Morning Brief 2022-07-18

TOP OF HOUR 3
GUEST: Megan Fox
TOPIC: Questions remain unanswered in rape of 10-year-old abortion patient.

CB, RR, JB, SK, BM

Domestic News...

Good guy with a gun takes out mass shooter who killed three in mall massacre
Four people were killed and two were wounded in a mass shooting at a shopping mall just south of Indianapolis Sunday evening, which ended when an armed good Samaritan took out the gunman.

Good guy with a gun takes out bad guy with a knife
A man who allegedly held a knife to a gas station clerk’s neck in Missouri was shot and killed Saturday morning by an armed store customer.

Houston cop thwarts possible mass shooting by bum-rushing heavily armed man
The incident took place in February, but Sgt. Kendrick Simpo is just now speaking about how he may have prevented a massacre.

Mom Shot At By Man Killed By Police Crashes Protest: ‘Is He Not A Bad Guy?’
A rally for a Minnesota man killed by police took a dramatic turn Saturday when the mom he had shot at hours before he was fatally shot crashed the protest to call Andrew ‘Tekle’ Sundberg “a bad guy.”

New report finds nearly 400 officers at Uvalde school shooting, blames all agencies for 'lackadaisical approach'
An investigative committee from the Texas House of Representatives released a 77-page report regarding the police response to the Uvalde shooting on Sunday.

New San Francisco DA makes wave of firings. Progressives call it 'terrifying.'
Brooke Jenkins fired 15 people in her office on Friday. It comes in the first week after Jenkins was appointed to her role by Mayor London Breed following the recall of Chesa Boudin.

SFPD Seizes $200,000 of Allegedly Stolen CVS and Walgreens-Looking Items From SF Man’s Home
What looks to be a brazen stolen goods fencing operation, with items that sure appear straight lifted from shelves, was allegedly netting one man $500,000 a year as he just resold the stolen loot online.

Pennsylvania Outlaws Zuckbucks Ahead Of Midterm Elections
Pennsylvania has officially banned public officials from accepting and using funds from nongovernmental entities to conduct elections.

Lawsuit accuses DOJ of hiding records about bias in Hunter Biden and Durham probes
More than a year after Protecting the People's Trust filed a FOIA request for records relating to potential conflicts of interest, the department has yet to inform the watchdog whether it will comply.

Prominent Pro-Abortion Group Appears To Be Front For Radical Revolutionary Communists
A prominent pro-abortion activist group downplaying its association with the Revolutionary Communist Party shares significant infrastructure and leadership with the radical outfit’s other offshoot groups.

Woman Awakens From Two-Year Coma After Hatchet Attack, Names Her Assailant
She awoke and pointed her finger at the man who allegedly did it: Her own brother.

Orlando Amusement Park Forced To Pause ‘Insensitive’ Shooting Gallery Game
Users on social media blasted the game as insensitive in the wake of several mass shootings across the country.

Politics...

Poll: More Americans Plan on Voting for Republican Candidates in November
Americans are more likely to vote for a generic Republican congressional candidate than a Democrat, according to a Fox News poll released on Sunday.

Poll: More Trump Voters in Red States Say Secession Would Make Things Better
Red-state Donald Trump voters are now more likely to say they’d be personally “better off” (33%) than “worse off” (29%) if their state seceded from the U.S. and “became an independent country,” according to a new Yahoo News/YouGov poll.

Manchin says he won't support climate, tax provisions in sweeping Democratic bill
The West Virginian previously supported having both provisions in the package

Trump suffers huge fundraising dip, falls below DeSantis for 2022
The new numbers mark the first time Trump has raised less than $50 million in any six-month period since leaving the White House, and they put him below DeSantis, who raised about $45 million in the first half of this year, records show.

Newsom to DeSantis: ‘Stop Being a Bully, Stop Belittling People’
“He’s going after the gays, going after people, othering people across the spectrum, going after vulnerable minorities. I can’t take it.”

Newsom Calls on Democrats to ‘Wake Up’ to the ‘Ruthlessness of the Republican Party’
"You see what’s happening to all the progress we’ve made in the 21st century, all of the rights that we in many ways have taken for granted that have been afforded since the sixties are being rolled back in real time."

Stacey Abrams' blockbuster fundraising driven by out-of-state money
Abrams' campaign and leadership committee have reported receiving about $7 million from Georgia donors, or just over 14% of the nearly $50 million they've combined to raise this cycle.

Nancy Pelosi’s Husband Buys Millions In Chip Stocks Right Before Vote On Massive Chip Subsidy
Pelosi’s husband Paul bought up to $5 million in stock of a computer chip company ahead of a vote on a bill next week that would hand billions in subsidies to boost chip manufacturing.

Economy...

Bidenomics: Nearly half of small businesses fear shutting down amid elevated inflation
The small business network Alignable released the survey, which found that “47% of small business owners … say their businesses are at risk of closing by fall 2022, unless economic conditions improve significantly.”

Condition of economy 'terrible' as inflation hits fresh 40-year high: Investment expert
Many fault the White House for the economic woes. 55% say the Biden admin has made the economy worse, and more voters blame Biden (31%) for gas prices than think Russia (20%) or oil companies (14%) are responsible.

BlackRock Profit Falls 22%
The firm’s assets under management decreased to $8.5 trillion, from $9.6 trillion in the first quarter

Border...

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser says illegals along the border are "being tricked" onto buses to capital
Bowser says she has "called on the federal government to work across state lines to prevent people from really being tricked into getting on buses" headed to the nation's capital from Texas and Arizona.

Attorneys general from 19 states file brief with Supreme Court to stop DHS immigration policy
The group of 19 is led by Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich

GOP senators decry human smuggling cartels' shocking sexual abuse of migrant women
According to an Amnesty International report, about 60% of the women and girls who make the trek to the U.S.-Mexico border are raped.

WAR News... 

Germany Hopes to Outrace a Russian Gas Cutoff and Bone Cold Winter
Europe’s largest economy and key energy hub still depends on gas supplies now ensnared in conflict. Here’s how Germany is preparing and what is at stake.

Politico: Republicans wince as their Ukrainian-born colleague thrashes Zelenskyy
House Republicans gave Ukraine-born Rep. Victoria Spartz a coveted platform to speak out against Russia’s war. They’re coming to regret that.

MonkeyVID-19...

Thousands report unusual menstruation patterns after COVID-19 vaccination
Survey aims to document breakthrough bleeding and heavier-than-usual periods post vaccine.

W.H.O. Activates Monkeypox Emergency Panel as Case Numbers Soar
The U.N. subsidiary health agency is now aware of 9,200 cases in 63 countries at the last update issued Tuesday.

New York City Opens Mass Vaccination Sites to Combat Monkeypox Outbreak
NYC now has three mass vaccination sites set up to combat the growing monkeypox outbreak in its five boroughs.

Window to control monkeypox 'starting to close,' former FDA chief says
Scott Gottlieb says the window for controlling the spread of monkeypox is "starting to close" as cities across the country are struggling to vaccinate people against the virus.

Australia spent $2 billion on COVID camps that will likely never be used
Instead of admitting that the facilities were a vast waste of taxpayers' money, Australian politicians are now trying to find creative ways to utilize the facilities.

Commie Update...

Rescue-Fund Idea Floated In China To Stop Mortgage Crisis
Last week, housing ministry officials met with financial regulators and major Chinese banks to discuss lending matters.

Entertainment...

Ricky Martin slapped with restraining order after breakup with his nephew
A Spanish newspaper reported that Martin, 50, and Sanchez, 21, recently dated for seven months, during which time, Martin subjected Sanchez to abuse.

Dirty Dancing star Jennifer Grey shouts her abortion: ‘I wouldn’t have my life’ without it'
Grey repeated a false claim that thousands of women died from botched abortions every year before the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling.

Jennifer Lopez announces marriage to Ben Affleck in surprise wedding
Lopez shared an intimate look at her Las Vegas wedding as she announced her marriage to Ben Affleck on Sunday afternoon.

Media...

Taxpayer-funded NPR Launches ‘Disinformation’ Reporting Team Ahead of Elections
NPR is launching a “disinformation” reporting team, prompting mockery online by those who pointed out the liberal network’s long, sordid history of suppressing information it did not want the public to hear.

NY Mag column declares ‘death’ of ‘Democrats’ domestic ambitions:’ A ‘catastrophe’ with ‘a thousand fathers’
Jonathan Chait called the result of Democrat-controlled government 'a failure'

Canada...

"Canada is communist": Joe Rogan bashes Trudeau as a 'dictator' over pandemic response
Rogan admitted that he liked Trudeau before the pandemic ... And during the pandemic, I’m like, 'Oh, you’re a f***ing dictator.'

Europe...

Spanish farmers join the Dutch, Italian, and other Europeans farmers protesting restrictive green policies
The world cannot survive without farmers. These policies are destroying the continent and these protests will hopefully serve as a wake-up call for Europe.

Woke dance school drops ballet from auditions as it is ‘white’ and ‘elitist’
A top British dance school has dropped ballet from its auditions after branding it an 'elitist art form', built around 'white European ideas and body shapes'.

American singer quits Italian opera over blackface
"I cannot in good conscience associate myself with an institution which continues this practice."

Middle East...

Biden ends Saudi Arabia visit with no oil deal
Biden will conclude his visit to Saudi Arabia without striking a deal to boost oil supplies amid an international energy crunch and rising gas prices at home.

Biden Claims He Confronted Saudi Crown Prince Over Murder, Top Saudi Official Pushes Back
Biden previously pledged while running for president that he wanted to treat Saudi Arabia like a “pariah” state.

Top Iranian Official: We’re Capable of Making a Nuclear Bomb
Iran is technically capable of making a nuclear bomb, a senior aide to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said Sunday, adding that the country would target “deep into” Israel if need be.

IDF chief Kohavi warns Israel might be required to act against Iran
In a clear warning to Iran, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kohavi said that the military is preparing for the possibility that it would have to act against Iran's nuclear program.

Environment...

Four U.S. Natural Gas Facilities Destroyed in Two Weeks
Several fires and explosions have hit the energy industry as the United States is battling a national energy crisis.

Tesla Asks Texans To Limit Charging Cars During Heat Wave As Wind Power Slows
“The grid operator recommends to avoid charging during peak hours between 3pm and 8pm, if possible, to help statewide efforts to manage demand,” the alert added.

LGBTQIA2S+...

Photo: Two Biden Officials Represent America At French Ambassador's Bastille Day Celebration
Remember to clear your browser cache after clicking this link... you've been warned.

Biden’s Energy Dept Drag Queen Gets Top Secret ‘Q Clearance’ Alongside Six-Figure Government Salary
A FOIA request filed by The National Pulse reveals Sam Brinton’s taxpayer funded salary of $178,063, placing him amongst the top one percent of other federal salaries.

University of Pennsylvania nominates Lia Thomas for NCAA 'Woman of the Year'
The male athlete was nominated for the NCAA award, which recognizes female student-athletes.

Judge blocks Biden admin's transgender school bathroom rule, athletes
Biden's policy would allow boys to hang out in girls bathrooms and locker rooms.

"Openly queer teacher" admits to socially transitioning 3rd grade students
"I wear a bi flag watch band and bi flag bracelets. In my classroom I keep a rainbow flag," and adds, "my kids know what it means."

Transgender Felon Transferred From Women’s Prison After Impregnating Two Inmates
Officials moved 27-year-old Demi Minor to a prison for young adults. Minor, who is currently serving a 30-year sentence for manslaughter.

Education...

DeSantis' education message is winning in battleground states, teacher union poll finds
Florida’s governor was bitterly criticized on the left and in the media for his education policies and rhetoric, but battleground voters appear to favor much of what he's been saying and doing.

Technology...

Human-Like Robots Perceived as Having Mental States
New research suggests that when robots appear to engage with people and display human-like emotions, people might perceive them as capable of “thinking.” In other words, they are believed to be acting on their own beliefs and desires instead of just their programs.

Travel...

Airfares are finally starting to cool as peak summer travel season fades
Fares were one of the few categories to decline at a time when consumer prices rose at the fastest clip in more than four decades.

A can of Coca-Cola for $13? Prices are rising on one of Europe’s most popular islands
Though Spain is generally considered a reasonably priced travel destination, the Spanish island of Ibiza has long been known as a place for living the high life.

Sports...

NASCAR's Bobby East stabbed to death at California gas station, suspect later shot and killed by SWAT team
On July 13 police officers responded to emergency calls reporting a stabbing at a gas station about 30 miles southeast of Los Angeles.

Florida Gators QB Anthony Richardson distancing from 'AR-15' nickname, branding
Richardson said that he will no longer use 'AR-15' as part of his personal brand because he doesn't want to be associated with the semi-automatic rifle by the same name, which has been used in mass shootings.

Animals...

Dog names are racist, according to scholars
Academics recently applauded a study purporting showing that dogs with “White” names resulted in shorter adoption times compared to “Black” names.

07-18-2006 - Glenn's brownout weekend during NYC heatwave... The lovely smell of NYC... Woman claims to be a descendant of Jesus... Senate OKs stem cell research bill...

07-18-2007 - Senate Dems demand Bush cut and run from Iraq... Glenn's night at the Opera, and father/daughter date... Michael Vick indicted on dog fighting charges...

POLL: What DARK government secrets will Trump uncover?

Mark Wilson / Staff | Getty Images

Will the dark secrets of the Deep State finally see the light of day? Or will they slip back into darkness, as they have many times before?

The Trump administration is gearing up to fulfill one of Trump's most anticipated campaign promises: to make the contents of the JFK files, along with other Deep State secrets, available to the public. Kash Patel, who has promised to publicize the highly anticipated files, is expected to be confirmed next week as Trump's director of the FBI. Moreover, the House Oversight Committee created a new task force headed by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna called "Task Force on Declassification of Federal Secrets," which is tasked with investigating and declassifying information on the JFK, RFK, and MLK assassinations, UFOs, the Epstein list, COVID's origins, and 9/11. This all comes after the FBI found 2,400 "new" records relating to the assassination of President Kennedy following Trump's executive order to release the files.

Glenn discussed this topic with the cast of the Patrick Bet David podcast. Glenn expressed his confidence in Trump's radical transparency—on the condition that Kash Patel is confirmed. The cast was not as optimistic, expressing some doubt about whether Trump will actually unveil all that he has promised. But what do you think? What files are likely to see the light of day? And what files will continue to linger in the dark? Let us know in the poll below

Do you think the JFK, RFK, and MLK files will be unveiled?

Do you think the 9/11 files will be unveiled?

Do you think the COVID files will be unveiled?

Do you think the UFO files will be unveiled?

Do you think the Epstein list will be unveiled?

Transgender opera in Colombia? 10 SHOCKING ways USAID spent your tax dollars.

MANDEL NGAN / Contributor | Getty Images

The government has been doing what with our tax money!?

Under the determined eye of Elon Musk, DOGE has rooted out the corruption that permeates USAID, and it turns out that it's worse than we thought. Glenn recently read a list of atrocious causes that were funded by USAID, and the list was as long as it was shocking.

Since the January consumer index report was published today, one thing is clear: eggs are bearing the brunt of inflation. That's why we illustrated the extent of USAID's wasteful spending of YOUR taxpayer dollars by comparing it to the price of eggs. How many eggs could the American people have bought with their tax dollars that were given to a "transgender opera" in Colombia or indoctrinating Sri Lankans with woke gender ideology? The truth will shock you:

1. A “transgender opera” in Colombia

USAID spent $47,000 on a transgender opera in Colombia. That's over 135,000 eggs.

2. Sex changes and "LGBT activism" in Guatemala

$2 million was spent funding sex changes along with whatever "LGBT activism" means. That equates to over 5.7 million eggs!

3. Teaching Sri Lankan journalists how to avoid binary-gendered language

USAID forked over $7.9 million to combat the "gender binary" in Sri Lankan journalism. That could have bought nearly 23 million eggs.

4. Tourism in Egypt

$6 million (or just over 17 million eggs) was spent to fund tourism in Egypt. If only someone had thought to build some impressive landmarks...

5. A new "Sesame Street" show in Iraq

USAID spent $20 million to create a new Sesame Street show in Iraq. That's just short of 58 million eggs...

6. Helping the BBC value the diversity of Libyan society

$2.1 million was sent to the BBC (the British Broadcasting Corporation) to help them value the diversity of Libyan society (whatever that means). That could have bought over 6 million eggs.

7. Meals for a terrorist group linked to Al-Qaeda

$10 million worth of USAID-funded meals went to an Al-Qaeda linked terrorist group. That comes up to be just shy of 29 million eggs.

8. Promoting inclusion in Vietnam 

A combined $19.3 million was sent to two separate inclusion groups in Vietnam inclusion groups in Vietnam (why where they separated? Not very inclusive of them). That's over 55 million eggs.

9. Promoting DEI in Serbia's workplaces

USAID sent $1.5 million (4.3 million eggs) to “advance diversity equity and inclusion in Serbia’s workplaces and business communities.”

10. Funding EcoHealth Alliance, tied to the Wuhan Institute of Virology's "bat research"

EcoHealth Alliance, one of the key NGOs that funded the Wuhan lab's bat virus research, received $5 million from USAID, which is equivalent to 14.5 million eggs.

The bottom line...

So, how much damage was done?

In total, approximately $73.8 million was wasted on the items on this list. That comes out to be 213 million eggs. Keep in mind that these are just the items on this list, there are many, many more that DOGE has uncovered and will uncover in the coming days. Case in point: that's a lot of eggs.

POLL: Should Trump stop producing pennies?

SAUL LOEB / Contributor, Chip Somodevilla / Staff | Getty Images

On Sunday, February 9th, President Trump ordered the U.S. Mint to halt the production of pennies. It costs the mint three cents to produce every penny, which Trump deemed wasteful. However, critics argue that axing the pennies will be compensated by ramping up nickel production, which costs 13 cents per coin.

In other news, President Trump promised on Truth Social that he would be reversing a Biden-era policy that mandated the use of paper straws throughout the federal government. From potentially slashing entire agencies to saying farewell to pennies and paper straws, Trump is hounding after wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars.

But what do you think? Was Trump right to put an end to pennies? And should plastic straws make a comeback? Let us know in the poll below:

Should Trump stop the production of pennies? 

Do you agree with Trump's reversal of the plastic straw ban?

Was this the most PATRIOTIC Super Bowl yet?

CHANDAN KHANNA / Contributor | Getty Images

The 2025 Super Bowl demonstrated Trump’s vision of a new America.

On Sunday, February 9th, the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in the biggest sporting event of the year. But this wasn't just a victory for Eagles fans. For those watching, it became apparent that American culture has changed, the zeitgeist has shifted, and America has become cool again. While remnants of woke culture lingered, they felt out of step next to the parade of American Flags and patriotic messaging that dominated the national event. The message was clear: America is back.

Everybody knows that the commercials are the best part of any Super Bowl, and last night's game was no exception. As Glenn has pointed out, while some of the ads still carried woke messages (like Nike's), many more captured the newly kindled patriotism felt nationwide. Here are four of the best commercials from last Sunday that make this the most patriotic Super Bowl yet:

1. Rocket: "Own the Dream"

This touching commercial by the financial services company, Rocket, states "Everyone deserves a shot at the American dream," while showing images of people returning home and building families. The ad included a cover of John Denver's iconic song "Take Me Home, Country Roads" and featured an in-stadium sing-along, live from the Super Bowl.

2. Secret Service: "A History of Protection"

Donald Trump made history by being the first sitting president to attend a Super Bowl, which required the efforts of hundreds of Secret Service agents to ensure his safety. The Secret Service boasted of this feat during their minute-long commercial, which lauded American values and achievements and featured iconic American imagery.

3. Brad Pitt: "Huddle Up"

The Super Bowl introduction celebrated snapshots of American achievement accompanied with a powerful commentary about unity narrated by Brad Pitt. The message is clear: Americans can achieve great things when we work together. The ad conjures up American ideals such as hard work, ingenuity, self-sacrifice, and teamwork.

4. Jeep: "Big Game"

Movie star Harrison Ford appeared in Jeep's Super Bowl commercial to promote freedom and to remind us that "freedom isn't free." Ford treks through the mountains while ruminating on what freedom means in America and the opportunities and responsibilities that come with it.