Massive Demonstrations in Brazil as Nation Awaits Verdict on Former President Bolsonaro

The demonstrations in support of the populist conservative Bolsanaro were held on Brazil’s Independence Day—September 7. Jair Bolsonaro is on trial for plotting to overturn the 2022 election. New York Times: By Sunday afternoon, aerial images from multiple protests left little question that Mr. Bolsonaro’s supporters significantly outnumbered protesters on the left, showing that — even amid his legal troubles — he remains a significant political force in Brazil. But will it matter? On Friday, Brazil’s Supreme Court is widely expected to convict Mr. Bolsonaro on charges that he attempted a coup. He could face more than 40 years in prison…. Even though Mr. Bolsonaro has been barred from holding office until 2030, right-wing protesters held out hope that his political rights would somehow be restored. Many placed their faith in the White House (New York Times). Eduardo Bolsonaro (son of Jair, the former president): Thank you … everyone out on the streets of Brazil for your strength. This is for all of us. I have a lot—really, a lot—of faith that we will come out victorious. But more importantly: I am certain that we are fighting on the right side. The fruits will come naturally and WE WILL WIN! (Bolsonaro).

Russian Drone Attack on Ukraine One of Most Brutal of War

More than 800 drones were deployed, hitting targets across the country, including a government building in the capital. Putin seems to be reticent to head President Trump’s message that the war ought to stop. Wall Street Journal Reports: Russia fired 13 missiles and launched more than 800 attack drones, according to Ukraine’s air force, a record for the number of drones it has directed at Ukraine in a single night. Air defenses intercepted four of the missiles and nearly 500 drones…. The bombardment of government quarters marks “a serious escalation” by Russia, said Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha in a post on social media (Wall Street Journal). CNN provides details on the government building hit: Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko called it a “massive attack,” saying the cities of Kryvyi Rih, Dnipro, Kremenchuk, and Odesa all came under fire, as well as Kyiv. In the capital, the building that houses the prime minister’s office, as well as some government ministries, was struck in the assault, she said. “For the first time, the Government building, its roof, and upper floors were damaged by the enemy attacks. Rescuers are extinguishing the fire. I thank them for their work,” Svyrydenko said. The building is in Kyiv’s government quarter, next to the parliament and close to the office of the president. “We will rebuild the buildings. But the lives lost cannot be brought back. Every day, the enemy terrorizes and kills our people across the country,” said Svyrydenko (CNN).

Brutal Stabbing Murder in Charlotte Highlights Absence of Law and Order

A 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska had just finished her work shift at a pizzeria in Charlotte. She took her seat on the light rail train, grabbed her phone, and was then savagely murdered by a repeat offender who had 14 previous felony arrests. Beege Welborn for Hot Air: As most everyone would do, she parked in an aisle seat and immediately began to check her phone. After a work shift, she seems to have been pretty engrossed in it, as you’d imagine, especially at her age. Plus, there’s always the comfort of having something to read in a sparsely filled car populated with strangers…. Get your seat, mind your own business, and get off at your stop. Iryna Zarutska never left that car. Unbeknownst to her, when she found a seat and pulled out her phone, besides being a turnstile jumper, the man slouched across the two seats directly behind her, whom someone described as ‘looking emotional,’ was a monster. A deranged beast who would suddenly do something so unspeakably savage to the slender wisp of a girl in the seat before him that it beggars description…. This is beyond evil and so ghastly, it’s unfathomable (Hot Air). The murder took place on August 22^nd. Why did we not hear about it earlier? Virtual silence from elite media. Newsbusters: ABC, CBS, and NBC had multiple weeks’ worth of nightly newscasts on which to air this story, but didn’t (neither did CNN or MSNBC). Instead, the legacy nightlies chose to air such compelling stories as: the Japanese field goal kicker at the University of Hawaii, the opening of Princess Di’s time capsule, multi-day cycles on the Swift-Kelce engagement, the growing Powerball jackpot, Haboobmania, and the legal travails of Cardi B, among many others (Newsbusters).

Border Czar Tom Homan Warns Sanctuary Cities: “Expect action” on Immigration Enforcement

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker (D) has done all he can with rhetorical bluster to keep ICE agents out of Chicago, but Homan seem unfazed. Washington Post reports: As Chicagoans braced for a potential activation of the National Guard in their city, President Donald Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, said residents of cities with pro-immigrant policies all over the United States should also expect stepped-up immigration enforcement in their neighborhoods. “You can expect action in sanctuary cities across the country,” Homan told CNN on Sunday…. Homan declined to say how many National Guard troops will be deployed to Chicago, or where else they might be sent, but said the troops are a “force multiplier” to support immigration enforcement. Homan said the National Guard troops would not be arresting undocumented migrants in these cities but would rather support the work of ICE officers and Border Patrol agents. “The National Guard does provide protection for us,” he said. “It does provide us infrastructure, provides us transportation, provides us additional processing capability that allows the ones with immigration authority, the badges and guns on the street, to continue arresting the bad guy” (Washington Post).

Weak Jobs Report Strengthens Case for Rate Cut From Federal Reserve

There’s an irony in numbers here: Trump may end up winning his battle with the Fed to get rate cuts—but not based on the reasons he’s been pushing. Wall Street Journal: The August employment report settled whether the Federal Reserve would resume rate cuts in two weeks—it will. Now comes the harder question: How far and how fast will officials move to keep cutting after September? A meaningful slowdown in job growth this summer has shifted expectations for cuts throughout the rest of the year…. Powell tipped his hand last month in a widely watched speech, building the case for rate cuts by suggesting greater concern about employment than inflation. In doing so, he systematically addressed arguments against cutting rates…. The key question is whether falling demand mostly reflects fewer people seeking work—because of factors such as tighter immigration curbs—or genuine economic weakness that should concern policymakers. Powell recently cautioned that focusing too heavily on uncertain supply constraints could cause officials to miss signs of weakening demand that might lead to more rapid deterioration. That labor-market assessment supported a second argument for cutting rates. Powell suggested that a cooling job market could provide a natural brake against one-time cost increases from imported goods, preventing them from triggering the wage-price spirals that create persistent inflation (Wall Street Journal). Financial Times: Friday’s figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed jobs growth has been grinding to a halt — US employers created just 22,000 positions in August after a weak summer — puncturing confidence that Trump’s economy will remain unscathed (Financial Times).

Climate Catastrophists Recoil at New Government Report on Climate Change

The report is titled: “A Critical Review of Impacts of Greenhouse Gas Emissions on the U.S. Climate.” It was compiled by five respected climate scientists with an aim of separating what we genuinely know from the wild speculation about what could happen in the future. Steven Koonin—one of the authors—explains: Collectively, our team brought to the task more than 200 years of research experience, almost all directly relevant to climate studies…. Among the report’s key findings: • Elevated carbon-dioxide levels enhance plant growth, contributing to global greening and increased agricultural productivity. • Complex climate models provide limited guidance on the climate’s response to rising carbon-dioxide levels. Overly sensitive models, often using extreme scenarios, have exaggerated future warming projections and consequences. • Data aggregated over the continental U.S. show no significant long-term trends in most extreme weather events. Claims of more frequent or intense hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and dryness in America aren’t supported by historical records (Wall Street Journal). The full report closes with a reasonable tone that will not be received well by the catastrophists: This report supports a more nuanced and evidence-based approach for informing climate policy that explicitly acknowledges uncertainties. The risks and benefits of a climate changing under both natural and human influences must be weighed against the costs, efficacy, and collateral impacts of any “climate action”, considering the nation’s need for reliable and affordable energy with minimal local pollution….  An approach that acknowledges both the potential risks and benefits of CO2, rather than relying on flawed models and extreme scenarios, is essential for informed and effective decision-making (Energy).

Task Force From Trump Administration Exposes Widespread Anti-Christian Bias Under Biden Administration

For those who watched the Biden administration at work, the results are not surprising. But the fact-finding effort is an essential piece for any enduring course correction. Sarah Arnold at Townhall: The Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias, chaired by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, outlined in its preliminary report a pattern of federal agencies targeting people of faith, especially Christians, through regulatory overreach, selective enforcement, and outright discrimination. The report is based on investigations and case studies collected over the past several months. Among the most glaring examples are the Department of Defense and other agencies’ routine denials of religious exemptions to Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate, despite constitutional protections and federal law allowing such requests. These denials continued until the U.S. Supreme Court halted the mandate following a legal challenge from The Daily Wire. Other incidents include the Department of Education’s aggressive actions against Christian universities, including steep fines against Liberty University and Grand Canyon University. The Department of the Treasury, meanwhile, has been accused of “de-banking” Christian and conservative non-profits, raising red flags about financial discrimination based on ideology…. The Task Force’s conclusion is direct: the federal government under Biden actively and repeatedly undermined religious freedom, especially for Christians. While several investigations are still ongoing, the task force notes that the early evidence already suggests a clear pattern of bias. Bondi says the mission going forward is to hold agencies accountable and restore religious liberty as a non-negotiable right, not a partisan privilege. The task force will continue its investigations and push back against what it describes as a “weaponization of government against faith” (Townhall).

As Government Approaches Debt Ceiling Again, Democrats Debate Whether or Not to Force Government Shutdown

Democrats seem to think that forcing matters to the point of a government shutdown may turn out well for them this round. The Hill reports: House Democrats are hanging their hopes on party leaders in the Senate to block any government spending bill crafted solely by the GOP, but there’s plenty of distrust between the chambers hovering over the debate. Behind House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), House Democrats were virtually united against a Republican spending bill in March, only to watch angrily as Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and a small group of upper chamber Democrats backed the bill, sending it to President Trump’s desk. With another shutdown deadline looming at month’s end, House Democrats are delicately predicting a different outcome this time, arguing that the political environment has changed so drastically over the past six months that Schumer has almost no choice but to oppose a GOP spending bill negotiated without Democratic input…. Schumer, for his part, has taken aggressive steps to reassure the Democratic skeptics that he’s on their side, bashing Republican leaders for going it alone and warning that a GOP funding bill without Democratic buy-in only heightens the odds of a shutdown. “The only way to avoid a shutdown is to work in a bipartisan way, with a bill that can get both Republican and Democratic votes in the Senate,” Schumer wrote Tuesday in a letter to fellow Democrats (The Hill).

Trump Gives Last Warning to Hamas

In yet another “last chance” for Hamas to reach a deal. Trump: Everyone wants the Hostages HOME. Everyone wants this War to end! The Israelis have accepted my Terms. It is time for Hamas to accept as well. I have warned Hamas about the consequences of not accepting. This is my last warning, there will not be another one! Thank you for your attention to this matter (Truth). Hamas has said it would welcome negotiations—but don’t confuse this with a willingness to accept terms acceptable to either Israel or the U.S. Israel Hayom: the terrorist organization stopped short of explicitly endorsing US President Donald Trump’s proposal. In its official statement, Hamas confirmed it had received several ideas from the American side for a ceasefire agreement. While signaling readiness to return to talks, the terrorist organization once again set out conditions: • A clear declaration ending the war. • Full withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip. • Establishment of a Palestinian technocratic committee to govern Gaza. • Public and explicit international guarantees binding Israel, in order to avoid a repeat of the collapse of negotiations in August (Israel Hayom). Michael Oren—the former Israeli ambassador to the US warns: We must not repeat the mistake we made in 2016-2020, when we failed to take full advantage of President Trump’s first term to eliminate the Hamas and Hezbollah threats on our borders. Today, less than a year in office, the president has already participated with Israel in the successful campaign against Iran, backed Israel’s military actions in Gaza, Yemen, and Lebanon, and has defended Israel from international sanctions. The remaining three years of this administration could further reinforce Israel’s security in a number of critical areas (Clarity).

Interpreting RFK Jr’s Testimony Before Senate Finance Committee: “The Issue Is Never the Issue”

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. was called before the Senate Finance Committee to talk about Covid 19, the Covid “vaccine” and government’s response to the pandemic. But that wasn’t really the issue. Robert Kimball: … in an important sense, the criticism of Kennedy for his views on COVID, vaccines, and the staff at the CDC was merely a pretext. The issue is never the issue…. the thing to appreciate about the melodrama is that it had very little to do with COVID or the CDC or even U.S. health policy writ large. The real protagonist was someone who wasn’t even present, viz. Donald Trump. The fire was directed at Kennedy, but the ultimate target was Trump. The strategy is to discredit and then destroy Kennedy, a potent outgrowth of the Trump administration. If the Dems can destroy Kennedy, he would represent the outer skin of the onion. They would then proceed against other Trump lieutenants…. The issue is never the issue, but determined truth-tellers like Robert Kennedy and his boss in the White House are a demonstration that “the issue” can be made to succumb to the awful clarity of common sense, bolstered by that other real issue, the executive power of the presidency (American Greatness).