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April 2024

EDUCATION Comments turned off

Jeffrey Blehar: Please Harvard, Don’t Throw Conservatives into That Briar Patch

By on April 11th, 2024

https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/please-harvard-dont-throw-conservatives-into-that-briar-patch/?utm_source=recirc-desktop&utm_

Folks, I do not regret to inform you even in the slightest bit that Christopher Rufo is at it again. Or rather, he continues at it. After he and the journalistic team at the Washington Free Beacon combined to light a fire that ended up incinerating former Harvard president Claudine Gay — it was not her repulsive testimony before Congress that toppled her but the revelation that her already threadbare academic career had been stitched together in large part from the plagiarized work of other, better scholars — he has now pressed forward with an investigation and public rhetorical assault on others similarly situated in the woker spheres of academia. (“Alphabet-soup land,” as I’ve taken to calling it.) At the present moment, Rufo claims to have made embarrassing revelations about former Michigan State professor Lisa Cook (currently a Federal Reserve governor), and prior to this he had flagged the plagiaristic misdeeds of a Harvard Extension administrator and an assistant professor of sociology there.

And by gum, Harvard’s young and comically ingenuous students are not taking it lying down. They have noticed that each of these people is a black female — Rufo, loquaciously online as always, has been happy to point it out to them — and have begun to harbor suspicions that Rufo might be, well, you know . . . a racist. And almost certainly a misogynist, but no need to overdetermine things. (The fact that all of these people are pretty much nailed dead-to-rights on the merits is of course immaterial in this analysis, in exactly the same way that traffic cameras in Chicago were — this is not a joke — deemed “racist” by ProPublica and the city council because they kept disproportionately flagging the wrong demographic of driver. “Equity” in action, my friends.)

I therefore salute Harvard Crimson opinion columnist Maya Bodnick for standing up to Rufo’s transparently racist, reactionary agenda. She sounds the alarm in the title of her piece: “A Witch Hunt Is Targeting Black Harvard Faculty.” First they came for Claudine Gay, she says. Then the Free Beacon tossed the school’s chief DEI officer into the frying pan for a quick sizzle.

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NATIONAL NEWS & OPINION Comments turned off

The Serious Business of Comedy An interview with Babylon Bee CEO Seth Dillon. by Mark Tapson

By on April 11th, 2024

https://www.frontpagemag.com/the-serious-business-of-comedy/

Late last year at the David Horowitz Freedom Center’s annual Restoration Weekend event, Seth Dillon, CEO of the wildly popular, controversial satire site Babylon Bee, gave a keynote speech and knocked it out of the ballpark. He was entertaining and inspirational, a great Christian conservative culture warrior doing courageous work defending our First Amendment rights and skewering the idiotic madness of the left’s agenda.

I made sure to invite him on the Freedom Center podcast I host called The Right Take, where I have conversations with important conservative thinkers, writers, pundits, and storytellers about the intersection of politics and culture. On January 11th, the man behind the Bee, “the definitive source of fake news you can trust,” appeared on The Right Take and did not disappoint. His insights into, and tales of fighting, the culture war were such that I thought it worth posting an excerpt from our conversation in case you missed it or just don’t like listening to podcasts. Check it out below.

Mark Tapson: Seth, welcome to The Right Take.

Seth Dillon: Thanks for having me.

MT: I know you’re a busy guy and – I’m sorry, I don’t mean to assume your gender – so I’ll get right to it. In the book Rules for Radicals by the late, left-wing strategist Saul Alinsky, rule number five reads, “Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon. There’s no defense against it. It’s irrational. It’s infuriating.” Now, the left has wielded this weapon successfully against its political enemies for decades.

But the right has gone much of that time with no counterpart. I mean, in recent years, our side has had Greg Gutfeld, and he’s basically been it. Meanwhile, the left has had every late-night talk show host, basically the entire entertainment industry aligned against the right, with no real heavy-hitting pushback from our side until the Babylon Bee came along. And I think one of the important things the Bee has done for the culture war is that it’s proven that the left can dish it out, but they can’t take it, can they?

SD: They don’t like to be the object of mockery. There’s a number of reasons for that. I think that one of the reasons they don’t like mockery is because mockery does effectively undermine their ideas and their arguments, and they don’t like that, so they try to put a stop to it. We see them behaving like tyrants all the time.

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ENVIRONMENT AND JUNK SCIENCE Comments turned off

The Latest On International Efforts To Save The Planet Through Climate Litigation

By on April 11th, 2024

https://www.manhattancontrarian.com/blog/2024-4-9-the-latest-on-international-efforts-to-save-the-planet-through-climate-litigation

When I first came upon it, I called it the “stupidest litigation in the country.” In 2015 a group of adolescents, led on a leash by some activist environmental lawyers, had sued the federal government in the District Court for Oregon. The plaintiffs alleged violation of their fundamental constitutional right to a clean and healthy environment, and sought as remedy a compulsory national plan to “phase out” the use of fossil fuels nationwide plus (why not?) “draw down excess atmospheric CO2 so as to stabilize the climate system and protect the vital resources on which Plaintiffs now and in the future will depend. . . .” I first covered this litigation in a post in December 2017 titled “The Stupidest Litigation In The Country Reaches The Ninth Circuit.”

Why “stupidest litigation”? Because this case seemed to represent the ultimate reductio ad absurdum of the entire idea of courts and of litigation, and indeed an attempt at complete subversion of our three-branch system of government. Just make up a new and sweeping “constitutional right,” find a friendly activist-minded judge, and you can get an order transferring all the significant operations of the legislative and executive branches of the government to a single unelected person operating out of a courthouse in Eugene, Oregon. Surely, no court would take this seriously. But then, one must take account of the powerful religious hold that the claims of the climate cult have over all those on the political left, not the least over many judges. And then there’s the excitement for a lonely small-town judge of potentially getting to run the entire country by decree without having to go through the bother of getting elected to anything.

So just because this litigation was stupid would not mean that it would have no chance of success. Also, keep in mind that the environmental left has near infinite resources, and never gives up.

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ISRAEL Comments turned off

DIANE BEDERMAN: SIX MONTHS AFTER OCTOBER 7

By on April 11th, 2024

https://dianebederman.com/nothin-says-lovin-like-a-baby-in-the-oven-and-islam-does-it-best/

In case you didn’t know – nothing has changed. When it comes to the Jews, Muslims are the Nazis of today. And once again, the West stands with the wrong side. Or, to put it more precisely – Same S*** Different Day

Muslim barbarians, who had been sitting  at the gate, broke through and entered Israel on October 7 and massacred 1200 people; in their homes and at a Music Festival! They didn’t just murder: they raped and pillaged, diced and sliced, including a child from the womb of a pregnant woman, decapitated, Jewish men, women and children: murdered for the crime of being Jewish. Muslim murderers went house to house in search of unarmed civilians. Muslim civilians aided and abetted Hamas in looting and hostage taking and, of course, celebrating. Many of the victims were still in pajamas when they were hunted down. Killings were carried out in close quarters, victims executed one by one in their kitchens, bathrooms and bomb shelters.

These Muslims looked everywhere, behind every nook and cranny, for Jews-including behind rocks and trees.

It was reported that Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: “I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) saying: ‘You (i.e. Muslims) will fight against the Jews and you will gain victory over them. The stones will (betray them) saying: ‘O ‘Abdullah (i.e. slave of Allah)! There is a Jew hiding behind me; so kill him.’ 1 This Hadith was reported by Al-Bukhari.

Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said that he heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) saying: “The Antichrist will pass by this salty barren area i.e. Madinah, in a passage of a canal. Most of those who will come out to him will be women so that a man will return to his intimate wife, mother, daughter, sister or aunt to tie them up for fear that they might go out to him. Then, Allah will afflict him with Muslims who kill him and his followers and the Jews will hide behind a tree or a rock and the rock or the tree will say to the Muslim: There is a Jew behind me, come and kill him!” 3 This Hadith was reported by Ahmad in his Musnad.

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P.C.-CULTURE Comments turned off

Affirmative action Scrabble to hit shelves soon By Olivia Murray

By on April 11th, 2024

https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2024/04/affirmative_action_scrabble_to_hit_shelves_soon.html

Scrabble is revamping—a more “inclusive” and “accessible” version is set to hit the shelves for those who don’t like the “competitive” nature of the traditional game. (Spoiler alert: The intended audience is Gen Z.)

Here’s the story, via a BBC report out yesterday:

Mattel is to launch a new version of Scrabble which is designed to be more collaborative and accessible for those who find word games intimidating.

The new double-sided Scrabble board will still feature the original game for those who want to play the traditional version.

But the new game on the flip side will include helper cards, use a simpler scoring system and be quicker to play.

Here’s what English broadcaster Gyles Brandreth said of the announcement:

‘The makers of Scrabble found that younger people, Gen Z people, don’t quite like the competitive nature of Scrabble….’

A “simpler” scoring system? How much “simpler” could Scrabble be though? As long as you can add into the single- and double-digits (or triple-digits with the right letters and premium squares), and you know your multiplication tables, the scoring system is self-explanatory. 

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ISRAEL Comments turned off

It ain’t over ’til it’s over By Ruthie Blum

By on April 11th, 2024

https://www.jns.org/it-aint-over-til-its-over/

Marking on Sunday six months since the Oct. 7 massacre, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opened his weekly Cabinet meeting by listing what he called the “considerable achievements” of the war in Gaza.

“We have eliminated 19 of Hamas’s 24 battalions, including senior commanders,” he said. “We have killed, wounded or captured a large number of Hamas terrorists. We have cleared out Shifa [Hospital in Gaza City] and other terrorist command centers.”

He went on, “We have destroyed rocket factories, command centers and weapons caches. And we are continuing to systematically destroy underground installations.”

Netanyahu punctuated the impressive inventory by stating, “We are a step away from victory.”

Encouraging words, to be sure. Yet, to everyone’s surprise, they were followed by a withdrawal of most of the Israel Defense Forces ground troops from southern Gaza, after four months of fighting in Khan Yunis.

As soon as the IDF announced the pullback, I began receiving frantic calls from abroad and WhatsApp messages at home requesting my take on the move.

“Does it mean that the war is over?” some asked. “Has Israel capitulated to pressure from the White House for a ceasefire with nothing in return?”

Others wanted to know whether Netanyahu and his War Cabinet—despite their repeated assertions—had decided against entering Rafah, where four of the six remaining Hamas battalions are located, along with many of the 133 hostages.

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ISRAEL Comments turned off

How Biden is Sabotaging His Peace Deal Between Israel and Saudi Arabia by Bassam Tawil

By on April 10th, 2024

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/20559/biden-sabotaging-peace-israel-saudi-arabia

Recently, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said after meeting with [Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed] bin Salman that there is “good progress” on Saudi Arabia-Israel normalization talks. “I believe we can reach an agreement which would present an historic opportunity… We had a very good discussion about the work that we’ve been doing for many months now on normalization, and that work is moving forward. We’re continuing to make good progress.”

[T]here is good reason to believe that the Saudis will eventually agree to normalize their relations with Israel. In order for that to happen, however, Hamas, which is strongly opposed to any peace with Israel and does not recognize its right to exist, must be defeated and eradicated.

It is no secret that Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries despise Hamas and consider it a threat to their own national security….

There is no doubt that the Saudis, together with the UAE, Bahrain and the even the Palestinian Authority, are quietly praying for Israel to finish the job and get rid of Hamas. These Arabs, understandably, cannot express their views in public lest they be accused of “colluding” with Israel.

Arab states are motivated to sign peace treaties with Israel when they see Israel as a winner.

By pressuring Israel not to invade Rafah, the US administration is sabotaging its own efforts to persuade Saudi Arabia to normalize its ties with Israel…

By demanding that Israel refrain from entering Rafah, the Biden administration is actually asking Israel to forget about recovering the 130 hostages being raped and tortured by Hamas every day — which still include six Americans – and to lose the war. This is something that neither Israel nor Hamas’s Arab enemies — nor even Biden — can afford to accept.

When the Iran-backed Hamas terror group invaded Israel on October 7, 2023, it not only sought to kill and kidnap Israelis. The group and its patrons in Tehran undoubtedly had other goals in mind, such as thwarting US-sponsored efforts to achieve normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Fortunately, Hamas has so far been unsuccessful in achieving this goal. In addition, Hamas has failed to drive a wedge between Israel and the Arab countries that have peace treaties with it: Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco. None of these countries has cut off its diplomatic relations with Israel, despite their harsh criticism of Israel over the war in the Gaza Strip and pressure from the Arab street.

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MEDICINE AND HEALTH Comments turned off

So the CDC knew all along about those 780,000 side effects to its COVID vaccine as it was assuring us it was ‘safe’ By Monica Showalter

By on April 10th, 2024

https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2024/04/so_the_cdc_knew_all_along_about_those_780_000_side_effects_to_its_covid_vaccine_as_it_was_assuring_us_it_was_safe.html

Does anyone in “public service” ever get busted for lying to the public?

It would seem not, based on a report that the Centers for Disease Control covered up 780,000 reports of significant side effects, such as seizures, tinnitius, and facial paralysis, from the COVID vaccine it was foisting onto the often hesitant public, oilily assuring that it was “safe and effective,” and anyone questioning that was an “anti-vaxxer.”

According to Epoch Times, as seen on The Jewish Voice:

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released previously hidden reports of facial paralysis and other adverse events following COVID-19 vaccination.

The 780,000 reports were received shortly after the COVID-19 vaccines were rolled out and show that people experienced a wide range of post-vaccination problems, including heart inflammation, miscarriages, and seizures.

“Loss of consciousness and seizure immediately following injection. Went to ER by ambulance,” one person reported.

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NATIONAL NEWS & OPINION Comments turned off

The Ministry of BS Will See You Now By J.B. Shurk

By on April 10th, 2024

https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2024/04/the_ministry_of_bs_will_see_you_now.html

I wonder if there is ever a moment while DHS Secretary Mayorkas is claiming that America’s borders are entirely secure and blaming “climate change” for the influx of tens of millions of illegal aliens into the United States when he thinks, “Wow, I am really full of BS.  I mean, it is simply amazing how much BS I shovel down the American people’s throats every single day.”

The notion that powerful people lie to the public is certainly not new.  You can go back through the centuries and find essays, songs, drawings, and folktales that all attest to the timeless truth that every generation sees its “rulers” as an unworthy camarilla of cutthroats, liars, backstabbers, and thieves.  Still, the lies being told today are just so brazen.  Damaging tornado?  That’s what we get for driving cars.  Too many white mathematicians?  Obviously another bout of “systemic racism” rearing its ugly head.  Trump’s beating Biden in the polls?  Duh — that’s because America runs on “hate”!  

Disney and other child-grooming companies keep telling us that the only way to protect America’s youth is to put them on puberty blockers and let them dance for skeevy adults.  We used to call those skeevy adults “pedophiles,” but now the medical community insists that we treat them with more respect.  I have trouble respecting a profession that wants me to respect child molesters.  I also have trouble respecting a profession that pushes experimental “vaccines” on patients without their informed consent.  The fact that so few physicians have taken responsibility for their unscientific and unethical behavior during totalitarianism’s favorite overhyped pandemic feels like a giant whiff and strike three for medicine.  Or maybe the white coats (“systemic racism” alert!) struck out four years ago when medical associations insisted that Antifa and BLM be allowed to burn down neighborhoods in the name of “social justice health,” while the rest of us were forced to stay inside and participate in the theatrical production of the “Great COVID Hoax.”  A lot of MDs have BS degrees.

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EDUCATION Comments turned off

Featherbed Ed Education hiring continues regardless of the number of students. By Larry Sand

By on April 10th, 2024

https://amgreatness.com/2024/04/10/featherbed-ed/

New data for the 2022-2023 academic year paints a disturbing picture. While students are slowly trickling back into public schools post-COVID-19, the same cannot be said for staff. The National Center for Education Statistics revealed an increase of 173,000 students in public schools, yet during the same period, a staggering 159,000 employees were hired, including 15,000 additional teachers.

Researcher Chad Aldeman provides specific examples of hiring trends in various districts across the country. He explains that about one-third of these districts added teachers while serving fewer students. For instance, Philadelphia lost nearly 16,000 students but employed 200 more teachers, dropping its student-to-teacher ratio from about 17:1 to under 15:1.

About a quarter of all districts followed the path of California’s Capistrano Unified School District, which lowered its teaching force over time but not as fast as it lost students. Capistrano suffered a 22% decline in student enrollment but reduced its teaching staff by just 7%.

Another group of districts saw an increase in student enrollments, but their teacher count has risen even faster. The Katy Independent School District, near Houston, added 4,299 students last year, a gain of 4.9%. At the same time, it hired 366 teachers, a 6% gain. Over the period, its student body increased by 22%, while its teacher count grew by 29%.

But as Aldeman notes, the future is murky: “As districts spend down the last of their federal ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief ) dollars, they may have to lay off staff or close under-enrolled buildings.”

If teachers must be laid off, the typical union contract stipulates that it must be done by seniority, or the “last in, first out” (LIFO) regimen. This industrial style of dealing with teacher overstaffing is typified by Michigan’s Ann Arbor Public Schools system, where the teacher union contract states that after considering years of experience with the district, if two teachers have equal seniority, the last several digits of a teacher’s Social Security number would be the tiebreaker for a layoff.

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