NEWS AND OPINION:
“The Hamas attack on Israel is a warning to America about the risks of our open border,” writes Chuck DeVore in an analysis for The Federalist.
He is chief national initiatives officer at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a former California legislator, and a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel. Mr. DeVore points out that America’s border with Mexico stretches 1,954 miles, about 61 times longer than Israel’s frontier with Gaza.
“Since Joe Biden became president in 2021, there have been 1.5 million known “gotaways” on the border, on top of 2.3 million illegal immigrants allowed into America, the majority of whom came over the southern border. Among that flow of humanity are dangerous people who mean us harm,” Mr. DeVore wrote.
The Biden administration’s lax approach to border security exacerbates these existing threats. While Israel adopts a zero-tolerance policy, unwilling to make compromises when national security is at stake, the United States, especially under Biden, has not demonstrated a similar commitment. In fact, the Biden administration has worked to undermine Texas’s efforts to secure the border, both in the courtroom and in the field where it ordered the Border Patrol to actively thwart Texas law enforcement and National Guard soldiers working to hold the line,” he later said.
“Border security is national security,” Mr. DeVore concluded.
And now the headlines
Meanwhile, the aforementioned attack on Israel is subject to interpretation, as are most global events. Here are a few headlines from the past 24 hours:
“Israel bombards sealed-off Gaza Strip to punish Hamas” (Associated Press); “At Harvard, a battle over what should be said about the Hamas attacks” (The New York Times); “The 10/7 Attacks” (Real Clear Politics); Who is Mohammed Deif, the Hamas commander behind the attack on Israel?” (Reuters); “Democrats’ long-simmering Israel tensions reignite over Squad’s comments on Hamas” (Axios); “Israeli-American teen recalls seeing parents die during Hamas attack” (ABC News);
Selective programming
Those who track the persistent liberal bias in the news media remain ever vigilant.
“On Sunday and Monday, President Joe Biden was interviewed by Special Counsel Robert Hur over his reckless mishandling of classified documents he left unattended at his Delaware home and in his private office. It took until Tuesday for the big three news networks to catch on and report on this,” writes Kevin Tober, a news analyst for Newsbusters.org, a conservative press watchdog.
That reporting was scanty indeed.
“ABC, CBS, and NBC only managed to offer a measly 48-second total to the news during their Tuesday evening newscasts. ABC’s World News Tonight (15 seconds),CBS Evening News (24 seconds), and NBC Nightly News (9 seconds). Despite each show being two hours long, ABC’s Good Morning America and CBS Mornings each gave just 9 seconds, while NBC’s Today managed 42 seconds,” Mr. Tober noted.
For the lexicon
“Diner Table Economics.”
Yes, most of us have heard the term “kitchen table economics” — a popular term that describes everyday, grassroots economic issues and concerns that could be discussed around a family kitchen table.
Yes, well.
Now there’s a variation. That would be a new series of events titled “Diner Table Economics” — which explores the economic issues and concerns that a politician who is running for office would discuss with people in a diner. The term has originated in New Hampshire.
“Want to hear the specific economic proposals from the people who want to be the next president of the United States? You’ll get it here, straight from the candidates themselves, over a cup of coffee at the iconic Airport Diner,” reports the New Hampshire Journal, which organized the unique event.
Chris Christie was the first candidate to sit down — yes, sitting with a mug of coffee at a formica-topped table in a traditional diner in the city of Manchester. He explained his ideas about bettering GDP growth, making significant cuts in federal spending and lessening the regulatory impact of the federal government.
“This series of conversations will focus solely on economic issues. No horse race politics, no politics of personality — just a 25-minute conversation about jobs, inflation, taxes, and spending. The policy positions from regulation to tax reform that impact the daily lives of Granite Staters and all Americans,” the Journal noted in a brief commentary about the new concept.
See Mr. Christie’s conversation at NHJournal.com or on YouTube, found at www.YouTube.com/@insidesources1954.
Foxified
During the week of October 2 - 8, Fox News drew an average prime-time audience of 2.1 million viewers, compared to MSNBC with 1.5 million and CNN with 633,000 according to Nielsen Media Research. The network also aired 67 of the top 100 newscasts during the week. Throughout the day — from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. — Fox News averaged 1.3 million viewers — emerging as the most-watched cable channel of all, topping its news competition, along with ESPN, Hallmark Channel, HGTV and other non- cnews rivals.
Late-night host Greg Gutfeld also notably delivered 2.1 million viewers during the week, besting CBS’ “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (1.9 million viewers, ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (1.6 million) and NBC’s “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” (1.3 million).
Poll du jour
93% of U.S. adults plan to buy at least some Christmas or holiday gifts this year online.
74% plan to spend as much or more than they did last year on Christmas and holiday gifts.
39% plan to start their Christmas and holiday shopping in November.
20% plan to start their shopping in December.
17% plan to start their shopping in October.
14% have already started their Christmas and holiday shopping.
10% started their holiday shopping in September.
Source: A Shopify-Gallup Holiday Shopper Pulse survey of 1,761 U.S. adults conducted Sept. 1-14 and released on Tuesday.
Follow Jennifer Harper on X @HarperBulletin, on Facebook at HarperUniverse.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.