Cross-Examination

• Americans support sending troops to “fight the Mexican cartels”: Recent polling shows that public sentiments for a military intervention to confront the growing problem of Mexican drug cartels is rising. Some 61% of Americans now support the idea, which is up from 53% back in May. Furthermore, the idea of military intervention finds majority support in both parties, with 70% of Republicans liking the idea and 58% of Democrats backing it. The obvious roadblock is the issue of infringing on Mexican sovereignty. As Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador stated in March, “We are not going to permit any foreign government to intervene in our territory.” Furthermore, as Todd Bensman, author of the book Overrun: How Joe Biden Unleashed the Greatest Border Crisis in U.S. History, insightfully observes: “The whole thing just seems like a pretty questionable endeavor. I don’t know how we would win that or what we would call a win.” It would seem that focusing on closing and securing the southern border would be the more practical objective.

• Democrat donor responsible for a California wildfire: Last July, a massive wildfire that burned in and around Yosemite National Park destroyed over 100 homes and other buildings and consumed some 30 square miles of land. At the time, mainstream media outlets as well as Democrat politicians blamed climate change for the Oak Fire. For example, PBS claimed it was due to the “devastating consequences” of the “global climate crisis.” CNN blamed it on a “mega drought” caused by climate change. California Democrat Senator Alex Padilla used the fire as an opportunity to call for “climate action NOW.” Well, it turns out that the real culprit was not climate change but an arsonist … who also happens to be a Democrat donor. On Friday, Edward Fredrick Wackerman was arrested and charged with aggravated arson for his roll in igniting the Oak Fire. Records show that since 2020, the 71-year-old Wackerman has donated $1,775 to Democrat candidates and causes.

• Bud Light wins marketing award: A disastrous marketing campaign earlier this year saw Bud Light lose its decades-long run as America’s number one selling beer, causing the company to lose billions in market value as sales of Bud Light have sunk by 25%. Nevertheless, Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) has been given the marketing industry’s most prestigious award, Creative Marketer of the Year. Despite or maybe because of Bud Light’s colossal marketing failure, elites at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in France, the Oscars of marketing, handed AB InBev its highest honor for “relentless focus on connecting with consumers in a meaningful way.” Really? When did the definition of the term “connecting” change to mean “alienating”? One would think this story could only come from a parody news site such as The Babylon Bee, but it’s reality. And it only goes to further demonstrate just how out of touch the elites have become. Supporting and reinforcing the woke narrative matters more than recognizing basic reality — or actual customer connection.

• Arkansas blocked from protecting kids: On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge James Moody ruled that Arkansas’s 2021 law banning “transgender” medical treatment and procedures on minors was unconstitutional. Moody asserted that the law violated doctors’ rights and discriminated against “transgender” individuals. Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin blasted the judge’s ruling by observing, “Judge Moody misses what is widely known: There is no scientific evidence that any child will benefit from these procedures, while the consequences are harmful and often permanent.” He then promised, “We will appeal to the Eighth Circuit.” Moody’s ruling is the first against recent laws that have been passed in several Republican-led states that seek to protect children from being permanently marred by gender-deforming medical procedures.

• ACLU complains that rapist-murderer failed to receive “transgender” care prior to execution: Calling it “cruel and unusual punishment,” the American Civil Liberties Union contended that Florida’s refusal to provide “medically necessary gender-affirming care” to recently executed inmate Duane Owen violated his civil rights. Owen, convicted and sentenced to death for raping and murdering a 14-year-old babysitter and a mother back in 1986, had a history of seeking to avoid execution by claiming insanity and mental illness. His claims of gender dysphoria were rejected by psychiatrists who evaluated him. Demonstrating that the real issue at play is its longstanding opposition to capital punishment, the ACLU called on the Sunshine State to “end the racist, unfair and cruel death penalty.”

• Mayo Clinic suspends professor for holding to basic science: Michael Joyner, professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic College, finds himself the victim of the radical woke Left after he dared to state scientific reality regarding biological sex. Joyner has been suspended without pay by the school for “use of idiomatic language” regarding his comments to The New York Times published in an article in June of last year. What did Joyner actually say that was so egregious? In explaining to the Times the cause for the “dramatic differences” between biological males and females when it comes to physical performance in sports, he observed that “testosterone is the 800-pound gorilla.” Scientifically speaking, there is obviously nothing wrong with Joyner’s comments, though since he went against the woke Left’s “transgender” narrative, the professor has been disciplined and further warned that any potential future media engagements must be fully vetted by the school. So much for academic freedom, to say nothing of the school’s speech suppression.

Headlines

• Flashback: Joe Biden claimed son Hunter who just pleaded guilty to tax crimes had “done nothing wrong,” was “proud of him” (PM)

• Hunter Biden may be getting off easy in another matter, as he reportedly settles child support payments (Townhall)

• “We will not rest”: Comer vows Hunter’s plea deal won’t stop Biden corruption probe (Daily Wire)

• Biden once recommended more prosecutions for those who lie on background checks. Has he changed his mind? (The Federalist)

• Durham probe sets basis for reforms at FBI, House Intel leaders say (The Hill)

• Justice Alito preempts ProPublica “investigative journalism” (Reason)

• Knives out for Casey DeSantis as wife of Florida governor, top Trump rival becomes media’s latest target (Fox News)

• Pentagon accounting error provides extra $6.2 billion for Ukraine military aid (AP)

• James O'Keefe captures BlackRock recruiter saying they “run the world” and war in Ukraine “is good for business” (RedState)

• “Squad” member urges climate activists to be “more aggressive” as groups plan summer protests (Daily Wire)

• Pro-life activists celebrate one year anniversary without Roe v. Wade (Daily Wire)

• Chris Christie endorses child mutilation (PJ Media)

• Ex-CNN producer sentenced to more than 19 years for luring nine-year-old into sex acts (AP)

• Biden’s dystopia: U.S. ranks 43rd on gender parity index this year, sliding 16 slots from last year (NBC News)

• Charitable giving fell as less than half of Americans gave in 2022 (Washington Times)

• Bye tech: Two-thirds of Americans want to go back to time before Internet, cell phones (Daily Wire)

• Policy: Why scrapping standardized tests is bad for college applicant (NY Post)

• Humor: Hunter seen at courthouse trying to weigh crack on Lady Justice’s scales (Babylon Bee)

For more editors’ choice headlines, click here.