THE SHOW NOTES: GOP Grift, Thanksgiving Costs, & The Worst Take on Ron DeSantis
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HEADLINE #1: NASA releases new close-up images of the moon from Orion spacecraft - ABC
HEADLINE #2: Farm Bureau Survey Shows Thanksgiving Dinner Cost Up 20%
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Clip of the day:
GOP Grift?
Rick Scott's tumultuous reign of the National Republican Senatorial Committee continues with a deceptive fundraising push in Georgia.
Picture this: You want to help defeat Raphael Warnock in Georgia and decide to give money to the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) to reelection Herschel Walker. The NRSC prompts you to allow them to split the money as follows: 98% goes to the NRSC, 1% goes to Rick Scott, and only 1% goes to Herschel Walker.
National Review (paywall) had the best take:
“The NRSC says it is spending the money it’s collecting on supporting Walker in Georgia. Fair enough; we’ll see at the end of the cycle how its inflows match its outflows. But Scott’s capitalizing on the scramble to elect Walker is less defensible.”
Sketchy Warnock Dealings
Go read this from the Washington Free Beacon:
“Georgia Democratic senator Raphael Warnock steered $16.4 million in federal earmarks to a project that benefited the co-owner of his controversial low-income apartment complex.
The funding was intended to construct a trail connecting a residential and commercial complex known as "Pittsburgh Yards" with other portions of Atlanta's BeltLine. The developer of Pittsburgh Yards is Columbia Ventures, part of the Columbia group of companies that co-owns and operates a low-income housing complex with Warnock's church.”
Two Years Late
CBS confirmed the veracity of the Hunter Biden laptop two years after the story was published by The New York Post and shunned by major media outlets. Twitter infamously blocked the story from being shared and suspended The Post’s account deeming it Russian misinformation. The news comes just days after House Republicans announce their plans to investigate Hunter Biden.
Why it matters: The laptop connects Hunter Biden’s questionable overseas business dealings with Joe Biden. CBS confirmed Joe Biden was “the big guy” referenced by Hunter in multiple emails.
Reference: In March of this year, The New York Times and The Washington Post both reluctantly confirmed the authenticity of the laptop.
Going After DeSantis
Jennifer Rubin at The Washington Post has an unhinged, barely coherent piece attacking Ron DeSantis. You don’t need to read it but here’s the first paragraph to get the sense.
“If you believe Florida’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis would be a less dangerous presidential candidate than former president Donald Trump, take a moment to consider the recent ruling striking down DeSantis’s “Stop WOKE Act.” That opinion — as well as other rulings against his attempts to inhibit dissent — makes clear that DeSantis is just as willing as Trump to embrace the GOP’s authoritarian element and use state power to punish his enemies.”
My take: This is a good thing for DeSantis. It shows Trump voters that the same people who hated Trump also hate the more competent and effective DeSantis.
Americans For Prosperity
My friends at Americans for Prosperity hate dysfunctional government almost as much as I do. Unlike think tanks that produce esoteric term papers, Americans for Prosperity is focused on policy solutions that will directly improve people’s lives. They have the largest network of community activists in the country and need your help. Learn more at AmericansForProsperity.org/Erick
The rest of the news:
Associated Press fires reporter over retracted Russian missiles story: report - NY Post
Colorado Springs shooting: Army veteran speaks out about disarming Club Q gunman, says 'I tried to finish him' - Fox News
Why fewer states than ever could pick the next president - CNN
It Appears The Throw-In That Led To Gareth Bale's Penalty Should Have Been Given To The United States - Barstool
Tom Brady, Steph Curry, Larry David probed by Texas over FTX endorsements - NY Post
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown pardons 45K for marijuana convictions - USA Today
Todd and Julie Chrisley sentenced to federal prison; reality stars receive combined 19 years behind bars - Fox News
Beyond Meat factory riddled with mold, other dirty conditions: leaked documents - NY Post
Russians accused of burning bodies at Kherson landfill - The Guardian
No respect for religious freedom in the “Respect for Marriage Act” - WORLD
Chaos on Twitter Leads a Group of Journalists to Start an Alternative - NYT (paywall)
Anti-Woke Bank GloriFi to Shut Down - WSJ (paywall)
Tweets that caught my eye: