President Joe Biden gruffly instructed reporters on Wednesday to “start writing” that his economic policies have been succeeding, a demand that drew some blowback on social media. A reporter asked Biden at the White House whether the United States “beat” inflation on the back of the release of data showing the annual consumer price increase dropped below 3% in July, the lowest since March 2021. “Yes! Yes! Yes! I told you we were going to have a soft landing,” Biden replied. “We’re going to have a soft landing. My policies are working — start writing that way, Okay?” Reporter asks about inflation. President Biden: "I told you you're going to have a soft landing…my policies are working. Start writing that way, okay?" pic.twitter.com/sHebANBv06 — CSPAN (@cspan) August 14, 2024 Multiple media reports said the “cooling” inflation data indicate the Federal Reserve will move ahead with an expected cut in interest rates next month. A “soft landing” can be achieved if the central bank steers the U.S. clear of a recession. Still, Biden’s terse response to the press regarding the economy — in which the rising cost of goods and services has put a pinch on consumers over the past couple of years — elicited a flurry of responses on X. “He beat affordability just like he beat Medicare. To death. A 2% [year-over-year] inflation rate after three and a half years of record inflation still means everything is 20% too expensive,” said Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro. He beat affordability just like he beat Medicare. To death. A 2% YoY inflation rate after three and a half years of record inflation still means everything is 20% too expensive. https://t.co/Os8uGtAv3m — Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) August 14, 2024   “Biden has always had a chip on his shoulder about how the media covers him. But now he’s not even trying to hide it,” said political commentator and former CNN editor-at-large Chris Cillizza. A Republican National Committee account also shared the clip and said, “Biden gets angry at the press as his handlers desperately try to kick them out of the room.” Christopher Cadelago, POLITICO’s California bureau chief, noted “Biden’s list of I-told-you-sos has grown, and this quote feels very much like his comments after passage of [The Inflation Reduction Act] and infrastructure package.” The journalist added, “At one point Biden even said he had a binder of old headlines from stories and columns that he ultimately proved wrong.” Biden, who recently ended his 2024 re-election campaign and stepped aside for Vice President Kamala Harris to replace him atop the Democratic Party’s ticket, said last week he wanted his legacy to include how he “cured” the economy. Former President Donald Trump responded to a rough U.S. stock market day by posting in all capital letters to Truth Social that voters can choose “TRUMP PROSPERITY, OR THE KAMALA CRASH & GREAT DEPRESSION OF 2024.”

Many radical positions of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, now Kamala Harris’s running mate, are well documented, but a lesser-known measure shows his support for a dangerous scheme to manipulate future presidential elections. Last May, Walz signed a massive spending bill with a curious provision tucked near the end: the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPV). This “log rolling” was necessary because even some Democrats in the Minnesota Legislature opposed to the scheme. Putting it in a “must pass” bill was the only way to force the anti-Electoral College compact through the legislature so that Walz could sign it. Here’s how I described the compact in a recent book:  The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, or NPV, takes advantage of the flexibility granted to state legislatures in the Constitution: “Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors….” The original intent is to allow legislators to determine how best to represent their state in presidential elections. The Electors represent the state—not just the legislature—even though the latter has power to direct the manner of appointment. But NPV supporters argue that this power allows legislatures to ignore their own state’s voters and instead appoint Electors based on the popular vote nationwide. This is what the compact would require states to do.  Of course, no state would do this unilaterally, so NPV has a “trigger”: it only takes effect if adopted by enough states that they control 270 electoral votes—in other words, a majority that would control the outcome of presidential elections. Today, Minnesota is one of 17 states (all blue states) and DC that have joined the NPV compact. Together they control 209 electoral votes, which puts it more than three-fourths of the way to taking effect. Should it reach that threshold, there are ample reasons why judges should strike NPV down. For starters, it ignores the requirement for Congress to consent to compacts, co-mingles votes from states with different election laws, and subverts the core purpose of the constitutional provisions at issue. Yet judges often sidestep election issues to avoid appearing partisan. If NPV did take effect, it would be a disaster for everyone—except perhaps the far-Left. Consider that NPV gives states more power for having more votes, no matter what. A state that looks the other way when non-citizens vote would have more say in who becomes president. California could simply lower its voting age—it has more 16 and 17 year olds than there are registered voters in several entire states. Even worse, NPV state officials might get choosy about accepting vote results from other states. Would the California Secretary of State really accept results from Texas if it meant giving 54 electoral votes to the Republican ticket? And what if her progressive voter base was convinced that elections in red states were somehow illegitimate? The Electoral College is a brilliant system that works even better than the American Founders thought it would. So well, in fact, that Germany and India have their own versions of electoral colleges in the constitutions they wrote in the middle of the twentieth century. It prevents regional candidates from winning and forces political parties to build vast, diverse coalitions. The NPV compact would undo all this. It’s revealing that politicians like Tim Walz would rather manipulate the election process than figure out how to attract more voters into their coalition. Like Walz, the NPV Compact is sometimes presented as moderate when it is, in fact, a tool of the far-Left and a threat to our constitutional order. * * * Trent England is founder and executive director of Save Our States and a producer of the film Safeguard: An Electoral College Story. The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

CNN anchor Jim Acosta cornered Michael Tyler, communications director for Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign, asking what possible reason they could have for not doing a press conference. Noting that Harris has been the Democratic Party’s de facto nominee for over three weeks — rising to the top of the 2024 ticket after a horrible debate performance resulted in President Joe Biden being effectively forced out of the race — Acosta asked why the vice president has continued to avoid interviews and even direct questions from the media. WATCH: CNN: “Would it kill you guys to have a press conference?” HARRIS SPOX: Kamala holds rallies so she can read from her teleprompter! CNN: “A campaign rally is not a press conference.” HARRIS SPOX: “We’re gonna be having a sit-down interview here before the end of the month.”… pic.twitter.com/TaVI6qLGci — Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) August 14, 2024 “Would it kill you guys to have a press conference?” Acosta asked. “Why haven’t you had a press conference?” Tyler laughed, and then replied, “Listen, the vice president and Governor Walz have been busy criss-crossing this country since the launch of this campaign and adding Governor Walz to the ticket, you saw the ways in which they went to — across the battleground states last week generating rallies of thousands, ten thousand here, 15 thousand there —” “But you know, a campaign rally is not a press conference,” Acosta pointed out. “Do you mind if I cut in? A campaign rally is not a press conference. Why hasn’t she had a press conference? She’s the vice president, she can handle the questions. Why not do it?” “We absolutely are going to do it,” Tyler replied, claiming, “You hear her take questions as she’s out on the stump, and she said last week, we’re going to be having a sit-down interview before the end of the month. What she is going to be focused on and what this campaign is going to be focused on is communicating directly with the voters that are actually going to decide the pathway to 270 electoral votes.” WATCH THE TRAILER FOR ‘AM I RACIST?’ — A MATT WALSH COMEDY ON DEI Acosta did not appear to be convinced, pushing back: “Can you commit to a press conference this week?” Tyler ignored the question, instead talking about a planned bus tour to Pennsylvania and repeating Harris’ claim that she would sit down for an interview by the end of August. “One interview by the end of the month,” Acosta repeated. “I don’t want to belabor this, but one interview by the end of the month, I mean, that’s not a lot. I mean, can you commit to a press conference before the end of the month?” Tyler dodged again, promising only to “directly engage with the voters who are going to decide this election.” In the weeks since the Democratic Party punted Harris to the top of the ticket, she has actively avoided direct questions and interviews and instead has relied on a mostly-friendly media landscape to help her reinvent herself with no real scrutiny.

A Ferguson police officer suffered a serious brain injury and is still fighting for his life after protests on Friday, marking the 10th anniversary of Michael Brown’s death, devolved into a violent riot. Travis Brown, a 36-year-old father of two, was knocked to the ground by a protester later identified as Elijah Gantt, 28. Brown was unconscious at the scene, and Gantt was still on top of him when other officers pulled him off and attempted to aid the fallen officer. According to a Wednesday report from local NBC News affiliate KSDK, Brown’s family has released a statement on his current condition, which read in part: On the early morning of Saturday, August 10, 2024, our beloved, Officer Travis Brown, suffered a serious physical injury while performing his tour of duty. He is currently in critical condition, surrounded by his loved ones, as he bravely fights for his life. We are holding onto hope and trusting in the power of faith to see him through this difficult time.  Travis is more than a police officer; he is a devoted father, son, brother, uncle, godfather, and friend. A man of strong faith, his heart is as big as his smile, and his positive energy is truly contagious. TJ is also an athlete, an adventurer, a lover of movies, and so much more. We know he is determined to continue living life to the fullest once he has recovered.  They concluded the statement by asking for continued prayers as they wait to see whether Brown is able to recover from the injury. Former St. Louis County Police Chief Tim Fitch, who hired Brown in 2012 and worked with him for two years, wished Brown well and spoke very highly of him. “I remember well when I was commissioning him and having given his oath of office, he had a family member pin his badge on. I just remember the big smile on his face, and I thought, ‘Boy, this guy’s got one of those contagious kind of smiles,'” Fitch said. “There’s a lot of raw emotion about whether or not he’s going to be able to beat this and survive. And if he does, is he going to ever be able to come back to work? He was very ambitious. It didn’t take him long to get into a specialized unit. He was in a couple.” WATCH THE TRAILER FOR ‘AM I RACIST?’ — A MATT WALSH COMEDY ON DEI Fitch shared the family’s official fundraising page as well, asking family and friends to donate what they could in an effort to aid Brown’s recovery. It’s my birthday & I’d love it if we can celebrate by helping TJ! It was my pleasure to hire him in 2012. Officer Travis (TJ) Brown is in critical condition after a tragic injury. Please help lessen his family’s financial burden by donating and sharing. https://t.co/alzWhCN8ck — Tim Fitch ?? (@ChiefTimFitch) August 13, 2024 The community has also rallied around Brown, gathering to pray for him and his family after he was hurt. Huge crowd turns out to pray for injured Ferguson police officer Travis Brown https://t.co/0PSFInrmZl — KSDK News (@ksdknews) August 14, 2024

A Biden administration program meant to deport families who immigrated illegally to the United States has removed just over 10% of the immigrants signed up since May of last year. The Family Expedited Removal Program has resulted in the deportation of only about 2,600 aliens from around 24,000 enrolled. More than 3,600 immigrants in the program are believed to be at large in the United States, though officials have lost track of them, according to internal data about the program reported by the New York Post. “These numbers are further proof that the Biden-Harris administration’s policies have nothing to do with actually securing the border or enforcing the law, but instead masking its utter refusal to do either of those things,” Republican Rep. Mark Green, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, told the Post. “Such a dismal rate of removals makes clear that President Biden, ‘border czar’ Kamala Harris, and now-impeached DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas are committed to ignoring U.S. immigration law, while attempting to hide that fact from the American people. Ultimately, these individuals have a simple responsibility — detain and remove those who have no lawful basis to remain,” he said. The Biden administration announced the family removal program in May 2023 as a way of streamlining the deportation process of aliens who immigrated illegally into the U.S. with children. The program was designed to facilitate keeping families together during the deportation process. The program’s effectiveness was undercut by significant exceptions, however, according to the Post. The program was also a target of progressives, such as Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington. Groups such as the National Immigrant Justice Center resisted the program as well. The Biden administration’s efforts at combating illegal immigration have tended toward expanding legal immigration pathways, such as through immigration parole, rather than through enhanced border protection and deportation. The administration paused one major parole program earlier this month after allegations of fraud. The Department of Homeland Security froze a program that has allowed 30,000 immigrants a month from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela (CHNV) to be paroled into the U.S. The action came after the Federation for American Immigration Reform published a report calling the program “riddled with fraud.” Green said in a statement that the report “vindicates every warning we have ever issued about the unlawful CHNV mass-parole program.” “This is exactly what happens when you create an unlawful mass-parole program in order to spare your administration the political embarrassment and bad optics of overrun borders. The Biden-Harris administration should terminate the CHNV program immediately,” Green said.

We don’t know about you, but when we hear the first few beats of Gonna Make You Sweat, and that lyric drops, “Everybody, Dance Now,” we know we’re in for a treat. This is exponentially true while watching America’s Got Talent. Hypers Kids Africa delighted AGT audiences with a routine to the C+C Music Factory classic, and you can’t help but vibe along with these kids. The dance troop made their way to this season’s AGT quarterfinals, and it’s easy to see why their star is shining so brightly. Hypers Kids Africa is filled with energy and confidence, and joy radiates from the dancers’ souls through their smiles. The kids hail from Uganda, but their spirit can be felt worldwide. They Positively Wowed The Judges Simon Cowell is known for his crusty demeanor, but he smiled after this dance number. He told them they’d “upped their game” for the performance. “What’s so important is you had the best, best time. You made us feel amazing, and that’s what it’s all about,” he said. Howie Mandel agreed and said Hyper Kids Africa’s lives were changed, “and it showed.” He told America to vote for the kids because they need and want this more than anyone. Heidi Klum and Sofia Vergara agreed with their male counterparts. Heid told the kids she’s now following them on Instagram. Sofia promised, “People are going to love you.” America does love them, and viewers showered the kids with praise. One person wrote, “Creative, nice Smiles and fun to watch. Love these kids!” This fan can’t wait to see what they do, “These kids are amazingly special.. they need to go through.. They are amazing.” The kids are working so hard, and it shows. As this person wrote, “These kids are amazingly special.. they need to go through…They are amazing.” You can find the source of this story’s featured image here. The post Hypers Kids Africa Gets Standing Ovation With “Brilliant” Throwback Dance During “AGT” Quarterfinals appeared first on InspireMore.

Like our beloved Olympians, America’s Got Talent contestants are on a quest for gold. It’s not a medal to wear around their neck, but the elusive Golden Buzzer. This allows the judges on AGT to move their favorites to the next round with no questions asked. For the first time in show history during season 19 of AGT, the judges were given two Golden Buzzers. They used one for the earlier rounds and one for the live shows, which began on August 13. Judge Sofia Vergara made show history when she pressed the very first Live Show Golden Buzzer in a well-deserved celebration. After a truly unbelievable performance, Hakuna Matata Acrobatics was the first group honored with the new Golden Buzzer. View this post on Instagram A post shared by America's Got Talent – AGT (@agt) The group of four who hail from Tanzanian balanced each other on their heads while perched upon rolling platforms. If you have to reread that sentence, we get it. It sounds not only terrifying but physically impossible. We promise you, these men defied physics with their performance. The “AGT” Group Admitted It Took A Lot Of Work To Nail This Performance After finishing their routine, the men explained there was quite a bit of trial and error leading up to the show. They admitted to taking plenty of tumbles but continued to work until things were perfect. Simon Cowell declared it “one of the most difficult, dangerous acts we’ve seen on a live show” and told the men they’d earned his unwavering respect. Sofia took it one step further. The judge admitted, “You don’t need any help from anyone,” but that didn’t stop her. She stood up and smacked the buzzer, saying, “This was perfection! Everything, all of it!” Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum, and Simon each still have a Golden Buzzer in their pocket. Hakuna Matata will face the other judges’ pics and the other six acts who make it through the semifinals during the AGT season finale. It will air on NBC on September 17 and September 24. You can find the source of this story’s featured image here. The post Hakuna Matata Makes History During “AGT” Live Rounds, Watch appeared first on InspireMore.

'Tough to put away'

'I'm so proud of her she's so strong'