In a passage from Ezekiel, the Old Testament prophet offers a message from God to His people, Israel—”I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”  It’s a promise for their good, but it comes at a cost. Flesh feels pain; stone doesn’t. And the new heart will “remember its evil ways and wicked deeds, and [it] will loathe [itself] for its sins.”  Cameron Winter, the poetry professor who moonlights as a detective in Andrew Klavan’s eponymous mystery series, is familiar with that kind of loathing. As an assassin for an intelligence agency known only as the Division, he was, by his own admission, “dead inside. Cold as ice.” Now, years removed from government service, Winter is only too aware of the ravages his past actions have wreaked on his soul. So he’s once again putting his training to use solving cases no one asked him to solve, all in a subconscious bid to become the thing that has always drawn him to the Western canon — a hero. Or, if not a hero, at least a good man.  “This book, I think, is the crisis book,” Klavan tells me of A Woman Underground, the fourth entry in his Cameron Winter series. “Winter started out depressed, and then he started to go into therapy, and he started to feel better, as one does when one is in therapy. And now he’s kind of peeled off the layers so that he has now reached the center of himself. It’s a tumultuous, volcanic, painful place.” But Winter’s soul isn’t the only thing undergoing a painful, volcanic eruption — so is the country he loves. This outing finds the detective on the trail of a childhood love who’s caught up with a group of fascist radicals. Her lover, a murderer known as “The Phantom of the Zones,” has a penchant for luring antifa-style rioters into dark corners, where he unleashes beatings that leave his not-so-innocent victims wheelchair-bound. Winter’s search for the woman among anti-Semites masquerading as idealists and socialists masquerading as freedom fighters continuously brings his mind back to another journey into the heart of political darkness — an unfinished mission to track a Turkish sex trafficker that revealed the corruption within his own nation.   “[Winter’s] life in the Division had stripped him of all respect for political ideology,” Klavan writes in the novel. “He had nothing but disdain for true believers of any stripe.” But that doesn’t stop various characters from trying to sell him on their politics, their faith, their fight. Is anything still deserving of the patriotic devotion Winter once had for his country? One witness Winter encounters echoes his own disillusionment, observing cynically, “It’s not like there are any good guys anymore … There’s nothing left to fight for.”  Klavan’s planned 10-book arc for Winter may yet prove otherwise. Because while politics aren’t the focus of his novels, they are an inextricable part of that question.  “You can’t tell a story about America today without writing about politics,” Klavan tells me. “So I wanted to send Winter into this world that we saw of riots and city takeovers and extremist politics on both sides, as a guy who really doesn’t have a political stance anymore because he saw how the sausages were made. He still has ideals and ethics — he thinks people should be free, should not be oppressed — but he has no sympathies ideologically. So I thought it would be interesting to plunge him into an America like the America we know that is full of politics, without making the story about politics.” Will Winter and his nation be able to overcome their violent impulses and self-deceptions to take hold of the true and the good again? Does anyone even know what’s true and what’s good anymore? (Winter, at least, has the motherly care of his therapist, Margaret, to help with that). While Klavan won’t say exactly what the future holds for either, he’s clear that he won’t be beholden to the postmodern, anti-hero worldview of the modern era and leave his protagonist in limbo.  “I don’t want Winter to be a guy like in a television series who just has the same problem over and over again,” Klavan says, “He’s going to get somewhere. And this is the book where he confronts his own past, and also the changes in the country that he went to fight for.” If he’s treading the path Ezekiel laid out, we know Winter is at least on the right track as he asks himself, “Who could free him from the weight of his past … How could anyone wash the blood off his hands?” Whether the pain of confronting the man he was to become the man he wants to be is worth the pain may be the biggest mystery Cameron Winter will eventually solve.  Buy “A Woman Underground” now on Amazon or, or get a signed copy at the Daily Wire shop.

According to recent reports, Vice President Kamala Harris and her campaign team are considering an appearance on the hugely popular “Joe Rogan Experience” podcast — but The Daily Wire’s Matt Walsh argued on Tuesday that if she did choose to do an interview with Rogan, it was likely to go poorly for her. “This would be a catastrophic mistake. I hope it happens,” Walsh initially posted when the news broke. This would be a catastrophic mistake. I hope it happens. https://t.co/cYf5zELlBJ — Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) October 15, 2024 One critic responded, laying out an argument suggesting that Harris could come out of such an interview looking better. “Unpopular opinion: Harris might end up doing relatively well in the informal setting of Joe Rogan’s podcast,” the post on X read in part. “Rogan isn’t really an antagonistic or ‘gotcha’ kind of interviewer, and his vibe is usually chill and relaxed. I think this favors Harris, although the sheer length of his show will give Harris plenty of opportunities to slip up and say something that can be used by pro-Trump social media accounts to make her look bad.” But Walsh disagreed, and followed up with a lengthier explanation for his initial assessment. “Totally disagree,” he said, and then gave three reasons to back that up. MATT WALSH’S ‘AM I RACIST?’ COMING TO DAILYWIRE+ OCT. 28 The Daily Wire host’s first reason was simple: “Harris is incapable of speaking both casually and coherently for any length of time, let alone 2 – 3 hours. This interview format — even aside from the interview — is not at all in her wheelhouse.” Walsh went on to agree that Rogan would not go into the interview intending to set a trap for Harris or to intentionally make her look bad, saying, “That’s not his style.” But then he gave the second reason he believed Harris would do poorly, adding, “He will ask insightful questions, even about subjects that aren’t necessarily political. The only kinds of questions that she can answer intelligibly are the ones that she has scripted answers for. Again, a Rogan interview is as far from her wheelhouse as you can get.” The third and final reason, according to Walsh, would depend somewhat on how Harris herself approached the interview, noting that she would be under more pressure than Rogan to appease a particular base. “Kamala’s base will expect her to go after him and hold him accountable for being a right wing radical nazi, etc. If she plays nice and pals around with him for three hours, she risks alienating her own base,” he said. “If she tries to make it contentious, he’ll wipe the floor with her. It’s a lose-lose for her.” Totally disagree. Three reasons: 1) Harris is incapable of speaking both casually and coherently for any length of time, let alone 2 – 3 hours. This interview format — even aside from the interview — is not at all in her wheelhouse. 2) Joe won't go in there looking to… https://t.co/z1BctjbrJO — Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) October 15, 2024

Three illegal aliens who were released into the United States under the Biden-Harris administration have been arrested and charged with sexually assaulting a child in Florida. The three illegal aliens from Honduras, Selvin Lopez Lopez, Erick Lopez Lopez, and Jesersson Lopez Lopez, were arrested by Florida’s Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and charged with capital sexual battery against a child under the age of 12 years old. Selvin and Erick entered the United States in 2021 under the Biden-Harris administration and surrendered themselves to Border Patrol before being released into the country and asked to appear for a court hearing. Neither of the two illegal migrants appeared for their court hearings. Jesserson entered the United States from the southern border in 2023 and was told to appear in court in 2028. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office stated that the three “were arrested for numerous counts of Lewd Lascivious Behavior (Capital Sexual Battery) on a minor under 12 years of age” before adding that “it is believed this despicable behavior took place between August 2024 to the present.” The three are now being held at the Palm Beach County Jail without bond. The Biden-Harris administration has presided over a record-breaking surge in illegal immigration, propelling the topic to one of the most important issues for voters as the presidential election draws near. More than 10 million people have crossed the border under the Biden-Harris administration, with an estimated 1.7 million illegal immigrant gotaways recorded since Biden was inaugurated in 2021. There were a total of 415,000 reported gotaways for 2018, 2019, and 2020 during the Trump administration. Recent polling has found that a majority of voters do not believe that Vice President and Democratic candidate for president Kamala Harris has “clearly explained” her policy stances concerning illegal immigration. The arrests of the illegal migrants in Palm Beach come just weeks after Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations arrested four illegal aliens on the wealthy island of Nantucket. All four of the men are alleged to have committed sex crimes, with two of the men allegedly assaulting children. Concerns about illegal immigrant crime accelerated after a series of violent crimes believed to be committed by illegal aliens claimed the lives of American citizens. Georgia nursing student Laken Riley was allegedly killed by Jose Ibarra, a 26-year-old illegal immigrant from Venezuela, on February 22, 2024, just months before 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray was allegedly murdered by two illegal immigrants who were also from Venezuela. Nungaray’s alleged killers entered the United States during the Biden-Harris administration. Rachel Morin, a young mother of five children was allegedly raped, strangled, and murdered in Maryland by an illegal alien from El Salvador.

Vice President Kamala Harris signaled during an interview on Tuesday that she was open to spending taxpayer money on racial reparations, which studies show would cost trillions of dollars. “It has to be studied. There’s no question about that,” Harris said when asked about reparations, which numerous estimates pin well into the trillions of dollars. “And I’ve been very clear about that position.” Harris made the remarks during a radio interview with Charlamagne tha God where she fielded questions about her agenda. She quickly pivoted to the rest of her economic agenda, uttering her common refrain that she “grew up in the middle class.” WATCH: Vice President Kamala Harris says she’s open to using taxpayer’s money to pay racial reparations: “It has to be studied, there’s no question about that.” She adds: “In terms of my immediate plan … as it relates to the economy … I grew up in the middle class” pic.twitter.com/HPjdHSgB29 — Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) October 15, 2024 Harris said during her failed presidential campaign in 2019 that she supported “some form” of reparations, and voted in support of reparations legislation in Congress. She has not taken a position on the issue since joining the presidential ticket with Joe Biden in 2020. Harris’ remarks come as recent polling, including from CNN this week, has found that Trump is in position to have more support from the black community, including from black women, than any Republican since 1960. MATT WALSH’S ‘AM I RACIST?’ COMING TO DAILYWIRE+ OCT. 28 No matter how you splice the data, Trump seems to be the strongest Republican with Black voters since 1960. Young Black men in particular have trended right during Trump’s runs (cutting the Dem margin by 40 pts from 2012). But Trump’s doing historically well with Black women too pic.twitter.com/FyUqqDKLjE — (((Harry Enten))) (@ForecasterEnten) October 14, 2024 It is unclear who would be eligible for reparations, leading many like Harris to call for the issue to be studied further. A report from the Free Beacon in 2019 said that Harris was the descendant of an Irishman who owned a slave plantation in Jamaica, according to a summary of the family’s ancestry posted by her father. “My roots go back, within my lifetime, to my paternal grandmother Miss Chrishy (née Christiana Brown, descendant of Hamilton Brown who is on record as plantation and slave owner and founder of Brown’s Town),” wrote Harris’ father, Marxist economist Donald Harris. The report said that Jamaican records showed Hamilton Brown “owned scores of slaves,” the majority of whom was taken from Africa.

'trending ever so slightly, but clearly, to Donald Trump'

'I just hope he’ll be ok'

'The truth is the federal government spends far too much'

The Nov. 5 presidential election could be won or lost in Pennsylvania, and a recent Cygnal poll in the state’s key communities shows that Donald Trump may be in the driver’s seat.  In a poll released Oct. 3, Cygnal surveyed 420 likely general election voters in Pennsylvania’s two “bellwether counties,” Erie and Northampton. The poll, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.8 percentage points, found:  Trump, the Republican, narrowly led Erie and Northampton counties over Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democrat. When voters were asked who they would vote for, 48.3% said Harris and 49.1% said Trump. (Another 2.7% of voters said they were undecided.  When asked about the choice if Harris had chosen Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro as her running mate, voters chose Harris by a little over 1%, with roughly 4% undecided.  A poll released Oct. 8 by the Commonwealth Foundation, a Pennsylvania-based think tank, found that over half of 800 registered voters surveyed said their economic concerns are worsening. In addition, 57 out of every 100 surveyed said the state “has gotten off on the wrong track.”  Among the Commonwealth Foundation’s key findings among Pennsylvanian voters:  Voters chose Harris over Trump by 50% to 46%, with 4% undecided.   Fully 46% of voters said the Republican Party’s economic policies are better for the economy, compared with 44% who said the Democratic Party’s economic policies are better.  This, however, is within the poll’s margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.  Over half of voters said they disapprove of the job performance of Harris’ boss, President Joe Biden.  78% of voters said they are concerned about the future availability of affordable energy in the U.S.  81% of Democrats said Harris would do a better job of protecting fracking, while 89% of Republicans said Trump would do better.  Pennsylvania voters appeared to be most concerned about bread-and-butter issues such as the economy and the country’s future, according to the Commonwealth Foundation.  In a press release, Commonwealth Foundation Senior Vice President Erik Telford said candidates in Pennsylvania need to define themselves as ready to take on financial and economic insecurity.  “Candidates and elected officials must remain aware of the economic and financial pressures on individuals and families,” Telford said. “Policies that make things worse or threaten their financial futures will get little support. Policies that grow our economy and promote financial security, such as promoting energy development, are clear winners.”  Pennsylvania went for Trump in 2016 and Biden in 2020. In his 2016 contest against Hillary Clinton, Trump won the crucial swing state by 0.7% of the vote.  The number of registered Democrats in Pennsylvania has declined by 4.3% since 2016. In contrast, the state has seen a 2.4% increase in registered Republicans as Trump seeks to reclaim the White House.  “With one month left until Election Day, it’s clear two factors will dominate these races,” the Commonwealth Foundation’s Telford said. “First, how candidates speak to voters’ economic concerns. Second, and perhaps more importantly, turnout will play a decisive factor, especially among independent voters.”  The post Pennsylvania Polls Show Trump Could Win This Battleground  appeared first on The Daily Signal.

DAILY CALLER NEWS FOUNDATION—The Biden-Harris administration is warning Israel that if it does not improve the humanitarian conditions in Gaza, it will risk losing military aid, according to multiple reports. The Palestinians in Gaza have been caught in the crossfire in the war between Israel and Hamas, the latter of which invaded Israel on Oct. 7 and killed approximately 1,200 people. Though the U.S. has been largely supportive of Israel’s efforts to destroy Hamas, it has become seriously concerned with the dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and it seems the Biden-Harris administration may be reaching a breaking point with the Israeli government over military aid, according to several reports. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in a letter on Sunday that if Israel does not allow a steady flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza within the next 30 days, the Biden-Harris administration may withhold military assistance, reports reveal. Specifically, Israel must ensure that hundreds of aid trucks enter Gaza per day, stop implementing certain evacuation orders and withdraw Israeli forces from nonoperational parts of the enclave. “Failure to demonstrate a sustained commitment to implementing and maintaining these measures may have implications for U.S. policy under NSM-20 and relevant U.S. law,” Blinken and Austin told Dermer and Gallant, according to a copy of the letter obtained by reporter Barak Ravid. NSM-20 (National Security Memorandum 20) refers to U.S. regulations outlining the conditions under which military aid can be transferred to other allies. ?????Secretary of State Blinken & Secretary of Defense Austin sent a letter on Monday to Israel demanding it takes steps within 30 days to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza in order to avoid consequences in U.S. law for U.S. milirary aid to Israel. See letter here: pic.twitter.com/N9DDMqsL7u— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) October 15, 2024 The Israeli government had agreed in April it would meet the United States’ desired terms to ensure aid delivery into Gaza, according to multiple reports. But the Biden-Harris administration thinks Israel has thus far failed to meet these terms, Blinken and Austin told Dermer and Gallant. The United Nations has alleged that Israel has on occasion seemingly stonewalled the delivery of some aid into Gaza over the past year, which is urgently needed by the Palestinian people amid the ongoing conflict. Israel maintains that it is taking considerable measures to ensure aid delivery into the enclave and has no intentions of causing “starvation,” according to multiple reports. The U.S.-Israeli relationship is a decades-long alliance, but that relationship has at times become tense, especially during the latter years of the Biden-Harris administration. The Biden-Harris administration has urged caution in Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas and at a number of points tried to broker a ceasefire agreement, but those efforts have largely failed, as neither Israel nor Hamas seem interested at the current stage. Israel’s war against Hamas has evolved as other bad actors in the region, including Hezbollah, Iran, and Iraq- and Syria-based terrorist networks, have attacked the country since October 2023. Israel is currently eroding Hezbollah’s capabilities in Lebanon and is expected to launch a significant strike against Iran in the near future. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Originally published by the Daily Caller News Foundation The post Biden-Harris Admin Gives Israel Ultimatum: Improve Dire Gaza Conditions or Risk Losing Military Aid appeared first on The Daily Signal.