Brand-new polling out of Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin shows Kamala Harris’ blue wall seems to be collapsing. If former President Trump wins North Carolina, Georgia, and Arizona — which I think he will — Harris needs to hold all three of the blue wall states to win in 2024. In recent years, those three states have been crucial. When Trump defeated Hillary Clinton, she thought that she had the blue wall locked up. But that was not the case because she had a real problem with blue-collar white men. That problem for the Democrats still exists. In the last five Pennsylvania polls, Donald Trump is tied in two and ahead in three. Fox News has Donald Trump tied at 49%. Atlas Intel has Trump plus three. Trafalgar has Trump plus three. Emerson has a tie. Insider Advantage has Trump plus two. Meanwhile, in Wisconsin, the race has gotten a lot closer over the course of the last few weeks. The last three polls show: Atlas Intel: Trump plus two; New York Times/Siena: Harris plus two; Trafalgar: Trump plus one. In addition, Cook Political Report reported on Tuesday: Our Swing State Project surveys last week showed Wisconsin to be the closest Senate race of the five battlegrounds polled, with Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin’s seven-point August lead shrinking to two points, 49%-47%, over GOP challenger Eric Hovde. In Michigan, a lot of news about internal polling from Michigan reveal Harris is having serious problems. In the last four polls, Atlas Intel has Trump up plus four; New York Times/Siena has Harris plus one; Trafalgar has Trump up plus two and MIRS/MI News Source has Trump plus one. In other words, these are very close states, but Trump seems to be picking up some momentum. Not only that, the union men who are very prevalent in these three states are turning against Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. A Teamsters Union poll showed Joe Biden beating Donald Trump among Teamsters union members. As soon as Kamala Harris got in, it flipped and suddenly Trump was winning those union members 60 to 40. WATCH: The Ben Shapiro Show That leads to my theory that there is a very large and very quiet male pro-Trump vote. That men, particularly blue-collar white men, look at Kamala Harris and see someone who disdains traditional masculinity. The attempts to turn Doug Emhoff into an icon of the new masculinity or Tim Walz, the weirdo, into some sort of icon, what it’s like to be a “true man” in America in 2024, is not just missing its desired impact, it is exacerbating male feelings that the Democratic ticket is no longer interested in them. Those men may have a bunch of cross-cutting concerns, including concerns about what Kamala Harris is going to do on the economy, concerns about the attack on traditional masculinity, concerns that Kamala Harris does not have them in her heart. There is a lot of good evidence to that effect, which is why Kamala Harris right now has some serious problems in these blue wall states. The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday: Democrats have privately grown worried about Kamala Harris’s standing among working-class voters in the crucial ‘blue-wall’ states—particularly in Michigan. … Recent polling shows Harris and Trump essentially tied in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. … Donald Trump has assiduously courted union members and noncollege-educated white voters with a message focused on high costs, manufacturing, and the threat of China to the U.S. economy. There is a culture war that has been going on in this country that is clearly evident. It can be summed up by noting that in recent weeks, Donald Trump has been holding rallies in the blue wall states and appearing on conservative podcasts like mine or appearing on Fox News. Meanwhile, Harris has been jet-setting to every single Left-wing cultural glitterati elite show she can find. There is a vast culture gap between the kinds of people that Donald Trump is appealing to and the kinds of people that Kamala Harris is appealing to. And when you add the fact that she seems to be a self-glorifying, absolutely empty suit, that is not a good look. Kamala Harris is out of touch. She’s an elite West Coast Left-winger from San Francisco and then Montreal and then back to California, where she lived in coastal enclaves, living the high life and drinking chardonnay at 2:00 p.m. until she was made vice president of the United States. That appears to be the image that she is cultivating, and I’m not sure why she thinks that is good for her. I assume that she believes that if she runs up the vote with suburban white women by talking about abortion on a podcast that only women listen to, it will magically spur her to victory. But here’s the problem. She’s mining where she already has the gold. There’s nothing else to be found there. If the people she needs to win over are white blue-collar men, she isn’t going to do that by going on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast.

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The post How Much to Get a Cat Chipped In the UK? (2024 Update) by Matt Jackson appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com. Click to Skip Ahead Importance of Microchipping Cat Chipping Cost How Often to Get a Cat Chipped Is Chipping Painful? Where To Get Your Cat Chipped? What If Your Cat Gets Rehomed? What If You Move? Pet Insurance Microchipping is a common practice for pets in the UK and it helps ensure that lost or stolen cats are reunited with their owners sooner. Since June 2024, it has been a legal requirement for all cats to be microchipped by the time they reach 20 weeks of age. Non-compliance can lead to fines of up to £500. Some breeders may chip their cats before selling them, but this isn’t always the case, and most new owners opt to have their cats chipped when they are being neutered as they will already be under anaesthetic. The procedure is minimally invasive, although it may cause some discomfort, and the chip should, except in very rare circumstances, last the lifetime of the cat. The Importance of Microchipping A microchip is placed directly underneath the cat’s skin, typically between the shoulder blades. If the cat gets lost, a vet, warden, or rescue centre, will be able to use a scanner to locate the chip and get a chip identifier. Details of the chip are registered on a central database and the person or group scanning the chip will be able to find contact details of the owner. The primary benefit of having a cat microchipped is that lost cats are reunited with their owners. Rescues, shelters, and some other professionals have microchip scanners they can use to find owner details. In some cases, this means that owners who would not otherwise be found can be reunited with their lost cats, as cats do have a tendency to roam long distances if they escape or roam from their homes. It can greatly reduce the amount of time that families are apart from their pets, and it also means that rescues and shelters do not need to care for the cats for long periods. Since June 2024, it is now a legal requirement that all pet cats be microchipped. A cat must be chipped by the time it is 20 weeks old, and if a cat is found that isn’t microchipped, its owners could be fined up to £500 when they are reunited with the cat. Image Credit: Lucky Business, Shutterstock How Much Does Cat Chipping Cost? The cost of chipping varies according to where you have it done, but it will usually cost between £20 and £30. The cat doesn’t require any anaesthetic and doesn’t need to stay at the vet’s, as the chip is applied by injecting it under the skin. As such, there are no other costs associated with the chipping procedure itself. There may be minimal fees associated with updating the database of cat owner details, but these fees are typically only charged if you need to change owner details or address details. It is important that you keep those details up to date, however, including adding a recent phone number on which you can be called. The chip does not need removal and it should never need to be replaced, so there are no repeat costs either. Some rescues will microchip any cats they take in that aren’t already chipped. They do this because it does help control the number of stray, feral, and lost cats. In these cases, the cost of microchipping is included in the adoption fee you pay. Breeders do not typically chip their cats, although some may do so and, if your cat breeder does microchip your cat, this will again be included in the fee you pay. Some animal charities and organisations may offer free chipping. Again, this is done in the hope that it helps control the number of cats that get lost. How Often Do You Need to Get a Cat Chipped? A microchip does not need any power to operate, and the small device sits under the skin of the cat, which generally offers it protection. The chip will last for decades before it stops working, which means it will last the lifetime of your cat. The cat should only need one microchip in its whole life, which means you don’t need to have it done again and won’t have to pay the fee again. Image Credit: Lucky Business, Shutterstock Is Chipping Painful? Chipping a cat means injecting a small microchip under your cat’s skin. The needle is a little wider than a standard syringe because it needs to hold and deliver the microchip. As such, it can cause some discomfort during the procedure, and there may be some mild swelling and redness in the area after the chip has been inserted. However, this discomfort is short-lived, and your cat should be fine after a minute or two. There are always some very minor risks associated with injections, so it is a good idea to keep an eye on your cat for a few hours after the procedure. Where To Get Your Cat Chipped? Although the procedure is simple, it does require inserting a microchip under your cat’s skin using a needle. The procedure is generally carried out by your vet, and many owners choose to have it done when a young cat is being neutered. This way, the injection can be completed while the cat is under anaesthetic, minimising the discomfort. Speak to your local vet about having your cat microchipped. What If Your Cat Gets Rehomed? If you need to rehome your cat in the future, you will need to provide the new owner with details of the microchip. This includes the chip ID and the name of the database on which the cat is registered. The new owner will be able to speak to the company and change the details of the cat ownership, but the process will be easier with your involvement. Image Credit: JW Design, Shutterstock What If You Move? Similarly, if you move property or you change your phone number, the database will need to be updated. It should always include up-to-date contact information so that a vet or other professional who scans your cat will be able to get in touch with you as quickly as possible. There may be a small fee when you make changes to the cat’s details, but these shouldn’t be more than a few pounds, and some companies do not levy any charges at all. Does Pet Insurance Cover Chipping? Pet insurance does not typically cover chipping, although it might be considered a beneficial extra that is included with some policies. Insurance is usually used to pay for unexpected veterinary and recovery bills for cats that get ill or are involved in accidents, and not for preventive or care requirements. Conclusion It is a legal requirement that all pet cats in the UK are microchipped, and the procedure needs to be done by the time the cat is 20 weeks old. Failure to have a cat chipped can result in a fine of up to £500, but, worse still, it could also mean that you won’t be reunited with your cat if it goes missing, or it will take longer to get them home to you. The procedure is mostly painless, takes a few minutes, and only needs to be completed once in the cat’s life. The cost is cheap, and while some companies do levy a small charge to change phone and address details, this isn’t always the case, so it is worth checking with the microchip database company you use. Sources https://www.gov.uk/get-your-dog-cat-microchipped https://www.cats.org.uk/help-and-advice/neutering-and-vaccinations/microchipping-your-cat Featured Image Credit: Ivonne Wierink, Shutterstock The post How Much to Get a Cat Chipped In the UK? (2024 Update) by Matt Jackson appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com.

Radical political historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat was scheduled to speak at the U.S. Naval Academy on Oct. 10 as part of the Bancroft Lecture series, but according to a recent article from The Federalist, this lecture has been “postponed.”  In September, Ben-Ghiat announced that she would be speaking at the Naval Academy in a Substack post, yet in the same announcement she connected her topic of lecture, that of “militaries under authoritarian rule,” with former President Donald Trump and what she proclaims to be “his authoritarian character.”   Ben-Ghiat, in the same post, also suggested a voting preference, stating that several people, notable to the military audience she intended to reach, will be “voting for Vice President Kamala Harris in November.”  It is troubling that the Naval Academy invited an explicit partisan to lecture future military officers at an authorized event on federal property, especially since Ben-Ghiat has deliberately denounced a current presidential nominee as an authoritarian akin to “Fascist Italy, Pinochet’s Chile, and the Russian military during the war on Ukraine.”  It is even more troubling that the only reason this lecture is publicly known is through Ben-Ghiat’s Substack post announcing her partisan intent. The Naval Academy never publicized this event, despite having recently publicized a Forrestal Lecture in which the speaker talked about the far more appropriate topic of command leadership.   The concern over this Bancroft Lecture was publicized in a recent Daily Signal article. Since then, the Naval Academy has apparently postponed Ben-Ghiat’s lecture. Nonetheless, concerns still remain. There has been no official statement from Naval Academy leadership disclosing the status of the lecture, nothing to explain the logic for hosting an event of this political nature in the first place, and no remorse over the apparent politicization of the institution.  The Defense Department’s Directive 1344.10 explicitly states that service members shall “not engage in partisan political activity.” With such proximity to an important election, it appears that the Naval Academy, by inviting a radical anti-Trump speaker, has been acting in a political fashion. It calls into question whether academy leadership violated the Defense Department’s directive.  The Naval Academy ought to publicly explain itself, or else it will have missed the point entirely. The point is not that the lecturer is an extreme partisan, or that due to optics the lecture ought not to occur. The point is also not that leadership should simply postpone a lecture as soon as it receives heat from the public eye.  The point is that this is one instance of what could be a very dangerous broader trend.   The Naval Academy should take note of the articles publicizing exactly what is wrong, the letters from members of Congress urging leadership to take a look, and Ben-Ghiat’s expressly political language in describing a nominee for the next commander in chief. These should all serve as warning signs calling for more institutional vigilance, procedural compliance, and integrity. The lack of remorse, the denial of responsibility, and the absence of any acknowledgment of an internal review show a lack of accountability. They show a dangerous sense of complacency and a complete misunderstanding of what the Naval Academy ought to be—an apolitical, nonpartisan military institution.  The post Postponing This Partisan Lecture Isn’t Enough appeared first on The Daily Signal.