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Thursday, August 29, 2024

Kamala Harris Finally Agrees to an Interview… With Runningmate Tim Walz

National Review: Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota governor Tim Walz have been scheduled for a joint interview with CNN on Thursday night, the first sit-down interview that the Democratic presidential nominee will give since she replaced President Joe Biden atop the party’s ticket last month. The vice president and her running mate will be interviewed by CNN’s Dana Bash, one of the two moderators of the June 27 presidential debate that sent Biden’s candidacy into turmoil. CNN will air the Harris-Walz interview in a prime-time special at 9 p.m. eastern time on Thursday (National Review). Mediaite: CNN senior commentator Scott Jennings called Vice President Kamala Harris’s upcoming interview with his network “weak sauce” for including her running mate Tim Walz. Jennings made clear on Tuesday that he has “confidence” in his network and Dana Bash to pull off the big exclusive, but criticized Harris’s decision to do a joint interview before a solo sit down (Mediaite). Collin Rugg: Kamala Harris is finally sitting down for an interview! With Dana Bash of CNN. And it’s a joint interview with her VP because she can’t do it by herself. And it’s going to be pre-taped (X).

House Oversight Committee Investigating TSA for Retaliation Against Government Whistleblowers Including Tulsi Gabbard

Townhall: The House Oversight Committee is opening an investigation into the Transportation Security Administration over the agency’s alleged retaliation against whistleblowers who expose waste and abuse, including the placement of former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard on a government watch list… James Comer pointed to a Federal Air Marshal whistleblower who alleged his wife was improperly labeled a domestic terrorist and targeted over her attendance at President Trump’s Jan. 6, 2021, speech in D.C. He also cited the recent targeting of Gabbard, who was placed on the “Quiet Skies” watch list (Townhall). Journalist Matt Taibbi: The TSA Quiet Skies program has not led to even one arrest, has never foiled a plot, and has never led to a suspect being elevated to a different watch list. The program in 12 years has not produced one result (X).

Kamala Harris’ Economic Advisor Laughed at by Hosts When Pushing Tax on Unrealized Capital Gains

CATO: Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign recently confirmed that she supports all the nearly $5 trillion in tax increases included in President Biden’s 2025 budget proposal. Among the long list of tax hikes is a novel proposal to tax the unrealized gains of wealthy Americans. As many commentators have noted, such a tax would be economically destructive, but the fervor over this one bad idea has distracted from other more wide-reaching and even more economically damaging proposals. For example, Harris’s 28 percent federal corporate tax rate and 44.6 percent top capital gains and dividend tax rate would give the United States the highest total tax rate on corporate income in the developed world when combined with state taxes (CATO). Collin Rugg: CNBC host Joe Kernen rolls his eyes and laughs after Harris’ economic advisor Bharat Rama tries arguing in favor of Harris’ unrealized capital gains tax. Rama sat in silence as the hosts poked fun after he tried saying that property tax was an unrealized gains tax. “It’s probably unconstitutional… it’s not income” (X). RNC Research: Harris economic advisor Bharat Ramamurti: “This reaction to unrealized gains is a little funny.” (Kamala’s 25% minimum tax on unrealized capital gains is just one of the trillions in tax hikes she supports) (X).

EU Spent $4.2 Million for Scholars to Determine All Forms of Research Should Consider “Sex and Gender”—but Were Unable to Define Those Terms

National Review: A group of international scholars funded by the European Union were unable to define “sex” or “gender” after studying the topic for more than five years, but nevertheless concluded that both concepts should be incorporated into all academic research going forward. “GENDER-NET Plus” is an initiative that, beginning in 2018, funded 13 transnational research projects with nearly 400 researchers from 12 countries. According to a grant agreement, the European Union awarded GENDER-NET Plus nearly $4.2 million. Despite arguing that “all branches of research” should consider “sex and gender,” the report was unable to provide a firm definition of either term (National Review). College Fix: In a keynote presentation to GENDER-NET Plus in 2022, Schieberger said incorporating gender into research is important because there are problems with “unintentional bias” even in “algorithms” and “software systems” (College Fix).

Supreme Court Keeps Pause on Biden’s Efforts to Forgive Student Loans

CBS: The Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to reinstate the Biden administration’s latest plan to cancel student debt for millions of borrowers, leaving them in limbo while the appeals process plays out. The justices turned down a request from the Justice Department to lift a sweeping appeals court order that blocked the program, known as the SAVE plan, which has been the subject of legal challenges from more than a dozen GOP-led states in recent months. The court said in an unsigned order that it “expects that the Court of Appeals will render its decision with appropriate dispatch.” There were no noted dissents. Its order leaves the injunction from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit in place for now. The Education Department paused loan payments for borrowers enrolled in the program earlier this month because of the ongoing legal proceedings. Mr. Biden’s attempts to provide relief to millions of Americans have not fared well before the Supreme Court, which last year struck down an earlier plan that would have benefited more than 40 million Americans and forgiven nearly half-a-trillion-dollars in loans (CBS). Greg Price: The Supreme Court just ruled against Biden on his plan to unilaterally use tax dollars to cancel student loan debt… Again (X).

Disney’s Director of DEI Opening Salary is Four Times the National Average

Daily Wire: Disney is hiring a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) director who could earn up to four times the national average income pushing a far-left agenda. A job posting from the Walt Disney Company for a DEI director role advertises a minimum salary of $197,700 and a maximum salary of $241,500. The average American salary in 2024 is $59,428 annually… The new director will be tasked with advancing the company’s left-wing program, and be required to “lead initiatives focused on specific dimensions of diversity,” and “amplify DEI content and communicate progress.” The DEI agenda has come under criticism from consumer protection professionals who say that the ideology is both immoral and unprofitable (Daily Wire).

Ford Motor Pumps the Brakes on DEI Commitments

CNBC: Ford Motor is the latest company to walk back some of its commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. The automaker has taken “a fresh look” at its DEI policies and practices over the past year to take in to account the evolving “external and legal environment related to political and social issues,” according to an internal communication that was shared with global Ford employees and posted on X on Wednesday… Ford’s move follows retailer Tractor Supply, which one of the first major companies to stop its DEI efforts, as it severed ties earlier this summer with the Human Rights Campaign, an LGBTQ+ advocacy group, and retired DEI targets like boosting the number of employees of color at the manager level. Harley Davidson also decided last week to stop consulting the HRC’s metric for treatment of LGBTQ+ employees and affirmed that it does not have a DEI function. Home improvement retailer Lowe’s also joined the efforts earlier this week, and noted that it might also make additional changes to the policies over time (CNBC). Robby Starbuck: Here is Ford’s full statement I received this morning. Sanity is coming for corporate America (X).

Illegal Immigrant Caught Driving With No License After Killing Motorcyclist

How many more Americans need to die before our politicians decide to crack down on illegal immigration? Fox News: A man in the country illegally and accused of hitting and killing a New Orleans, Louisiana, journalist Friday was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs (ICE) during a court hearing Tuesday, according to reports. Jorge Martinez-Sanchez, 29, was charged with negligent homicide, reckless operation of a vehicle and driving without a license in a crash that happened just after 7:30 a.m. Friday. The Louisiana State Police said, that morning, troopers responded to a multi-vehicle crash on the Crescent City Connection bridge in downtown New Orleans. When they arrived, they learned 48-year-old Mark Deane of Gretna, Louisiana, had died in the crash (Fox News). RNC Research: An illegal alien has been charged with negligent homicide after he crashed into the motorcycle of a New Orleans journalist, killing him. The illegal was denied entry into the U.S. under President Trump — but was welcomed in by Border Czar Kamala Harris (X).

Venezuelan Opposition Leader Arrested as Protests Against Dictator Maduro Arise

Reuters: Venezuela’s opposition coalition said on Wednesday that party leader Biagio Pilieri was arrested in Caracas after appearing at a rally alongside coalition leader Maria Corina Machado. The last known location of Pilieri, the head of the Convergencia Venezuela party, was outside the Helicoide prison in Caracas, the coalition said on X (Reuters). Newsweek: New protests were sparked in Venezuela this week with many speaking out against President Nicolás Maduro’s victory in the country’s recent elections (Newsweek).

10.

Mark your Calendar: REAGAN Movie Releases on Friday

MovieGuide: REAGAN stars Dennis Quaid as the 40th President of the United States, Ronald Reagan. It covers Reagan’s life from his childhood to his death. There’s a strong focus throughout the movie on Reagan’s lifelong fight against communism. The movie relates Reagan’s battle in the Screen Actors Guild against communist infiltration in the Hollywood unions in the late 1940s. It also details his battle against the Soviet Union’s communist tyranny in Germany and Eastern Europe. Included is Reagan’s dramatic demand that Soviet President Gorbachev tear down the Berlin Wall. In the end, Gorbachev let the people of Germany tear down the wall themselves in November 1989. Dennis Quaid gives a bravura performance in REAGAN as the beloved President, union leader and movie star (MovieGuide). Kevin Sorbo: My latest movie is a must-watch for everybody! Had a wonder time working with my good buddy Dennis Quaid on the Reagan film coming out soon! The left is going to hate this (X). Marsha Blackburn: Just attended the premiere of Reagan Movie in Franklin—an incredible film about the life of one of our greatest presidents. Dennis Quaid delivers a powerful and moving portrayal of President Reagan that brings his legacy to life (X).