Trump’s Nebraska rally
President Donald Trump hopes to rally the Republican base ahead of the midterm elections, now less than a month away. As usual, leftist poll propaganda is in full swing, showing the GOP trailing even in ruby-red Texas. To build momentum for the candidates, Trump is bringing back the campaign-style rallies that helped Republicans win in past presidential cycles. In a rally in Nebraska on Monday, Trump signed an executive order on stage lifting restrictions on “red-dyed diesel” for truckers; the tax-exempt diesel is typically reserved for farm vehicles. Trump also defended the Iran war, correctly arguing that had the Islamist regime been allowed to develop a nuclear weapon, the results would have been disastrous. To highlight the threat, he pointed out that San Diego or Los Angeles may have been targeted; the Leftmedia naturally spun his comments to infer that he was okaying the destruction of those cities.

Saudis make key gains against Houthis
With Iran-backed Houthi rebels reigniting offensives in Yemen and taking territory in the process, Saudi Arabia has responded in support of Yemeni government forces. On Monday, Saudi-led forces retook important areas around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a strategic shipping region that connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. Yemeni officials also noted that allied forces had retaken the towns of Bab and Hadeid. Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted that the Yemeni government and Saudi Arabia “have a right to defend themselves,” though he did not say whether the U.S. had coordinated with the Saudis regarding the operations, only acknowledging that the U.S. has a defense agreement with them. With 12% of global trade traveling through the Strait, protecting this waterway is strategically important to the U.S. efforts against Iran.

Cornell campus devolves into chaos in wake of Cornell 7 case
Early Monday morning, activists vandalized Cornell University’s Day Hall, which houses the president’s office, smashing a glass door and spray-painting messages such as, “At Cornell, rapists are protected. Prosecutors are expelled.” Students gathered on campus to protest for “a nationwide reform movement against the institutions that perpetuate rape at every single level.” Those students have sided with “Jane Doe,” who accused seven fraternity members of raping her. Doe claims she was intoxicated and could not give consent, but she only argued that in retrospect, after the fraternity spread rumors about her. Text message exchanges further complicate the question of blame. Cornell expelled two of the men and disciplined the other five, though neither has been proven guilty of rape. One former student, Mathew Ingalls, said he was too intoxicated to give consent and suggested Jane Doe assaulted him.

Trump approves firing-squad execution of Muslim terrorist
Convicted Muslim terrorist Nidal Hasan, who carried out the 2009 Fort Hood shooting, killing 14 (including an unborn child) and injuring 32 more, will be executed by a U.S. Army firing squad, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell announced on Monday. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth requested the firing squad, and President Trump approved it. The secretary of the Army has yet to set the time and place of the execution, but Parnell confirmed, “Judgment Day for Hasan has finally come.” Hasan believed he was acting out his Muslim faith. He admitted in court that he was the shooter and argued, “We are imperfect Muslims trying to establish the perfect religion.” Hasan believed the U.S. military was acting against the Islamic empire. This will be the first soldier executed following a court-martial since 1961.

Quebec separatist party wins province
For the first time in 12 years, the separatist Parti Québécois won Quebec’s provincial election, coming up just short of a majority in the provincial government. While Canadian politics has little impact on the U.S., this result is interesting because it revives a long-running effort by Quebec separatists to put forth a referendum on secession from Canada. Party leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, who will now govern the province, touted a secession referendum, stating, “It’s an act of democracy. It’s up to no one but us, as a people, to determine our national future.” This result is bad news for Prime Minister Mark Carney, who will find out in two weeks whether Alberta residents vote to hold a secession referendum. Should Alberta vote in favor of a referendum, it could fuel Quebec’s separatists to demand similar action.

Record recruiting enables Coast Guard to return six stations to full operations
On Thursday, the Coast Guard said that because of record recruitment levels, six stations are returning to full operations. That reconstitution is a 2027 priority. For the past few years, those six stations have been operating at reduced capacity because of workforce shortages. “Record recruiting is giving us the people we need to strengthen frontline operations,” said Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Kevin E. Lunday, who assumed office in January. The six stations — Station Milford Haven, Virginia; Station Castle Hill, Rhode Island; Station Saginaw River, Michigan; and Stations Vallejo, Golden Gate and Rio Vista, California — will restore full maritime rescue and improve law enforcement capabilities in those states.

Obama to stump for El-Sayed and Benson in Michigan
Former President Barack Obama is traveling to Michigan to advocate for Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed and gubernatorial candidate Jocelyn Benson. Both El-Sayed and Benson are outspoken members of the Democratic Socialists of America. While Obama did not endorse El-Sayed during the primary, he is working with him now to present a unified front for the increasingly socialist Democrats. From the El-Sayed camp, Obama’s appearance will likely be an attempt to draw more of the black vote in the Detroit area. By today’s standards, Obama was considerably more moderate in his presidency than most Democrat leaders are today. It’s a sign of the times that he’s willing to stand alongside a group of people he might have opposed 10 years ago.

Supreme Court won’t take on “Let’s go, Brandon” case
The Supreme Court declined to hear the case of two middle school boys who wore “Let’s go, Brandon” sweatshirts to school and were told they weren’t allowed to wear them because they were vulgar. (The phrase is a G-rated euphemism for the chant, “F—k Joe Biden.”) The boys’ attorneys had argued that the school was violating their First Amendment rights regarding political speech, but the school countered that it was “lewd speech” and was a clear reference to the F-word, which violated school policy. Because the Supreme Court refused to hear the case, the Sixth Circuit’s decision stands. That 2–1 ruling sided with the school, stating that “in the schoolhouse vulgarity trumps politics.” The justices did not provide a reason for refusing the appeal, nor were there any dissents.

FlyDubai terrorist planned to crash into Israeli airport
The copilot who attempted to hijack a FlyDubai flight bound for Israel has revealed that he was attempting to crash into Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport. Based in Tel Aviv, the airport is the largest in the country, and it handles the vast majority of the nation’s air traffic. The terrorist, identified as Omani national Hamam al Hamami, had been employed by FlyDubai for over a year but was planning a 9/11-esque attack on Israel even before he started working for the airline. This marked a massive security failure for Israel, as the flight manifests are required to be checked by Israeli security, and an Omani pilot should never have been allowed in the country, as the two countries have no diplomatic relations.

Infamous scandal-plagued TV preacher Jim Bakker dies
Jim Bakker, who built a massive televangelism empire with his first wife Tammy Faye and then lost it due to sex scandals and financial crimes, died on Monday at the age of 86. His second wife, Lori Bakker, whom he married following eight years in prison, called him a “pioneer of Christian television.” Jim and Lori had lived and filmed their TV show, “The Jim Bakker Show,” in Missouri since 2003, but the wildly successful 1980s show “The PTL Club” made Jim and Tammy Faye cultural icons. At its height, the Bakkers’ ministry drew up to 13 million nightly viewers and operated the Christian-based Heritage USA theme park and hotel in South Carolina. It all came crashing down in 1987 when Bakker admitted to an affair and then was charged with mail and wire fraud and conspiracy following an investigation of PTL’s finances. Tammy Faye divorced Bakker in 1992 and died of colon cancer in 2007. The cause of Jim’s death is not immediately clear.

Headlines

  • Battle over daylight saving time erupts as push to stop changing clocks hits Senate wall (Fox News)
  • Suspected Chinese spy arrested at LAX after surveilling Taiwan president’s son (National Review)
  • Justice Kagan denies last-minute bid to halt Paramount-Warner Bros. merger (Washington Examiner)
  • Colleges slash tuition by tens of thousands as families balk at sky-high sticker prices (NY Post)

The Executive News Summary is compiled daily by Jordan Candler, Thomas Gallatin, Sterling Henry, Jacob Geoffrey, Hudson Baldwin, and Sophie Starkova. For the archive, click here.