Author: Patrick Houck

Panama’s Foreign Minister Erika Mouynes tells anyone who’ll listen that she warned the United States about last month’s migrant surge. Unfortunately, warnings have no value if no one heeds them. That was the case preceding the Del Rio bridge closure. U.S. officials knew that as many as 20,000 Haitian migrants were on a collision course with the U.S.-Mexico border. Yet, nothing was done to prepare officials, residents and law enforcement in border towns. (NBC News) Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, and DHS’ Office of Intelligence and Analysis all had information as far back as July…

Democrats have a big problem with Latino voters. Despite coming up short in the 2020 presidential election, counties in South Texas and those making up the Miami metro area witnessed the biggest shift in vote share to President Trump. Trump even became the first Republican to win Zapata County, on the winding Rio Grande, since Warren G. Harding. That realignment, which Democrats ignored because of hubris, complacency—or both—continues in the Virginia governor’s race. A Dead Heat Like Trump, Republican Glenn Youngkin is running on a message to win over culturally conservative Hispanic voters. His Democratic rival Terry McAuliffe seems to…

Minneapolis residents could abolish their police department next month. Depending on the Nov. 2 vote for the proposed amendment, Republicans may find themselves laughing all the way to the ballot box in 2022. As many as three-quarters of black residents fear the dire consequences if the city decides to do away with its police department. The problem is that the proposal’s most ardent supporters are white liberals. As of the latest census, that group makes up two-thirds of the city’s population. The idea of replacing the police with a so-called Department of Public Safety stemmed from the death of George…

A Colorado-based hospital system confirmed it denies organ transplants to most patients who haven’t gotten the COVID-19 vaccine. The highly controversial policy uses immunization status to ration medical care. Doctors explained how unvaccinated patients are far more likely to die. That defense did little to stave off controversy from the unvaccinated. Yet, the University of Colorado Hospital’s health system remains defiant. UCHealth Spokesperson Dan Weaver said that unvaccinated patients had forced the company’s hand. In this case, implement crisis standards of care. These guidelines help healthcare providers deliver the best possible care based on their patients’ chances of survival. Hospitals…

President Biden’s reconciliation bill includes many controversial proposals that have struggled even to unify Democrats. One involves a plan to compel banks to monitor purchases above $600. Its proponents argue that bank account monitoring would help the IRS fight tax evasion. However, associations representing thousands of financial institutions have come out against the proposal. Collectively, they have launched a formidable grassroots lobbying campaign. For instance, the Independent Community Bankers of America alone has encouraged people to send more than 400,000 messages to members of Congress. The Growing Debate Meanwhile, Larry Keane of the National Shooting Sports Foundation says the plan…

Last week, the National School Boards Association (NSBA) asked the Biden administration to use laws to fight domestic terrorism to silence concerned parents. On Monday night, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland responded. Garland joined the NSBA’s cause, directing the FBI to work with the appropriate U.S. attorneys “to [address threats against school administrators, board members, teachers and staff.” Garland didn’t mention how contracts involving his family and school districts are raising concerns. First, Some Background: Fairfax County, Virginia, is home to the largest public school system in the state. The school division recently signed a $2.4 million contract with the…

Facebook and its subsidiaries Instagram and WhatsApp have experienced the most severe worldwide social media outage ever. The unprecedented blackout began yesterday, shortly before noon eastern time. The tech giant remained offline until late in the evening. The interruption came one day after a “60 Minutes” interview with former Facebook employee Frances Haugen and one day before she’ll testify before members of Congress. Haugen’s interview marked the first time a member of Facebook’s middle management stepped forward to allege that the company is aware of the damage they are causing. She even accused Facebook of betraying democracy. The interview and subsequent…

The latest data on COVID-19 vaccinations shows New York City’s vaccine passport program could have dire consequences. The Big Apple began enforcing its vaccination pass in September. New Yorkers over 12 must prove that they’ve received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose for most indoor activities. These include going to restaurants, gyms, movie theaters, music venues, museums and sports facilities. Mayor Bill de Blasio has given inspectors from 13 city agencies the power to enforce the program, known as the Key to NYC. Besides business owners and their workers, black residents have also become collateral damage in New York City’s…

The National School Boards Association (NSBA) has formally asked the White House for “federal law enforcement” to deal with threats, intimidation and acts of violence. The NSBA’s letter requests that law enforcement agencies use controversial statutes like the Patriot Act to deter acts of “domestic terrorism” made against “school board members, district administrators and other educators.” Yet CNN anchor Brianna Keilar didn’t bring up the “terrorism” designation while interviewing NSBA President Viola Garcia. WATCH: https://twitter.com/tomselliott/status/1443911154494021651 For those who’ve forgotten, the mainstream media described scenes of destruction and mayhem in the Midwest last summer as “mostly peaceful.” Remind me, why did…

Australia’s harsh lockdowns continue as the country’s vaccine rollout makes painfully slow progress. Most of the country’s 25 million citizens find themselves barred from international travel and subject to overnight curfews, all while anti-lockdown protests remain banned. Meanwhile, officials warn the unvaccinated face a “difficult life indefinitely.” But that’s not all, as The Atlantic’s Conor Friedersdorf explains: Intrastate travel within Australia is also severely restricted. And the government of South Australia, one of the country’s six states, developed and is now testing an app as Orwellian as any in the free world to enforce its quarantine rules. Returning travelers quarantining at home…