Friday, July 25, 2025

​ July 25, 2025 Good morning, ​ ​It's day three of our Cut to the News fundraiser! Many readers have been incredibly generous, and if that's you, we are deeply grateful for your help. We are honored that you have devoted some of your hard-earned income to helping this newsletter continue. ​ Nevertheless, we have raised less than half of our goal, as you can see on the donation page, and time is running out! We ask that if you have not contributed, that you consider at least a small donation. Your generosity is our only source of income and our only way to pay expenses. ​ We hope you find the newsletter a valuable service. Please donate now if you are able to! Thank you.​ ​ Leading the News . . . ​ Longtime Biden Confidante Says Hillary Clinton Wanted Biden out in 2024 . . . Ron Klain said in a transcribed interview with the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee that two-time presidential candidate and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Biden national security adviser Jake Sullivan approached him and stated they believed Biden was not politically viable for 2024. Sullivan told Klain that Biden was less effective in 2024 compared to 2022, according to a source familiar with Klain's transcribed interview. Klain told the committee that he thought Biden had enough "mental sharpness" but was "less energetic and more forgetful." Daily Signal​ ​ Et tu, Jake Sullivan? That's extremely significant because Sullivan was Biden's national security adviser and saw him every day that Biden was awake. Politics Obama legacy in the balance as Trump administration escalates 2016 election investigation . . . President Donald Trump is revealing unflattering details about moves made by former President Barack Obama and his top aides during the 2016 transition, raising new questions about the dawn of the Russia investigation nine years ago. Although the Trump administration is amplifying allegations from Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard that Obama and officials in his administration manufactured and politicized the intelligence, Obama is likely to encounter only political, not legal, consequences. Washington Examiner​ ​ Trump to Sign Executive Order Aimed at Making Streets Safer . . . President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order Thursday afternoon helping states remove dangerous individuals from the streets, a White House official says. The directive will "restore order to American cities and remove vagrant individuals from our streets, redirecting federal resources toward programs that tackle substance abuse and returning to the acute necessity of civil commitment." Attorney General Pam Bondi will end precedents and decrees that limit state and local governments from removing people from the streets who are a risk to themselves or others. Daily Signal​ ​ Trump's opponents say he is crazy, but it's amazing how much common sense has emanated from the White House since he took over. ​ ​Alina Habba becomes acting US attorney in New Jersey​ ​ Epstein Birthday Book Included Bill Clinton Letter Commending Predator's 'Childlike Curiosity' . . . Former President Bill Clinton appears to have commended Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted child sex trafficker, for his "childlike curiosity" in a birthday letter. "It's reassuring isn't it, to have lasted as long, across all the years of learning and knowing, adventures and [illegible word], and also to have your childlike curiosity, the drive to make a difference and the solace of friends," reads a letter apparently from Clinton to Epstein in 2003, according to documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. Daily Wire​ ​ Childlike curiosity? More like curiosity in children. ​ ​Justice Department Meets With Ghislaine Maxwell​ ​ Trump Prods Jerome Powell About Renovation Controversy During Fed Visit . . . Powell looked uncomfortable as Trump said in front of a camera that it was just revealed that the renovations tab had increased to $3.1 billion. "It went up a little bit — or a lot," Trump said. Powell said he was not aware of the figure, after which Trump took out a paper that ostensibly showed where the president was getting the number. The Fed chair took out a pair of glasses. Powell, after having given the document a look, said, "You just added in a third building." He added that it had been constructed five years ago. Daily Wire​ ​ ​Trump relents on Fed renovations after tense tour with Powell: 'Just get it finished'​ ​ Trump later he said he is unlikely to fire Powell. ​ ​ Culture The Graying of America . . . Forget the Golden Age. Based on today's trends, we're set for the Silver Age. The general fertility rate is at a new low, according to data released Thursday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "The fertility rate in the U.S. dropped to an all-time low in 2024 with less than 1.6 kids per woman," reported The Associated Press. By group, only women aged 40 and older had more children in 2024 than in 2023. Women aged 20-34 had fewer children, while women 35-39 gave birth at the same rate as the previous year. Daily Signal​ ​ Well, there's always hair dye. ​ Goodbye Gentle Parenting, And Hello 'F—Around and Find Out' . . . The internet calls it "FAFO," short for "F—Around and Find Out." It's a child-rearing style that elevates consequences over the "gentle parenting" methods that have helped shape Gen Z. FAFO (often pronounced "faff-oh") is based on the idea that parents can ask and warn, but if a child breaks the rules, mom and dad aren't standing in the way of the repercussions. Won't bring your raincoat? Walk home in the downpour. Didn't feel like having lasagna for dinner? Survive until breakfast. Left your toy on the floor again? Go find it in the trash under the lasagna you didn't eat. Wall Street Journal​ ​ No, spanking is not assault. Kids need discipline not choices. At least not as many as choices as they've been getting. National Security Israel's 12-Day War Revealed Alarming Gap in America's Missile Stockpile . . . During the 12-day war with Iran, two U.S. Thaad systems were deployed in Israel, but the U.S. and Israel quickly depleted missile interceptor stockpiles. The conflict exposed a shortage of U.S. missile-defense systems and interceptors, prompting calls for increased production and procurement. U.S. Navy ships had to leave the area to reload, highlighting the need for at-sea reloading capabilities and more interceptors. Wall Street Journal​ International France Will Recognize Palestine as a State, Macron Says . . . "True to its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognize the State of Palestine," Macron wrote on social media. "The urgency today is to end the war in Gaza and to provide aid to the civilian population," the French president said, before calling for "an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and massive humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza." Daily Signal​ ​ The French have never been Israel's friends. Kind of like the Democrats. ​ ​Pro-Palestinian convict involved in murder conspiracy freed by France after 41 years.​ ​ Tens of thousands flee their homes as Thailand and Cambodia clash . . . Tens of thousands of people sought refuge on Friday as border fighting between Thailand and Cambodia entered a second day, heightening fears of a broader conflict. The U.N. Security Council is scheduled to hold an emergency meeting on the crisis later Friday in New York, while Malaysia, which chairs a regional bloc that includes both countries, called for an end to hostilities and offered to mediate. Associated Press​ Money Trump offers support to Musk's car company in a surprising post as Tesla stock plunges . . . President Donald Trump took to social media Thursday morning to support Elon Musk's car company, a startling development given their bitter public feud. "I want Elon, and all businesses within our Country, to THRIVE," Trump wrote on Truth Social. The post wasn't enough to help Tesla's stock, which fell sharply after the company reported another quarter of lackluster financial results and Musk warned of some potentially "rough quarters" into next year. The stock fell 8.2% and is now down more than 24% so far this year. Associated Press​ ​ FCC approves $8 billion Skydance merger with Paramount after DEI assurances . . . The Federal Communications Commission approved Paramount Global's merger with Skydance and its subsidiaries on Thursday, after the entertainment company committed to dissolving its diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. Paramount Global's DEI initiatives, particularly at subsidiary CBS News, have drawn scrutiny from the Trump administration over concerns that they favor specific groups and pit them against civil rights laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin. Washington Examiner You should also know Washington Post, NY Times columns insist Colbert cancelation is due to obsolete format, not politics . . . The Washington Post's Megan McArdle insisted that Colbert's show was losing viewers and money due to people moving away from traditional TV. Puck News journalist Matt Belloni reported last week that the show "has been losing more than $40 million a year." McArdle wrote that "The Late Show's" ratings "declined from 3.1 million viewers in the 2017-2018 season to 1.9 million last year, with only a couple hundred thousand viewers in the critical 18-49 segment that advertisers covet. Fox News​ ​ There's no big mystery or scandal here. Colbert wasn't good enough and he charged too much for his product, but he wants to blame others for his failure and to make it a moral crusade. That's easier than taking responsibility. ​ ​Media blitz blames high grocery bills on climate change, but study cited is 'pathetic,' expert says​ ​ Pro wrestling icon Hulk Hogan dead at 71 . . . Hulk Hogan was a larger-than-life personality who rose to great heights in sports entertainment and buoyed a successful career in the ring into an iconic one outside of it. Hogan died after suffering a possible "cardiac arrest" at his home in Clearwater, Florida, TMZ Sports reported on Thursday. Emergency personnel reportedly rushed to his home and he was seen being carried out of it in an ambulance. Fox News​ Guilty Pleasures Man posed as an ambassador and ran a fake embassy, Indian police say . . . Indian police have arrested a man accused of running a bogus embassy from a rented residential building near the capital, New Delhi, and recovered cars with fake diplomatic plates. The suspect impersonated an ambassador and allegedly duped people for money by promising overseas employment. According to police, Harshvardhan Jain, 47, claimed to have acted as an adviser or ambassador to entities such as "Seborga" or "Westarctica." Associated Press​ ​ Please don't forget to take a moment to donate. Any amount helps. Thank you very much. ​ Have a great day! 2302 Gallows Road #625, Dunn Loring, VA 22027 Unsubscribe · Preferences​ ​