Wednesday, July 30, 2025

July 30, 2025

Good morning,

Welcome to the news for independent thinkers

Leading the News . . .

Huge quake rocks Russia's Far East, triggering tsunami warnings around Pacific, including Hawaii, California . . . Parts of French Polynesia were told to brace for waves as high as 13 feet on Wednesday, after a powerful magnitude 8.8 earthquake off Russia's Far Eastern coast triggered tsunami warnings as far away as Hawaii, Japan and Chile. The shallow tremor off the Kamchatka Peninsula damaged buildings and injured several people in the remote Russian region, while much of Japan's eastern seaboard was ordered to evacuate, as were parts of Hawaii. Warnings in some areas were later downgraded.

Hawaiians cram roads away from coasts as tsunami waves arrive

Politics

Mamdani fever grips New York as communist tops 50% in new poll . . .The scandal-scarred independents running for New York City mayor stand little chance against frontrunner Zohran Mamdani — even if the rivals team up against the socialist candidate, a shocking new poll found. Mamdani, a Queens assemblyman and Democratic nominee, is projected to handily win the November general election with 50% of likely voters in the latest survey. Ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo came in a distant second at 22%, while the GOP nominee Curtis Sliwa pulled 13%. New York Post

Mamdani was photographed Tuesday campaigning in Manhattan.

Mamdani planning to 'disband' elite NYPD task force that responded to deadly NYC shooting

Senate confirms Trump lawyer Emil Bove for federal appeals court . . . Justice Department official Emil Bove was narrowly confirmed to a lifetime seat on the federal appeals court after the GOP-led Senate dismissed whistleblower claims he urged the Trump administration to defy court orders. The Senate voted 50-49 to approve President Trump's former defense attorney to the 3rd US Circuit Court of Appeals, with Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) breaking ranks and joining all 47 Democrats in opposing the nominee. Tennessee Republican Bill Hagerty was absent for the vote. New York Post

Pressure on Trump grows as Greene joins MAGA voices criticizing Israel on Gaza . . . Members of President Trump's MAGA base are speaking out about the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Gaza, adding to pressure on the administration to intervene and underscoring a looming divide among Trump supporters over how to approach the situation. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), Rep. Lance Gooden (R-Texas) and podcast host Theo Von are among those who have expressed alarm in recent days about the situation in Gaza, where Trump acknowledged this week "real starvation" was happening on the ground. The Hill

'Don't Question My Integrity!': Spartacus Returns In Dramatic Senate Floor Showdown 'For Jersey' . . . Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) took to the Senate floor on Tuesday and scolded members of his own party — in particular, Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Catherine Cortez-Masto (D-NV) — over their support for bipartisan police funding bills. The fight began when Klobuchar and Cortez-Masto pushed for the bills — which would provide law enforcement with trauma kits and cover family death benefits — to pass by unanimous consent. Daily Signal

Klobuchar noted that the Democratic showboat hadn't even bothered to attend a committee session tackling the bill.

Senate Confirms Trump's Pick To Head CDC As Agency Battles Criticism Over Pandemic Response

Hawley introduces bill to provide $600 tariff rebates to adults and children . . . Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) has introduced legislation to provide $600 tariff rebates to almost all Americans and to their dependent children, a proposal that would give a family of four $2,400. Hawley said in a statement that "Americans deserve a tax rebate after four years of Biden policies that have devastated families' savings and livelihoods." The Hill

Democrat Abigail Spanberger Tries to Woo Virginia Moderates—But Is She One? . . . Since securing the Virginia Democratic gubernatorial nomination in April, Spanberger's campaign has been working overtime to craft her public image as a moderate. Her website displays broad policy goals like strengthening the state's schools, protecting people's rights, and standing with Virginia's veterans. But Spanberger's record in Congress paints a different picture. According to Heritage Action for America, Spanberger voted in alignment with conservative positions 5% of the time. Daily Signal

Culture

Free speech group's report finds college speech codes improving under Trump administration . . . Colleges that respect students' free expression outnumber those with restrictive speech codes for the first time in two decades, according to an annual report from a free speech advocacy group. In its report released Tuesday, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression praised 73 colleges and universities for respecting the constitutional freedom of students to express themselves on hot-button topics, a record high in its database dating back to 2006. That's up by 10 schools since last year. Washington Times

Federal Court Rules in Favor of Christian Woman Blocked by Oregon From Adopting Because of Her Beliefs . . . A federal appeals court is siding with a Christian mom who has been barred from a state adoption program due to her biblical worldview on gender and sexuality. Jessica Bates, a Christian and a widowed mother of five, applied to adopt two 9-year-old children in 2023, but the Oregon Department of Human Services excluded Bates from participating in the adoption program since she would not agree to unilaterally "respect, accept, and support" the "sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression" of children placed in her care. The Washington Stand

Outrage At Sydney Sweeney's Blonde, Busty Looks Sums Up Why Lefties Are Losing The Culture War

Virginia Schools Face Ultimatum Over Transgender Policies . . . The U.S. Department of Education is charging that five public school divisions in Northern Virginia are violating federal law by continuing to allow boys who identify as "transgender" girls in girls locker rooms, bathrooms, and school sports. Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced that the department's Office for Civil Rights has determined that the gender policies of the Fairfax County, Loudoun County, Arlington County, Prince William County, and City of Alexandria school divisions are violating federal Title IX law. Daily Signal

National Security

Wisc. Sheriff Defends Sanctuary Policy After Illegal Alien Accused of Killing High School Sweethearts . . . Dane County, Wisconsin, Sheriff Kalvin Barrett is defending the county's sanctuary policy that shields illegal aliens from Immigration and Customs Enforcement just days after high school sweethearts 18-year-old Hallie Helgeson and 19-year-old Brady Heiling were killed in a crash allegedly caused by an illegal alien with a criminal record. On July 20, illegal alien Noelia A. Martinez of Honduras, 30 years old, was allegedly drunk driving in Dane County when she crashed into Hallie and Brady. Breitbart

International

New York Times Admits It Used Misleading Photo Of 'Starving' Gaza Child . . . The Gaza child who was featured in numerous publications as a poster child for malnutrition in Gaza actually suffered from other severe health problems, a fact that the legacy media did not see fit to report. The New York Times suddenly issued an editor's note apprising their audience of the fact. Media outlets employed the photo of an emaciated 20-month-old Gaza child to substantiate claims that Israel is intentionally starving residents of the Hamas-controlled zone. But the legacy media never reported that the child suffers from numerous medical problems — nor that his three-year-old brother looks healthy with no signs of malnutrition. Daily Wire

You should also know . . .

Two arrested in brutal Cincinnati racially charged mob attack; one was freed on bail despite serious charges . . . Cincinnati Chief of Police Teresa Theetge announced during a public safety meeting on Tuesday that two people have been arrested in connection with a downtown attack that left two people seriously injured over the weekend. The chief said 34-year-old Montianez Merriweather and 24-year-old Dekyra Vernon were arrested, though no charges were announced. Hamilton County jail records also omit the charges that both suspects face. Fox News

Guilty Pleasures

Grumpy Bishop in dressing gown interrupts church concert - and asks crowd to 'leave my house' . . . A disgruntled bishop in a dressing gown has interrupted a church concert in London - telling singers to stop their "terrible racket" and "leave his house". The City Academy Voices choir was coming to the end of their performance at St Andrew's in Holborn on Friday night when the lights were suddenly turned off. "You are in my house. It's gone past 10pm and this is a terrible racket," he said. "Goodnight."