#065 NoFOMO | The DNC Convention and 300k Missing Unaccompanied Minors
No FOMO π« here; bringing you the highlights of the week's news.
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On Monday
β€ The first night of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) felt like a retirement party that started late, with guests forced to stay up past their bedtime waiting for the old man to receive his gold watch. It was like waiting for your favorite band to hit the stage, only for them to start playing when youβre already nodding offβor worse, getting bumped like John Fogerty did at the DNC. President Joe Biden's speech didn't begin until well after 11:30 PM EST, thanks to a lineup of speakers who couldn't stick to their time slots.
So, how was Bidenβs farewell speech? It was meant to be a grand finale, a moment to rally support and reflect on his presidency, but instead, it felt like a divisive sermon. Biden was there to pass the torch to Kamala Harris, but rather than offering a smooth transition, he fixated on criticizing Trump instead of explaining why people should be excited about Kamalaβs presidency. The lies he shared were ones he repeated throughout his time in office, such as the Charlottesville incident, where he referenced βvery fine people on both sidesβ and the latest claim about Trump calling for a βbloodbathβ if he lost the electionβa complete misrepresentation of Trumpβs comments. Biden portrayed his withdrawal as a selfless act for democracy without outlining a clear vision for the future. Instead of delivering a unifying call to action, we received a late-night lecture that left viewers more confused than inspired.
β€ Well, folks, the House Oversight Committee has finally revealed the news we've all been waiting for: Joe Biden has allegedly committed impeachable offenses. The accusations claim that Biden enriched his family by over $24 million through questionable foreign business dealings while leveraging his name. They assert that he deceived the American public by covering up this scandal with lies. But here's the twist: after all this time and investigation, it feels like announcing the Titanicβs sinking after it has already hit the ocean floor. Biden's presidency is over, and now we're left wondering what the point is. Is this just political theater, and if there is real substance behind these claims, what difference will it make now?
β€ ESPN has let go of Sam Ponder, and you might wonder, βWhat did she do? Forget the score during a game?β Not quite. She did something much more controversial: she defended women's sports by expressing the thoughts many of us share, but some are hesitant to voice. Sam was the only female voice at ESPN challenging the notion of biological men competing in women's sports, and for that, she has been dismissed. Theyβre calling it βbudget cuts,β but letβs be honestβtiming matters, right? Just weeks before football season, when her show was actually gaining more viewers? Itβs like saying youβre on a diet while ordering everything on the menu. Sam's courage in speaking up, fully aware of the backlash she would face, shows that there is still a fight left in the arena of women's rights, even if it means being sidelined by the very network that should be defending womenβs sports.
On Tuesday
β€ According to The New York Times, President Biden has approved what is being labeled a "secret nuke plan," with China in the crosshairs. This isn't your typical military strategy; it's a complete reshaping of the U.S. nuclear deterrent strategy to address China's rapid expansion of its nuclear capabilities. The White House is downplaying the situation, insisting it's not directed at any specific country or threat, but let's be honestβwhen Chinaβs name is so prominent, it feels personal. This decision has everyone from defense analysts to regular citizens questioning whether we are entering a new Cold War, one that may have far more alarming consequences.
β€ Minnesota Governor and Democrat VP nominee Tim Walz has found himself in another sticky situation, this time regarding his claims about IVF. He has frequently shared the story of his family's struggles with infertility, explaining how they used IVF to have their children. However, recent revelations indicate that he has misrepresented the truth. While Walz and his wife did face fertility challenges, they relied on a different process known as intrauterine insemination, or IUI, which does not face the scrutiny that IVF faces. The difference is that IUI involves placing specially prepared sperm directly into the uterus, allowing fertilization to occur within the womb. IVF, on the other hand, involves taking eggs out of a woman, fertilizing them in a laboratory, and creating embryos.
This isn't Walz's first incident of bending the truth. A pattern is emerging where he appears to manipulate facts for political advantage, and the IVF controversy is another example of him stretching the truth to his political benefit.
β€ It seems that RFK Jr.'s running mate, Nicole Shanahan, has introduced a surprising element into the political landscape. She has made it clear that they will not be partnering with Kamala Harris but might be open to a conversation with Trump. Shanahan framed the situation as two-fold: remaining in the race could run the risk of a Kamala Harris and Walz presidency because we draw votes from Trump. Or we walk away right now and join forces with Donald Trump, and we explain to our base why we are making this decision.β
This development comes just ahead of RFK Jr.'s significant announcement planned for Friday in Arizona. Interestingly, Trump is also scheduled to hold a rally in Arizona on the same day. Is this a coincidence, or is there something bigger in the works?
On Wednesday
β€ The U.S. job market just pulled a Houdini, with 818,000 jobs vanishing in a puff of revised statistics. This isn't just a minor adjustment; it's a significant change that has caught the attention of everyone from Wall Street to Main Street. This adjustment represents the largest reduction in U.S. job market estimates in 15 years, marking a substantial shift in the data. For Kamala Harris, this couldn't come at a worse time. Just as she's gearing up for the presidential race, this economic sleight of hand could turn her campaign narrative from "economic recovery" to "economic mystery." But hey, as Kamala says, βBidenomics is working!β
β€ Kamala Harris finally got herself a policy website, but hold your applause. Turns out, it's not exactly the brainchild of her campaign. No, this isn't Harris laying out her grand vision; it's the Trump campaign pulling off what might be the political troll of the century. They've created a website for her, spotlighting her lack of policy details. Here's the kicker: Harris's actual campaign site? Still a policy-free zone. So, her new "policy" site is just a clever move by Trump's team to highlight what's missing from her real platform. Who doesnβt love a good troll?
On Thursday
β€ Again, the Biden-Harris administration's incompetence knows no limits, and this time, we're talking about 300,000 unaccompanied minors. That's right, the Department of Homeland Security's Inspector General Management Alert just revealed what might be the most colossal case of "Where's Waldo?" with real, human consequences. Initially, we heard whispers of 32,000 kids going missing under their watch, but now? We're looking at that number nearly four times. This isn't just a misstep; it's a marathon of mistakes, and it's all happening on Kamala Harris's old playground, where she was supposed to be the Border Czar. Instead of czaring, it seems like she was just czar-ing around, letting this crisis balloon into what might be the biggest human trafficking scandal in modern U.S. history.
β€ Donald Trump visited the southern border in Arizona to meet with families who have lost loved ones due to violence from illegal immigrants. His visit coincided with a significant security operation related to a manhunt for Ronald Lee Syrvud, a 66-year-old man accused of plotting to assassinate him. Syrvud, who has a history of legal troubles, including failing to register as a sex offender, was allegedly planning this attack during Trump's visit to a particularly vulnerable area of the border in Cochise County.
Despite the threat, Trump continued his visit, highlighting issues like immigration and security. Later in the day, Syrvud was apprehended, but apart from the investigation into the threats, he had several outstanding warrants for his arrest, including a DUI and failure to appear in court from Wisconsin, as well as a felony hit and run and failure to register as a sex offender in Arizona.
β€ In a thrilling showdown at the Supreme Court, we witnessed a nail-biting 5-4 decision regarding Arizona's voter registration laws. The justices have given a nod to a 2022 state law that requires proof of citizenship for voter registration by mail, a win for those advocating for more stringent rules. However, the court ruled that while Arizona can reject state voter registration forms lacking documentary evidence of U.S. citizenship, it cannot impose the same requirement on federal voter registration forms.Β This means that voters using federal registration forms to vote by mail in the high-stakes arena of presidential elections will not need to provide proof of citizenship. So, while this decision tightens registration requirements somewhat, itβs a bit of a letdown that the court didnβt go all the way. Voters can still make their voices heard in November without having to show citizenship credentials when voting by mail.
β€ Kamala Harris ceremoniously accepted the Democratic presidential nomination. I say "ceremoniously" because she has not yet received a single vote from the American people and was officially certified in a virtual roll call. Harris used her speech to reintroduce herself to the American public once again. While the DNC attendees appeared energized by her address, it lacked any clear policy proposals or details on how they would be implemented and funded. Much of the speech focused on her biography and included attacks on Trump. Her comments on issues like the border and the economy suggested that she has not been in office for the past three and a half years. While she did a hell of a job reading the teleprompter, no substance was buried in the teleprompter or the candidate.