
Despite the clear statement that the video was a parody, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, D, posted that the video “should be illegal” and promised to “sign a bill in a matter of weeks to make sure it is.”
Following Newsom’s promise, the California General Assembly expedited the passage of two bills, AB 2655 and AB 2839, which were promptly signed into law in mid-September by Newsom.
The laws, which took place immediately, bar “materially deceptive content” about political candidates that is “reasonably likely to harm the reputation or electoral prospects of a candidate.”
The laws also make it a crime to spread supposedly false information that casts doubt on the integrity of the election process or election results.
There is an exemption for satire; however, it requires the satirist to post such a noticeable disclaimer over the image that the plaintiffs claim it defeats the purpose — and effect — of satire.
AB 2839 initially featured a more substantive exemption for satire, stating, “This section does not apply to materially deceptive content that constitutes satire or parody” but following the parody ad and Newsom’s promise, it was removed.
The laws also provide exemptions for newspapers and certain broadcasting stations if the organization includes a disclaimer, even if the station includes the false information in the “bona fide” news.
The Babylon Bee and fellow plaintiff Kelly Chang Rickert, a lawyer and owner of a political blog, claim that the laws unconstitutionally burden the right to free speech, especially considering that the laws relate to speech about the political process, which requires judges to exercise strict scrutiny in determining a law’s constitutionality.
The suit notes that even the California General Assembly admitted that the law burdened free speech and would draw legal challenges.
The plaintiffs also argue that the broad language used in the laws give government a license to outlaw most criticism of political officials and candidates.
“These subjective terms are codewords that allow government officials and political opponents to sue over content they dislike,” the plaintiffs claim. “These broad and vague laws will chill speech and debate that criticizes politicians and their platforms,”
They continued,
“Such censorship threatens the heart of public discourse. When debating controversial political ideas, candidates, and views, it is often hard to separate fact from opinion, truth from lies, exaggerations from malicious deceptions, humor from ill will. That’s why the First Amendment gives breathing room for political ideas to air and ventilate—even ideas that are wrong or deceptive. The First Amendment protects this freedom because it trusts the American people to be able to think and decide for themselves in the context of debating political candidates and issues. California officials don’t share that trust. They want to be the arbiters of political truth online.”
Rickert added in a separate statement, “My personal blog and social media accounts don’t need Newsom’s stamp of approval. This attempt to silence humor and other content that appeals to me and my audience is a blatant use of power to silence dissent.”
The Babylon Bee has said it will continue to post content that would likely be in violation of the laws without adhering to the requirement to parrot the state’s required disclaimer. This leaves them open to imminent prosecution and lawsuits due to the state enacting the law on an emergency basis.
Rickert wants to post content but is refraining due to fear of charges, meaning the law chills her speech.
The plaintiffs are represented by Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF).
ADF Vice President of Litigation Strategy and Center for Conscience Initiatives Jonathan Scruggs stated, “California’s war against political memes is censorship, plain and simple. We shouldn’t trust the government to decide what is true in our online political debates. Gov. Newsom has no constitutional authority to act as the humor police. While lawmakers act as if posting and resharing memes is a threat to democracy, these laws at the end of the day censor speech California politicians don’t like. We are urging the court to affirm that the First Amendment protects The Babylon Bee’s and Ms. Rickert’s freedom to poke fun at political leaders.”
Let’s call this out for what it is: Newsom and members of the California General Assembly want to take away the right of Californians to criticize or mock government officials or political candidates.
Satire is so powerful because in it is a kernel (or sometimes a whole cob) of truth. Without that kernel, it will not resonate. Throughout history, authoritarians have hated satire because they cannot stand to be mocked or to have someone challenge them.
In China, when people started using images of Winnie the Pooh as a stand-in to mock or criticize President Xi Jinping to get around China’s censorship, China banned Winnie the Pooh.
California’s leaders are looking very similar to China’s leadership with their draconian law.
The First Amendment exists to protect the right of Americans to say what they want but especially to criticize and call out government leaders and politics. That is how the people exercise power and keep a check on government.
These laws give California government officials the power to determine what can and can’t be said and who can and can’t say it. Notice the exemptions granted for certain government-friendly newspapers and broadcast organizations.
There is no way these laws remain on the books as federal courts will certainly slap them down. The question is how long will it take for a court to do so? Until then, and leading up to the November elections, California is putting its thumb on the scales, attempting to keep citizens from criticizing political candidates.
As I watched the debate last night, a grim realization settled over me—this isn’t Kansas anymore. It’s more obvious now than ever before. Something feels off, something has changed. What we once knew, the life we cherished as kids, has slipped through our fingers. It’s gone. And as I sat there, John Calvin’s words struck me, searing into my thoughts:
“When God wants to judge a nation, He gives them wicked rulers.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a powerful message Tuesday, reaffirming Israel’s unwavering resolve to defend itself against Iran’s regime and its proxies.
Netanyahu made a bold declaration: Iran’s regime is nearing its end, and the people of Iran will soon experience a freedom they have long been denied.
His declaration came amid escalating violence, with Israel on high alert following reports of an imminent attack by Iran. The U.S. Embassy in Israel has advised all American citizens to shelter in place.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, today:
“Citizens of Israel, we are in the midst of a campaign against Iran’s axis of evil.
Yesterday, I said that these were days of great achievements and great challenges: Great achievements because we eliminated Nasrallah and his senior command, as well as Hezbollah’s plan to seize the Galilee.
We are determined to return our residents in the north safely to their homes.
But there are also great challenges. I ask of you two things:
First, strictly follow the directives of Home Front Command; it saves lives.
Second, stand together. Together we will stand steadfast in the trying days ahead of us. Together we will stand. Together we will fight and together we will win.”
WATCH:
"Citizens of Israel, we are in the midst of a campaign against Iran's axis of evil.
Yesterday, I said that these were days of great achievements and great challenges: pic.twitter.com/yXKHrJCNAV
Netanyahu also addressed the Iranian people directly. He spoke sympathetically to the Iranian populace, painting a vivid picture of how their regime was wasting resources on foreign conflicts while the people themselves suffered.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said:
“I speak a lot about the leaders of Iran. Yet at this pivotal moment, I want to address you – the people of Iran. I want to do so directly, without filters, without middlemen.
Every day, you see a regime that subjugates you, makes fiery speeches about defending Lebanon, defending Gaza.
Yet every day, that regime plunges our region deeper into darkness and deeper into war.
Every day, their puppets are eliminated. Ask Mohammed Deif. Ask Nasrallah.
There is nowhere in the Middle East Israel cannot reach. There is nowhere we will not go to protect our people and protect our country.
With every passing moment, the regime is bringing you — the noble Persian people — closer to the abyss. The vast majority of Iranians know their regime doesn’t care a whit about them.
If it did care, if it cared about you, it would stop wasting billions of dollars on futile wars across the Middle East. It would start improving your lives.
Imagine if all the vast money the regime wasted on nuclear weapons and foreign wars were invested in your children’s education, in improving your health care, in building your nation’s infrastructure, water, sewage, all the other things that you need. Imagine that.
But you know one simple thing – Iran’s tyrants don’t care about your future. But you do.
When Iran is finally free and that moment will come a lot sooner than people think – everything will be different.
Our two ancient peoples, the Jewish people and the Persian people, will finally be at peace. Our two countries, Israel and Iran, will be at peace.
When that day comes, the terror network that the regime built in five continents will be bankrupt, dismantled. Iran will thrive as never before.
Global investment. Massive tourism. Brilliant technological innovation based on the tremendous talents that exist inside Iran.
Doesn’t that sound better than endless poverty, repression and war?
From Qom to Esfahan, from Shiraz to Tabriz, there are tens of millions of good and decent people with thousands of years of history behind them and a brilliant future ahead of them.
Don’t let a small group of fanatic theocrats crush your hopes and your dreams. You deserve better. Your children deserve better. The entire world deserves better.
I know you don’t support the rapists and murderers of Hamas and Hezbollah, but your leaders do. You deserve more.
The people of Iran should know – Israel stands with you. May we together know a future of prosperity and peace.”
WATCH:
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu:
"I speak a lot about the leaders of Iran. Yet at this pivotal moment, I want to address you – the people of Iran. I want to do so directly, without filters, without middlemen."https://t.co/r6jKRQigQXpic.twitter.com/CMCvOcELbp
Iran retaliated with a massive missile attack on Israel, justified as revenge for the deaths of its top military figures, including Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah and Ismail Haniyeh. The Iranian regime, in its statement, said it was targeting the “heart of the occupied territories” in retaliation, showing no signs of backing down.
Cordiality amidst clashes marked the first and only vice-presidential debate of 2024 as Republican JD Vance and Democrat Tim Walz squared off on Tuesday night.
The Oct. 1 CBS News event was hosted by Norah O’Donnell, of CBS Evening News, and Margaret Brennan, of Face the Nation (and once again the moderators became part of the story too).
While both were plainspoken and civil, Vance provided a crisp defense of former President Donald Trump’s America First policies while Walz, in defending the policies of the administration co-helmed by his running mate, Vice President Kamala Harris, stumbled at times.
Vance’s dominant debate performance earned him rare praise from some liberal media outlets.
A majority of columnist and contributors, nine out of thirteen, surveyed by The New York Times said Vance won the debate.
CNN’s @ScottJenningsKY on the #VPDebate: “It’s pretty clear Vance outclassed Walz tonight. I mean, I was watching this and all I could think of was — man, Walz is so in over his head. I mean, can you imagine this guy sitting in the White House Situation Room with that facial… pic.twitter.com/AfbysS07zp
“If Kamala Harris has such great plans for how to address middle class problems, then she ought to do them now,” Vance said in his closing remarks.
The senator brought up Harris’s record on a range of issues from immigration and the economy to America’s ongoing housing crisis. He blamed Harris for moving to free up several billion in Iranian assets before the events of Oct. 7 when Hamas terrorists attacked southern Israel.
“When did Iran and Hamas and their proxies attack Israel? It was during the administration of Kamala Harris,” Vance said.
Walz countered by claiming that Trump’s leadership had laid the groundwork for destabilization in the region.
“We need the steady leadership that Kamala Harris is providing,” he said.
Vance described a surge of immigrants in recent years as one of multiple factors increasing housing prices, pinning responsibility on Harris and her administration for relatively lower wages for domestic workers and other issues he tied to the border.
Walz responded in part by saying that the border crisis could have been addressed through the bipartisan bill advanced by Sen. Jim Lankford (R-Okla.) and others earlier this year, in line with arguments from Harris and other Democrats.
Members of Israel’s Home Front Command and police forces inspect a crater left by an exploded projectile at a heavily-damaged school building in Israel’s southern city of Gedera on Oct. 1, 202, after Iran fired between 150 and 200 missiles in an attack on Israel. MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP via Getty Images
Vance also blamed Harris for what he called “censorship on an industrial scale,” describing government-coordinated suppression of information on social media and in other contexts as more perilous to democracy than Trump’s rhetoric on Jan. 6, 2021.
Walz in his response pivoted to talk of Jan. 6, the initial question that prompted Vance’s talk of censorship.
Vance also discussed Harris’s record on energy, saying the United States “has got to invest more” in nuclear power than it has under Biden-Harris.
Vance closing remarks: “I meet people on the campaign trail who can’t afford food but have the grace to ask me how I’m doing and to tell me they’re praying for my family. We have the most incredible people anywhere in the world. But they’re not going to be able to achieve their… pic.twitter.com/Wga9XGypB5
Walz defended the administration’s energy policy, saying natural gas production was at record levels. That’s in line with figures from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. He did not mention nuclear energy.
Civility No Ordeal
Facing off on primetime television at a time of intense national polarization, the two Midwestern politicians from opposing parties remained, in true Midwestern fashion, nice.
Though they often clashed, both found points of agreement. “There was a lot of commonality here,” Walz said in his closing statement.
Vance helped set the tone with gracious gestures.
During a discussion of the devastation from Hurricane Helene, Vance suggested both men would be praying for the victims.
Vance also expressed sympathy for Walz when the governor said his 17-year-old had seen a shooting.
The agreement went beyond rhetoric to include some policy substance.
Avery Sherrill salvages what he can from his destroyed family business, Mudtools, along the Broad River in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in Bat Cave, North Carolina on Oct. 1, 2024. Sean Rayford/Getty Images
Amid a discussion of reshoring American manufacturing, Walz said, “much of what the senator said right there, I’m in agreement with him,” before saying the Schumer-Manchin bill championed by his ticket-mate drove manufacturing job growth.
In a discussion of housing prices, Walz said he and Vance could “find some common ground.”
Vance said some of his opponent’s statements, which focused on the commoditization of homes and Minnesota’s down payment financial assistance program, included some things he sees as “halfway decent” and others with which he disagrees.
He went on to specify that he agrees housing shouldn’t be seen as a commodity.
In a discussion of childcare shortages, Vance said his opponent was right to emphasize a lack of flexibility when it comes to funding providers, saying churches and some other models cannot always easily get support under the status quo.
“Unfortunately—look, we’re going to have to spend more money,” the senator added.
“I don’t think Senator Vance and I are that far apart. I’m not opposed to what he’s talking about on options,” Walz said.
CBS Cuts Mics as Vance Challenges Fact Check
At the beginning of the debate, Brennan said the debate would “provide the candidates with the opportunity to fact-check claims made by each other. CBS News reserves the right to mute microphones to maintain decorum.”
That policy came under pressure Tuesday night.
During an exchange on immigration, Walz raised Vance’s statements about Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio.
“The people that I’m most worried about in Springfield, Ohio, are the American citizens who have had their lives destroyed by Kamala Harris’s open border,” Vance replied.
Border Patrol agents take asylum seekers into custody after they crossed a remote part of the U.S.-Mexico near Jacumba Hot Springs, California, on Sept. 19, 2024. John Moore/Getty Images
Brennan later clarified, after Walz’s response, that “Springfield, Ohio does have a large number of Haitian migrants who have legal status, temporary protected.”
Earlier this year, the Biden-Harris administration extended temporary protected status to 300,000 Haitians who were illegally in the United States.
“The rules were that you guys weren’t going to fact-check, and since you’re fact-checking me, I think it’s important to say what’s actually going on,” Vance rebutted.
JD Vance refuses to accept the fake fact check and calls out the moderators on it so they shut his mic. Incredible pic.twitter.com/yuQ0QRfYsz
Both moderators talked over Vance and tried to move to the next question as Walz also chimed in.
CBS eventually muted both candidates’ microphones as Vance gave an explanation of the asylum process that gave the migrants in Ohio legal status, contrasting it with the green card application process which immigrants are typically expected to comply with.
“Gentlemen, the audience can’t hear you because your mics are cut,” Brennan said before moving on to a question about the economy.
Margaret Brennan (L) and Norah O’Donnell moderate the Vice Presidential debate between Senator and Republican vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance and Minnesota Governor and Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz, hosted by CBS News at the CBS Broadcast Center in New York City on Oct. 1, 2024. ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images
Home Prices
Even as they concurred on some issues, including aspects of the housing crisis, Vance and Walz ultimately disagreed on the root causes.
While saying it is not the sole reason for rocketing housing costs, Vance attributed the rise in part to Harris “letting in millions of illegal aliens into this country.”
“Twenty-five million illegal aliens competing with Americans for scarce homes is one of those most significant drivers of home prices in the country,” he said. “It’s why we have massive increases in home prices that have happened right alongside massive increases in illegal alien populations under Kamala Harris’s leadership.”
Vance touted Trump’s proposals to restore housing affordability by using federal lands, reducing red tape, offering tax breaks, and decreasing immigration.
But lowering energy prices is another strategy to lower home prices, Vance noted.
“If a truck driver is paying 40 percent more for diesel than the lumber he’s delivering to the job site to build the house is also going to become a lot more expensive,” Vance said. “If we open up American energy, you will get immediate pricing relief for American citizens.”
Walz disagreed that illegal immigration is one of the primary factors behind record home prices.
In recent Congressional testimony, a former Border Patrol chief for the Yuma Sector described the increase in crossings under the Biden administration compared to the Trump administration.
“There have been more than 10.5 million illegal entry encounters nationwide, with more than 8.5 million of those encounters at the southwest border since the beginning of [fiscal year] 2021. By comparison, CBP recorded around 3.1 million such encounters nationwide from [fiscal year] 2017-2020,” Chris Clem testified.
The Harris campaign has proposed building three million new affordable homes and rental units, facilitated through grants, tax credits, and red tape reduction. She wants to give first-time homebuyers $25,000 in down payment assistance.
Tough Questions on Past Statements
Both candidates faced questions about comments they made in the past.
Walz was asked about his claim that he was in Hong Kong when the June 4, 1989, Tiananmen Square massacre occurred.
It was later found that Walz had arrived in China in August of that year, making it impossible for him to have been there then.
Beijing residents inspect the interior of one of over 20 armoured personnel carrier burnt by demonstrators to prevent the troops from moving into Tiananmen Square 04 June 1989. MANUEL CENETA/AFP via Getty Images
When pressed by moderators about the claim a second time, Walz said he misspoke.
He added that he was a “knucklehead” at times and “got caught up in the rhetoric” when he made the claim.
Tim Walz is asked why he lied about being in China during the Tiananmen Square massacre: “I’m a knucklehead at times. Many times I will talk a lot. I will get caught up in the rhetoric.” pic.twitter.com/uTmmeQk7a8
Vance was also asked about his past comments about Trump, including comments published by The Washington Post in which Vance was critical of Trump’s economic performance as president.
Vance did not deny the reported messages but blamed Congress for holding Trump’s agenda back, saying there “were a lot of things on the border, on tariffs.”
Trump “could have done so much more if the Republican Congress and the Democrats in Congress had been a little bit better about how they governed the country,” Vance said.
Speaking on other past comments critical of his running mate, Vance repeated his regret for the comments, saying, “I was wrong about Donald Trump.”
“Donald Trump delivered for the American people, rising wages, rising take-home pay, an economy that works for normal Americans, a secure southern border,” Vance said. “When you screw up, when you misspeak when you get something wrong, and you change your mind, you ought, to be honest with the American people.”
Iran fired at least two hundred ballistic missiles at Israel today, lighting the skies over Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and causing sirens to sound across the country. People were told to stay near shelters or other protected areas. At this writing, the Israeli military believes the attack is over. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it targeted Israel in response to the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and others. However, Israel and the US have both warned that an Iranian attack would have severe consequences for Tehran.
It is hard to imagine that Iran’s leaders think today’s missile launch will deter Israel in its fight against Hezbollah, Hamas, or other terrorists threatening its people and nation.
Why, then, did Iran provoke a wider conflict in this way?
“The greatest string of triumphs since the Six Day War”
Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, begins tonight. If Iran’s leaders had their way, this would be the Jewish nation’s last new year.
In 2015, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei predicted that Israel would not exist in twenty-five years. He has been pledged to Israel’s destruction for many years, in large part because he and many in Iran are convinced that the “Mahdi” (their version of a messiah) will reappear to dominate the world for Islam only after Israel is eradicated.
As US officials have noted, Iran is “the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism.” Today’s missile launch, directed not at soldiers but at the nation and its civilians, makes the point. Iran launched because Israel dared respond to the threat posed by their terrorist proxy in Lebanon.
As Wall Street Journal editor-at-large Gerard Baker reminds us, Israel is “a country smaller in area than New Jersey, with a population less than North Carolina’s and an economy smaller than that of Washington state.” It is barely 1 percent the size of Iran in land and just over 10 percent in population.
And yet, as Walter Russell Mead writes, this tiny nation has recently staged their “greatest string of triumphs since the Six Day War” in neutralizing terrorists who seek the destruction of their nation and the West. Now, as Israelis near the anniversary of the October 7 atrocities, Baker states that “we should not only redouble our expressions of sympathy and solitude” but also “show them our gratitude.”
“Israel stands with you”
As I have written often, I am convinced that the Jewish people deserve to have a homeland and the right to defend it. Israel is the only true democracy in the Middle East and America’s most strategic partner in the region. It is the home of our spiritual ancestors and the land our Savior walked.
In so many ways, this tiny country is the hinge of history. Now, war is escalating there once again, not just between Israel and Iranian proxies in the region but with Iran itself.
However, such a war is not Israel’s wish or desire. As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared yesterday in a video addressing “the noble Persian people,” Israel looks forward to a day when the terrorist regime subjugating Iran is gone and Iranians regain their freedom.
On that day, he stated, “Our two ancient peoples, the Jewish people and the Persian people, will finally be at peace.” He added: “When that day comes, the terror network that the regime built in five continents will be bankrupt, dismantled; Iran will thrive as never before.”
What would come then? “Global investment. Massive tourism. Brilliant technological innovation based on the tremendous talents that exist inside Iran. Doesn’t that sound better than endless poverty, repression, and war?” he asked. He urged the people: “Don’t let a small group of fanatic theocrats crush your hopes and your dreams. You deserve better. Your children deserve better. The entire world deserves better.”
Netanyahu concluded: “I know you don’t support the rapists and murderers of Hamas and Hezbollah, but your leaders do. You deserve more. The people of Iran should know: Israel stands with you.”
“I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem”
Let us remember: God loves Iranians and Lebanese as much as he loves Jews. His Son died for every person engaged in this conflict, whatever their ethnicity or religion (Romans 5:8).
Consequently, I am asking God to redeem this conflict by using it to turn people on all sides from the scourge of war to the Prince of Peace.
One day we will join “a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages [in] standing before the throne and before the Lamb” (Revelation 7:9). Please join me in praying for millions of Iranians, Lebanese, and Jews to join us there.
When I led more than thirty pilgrimages to Israel, our group would always enter Jerusalem via an overlook on Mount Scopus that gave us a marvelous view of the city. Here I read to the group John’s ancient prophecy:
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new” (Revelation 21:1–5).
I reminded them that our eternal destiny rests on events that took place in this ancient city. It was here that our Savior taught, ministered, died, and rose from the dead. One day he will return, and we will all live in the “new Jerusalem.” On that day, we will be well, and we will be home.
Then, with the Holy City behind me, I said to our group, often with tears in my eyes, “Welcome home.”
Let us pray today for millions to join us there, to the glory of God.
“But, we don’t want to be known for what we’re against!”
I’ve heard this expression used numerous times as a reason for people to stay silent in the face of evil.
I’ve heard preachers say it from pulpits, and receive applause as if they have just said something profound.
I’ve heard friends say it over coffee, and then pause as if it were a drop-the-mic moment.
Good people will privately express dismay at what is being done to the culture, but they will never speak publicly against it for fear of being thought “negative”.
“We don’t want to be known for what we are against,” is their defence for remaining mute as the culture is trashed all around them.
“We want to be known for what we are for,” they insist.
It sounds virtuous. It is not.
It is worse than disingenuous, it is an inversion of the truth.
Rebellion
The left doesn’t promote a “positive vision” of the future. Far from it. The entire progressive project is rooted in rebellion against what the left sees as the oppression of the natural order…
Their love of everything from open borders, sexual license and gender fluidity to collectivism is not an optimistic vision for the future; it is a violent insurrection against order.
The left’s aspiration is for the destruction of all norms. I don’t think that’s a positive. In fact, it is historically proven to result in a negative because of its hatred for the individual.
It is impossible to match the left’s supposed utopian vision because that utopian vision is operating outside of the bounds of what is possible.
You cannot have a gender-fluid world because God created us as male or female. No other world exists.
You cannot have a world in which drag queens are held up as role models for children, at least not unless you intend to completely destroy the innocence of childhood and, with it, the family.
The truth is that the messaging of the left is unmatchable. The left promises an infinite money supply and freedom from all norms and boundaries while pointing at everyone else as “the party of no“.
Compromised
The left promises unreality and paints anyone who dares to point this out as being “negative”.
Agreeing to be painted into such a corner is not noble. It is intellectual stupidity and moral cowardice.
It’s like saying Churchill had no positive vision beyond stopping Hitler, and so warning Churchill in 1939 that he runs the risk of being seen as negative unless he starts talking about something other than the Nazis.
Opposing the left’s assault on the culture may be viewed as a negative, but it is in defence of a deeper positive — protection for families, communities, human rights and faith in the face of political and cultural chaos.
Go ahead and berate those who oppose the left for being reactionaries. Do you chide the guy who tries to put out the arsonist’s fire for being “reactionary”?
Those opposing the licentiousness of our times are not the initiators of the cultural revolution. They are simply responding. And when they do, the left censure them for not bending over and taking it.
The biggest lie the left is selling today is not relativism; it is the lie that the insane are visionaries while anyone sane enough to point out their foolishness is just “against everything“.
When leaders proclaim that they don’t want to be known for what they are against, they are not saying anything profound or virtuous. They are just parroting a lie that allows those who hate reality to continue trashing it.
Jeff Wagner, host of the Patriot Review Podcast, joins Worldview Matters to speak on how the United States is being stripped apart and radically transformed.
Tim Walz suffers a public meltdown during his national debut on Tuesday night.
President Trump’s running mate J.D. Vance put on a clinic last night in the first and only vice presidential candidate’s debate sponsored by CBS News.
Vance succeeded despite the three-to-one ambush against him. CBS moderators chose topics that suited their leftwing political bias in an obvious attempt to take out J.D. Vance before the American public.
Vance was not having it and pushed back against their bias to the point that the CBS moderators silenced his microphone.
Vance was perfection. He kept his cool, offered a clear alternative to the radical left, and won over the audience with his calm, collected, and intelligent responses.
At the same time Tim Walz floundered during the 90 minutes looking nervous and uncomfortable and talking about his relationships with school shooters.
This was a learning moment for future candidates: Never talk about your relationships with school shooters.
On Wednesday morning, the impossible took place.
Even The New York Times was forced to admit that Vance was victorious in handing Tim Walz his deserved public spanking.
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