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Monday, May 8, 2023

Biden Approval Rating Reaches Lowest of His Presidency

Washington Post: As he begins his campaign for reelection, President Biden faces substantial and multiple challenges, according to a Washington Post-ABC News survey. His overall approval ratings have slipped to a new low, more Americans than not doubt his mental acuity, and his support against leading Republican challengers is far shakier than at this point four years ago. Biden’s overall job approval rating stands at 36 percent, down from 42 percent in February (Washington Post). Hill: Asked to choose between Biden and former President Trump on who they think did a better job of handling the economy, 54 percent of respondents said Trump and 36 percent said Biden “so far.” Another 7 percent said neither (Hill).

El Paso in Crisis as Migrants Overflow into Border City

Julio Rosas: Blocks and blocks around Sacred Heart Church have once again turned into a makeshift camp for processed and released migrants, mostly Venezuelans, because they have no where to go after being freed by Border Patrol as the El Paso Sector is experiencing a crushing influx of illegal crossings before Title 42 is removed. The size and conditions of the camp are much worse than the ones that popped up during the surge that occurred in December 2022. The silver lining is people today do not have to endure below-freezing nights like the ones who crossed into Texas last year. Locals shelters have once again been forced to prioritize women and children, leaving many others on the street to fend for themselves. A law enforcement source told me their last estimate put the number of homeless migrants around 2,500, spread out for blocks near the Paso del Norte Port of Entry (Townhall). Rep. Tony Gonzalez: Title 42 might as well already be rolled back. Our Border Patrol Agents are managing countless droves of migrants attempting to enter the United States. Congress must act and ensure BP has the resources they need to combat this crisis (Twitter).

Texas Shooter Identified, Police Investigating Motivation for Massacre

Daily Mail: The Texas mall mass shooter has been named as 33-year-old Mauricio Garcia, who investigators believe may have been a white supremacist or neo-Nazi who followed extremists ideologies. Garcia, 33, killed eight people – including children – before he was shot dead himself at Allen Premium Outlets on May 6. The killer fired more than 100 times during his rampage, and he had more ammunition and weapons in his car – which he was seen coming out of before the bloodbath. Garcia, dressed in tactical gear and armed with an AR-15 and a handgun, opened fire outside a H&M store on a busy Saturday afternoon in Allen, Texas. He was eventually killed by a police officer (Daily Mail). NBC: It was the second deadliest mass shooting in the United States this year was and the second in Texas in a little over a week (NBC).

President Biden on Hunter: "My son's done nothing wrong. I trust him.”

Townhall: Although the White House refused to comment on the criminal charges being made against Hunter Biden, President Joe Biden insisted that his son “has done nothing wrong” ahead of a possible indictment. During an interview on MSNBC, Biden defended his son’s alleged tax- and gun-related violations as federal prosecutors are close to deciding whether to indict Hunter Biden following a four-year-long investigation (Townhall). RNC Research: Joe Biden on the allegations of corruption against his deadbeat son, Hunter: “My son’s done nothing wrong. I trust him, I have faith in him, and it impacts my presidency by making me feel proud of him” (Twitter).

California Reparations Panel Suggestions Would Bring a $500 Billion Price Tag

New York Times: A California panel approved recommendations on Saturday that could mean hundreds of billions of dollars in payments to Black residents to address past injustices. The proposals to state legislators are the nation’s most sweeping effort to devise a program of reparations. The nine-member Reparations Task Force, whose work is being closely monitored by politicians, historians and economists across the country, produced a detailed plan for how restitution should be handled to address a myriad of racist harms, including housing discrimination, mass incarceration and unequal access to health care. It will be up to legislators to weigh the recommendations and decide whether to forge them into law, a political and fiscal challenge that has yet to be reckoned with (New York Times). National Review: While the report does not say how much the panel’s recommendations would cost the state, economists estimate the housing and mass incarceration-related payments alone could cost more than $500 billion. This despite the state facing a tough fiscal reality: governor Gavin Newsom announced in January that the state is facing a $22.5 billion deficit in the 2023-24 fiscal year (National Review).

Biden, McCarthy to Meet in Person on Tuesday to Discuss the Debt Limit

Wall Street Journal: Top Democrats and Republicans are racing to try to find a politically acceptable way to raise the nation’s borrowing limit in the coming weeks, diving into talks that President Biden has avoided during months of impasse. Mr. Biden will host House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.) and other congressional leaders at the White House on Tuesday, the first direct contact in months as officials grapple with the prospect of the first-ever U.S. default as soon as June 1 (Wall Street Journal). CNBC: Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Sunday said that failure to raise the debt ceiling will cause a “steep economic downturn” in the U.S., and she reiterated her warning that the Treasury Department may run out of measures to pay its debt obligations by June (CNBC). RNC Research: Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen refuses three times to rule out Biden unilaterally “invoking the 14th Amendment” on the debt limit (Twitter).

Jim Jordan Scrutinizes, Subpoenas Global Alliance for Responsible Media, the World Economic Forum for Making Ads Aimed at Suppressing Speech

Just the News: The House Judiciary Committee, under the leadership of Chairman Jim Jordan, issued subpoenas on Thursday to look into an advertising project that includes the World Economic Forum (WEF), which claims to be fighting against “harmful” online content. Jordan writes that the House Judiciary Committee has sought documents and communications “related to how GARM and WFA act to demonetize and eliminate disfavored content online, in addition to other information” ever since March of this year (Just the News). House Judiciary GOP: Jim Jordan subpoenas top officials from the Global Alliance for Responsible Media and the World Federation of Advertisers for documents and communications related to their coordinated efforts to demonetize and censor disfavored speech online (Twitter).

NYC Protestors Flood the Subway System

Townhall: Radical and progressive-fueled protests ignited in New York City after Jordan Neely, a homeless who was reportedly erratic and hostile before a 24-year-old U.S. Marine veteran defended himself. The protestors also threatened to “tear the city down” unless the Marine is aggressively prosecuted. Protestors then began to get violent with the police officers forcing the NYPD to tackle several protestors to the ground and arrest them. Several other protestors could be heard yelling, “They’re lynching us out here,” as law enforcement did their job to keep the safety of people trying to get from one place to another (Townhall). Andy Ngo: Far-left rioters in NYC shut down the Metro subway as they jumped down into the tracks, which are electrified (Twitter). Leftism: White protesters scream at and prevent a black man from going to work because they’re trying to protest the death of a black man (Twitter). Rebecca Brannon: NYC: After subways were forced to evacuate, protesters ran away to evade police. Some were apprehended and arrested like this woman (Twitter).

Congo Floods Claim Nearly 400 Lives

Associated Press: The death toll from floods in eastern Congo has almost doubled, reaching close to 400 people as of Sunday, according to a local official. The administrator of the worst-affected area, the Kalehe territory of South Kivu province, said more bodies were recovered Sunday, including many found floating in Lake Kivu. Administrator Thomas Bakenge said the confirmed number of dead stood at 394 but it was a provisional count since the search was continuing. More than 300 victims had been buried as of Sunday, local groups said. Torrential rains across Kalehe territory began on Thursday evening. Rivers broke their banks, with flash floods sweeping away the majority of buildings in the villages of Bushushu and Nyamukubi, causing the huge loss of life (Associated Press). Apex World News: Flash floods in eastern Congo has left almost 200 people dead, with several individuals still reported missing (Twitter).

10.

King Charles III Officially Crowned

CBS: A day after the gilded spectacle of King Charles III’s crowning in an ancient religious ceremony, festivities took a more down-to-earth turn with thousands of picnics and street parties held across the U.K. in his honor, no fancy invite required. His son, Prince William, heir to the throne, said at Sunday’s concert that service was at the heart of the “magnificent” coronation celebrations, and that his father’s first words upon entering Westminster Abbey were those of service (CBS). BBC News: “Pa, we’re all so proud of you” Prince William addresses crowd and his father King Charles at Coronation concert (Twitter).