CNN and MSNBC Lose 40%+ of Their Viewership

In news that shocks absolutely no one, the decline of cable news channels (other than Fox) continues apace. Fox did lose some viewers in this off-year, though, but CNN and MSNBC cratered in viewership. Breitbart: The public has wised up. Resistance TV no longer sells like it’s 2017. Just ask Stephen Colbert and Howard Stern. That Fox News number is the one that counts, for it gives us context. Sure, last year was a presidential election year, which is the Super Bowl for cable news. Unless there’s a war, no one expects cable news to attract the same audience this year. But when Fox News loses only 16 percent of its year-over-year audience and MSNBC and CNN lose 40 and 44 percent respectively, there’s more going on. (Breitbart). It’s not Trump fatigue. It’s Trump Derangement Syndrome fatigue.

Trump Envoy Steve Witkoff Makes Progress Toward Ukraine Peace After Russia Talks

Steve Witkoff has made five trips to Russia this year as part of President Trump’s efforts to end the war in Ukraine. Will the fifth time be the charm? New York Times: Steve Witkoff, an envoy for President Trump, met with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia for the fifth time this year on Wednesday, holding talks that Mr. Trump had described as pivotal in determining whether the United States goes ahead with new sanctions against Russia. Russian news agencies said the meeting lasted about three hours, but there was little immediate clarity about how it went. Yuri Ushakov, Mr. Putin’s foreign policy adviser, called the meeting “very useful and constructive.” Mr. Trump, in a post on social media, called it “highly productive” and added, “Great progress was made!” But a few hours after the meeting’s end, Mr. Trump announced that he would increase his tariffs on India to 50 percent, describing the move as a penalty for purchasing Russian oil. Mr. Trump also ordered his administration to determine whether other countries are importing Russian oil and recommending whether they should face similar tariffs. Mr. Trump had said on Tuesday that depending on the results of Mr. Witkoff’s meeting, the United States could impose new sanctions on Russia and countries that buy its fossil fuels. A White House official, who was not authorized to speak publicly about the meeting, said Mr. Trump’s timetable was unchanged and that the secondary sanctions he has threatened were still expected to be implemented on Friday. (New York Times) Classic Trump: carrot and stick.

‘Big Balls’ Is Back in the News

You know that Donald Trump is president when a character named “Big Balls” makes national news for months, and is the hero of the story. New York Post: Edward Coristine, whose LinkedIn handle earned him the nickname “Big Balls” at DOGE, was with a woman near downtown DC when he saw the group of juveniles approach their car and “make a comment about taking the vehicle,” according to a Metropolitan Police Department incident report obtained by The Post. “At that point, for her safety, [Coristine] pushed his significant other … into the vehicle and turned to deal with the suspects,” the dramatic report continues. Officers patrolling the 1400 block of Swann Street NW — a popular area with several shops, bars and restaurants about a mile north of the White House — noticed “a group of approximately ten juveniles surrounding the complainants’ vehicle and assaulting [Coristine],” the report states.  (New York Post) The story deserves national attention, though, not for Coristine’s heroism so much as the fact that President Trump is using the incident to call for federalization of the District of Columbia. Washington Post: “If D.C. doesn’t get its act together, and quickly, we will have no choice but to take Federal control of the City, and run this City how it should be run, and put criminals on notice that they’re not going to get away with it anymore,” Trump wrote. (Washington Post) We’ll have to see if he has large enough cajónes to do that.

Adam Schiff’s Legal Troubles Worsen

If things continue in this direction, Adam Schiff may not need those two homes, which he claimed were his primary residences. Breaking federal laws can land you in a taxpayer-funded home with no mortgage to pay at all. Fox News: Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., is under criminal investigation for mortgage fraud, a Trump administration source told Fox News. Fox News host Laura Ingraham broke the news on Tuesday night on “The Ingraham Angle,” saying the source said a criminal investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maryland on possible charges involving mortgage fraud. The investigation comes a month after a story broke about the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) sending a criminal referral to the Department of Justice (DOJ) alleging that Schiff, in multiple instances, falsified bank documents and property records to acquire more favorable loan terms. In a 2011 affidavit signed by the then California congressman, Schiff certified that a property in Montgomery County, Maryland, is his primary residence. (Fox News). New York Post: “Mr. Schiff appears to have falsified records in order to receive favorable loan terms, and also appears to have been aware of the financial benefits of a primary residence mortgage when compared to a secondary residence mortgage as a spokesperson in 2023 told the media outlet CNN that, ‘Adam’s California and Maryland addresses have been listed as primary residences for loan purposes because they are both occupied throughout the year and to distinguish them from a vacation property,’” the letter explained. Schiff may have violated federal laws against wire fraud, mail fraud, bank fraud and making false statements to financial institutions, Pulte said. (New York Post). As Adam Schiff would say, the walls are closing in.

Babylon Bee Defeats Gavin Newsom in Court

In a victory for parody, the Babylon Bee—with a big assist from X—struck a blow for free speech by defeating California Governor Gavin Newsom in court. Breitbart: Politico reports that the ruling marks a significant victory for tech billionaire Elon Musk and his social media platform X, which had challenged the California law alongside other plaintiffs, including satirical website The Babylon Bee and conservative social media site Rumble. The decision by U.S. District Judge John Mendez deals a setback to California Governor Gavin Newsom (D), who signed the legislation last year, vowing to take action after Musk, a then-supporter of former President Donald Trump, shared a humorous video of former Vice President Kamala Harris ahead of the election. The now-invalidated law would have prohibited online platforms from hosting AI-generated content related to an election in the period leading up to the vote. Its passage came amidst growing concerns about the rapid advancement and accessibility of artificial intelligence technologies, which allow everyday users to quickly create realistic images and videos, and the potential impact on the political process. However, opponents like Musk argued that the restrictions could infringe upon freedom of expression. (Breitbart). If politicians fear “disinformation” as much as they claim, they would strike a blow for truth by keeping their own mouths shut.

Stanford Closes 'Office for Inclusion, Belonging and Intergroup Communication'

We here at Daybreak could have axed a bureaucracy called the “Office for Inclusion, Belonging, and Intergroup Communication” without knowing anything more beyond the name. It screams “DEI” so loud that people a thousand miles away would go deaf. Stanford Daily: The University dissolved its Office for Inclusion, Belonging and Intergroup Communication (IBIC) on July 11, laying off its director, Ester Sihite, and one part-time employee. Some of the office’s programs and one staff member were absorbed into the Office of Student Engagement (OSE). The approximately 35 student employees of the office were notified of the news in an email from Assistant Vice Provost for Inclusion, Community and Integrative Learning Samuel Santos on June 12. Santos explained in the email that “ongoing fiscal challenges” were a factor in making the decision. (Stanford Daily) San Francisco Chronicle: Stanford University will permanently lay off hundreds of employees this fall as part of sweeping budget reductions driven by shifting federal policies and financial pressures, according to state filings and statements from university officials. The layoffs, effective Sept. 30, impact 363 positions and stem from a $140 million reduction in Stanford’s general funds budget for the 2025-26 academic year, according to a WARN notice filed last month. In messages to faculty and staff, university leaders cited federal policy changes under the Trump administration — including cuts to research funding and increases in the endowment tax — as key drivers behind the cuts. “As we wrote last month, the university is making a $140 million reduction in the general funds budget for the upcoming year. This is the product of a challenging fiscal environment shaped in large part by federal policy changes affecting higher education,” wrote Stanford President Jonathan Levin and Provost Jenny Martinez in a July 31 letter. “These are difficult actions that affect valued colleagues and friends who have made important contributions to Stanford.” (San Francisco Chronicle) The colleagues may be valued, but only so much…

Mahmoud Khalil Explains to Ezra Klein How Sorry He Is That Hamas Was Forced to Commit Countless Atrocities

Ezra Klein, in a New York Times-sponsored podcast, had a wide ranging discussion with Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia U student whom Secretary Rubio is trying to deport for his support for terrorism. Khalil explained to Klein why Hamas was forced to commit atrocities. Ezra Klein at The New York Times: To me, it felt frightening that we had to reach this moment in the Palestinian struggle. I remember I didn’t sleep for a number of days, and Noor was very worried about my health. It was heavy. I still remember. I was like: This couldn’t happen. [Klein] What do you mean we had to reach this moment? What moment is this? I was interning at UNRWA at that point — the United Nations Relief and Works Agency — at the U.N.’s New York office. As part of my internship, my research and work were focused on Palestine, on the situation in the West Bank and Gaza. You can see that the situation is not sustainable. You have an Israeli government that’s absolutely ignoring Palestinians. They are trying to make that deal with Saudi and just happy about their Abraham Accord without looking at Palestinians — as if Palestinians are not part of the equation. They circumvented the Palestinian question. It was clear that it was becoming more and more violent. By Oct. 6, over 200 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces and settlers. Over 40 of them were children. So that’s what I mean by: Unfortunately, we couldn’t avoid such a moment. (New York Times) Shorter version: we couldn’t let Israel and Saudi Arabia make peace, so we had to kill more Jews.

Texas Gerrymandering Kerfuffle Has a Humorous Side, Too

Democrats are upset about yet another Threat to Democracy™, with Texas Democrats taking an all-expenses-paid vacation thanks to billionaire Governor of Illinois J.B. Pritzker. Gerrymandering in Texas is the issue, and Democratic governors such as Gavin Newsom and Maura Healey are threatening to redistrict their own states. Only…these are some of the most gerrymandered states in the nation. David Strom at Hot Air: Currently, the state has nine Congressional Districts and nine Democrats representing them. Should a less favorable map be created, the state will have nine Congressional Districts and nine Democrats representing them.  In fact, Massachusetts hasn’t had a Republican represent the state in Congress since 1996, or nearly 30 years. I’m not quite certain how much worse Healey can make it for Republicans, at least on the national level. Or, for that matter, in the state legislature. In the Massachusetts Senate, there are 40 seats, and 35 are held by Democrats. (David Strom at Hot Air) Republicans must be shaking in their boots, worrying that they will go from 0 Congressional seats in MA to 0.

Tim Cook Visits Trump at White House to Announce $600 Billion Commitment to Manufacturing in the United States

Donald Trump and Tim Cook are looking like buddies these days. Cook visited the White House on Wednesday to announce an additional $100 billion investment in American manufacturing. As Charlie Sheen would say, WINNING. Apple: Apple today announced a new $100 billion commitment to America, a significant acceleration of its U.S. investment that now totals $600 billion over the next four years. Today’s announcement includes the ambitious new American Manufacturing Program (AMP), dedicated to bringing even more of Apple’s supply chain and advanced manufacturing to the U.S. Through AMP, Apple will increase its investment across America and incentivize global companies to manufacture even more critical components in the United States.“Today, we’re proud to increase our investments across the United States to $600 billion over four years and launch our new American Manufacturing Program,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “This includes new and expanded work with 10 companies across America. They produce components that are used in Apple products sold all over the world, and we’re grateful to the President for his support.” (Apple) If you read Apple’s press release, it’s not just fluff. Lots of good stuff is happening.

USA Fencing Minnesota Eliminates Women’s Division

No matter how committed you think the left is to destroying women’s spaces, you are underestimating their determination. Women WILL compete against men whether they like it or not. Fox News: The USA Fencing Minnesota division announced plans to only sanction mixed-gender events moving forward in response to new policies that prevent biologically male trans athletes from competing in women’s competitions. USA Fencing changed its policies to ensure that only biological females are able to compete in the women’s category last month after the entire U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) updated its athlete safety policy to suggest compliance with President Donald Trump’s “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” executive order. “The Minnesota Division would like to confirm our commitment to inclusion and acknowledge the harmful effects of the new USA Fencing policy as guidened by the USOPC’s guidelines,” the announcement began. “The recent changes in the USA Fencing policy, in line with USOPC guidelines, has caused pain and confusion in the entire fencing community.” (Fox News). Ironically, many “feminists” support erasing women from society.