NEWS AND OPINION:
Much of the nation appears to crave lots of space — neighborhood space, that is.
“A majority of Americans (57%) say they would prefer to live in a community where ‘houses are larger and farther apart, but schools, stores and restaurants are several miles away.’ About four-in-ten (42%) would prefer a community where ‘houses are smaller and closer to each other, but schools, stores and restaurants are within walking distance,’” advises a new Pew Research Center survey.
And yes, there’s a political dynamic at work.
“Republicans have consistently been more likely than Democrats to express a preference for communities with larger houses. Currently, 72% of Republicans and Republican leaners, compared with 43% of Democrats and Democratic leaners, would opt for this type of community,” the pollster said.
The poll of 5,079 U.S. adults was conducted March 27-April 2 and released last week.
WATCHING THE DEMOCRATS
The Republican Party continues to monitor the non-stop woes on the southern U.S. border.
“Homeland Security investigations estimate that Mexican cartels are now making $13 billion a year smuggling illegal immigrants into the U.S. — 26 times what they made in 2018,” advises Tommy Pigott, director of strategic communications for the Republican National Committee, in a written report shared with Inside the Beltway.
“President Biden’s and Democrats’ policies are responsible for this unprecedented crisis. In Biden’s first 100 days, he took more than 94 executive actions creating the border crisis. Illegal immigrants themselves have confirmed Biden’s border policies encouraged them to come to the border,” Mr. Pigott said.
He also cited “Democrats in Congress” for contributing to the situation.
Those lawmakers in particular “aided sanctuary cities and sent stimulus checks to illegal immigrants, opposed legislation to fund Title 42, and repeatedly voted against funding the border wall,” Mr. Pigott pointed out.
In addition, the Democratic lawmakers have “voted against hiring more border agents, deporting felons, and preventing illegal immigrants convicted of crimes from becoming permanent residents — and voted against strengthening the successful Remain in Mexico policy,” he wrote.
Democrats also voted against funding for counternarcotic operations and ensuring the enforcement of immigration laws at the border.
“That stands in stark contrast to House Republicans, who passed the strongest border security bill in our country’s history, and Republican governors, who are stepping up to provide border resources as President Biden turns a blind eye,” Mr. Pigott concluded.
THINKING AHEAD
2024 will mark an important but still poignant time in our nation’s history — the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasion, when Allied troops descended upon the Normandy beaches in an effort to liberate France — ultimately laying the groundwork for Allied victory.
National Trust Tours is now offering eight unique journeys which pay homage to the great sacrifices of those who fought and those who lost their lives for our freedoms on D-Day and its aftermath.
“Travel in the footsteps of heroes by land and sea in the company of renowned World War II historians in the places where history happened and honor a period of time that will never be forgotten while also exploring the captivating surrounds of the French countryside and beyond,” the organization advises.
One tour in particular features historian Dwight David Eisenhower II, by the way. Find the tours at NationalTrustTours.com and use the word Normandy in the search function for best results.
WEATHER OR NOT
One close observer is questioning a recent New York Times headline which offered an unnerving thought: “Is this the end of summer vacation as we know it?”
The accompanying article made the case that climate change is now compromising those well-earned warm weather getaways around the planet.
“This year, everything from scorching heat to fires, floods, tornadoes and hail storms driven by climate change have disrupted the plans of travelers around the world,” the news organization said.
“As the summer travel engine kicked into high gear this year, it wasn’t just the scorching heat affecting carefully laid plans. There were also fires, floods, tornadoes and hail storms,“ the Times advised.
“For decades, science has confirmed that unabated climate change will cause more misery, more hardship and cost millions of lives in the years to come. We’re getting a taste of the results this summer. Our relationship to travel has reached a tipping point. What happens when we can’t just vacation through it?” the Times asked.
Some are not impressed.
“Despite the New York Times’ carefully crafted narrative, tourists do not seem to care about climate change,” advises Marc Morano, founder of the Climate Depot, a watchdog site which monitors weather-related reporting in the news media, climate-related activities in the academic realm, and other matters.
“The New York Times persists in its climate storytelling and suggests people will face ‘tough decisions’ and cope by ‘perhaps choosing’ to stay home and huddle around the air conditioner,” Mr. Morano writes in his report.
“The climate ‘psychological operation’ is beginning. NYT claiming vacations are a thing of the past due to climate is an attempt to restrict freedom of movement,” he advises.
Find Mr. Morano and his commentary at ClimateDepot.com.
POLL DU JOUR
• 36% of U.S. adults say their main source of health insurance is through their employer.
• 24% say their main source of insurance is through Medicare.
• 17% say their source is through Medicaid.
• 11% say their source is through their spouse’s employer.
• 6% say their source is through a plan they purchased themselves.
• 4% say their source is through a parent’s plan.
• 2% say their source of health care is from some other source.
SOURCE: A Kaiser Health Tracking poll of 1,190 U.S. adults who have health insurance, conducted July 11-19 and released Monday.
• Follow Jennifer Harper on Twitter @HarperBulletin.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.