Biden’s Primetime Speech Amounts to: Vote for Democrats… or Else

National Review: Wednesday evening, President Biden argued that to preserve your right to vote for the candidate of your choice, you have no other option but to vote for the candidate of his choice. Biden offered once again the warning that certain candidates wanted to “take away your right to vote.” This is once again a reference to the Georgia voting law that Biden compared to Jim Crow, that so far has resulted in a record-high number of early voters… The major television networks did not carry this speech live, but the cable networks did. It was the right choice for a speech that amounted to a demand that the public vote for his party, or irrevocably collapse into autocracy (National Review). Katie Pavlich: Biden claiming “we” don’t settle political differences with riots is a complete wiping of what happened during the 2020 presidential election: the most expensive riots in American history courtesy of the Left. Billions of dollars in damage. Many people killed. Communities ruined (Twitter). Spencer Brown: Biden’s “vote for dems!” speech tonight showed his usual lack of self awareness, but this line about “the people’s right for self-determination” vs. an “autocrat” is wild coming from the man who unconstitutionally forced Americans to choose between a vaccine and their jobs (Twitter).

Biden to Spend $13 Billion to Reduce Energy Costs

National Review: New data reveal how the administration’s policy has undermined the U.S. energy industry, which was once the most innovative in the world (National Review). Daily Caller: The White House announced Wednesday that the Biden administration will spend $13.5 billion total to directly cover rapidly increasing household utility bills and help homes become more energy efficient ahead of the winter months. The Department of Health and Human Services will give $4.5 billion to local governments to help low-income people pay their electricity bills which will increase further during the winter months due to natural gas shortages. The Energy Department will also spend $9 billion on tax credits for households that buy heat pumps and insulate their homes to make them more “energy efficient.”  Roughly 17% of American households have recently not paid their energy bill or paid it late due to financial constraints (Daily Caller).

US Calls for Iran to Be Removed from UN’s Commission on Women

NBC: The United States on Wednesday called for Iran to be expelled from a U.N. commission on women, citing the regime’s “systematic oppression” of women and its violent crackdown on street protests. The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said it was not enough to condemn Iran’s “brutal acts of repression and violence” and that “we must back up our words with action.” Speaking at the U.N., Thomas-Greenfield said the U.S. will work with other countries to remove Iran from the 45-member U.N. Commission on the Status of Women, saying the international community could not allow the commission’s work to be “undermined from within” (NBC).

Border Patrol Union Defends Agents’ Use of Crowd Control Measures

Fox News: A Border Patrol union fired back at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on Wednesday after the left-wing organization condemned moves by agents to deal with illegal migrants who had allegedly assaulted them. The group of Venezuelan migrants illegally crossing into El Paso, Texas, as they waved an enormous flag. The agency said one of the protesters assaulted an agent with a flagpole while another threw a rock at agents, injuring one in the process. That, in turn, led the Border Patrol to initiate crowd-control measures (Fox News). ACLU: This is the latest in a long line of abuses carried out by CBP. Our government’s failed attempts at preventing people from seeking protection in the US lead to death and suffering. The Biden administration must restore a humane process for seeking asylum (Twitter). Border Patrol Union: We read this morning that the ACLU is upset that BP agents have the audacity to defend themselves. We have a response for them. Go to hell (Twitter).

Even CNN Hosts Question Democrat Katie Hobbs Refusing to Debate Gubernatorial Opponent

Washington Examiner: Arizona gubernatorial hopeful Kari Lake heralded CNN host Don Lemon’s grilling of her rival Katie Hobbs over her decision to shun a debate. During the exchange, Hobbs defended her position that debating Lake risks amplifying her 2020 “election denialism” and suggested that it is too late to reverse course with less than a week before the midterm elections (Washington Examiner). Kari Lake: Big yikes. Even @donlemon is calling @katiehobbs out! Bless her heart (Twitter). RNC Research: @KariLake: “Katie Hobbs has been hiding; she refuses to debate. She disrespects the people so much she will not take the debate stage and talk about what she wants to do for Arizona” (Twitter).

New Hampshire Gubernatorial Candidates First Debate Since Trump Endorsed Retired General Don Bolduc

USA Today: New Hampshire Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan and Republican Don Bolduc debated Wednesday night after the two U.S. Senate candidates previously went head-to-head last week, with questions on abortion, inflation and immigration, among others. The debate was the first since Bolduc received an endorsement from former President Donald Trump (USA Today). Breitbart: Recent polling shows Gen. Bolduc is leading Hassan by one point with three percent undecided. Gen. Bolduc took the lead after trailing by 11 points six weeks ago. The general has run a grassroots campaign while being outspent by $9 million (Breitbart).

Liz Cheney Applauds Nancy Pelosi, Does Not Believe Republican Control Would Be Good

National Review: Representative Liz Cheney (R., Wyo.) commended Speaker Nancy Pelosi for being a “tremendous leader” during a Tuesday interview, and predicted Republicans would damage the country should they reclaim a House majority in next week’s midterm elections (National Review). Fox News: Cheney was asked about the idea of her fellow Republicans taking majorities in the House of Representatives and the Senate — which would allow them to control the respective chambers’ legislative agendas. The lawmaker said the upcoming election was a “fundamental fight for the soul of our country and not just the soul of the Republican Party” (Fox News). Liz Cheney only has a few months left in office.

Russia Rejoins Wheat Agreement with Ukraine, Removes Naval Blockade

CNN:  Russia said Wednesday it was rejoining the agreement that guarantees safe passage for ships carrying vital grain exports from Ukraine, a move that may help ease concerns about global food supplies that were raised when Moscow suspended its participation in the pact last week. The decision to reverse course and rejoin the agreement was announced by the Russian Ministry of Defense just days after Moscow cited drone attacks on the city of Sevastopol in occupied Crimea as the reason for its withdrawal from the deal (CNN). Financial Times: Ukraine is also seeking to lift Russia’s blockade on other commodities including steel, another source of hard currency for Kyiv. Ukraine is one of the world’s leading suppliers of grain and other agricultural products. Food security experts have warned that shortages triggered by the war will have serious consequences for poor countries already facing a crisis caused by the impact of climate change and the Covid-19 pandemic (Financial Times).

Excessive Alcohol Use Leads to Staggering Percentage of Deaths in Americans

US News: For anyone who thinks alcoholism isn’t a deadly disease, a new government report shows alcohol abuse caused nearly 13% of deaths in American adults under 65 between 2015 and 2019. The statistics were even more grim among younger U.S. adults: In people aged 20 to 49, alcohol abuse was the cause of 20% of deaths (US News). Hill: The CDC defines heavy drinking as 8 or more drinks per week for women and 15 or more drinks per week for men. The agency also warns that excessive drinking can increase a person’s chance of developing cancer, liver disease, high blood pressure, heart disease or stroke (Hill).

Washington Commanders NFL Team Could Be for Sale

CBS: The NFL’s Washington Commanders could be for sale soon after owners Dan and Tanya Snyder said they have hired Bank of America Securities to “consider potential transactions.” While the Synder’s announcement did not specifically mention plans to sell the team, hiring a major bank is often a prelude to such a move. Dan Snyder has said many times he would never sell the team, or bring on new investors more than 18 months after he and his wife bought out the previous minority owners. The Commanders are worth an estimated $5.6 billion, according to Forbes. That ranks sixth among the NFL’s 32 teams (CBS).