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Tuesday, October 8, 2024

Columbia Students Celebrate Hamas’ Attack on Israel on Anniversary of October 7

HotAir: There are fresh protests taking place today at Columbia University and at other schools around the country on the first anniversary of Hamas’ 10/7 attack on Israel. Columbia’s interim president sent an email yesterday announcing new security measures and warning about the potential for outside groups to spark violence. The student protesters will be marching off campus and joining up with members of Within Our Lifetime, a group that has made a habit of vandalism in the city. Also, the instructions given to protesters seems to suggest they will be looking to get away with violating school rules or worse (HotAir). Eyal Yakoby: Ilhan Omar’s daughter posts “resistance is glorious, we will be victorious,” to her instagram. She posts that at the rally at Columbia on the anniversary of the Oct. 7th massacre (X). Mark Davis: The post is repulsive, as is the very concept of rallies of this type on this solemn day (X).

Majority of Jews Have Experienced Anti-Semitism Since October 7 Attack

New York Post: A shocking 61% of American Jews have encountered an explosion of antisemitism after the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack on Israel, a disturbing new poll shows — and some of their stories are nothing short of chilling. Nearly 40% of the people surveyed who either have college kids or are students themselves reported instances of feeling unsafe on campus — with many adding they avoid wearing items that would identify them as Jewish out of fear. More than 20% of respondents said their younger children have borne the brunt of the antisemitism in the past year, too…The new survey said 43% of the respondents indicated that the increased antisemitism will impact how they will vote in the November elections. Some of the Jews who usually vote Democrat — 7.3% of respondents — said they will now vote Republican, while 3.9% who previously voted Republican said they will vote for Democrats (New York Post). Daily Wire: The most likely source of serious anti-Semitism, according to the poll, appears to be pro-Palestinian activists. Seventeen percent of respondents who experienced anti-Semitism reported that their most serious anti-Semitic incident happened as a result of “pro-Palestinians.” The next most likely group to be pointed to was “extreme left” at 6% and “extreme right” and “neo-Nazis” at 5% each (Daily Wire).

American Senators Meet With Prime Minister Netanyahu on Anniversary of October 7

CNN: One state audit found that bonus checks intended for frontline workers during the pandemic were handed out to undeserving recipients. Another criticized a Minnesota state agency for failing to ensure there were no conflicts of interest in taxpayer-funded mental health and addiction programs. A third detailed lax oversight of a program to feed needy kids which federal prosecutors say resulted in the nation’s largest Covid-era fraud scheme. But when confronted with these and other troubling examples of waste, fraud and abuse, some state agencies working under the administration of Democratic Gov. Tim Walz repeatedly minimized or dismissed the allegations, the state’s nonpartisan auditor (CNN). Washington Free Beacon: Minnesota lawmakers and officials criticized Gov. Tim Walz for not holding his administration accountable for “massive” fraud schemes related to pandemic-era aid programs, saying the responsibility “falls squarely on his shoulders” (Washington Free Beacon).

French President Emmanuel Macron Takes Criticism for Proposing Arms Embargo Against Israel

Politico: Emmanuel Macron is facing criticism from both inside and outside France for saying that deliveries of weapons used by Israel in Gaza should be stopped. Over the weekend, the French president’s comments were condemned by members of his own party, as well as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who directly addressed them in a blistering video statement that slammed Western leaders calling for an arms embargo. “Shame on them,” he said. On Monday, one of France’s closest military allies also rejected Macron’s position. Asked whether he agreed with the French head of state’s view, United Kingdom Defense Secretary John Healey told Sky News: “No, we work a different system” (Politico). HotAir: Of course, France is part of the furthest left block of NATO countries that lends its voice to the United Nations and the antisemitic leaders in that organization. Of course, Macron didn’t stop there. He further criticized Israel’s decision to send its military forces into Lebanon. We shouldn’t expect this situation to change very much if Kamala Harris is elected President. She will simply inherit and carry on with most of Biden’s policies. The world may look very different in that event. A different type of realignment will be in order if Trump wins. Those who support Israel are hoping for that outcome, but it will force France and other similar nations to take a fresh look at just how bluntly they can seek to bury a knife in Israel’s back. Trump will be ready to support Netanyahu from day one, but that could make for some awkward moments around the conference table at the next meeting of the G7 (HotAir).

FEMA Looking to Direct Hurricane Relief to LGBTQ Individuals

Bizpac Review: FEMA’s history of misplaced priorities resurfaced concerning Hurricane Helene as an agency roundtable came to the fore exploring a supposed “Queer and Present Danger.” The airline industry, military, government-run schools and basically anywhere that woke culture has permeated can account for some level of injustice or incompetence facilitated in the name of equity. Now, as yet another disaster under the Biden-Harris administration found Americans feeling abandoned by the government, a panel discussion featured the call to focus on “LGBTQIA people” (Bizpac Review). End Wokeness: FEMA Disaster Preparedness Meeting: “We should focus our efforts on LGBTQIA people… they struggled before the storm.” “FEMA relief is no longer about getting the greatest good for the greatest amount of people…. It’s about disaster equity” (X).

Hurricane Milton Upgraded to Category 5

Wall Street Journal: Hurricane Milton rapidly intensified into a Category 5 storm on Monday, threatening to bring additional storm surge and flooding later this week to a battered Florida that is still recovering from the devastating effects of Hurricane Helene. The storm, which had winds estimated at about 160 miles an hour, was located in the Gulf of Mexico, more than 700 miles southwest of Tampa, Fla., as of 12 p.m. ET. Milton is forecast to weaken as it hits dry air before making landfall on Florida’s west coast as early as Wednesday, the National Hurricane Center said. It warned it is still expected to be a large and powerful hurricane. After becoming a Category 1 hurricane Sunday evening, Milton quickly strengthened from a Category 2 storm as of 5 a.m. to a Category 5 storm by 12 p.m. Hurricane, storm-surge and tropical-storm watches were issued for parts of the western coast of Florida and the Florida Keys, the hurricane center said Monday. There is an increasing risk of life-threatening storm surge and damaging winds beginning as early as Tuesday night for parts of Florida’s west coast (Wall Street Journal).

Karine Jean-Pierre Denies FEMA Funded Illegal Immigrants

Daily Wire: On Monday, the one-year anniversary of the horrific Hamas October 7 massacre of more than 1200 Israelis, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with a bipartisan delegation of U.S. Senators in his office in Jerusalem. “I deeply appreciate the visit by Senators Graham and Blumenthal on this day of commemoration, October 7,” Netanyahu stated, as reported by Israel National News. “It was the worst attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust, but unlike the Holocaust, we fight back. We’re fighting like lions with the support of the American government and the American people, and its representatives here. I want to thank you both for your stellar support for Israel throughout the war.” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who led the delegation, said, “The reason people were killed on October 7 was they were Jewish. We’ve seen this movie before. We don’t want to see any more of those movies. Living in their own homeland” (Daily Wire). Times of Israel: Turning to Netanyahu, Graham says, “You’re fighting our fight. We’re going to help you with your military needs.” “The Twin Towers fell not because of a hurricane, but because radical Islamist terrorists killed 3,000 of us on a single day,” he says, referring to the 9/11 attacks. “And they would kill all of us if they could. If Iran ever got a nuclear weapon, they would use it. The question would be who would they use it against first. Me? You? Saudi Arabia? We can never let that happen. So we’re going to help you” (Times of Israel).

FEMA Chief Claims They Are Not Giving Money to Illegal Immigrants

Fox News: In the wake of Hurricane Helene’s destruction in the southeastern U.S., the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said it was “just plain false” that the agency was short on disaster relief funds because the money was spent on illegal immigrants (Fox News). Libs of TikTok: Don’t be gaslit. FEMA is indeed using funds for migrants (X)! Trump War Room: Welker: “Do you think this is a time to falsehoods aside like FEMA funds being redirected to migrant?” Sen. Tom Cotton: “It is true that FEMA and DHS have been spending billions of dollars on migrants… This administration seems to have no problem finding money when they want to spend it on their priorities” (X). Collin Rugg: Karine Jean-Pierre says “no money is being diverted” to illegal immigrants from response needs at a WH press briefing. The comment comes as the administration is getting ripped for spending $640M in FEMA funding on illegal immigrants. What KJP failed to mention is how Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announced that FEMA “does not have the funds” to help Americans through hurricane season. Since the fall of 2022, FEMA has spent over $1.4 billion on illegal immigrants (X).

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre Gets Promoted

New York Post: President Biden has promoted White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre to serve as a senior adviser during his final three months in office — despite internal concern about Jean-Pierre’s performance, which resulted in an unsuccessful attempt to coax her to step aside. Jean-Pierre’s new position was held by highly influential figures credited with significant policy contributions under past presidents — including Jared Kushner (Donald Trump), David Axelrod (Barack Obama) and Karl Rove (George W. Bush)… Journalists are broadly scornful of Jean-Pierre’s performance as chief White House spokesperson, noting she rarely is responsive to questions at her regular briefings — often tilting her head down to haltingly read prepared answers (New York Post). HotAir: You will note how quickly ABC News moved to note the “historic” natures of KJP’s role. She was the first Black woman to hold that post. Not only that, but she was the first openly gay person to take on the job. Just imagine that for a moment if it doesn’t leave you too breathless over the awesome nature of that historic appointment… But what did she actually do? You’re free to cast me as a male chauvenist, a racist, or a homophobe if you like, but she really didn’t seem to do all that much. She mostly parroted the White House company line, defending talking points rather than supporting the President’s positions with facts, generally not even bothering to promise to “circle back” with answers when she didn’t have one at hand (HotAir).

10.

Russian Arms Dealer, Viktor Bout, Back in Business Selling Arms to Houthi Terrorists

Wall Street Journal: Viktor Bout, the Russian arms dealer known as the “Merchant of Death,” walked out of a U.S. jail almost two years ago in a trade with Moscow for U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner. Now he is back in business, trying to broker the sale of small arms to Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militants. The 57-year-old, whose life reportedly inspired the 2005 Hollywood movie, “Lord of War,” starring Nicolas Cage, spent decades selling Soviet-made weapons in Africa, South America and the Middle East before being arrested in 2008 in a U.S. law-enforcement sting operation. Since his release, Bout has joined a pro-Kremlin far-right party and won a seat in a local assembly in 2023, seemingly turning the page on his days as an arms broker. But when Houthi emissaries went to Moscow in August to negotiate the purchase of $10 million worth of automatic weapons, they encountered a familiar face: the mustachioed Bout (Wall Street Journal). Reporter Ryan Saavedra: Viktor Bout, the Russian arms dealer that the Biden-Harris administration let out of prison in-exchange for Brittney Griner, is now back in business selling weapons to the Houthis. The Houthis are sinking merchant ships in the Red Sea and have fired at the U.S. Navy repeatedly and shot down multiple U.S. military drones that cost tens of millions of dollars each (X).