Last night’s fourth Republican debate may end up as a footnote in presidential history — Donald Trump‚ who is leading the race by leaps and bounds‚ wasn’t on the stage‚ and the debate aired on NewsNation rather than Fox News. But in some ways‚ the debate was by far the most interesting debate of the race. It was interesting for a few reasons. First‚ it showed that governance actually matters. The battle between Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley is a battle over policy positions‚ sure. The debate exposed serious differences of position on social issues‚ for example‚ wherein Haley has posed as more moderate and DeSantis as more conservative. But DeSantis’ main advantage against Haley is that he can point at his accomplishments and contrast them with the empty words of his opponents. In a normal world‚ DeSantis would be running away with this nomination. DeSantis was by far the most classically conservative person on the stage last night. Speaking of American president Calvin Coolidge‚ he said‚ “Silent Cal knew the proper role of the federal government. The country was in great shape when he was president of the United States‚ and we can learn an awful lot from Calvin Coolidge.”  Silent Cal knew the proper role of the federal government. We can learn an awful lot from Calvin Coolidge. pic.twitter.com/mOs3MTpcCh — Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) December 7‚ 2023 DeSantis pointed out that he‚ unlike Haley‚ signed a bathroom bill in Florida so boys could not use girls’ bathrooms. Second‚ the debate showed that Trump remains the dominant force on the Right.  That’s because of all the stocked-up goodwill he has from his tenure as 2016 candidate and president — and because his one point of true electoral vulnerability‚ the fact he already lost to Joe Biden in 2020‚ has been obscured both by the media’s election malfeasance and by Biden’s awful poll numbers now.  WATCH: The Ben Shapiro Show DeSantis correctly stated that Democrats want Trump to be the nominee. DeSantis happens to be correct. Democrats still believe Trump is the most beatable nominee‚ no matter what the polls say. But when the polls have Trump up on Biden — when he’s in the best polling position of his career‚ actually — that’s a hard case to make. Which leads to the third point: There is no reservoir of anger at Trump over his erratic and often awful behavior itself.  Only if that behavior threatens electoral viability will Republicans become queasy. Republicans have essentially decided — rightly‚ given the nature of today’s politics — that we’re well beyond questions of civility. Many Republicans have decided that if the most plausible candidate happens to be the guy who tweets dumb stuff and makes jokes about becoming a dictator — jokes that really underscore the fact every president since Barack Obama has used executive power in dictatorial fashion — we don’t care. If the alternative is Joe Biden using that dictatorial power‚ we’ll pick our own giant pulsating middle finger‚ thank you very much.  This means Chris Christie’s attacks on Trump‚ asking if he is “fit” to be the nominee and calling him “Voldemort‚” fell flat too. Fourth‚ the debate showed that these campaigns have been opportunities for additional exposure for the marginal — and the best way to exploit that opportunity is to run directly toward X on social media.  But‚ as the polls show‚ X is not real life. Now‚ I know three of the four candidates on stage. I know DeSantis‚ who is a straightforward‚ good guy; I know Haley‚ who is personally a delightful human being; and I know Ramaswamy. He is personable‚ really charming‚ and glib as hell. He’s a salesman’s salesman. But he is also chameleonic and has been throughout this race. He’s trying to play Trump’s game — say the unsayable! — except what he’s saying is less unsayable now that Trump has been in the game. As the realm of the unsayable shrinks into more marginal viewpoints‚ Ramaswamy has to chase it. And that’s precisely what he’s been doing. In reality‚ Ramaswamy — like Trump — needs an opponent. In a vacuum‚ his viewpoints don’t make all that much sense. He has been on most sides of a wide variety of issues. But that also gives him leeway to fire at other candidates from every side of every issue. Last night‚ his target was Nikki Haley‚ whom he perceives as his candidate of differentiation: He was going after her using the same angle Trump himself used in 2016 against the so-called interventionists in the Republican Party. WATCH: “Lady Ballers” on DailyWire+ Now‚ there are a few problems with this. The biggest problem is that the Right has always been divided between hawks and isolationists‚ going back to Pat Buchanan and‚ before him‚ Charles Lindbergh. In the pre-World War II era‚ the isolationists had their way. In the post-World War II era‚ the hawks had their way. In the aftermath of Iraq‚ it’s an open question — but as the world grows more dangerous‚ isolationists tend to lose sway.  The most obvious line of attack against Joe Biden on foreign policy‚ for example‚ isn’t that he’s too interventionist; it’s that he’s weak and waffling and sends mixed signals‚ and that our enemies can see all of this and are taking advantage. Even in Ukraine‚ the problem for Biden is that he refused to choose a line: Either give Ukraine the weaponry necessary to actually smash Russia in the Donbas and Crimea‚ or define your off-ramp and pursue it. Biden has chosen neither. But when it comes to Israel‚ the attack on Biden isn’t that he’s too pro-Israel from the Right. It’s that he enabled Iran‚ delisted the Houthis as a terrorist organization‚ fostered more funding for the Palestinian Authority and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA)‚ and is now trying to handcuff Israel in its ability to finish off a genocidal anti-Jewish terrorist group. So‚ Ramaswamy attacking Haley for being too pro-Israel is not going over well with a Republican crowd. Now‚ obviously Israel isn’t in America. The interests of the United States are not always the interests of Israel. But suggesting Haley holds some sort of dual loyalty is asinine‚ and the crowd knew it‚ even if the fever swamps on X cheered this sort of silly posturing. Likewise‚ the internet cheered Ramaswamy quizzing Haley on the provinces of the Donbas region in Ukraine and saying‚ “She doesn’t know the names of the provinces that she wants to actually fight for.” Haley did‚ in fact‚ name two of the three provinces right after the question; although she substituted Crimea for Kharkiv. But the reality is that most Americans don’t know the answer to this question — and that lack of knowledge isn’t dispositive as to what American action should look like in a particular region. Geography Bee quizzes are a quick and easy way for isolationists to score a cheap point — Quick‚ name all the provinces of East China! You can’t? Then how can you say we ought to oppose an invasion of Taiwan?! — but they don’t actually work with the American public. In 1999‚ a reporter asked George W. Bush to name the leaders of Taiwan‚ India‚ Pakistan‚ and Chechnya. He responded‚ “Can you name the foreign minister of Mexico?” Bush won the election. Americans don’t need you to be an encyclopedia. They need you to make the right decision when pressed. And that comes from a baseline worldview‚ not a quick search of the Google machine. That’s why Trump became president. But being right isn’t the point of Ramaswamy’s campaign. It’s oppositionality. Which is why he went so hard at Haley personally last night‚ in the most conspiratorial of ways: accusing her of bad faith‚ of fascism‚ of fakery. It was all pretty ugly. Ramaswamy isn’t running for president and he hasn’t been for a long time. He’s currently polling at less than 5% nationally‚ and he’s not breaking 10% in any state. But he is capturing the hearts of the people you need to launch a podcast or perhaps a Senate primary run. And he’s single-handedly making Chris Christie somewhat amusing. Christie called him “the most obnoxious blowhard in America” during the debate and a “smart-a**” and “jacka**” afterward.  X is not real life. And Trumpism is not an ideology‚ transferrable to other neophyte candidates. There is only Trump. Finally‚ last night’s debate showed that the gap between winning a primary campaign and winning a general election is very real. By polling data‚ Nikki Haley is the Republican best positioned against Joe Biden: DeSantis leads Biden by one in the RealClearPolitics polling average; Haley leads by five on average‚ and in some polls‚ by 10. But — aside from foreign policy‚ where Haley is a hawk’s hawk — her positions are “moderate” across the board‚ from abortion to gender surgery for minors. Last night‚ she walked back her stated position on gender surgery for the underage‚ which she had said should be a question for parents. The Republican primary electorate is not in the mood for moderation. You have to be either militant in policy or in affect. Which is‚ again‚ why Trump — a moderate on many of the same policies‚ ironically‚ as Haley — is way out front. He may be closer to Haley on policy than to DeSantis‚ but his affect is always militant. And the Republican base is angry. Meanwhile‚ Joe Biden is betting that the Republican anger will backfire on Republicans the way it did in 2020. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators threatened the mayor and disrupted a city council meeting in California on Tuesday as it grew heated over a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. The city council of Santa Ana near Los Angeles ultimately did not approve the controversial resolution‚ which called for a permanent ceasefire between Hamas and Israel and an end to “Israeli apartheid.” On October 7‚ Hamas launched deadly terrorist attacks on Israel that killed more than 1‚200 people‚ including women and children. Israel has responded with airstrikes and a ground offensive. During the city council meeting’s two hours of public comment‚ pro-Palestinian demonstrators shouted thinly veiled threats at Mayor Valerie Amezcua‚ a Democrat. “Don’t worry‚ we’ll see you in the street!” a woman called out as she left the meeting. “Chief‚ did you get that chief? And the exact time and everything?” the mayor said. “So when you make accusations like‚ ‘See you on the street‚’ that’s a threat to me as the mayor‚ and I’ve already had multiple death threats‚” Amezcua continued‚ adding that even threats on social media will result in a visit from the police. “No one up here deserves to receive any type of threats or get assaulted‚” Amezcua said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP At one point‚ Amezcua said she would not be supporting the ceasefire resolution‚ prompting a loud outcry from the pro-Palestinian demonstrators. “I’m not supporting this tonight. That is not my job as the mayor whether you like it or not‚” the mayor said. Amezcua asked security to escort out one disruptive man. “If they don’t sit down and be quiet‚ this meeting is over‚” she said. “I am the chairperson‚ and let me speak. If we cannot calm down‚ this meeting is over.” At one point‚ the pro-Palestinian demonstrators yelled “Ceasefire now!” and “f*** the mayor!” causing the meeting to grind to a halt yet again. Some demonstrators also held signs reading “Ceasefire Now” and interrupted speakers by shouting‚ some arguing in favor of Hamas’ attack. One pro-Palestinian speaker said the “Israeli Zionist regime is fascist‚ racist.” “The Zionists will kill anyone who stands in their way‚ anyone‚ even their own people‚” the man said. “Anyone who does not support the ceasefire in Gaza‚ who stands here before me today‚ I will remember you‚ and you will never work in this city ever again.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP Another man appeared to justify the Hamas attacks. “We’ve been sleeping for the past 76 years. When somebody hits them in their guts‚ then they’re crying‚ oh my god‚ my children‚ my children‚” the man said. Yet another speaker called Israel a “genocidal regime” that is “hellbent” on killing Palestinians. Councilmember Thai Viet Phan said‚ “We are not going to solve a war in the Middle East here in Santa Ana.”

GOP Rep. Jim Banks (IN) has unveiled a new bill that would cut off federal funding for child welfare agencies who discriminate against Christians and other people of faith. Banks’ bill‚ the Sensible Adoption for Every (SAFE) Home Act‚ is a response to a proposed Biden administration Health and Human Services rule that would require foster or adoptive parents to support a child’s gender “transition.” The caretakers would have to affirm a child’s preferred pronouns‚ their “chosen name‚” and “allow the child to dress in a way that reflects that gender identity.” “The Biden administration is cruelly preventing countless children in the foster care and adoption system from going to loving homes just because parents are opposed to irreversible sex change procedures on kids‚” Banks said. “This isn’t a liberal or conservative issue. This is just plain wrong‚ and every sane person knows it.” The administration claims the HHS rule is necessary to protect “LGBTQI+ youth‚” who they say are overrepresented in the foster care system and often suffer from abuse. However‚ 18 state attorneys general have already signed on to a letter from Alabama AG Steve Marshall urging HHS to reject the proposed rule. These Republican states – which include Georgia‚ Virginia‚ Texas‚ Tennessee‚ and Kentucky – all see the rule as discriminatory and a clear violation of the First Amendment‚ both freedom of religion and freedom of speech. Their letter argues that the rule would effectively remove faith-based providers who refuse to bend on their religious beliefs from the foster care system. The letter notes that the Supreme Court‚ just two years ago‚ ruled in favor of religious freedom in Fulton v. City of Philadelphia. In this case‚ the city refused to contract with a Catholic group that wouldn’t certify same-sex couples as foster parents. The city was told they couldn’t discriminate against these Catholic groups based on LGBT opinions. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP The Republican AGs also argue in their letter that the HHS rule would hurt children in foster care the most‚ since Christians in particular‚ and people of faith more generally‚ are far more likely to become foster parents than the general population. Notably‚ there are already nearly 400‚000 minors in the foster care system‚ and that number is expected to grow in the coming years. The GOP AGs also claim the administration is trying to skirt legal precedent by applying most of its requirements on the states‚ instead of individual providers. For example‚ religious parents or groups could‚ in theory‚ decline to be designated as a “safe” placement for LGBT youth if they aren’t willing to agree to the HHS LGBT regulations‚ and as a result‚ would not receive those placements. This would cut them out of a huge portion of the foster care system‚ Republicans say‚ adding that this is still discriminatory and unconstitutional. Related: Widow Barred From Adopting Foster Kids Over Christian Beliefs. Now She’s Fighting Back.

Sylvester Stallone‘s wife Jennifer Flavin said she’s really glad she and her husband moved out of California because she needed a change and to live a “totally different lifestyle” that they have found in Florida. The 77-year-old actor’s wife called the move “incredible” and said she’s really happy with their “change” after selling their home in June 2022 to singer Adele for $58 million and moving to the East Coast‚ Fox News reported. “I was born and raised there [CA]‚ two of our kids were born there‚ but now everyone’s out‚ our daughters have moved to the East Coast … so there wasn’t really anything left for me in California‚” Flavin told the outlet. “A few of our best friends also moved‚ so I think it’s [a] good change‚ just making new friends and living a totally different lifestyle‚ I love it‚ I’m really happy‚” she added‚ noting that the move wasn’t just about the increase in crime in the state. Sylvester Stallone’s wife on Florida move: ‘Wasn’t really anything left for me in California’ https://t.co/kZxENMJL2I — Fox News (@FoxNews) December 5‚ 2023 “There’s crime everywhere‚ there’s crime in Florida‚ too‚ so I didn’t move because of crime‚” Flavin continued. “You can find it anywhere you look‚ even in small towns. I think California is probably the most beautiful state in the United States‚ I absolutely love it‚ but I just needed a change. I felt like I’ve been there long enough‚ and life is short‚ so I wanted to make a change and not just be sitting in one house the rest of my life.” The “Rocky” star made similar comments at the start of his Netflix documentary “Sly” when he said their move to Palm Beach was beneficial to him creatively‚ the outlet noted. “I wasn’t moving because ‘Oh‚ wow‚ I wanted another beautiful view‚'” Stallone said. “Any time changing that paradigm which you become used to‚ it’s literally to jump-start that process again.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP Last year‚ the “Rambo” star opened up about reconciling with Flavin after reports surfaced that they had split‚ as previously reported. “Let’s just say that it was a very tumultuous time‚” Stallone shared at the time. “There was a reawakening of what was more valuable than anything‚ which is my love for my family. It takes precedence over my work‚ and that was a hard lesson to learn.” Earlier this year‚ it was announced that Stallone and Flavin had landed a reality show following their reconciliation months earlier. Stallone‚ Flavin‚ and their three daughters‚ Sophia‚ Sistine‚ and Scarlet‚ are the focus of the eight-episode reality TV series called “The Family Stallone” on Paramount+‚ which launched in May and was renewed for a second season‚ the Wrap noted. “Stallone is ready to give cameras access to what he would consider the greatest role of his lifetime: dad‚” a description about the show read. “This new series starring Stallone’s three daughters‚ wife and himself offers a seat at the table of one of Hollywood’s most famous families.” Related: Adele Refused To Buy Sylvester Stallone’s House Unless ‘Rocky’ Statue Was Included

The University of Pennsylvania has lost a donation of $100 million over the Ivy League’s handling of anti-Semitism on campus. Ross Stevens‚ founder and CEO of Stone Ridge Asset Management‚ is withdrawing a gift of limited partnership units with his company‚ the current value of which is estimated to be about $100 million. The tipping point for Stevens‚ a Penn undergraduate alumnus‚ came on Tuesday‚ when Penn’s president testified to Congress the rise of anti-Semitic hate speech at their schools. Penn President Elizabeth Magill avoided answering questions from lawmakers on whether calling for the genocide of Jews violated the university’s codes of conduct. Magill said that‚ “if the speech turns into conduct‚ it can be harassment‚” adding that it is a “context-dependent decision.” The presidents of Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) also testified. Both avoided answering the code of conduct question as well. All three presidents have since backtracked after their congressional testimony prompted backlash‚ but it has not stopped the criticism. Magill addressed the criticism in a video released Wednesday evening. “In that moment‚ I was focused on our university’s longstanding policies aligned with the U.S. Constitution‚ which say that speech alone is not punishable‚” Magill said in her video. “I was not focused on‚ but I should have been‚ the irrefutable fact that a call for genocide of Jewish people is a call for some of the most terrible violence human beings can perpetrate. It’s evil — plain and simple.” The Penn donor‚ Stevens‚ sent a letter to the school through his lawyers on Thursday rescinding his large gift. In his letter‚ Stevens accused the school of violating the terms of their partnership agreement‚ including the anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policies. “Its permissive approach to hate speech caling for violence against Jews and laissez faire attitude toward harassment and discrimination against Jewish students would violate any policies of rules that prohibit harassment and discrimination based on religion‚ including those of Stone Ridge‚” Stevens wrote. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP Previously‚ Stevens also withdrew another $100 million gift to Penn’s business school‚ the Wharton School‚ reportedly because he believed the school was prioritizing Diversity‚ Equity‚ and Inclusion (DEI) over academic excellence. Steven redirected that previous gift to the University of Chicago. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators have recently disrupted Penn’s campus. Demonstrators have held huge protests and scrawled graffiti with slogans like “Free Palestine‚” causing other students to plead with the administration to step in and prevent threats of violence.

University of Pennsylvania’s Board of Trustees held an “emergency meeting” on Thursday — just one day after Governor Josh Shapiro (D-PA) blasted Penn President Elizabeth Magill over her “absolutely shameful” comments on Capitol Hill. According to a report published Thursday by CNN‚ the board met virtually after being called to convene on Wednesday‚ just hours after Shapiro weighed in on Magill’s testimony regarding anti-Semitism on her campus. Magill became the subject of intense scrutiny following her answers to questions from Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) over whether or not students calling for the genocide of Jews were in violation of Penn’s code of conduct with regard to harassment and bullying. Magill said that such speech was not punished at Penn unless it “turns into conduct‚” and argued that “context” was necessary. Shapiro was not impressed by Magill’s comments‚ telling Jewish Insider‚ “The simple answer is yes‚ that violates our policy.” “Leaders have a responsibility to speak and act with moral clarity‚ and Liz Magill failed to meet that simple test. That was an unacceptable statement from the president of Penn‚” Shapiro continued. “Frankly‚ I thought her comments were absolutely shameful. It should not be hard to condemn genocide.” Shapiro went on to say that he had spoken to Magill in the weeks since the October 7 massacre — and that he had made specific suggestions and recommendations regarding steps the school could take to make sure that Jewish students felt safer. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “They have seemingly failed every step of the way to take concrete action to make sure all students feel safe on campus. And then the testimony yesterday took it to the next level‚” Shapiro added. He called for the university’s board of trustees to convene‚ saying that he believed it was necessary to explore whether Magill accurately “represents the views and values of the University of Pennsylvania‚” but adding that he was prepared to wait for the board to take action.

The son of Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) was charged on Thursday in connection to a crash that killed a North Dakota sheriff’s deputy this week. Police received a report of a stolen SUV that was being driven on Wednesday night by 42-year-old Ian Cramer and‚ when law enforcement approached him‚ he drove off. Ian Cramer was charged with felony counts of manslaughter‚ fleeing a police officer‚ and reckless endangerment. He also was charged with a misdemeanor count of driving with a suspended license. Ian Cramer’s mother took him to the hospital on Wednesday night over concerns about his mental health. When she got out of the car‚ Ian jumped in the driver’s seat and took off. Law enforcement officials spotted the vehicle over an hour later and the situation quickly turned into a high-speed chase with Ian Cramer reaching speeds of over 100 mph. Deputy Paul Martin took cover behind his patrol car after setting up a tire deflation device on the road. When Ian Cramer saw the device‚ he swerved and hit the patrol car‚ thus ramming “directly into Martin’s person and launching him for about 100 feet‚” court documents said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP NDHP honors the memory and sacrifice of Mercer County Deputy Paul Martin and sends condolences to his family‚ friends and the entire Mercer County community. pic.twitter.com/54IUB7l26p — North Dakota Highway Patrol (@NDHighwayPatrol) December 7‚ 2023 Sen. Cramer addressed the incident in a statement‚ saying that his son “suffers from serious mental disorders which manifest in severe paranoia and hallucinations.” “Kris was with Ian when he insisted on going to his brother Ike. Ike died in 2018‚” said Cramer. “Kris took Ian to the Sanford Health emergency room in Bismarck. When she got out of our vehicle‚ Ian jumped into the driver’s seat and fled. Our daughter was able to track the car through Kris’ cell phone and lead officers to him in Mercer County‚ ND.” He said that he was focused on getting back to the state so that he could be with his family. “We grieve especially for the family of the hero who tried to help Ian‚ and we pray for our gracious God to show up as He always does in tragedy‚” he said. “We ask the public for prayers for the lost officer’s family and colleagues who serve us every day and are grateful for all they do for us. We also ask God for healing for Ian. We love him and hurt deeply.”

A Tennessee Republican has introduced an age verification bill intended to protect children from being exposed to pornography. On Wednesday‚ Rep. Patsy Hazlewood of Signal Mountain introduced the “Protect Tennessee Minors Act‚” which would require online pornography distributors to put in place age verification measures to ensure that children are unable to access the explicit content. “Exposing children to pornography is a form of child sexual abuse and exploitation that can severely damage a child’s intellectual development and emotional well-being. It can lead to difficulty in forming and maintaining positive relationships‚” said Hazlewood‚ the chair of the House Finance‚ Ways and Means committee. “This legislation will apply the same safeguards and restrictions to the online world that we already have in place in the physical world. The standard should be the same.” The proposed bill is similar to legislation that has been passed in other states‚ like Virginia and Utah‚ where age-verification measures have been implemented. In response‚ Pornhub blocked access to the site for both Virginia and Utah. Hazelwood’s bill would require companies to match a photograph of a user to a U.S. photo ID. Websites who didn’t require age-verification would be charged with a Class C felony‚ which could mean up to 15 years in prison and a $10‚000 fine. “My top priority is the safety and health of my children‚” said Jacob Levy‚ a Tennessee tech industry executive. “Pornography is a societal disaster. Modernizing existing laws to require age verification will protect children from it and help the internet stay digital‚ not degenerate.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP In 2017‚ Tennessee lawmakers passed a resolution that designated pornography as a public health hazard. “Pornography treats women and children as objects and often depicts rape and abuse as if they were harmless. Moreover‚ pornography equates violence towards women and children with sex and pain with pleasure‚ which increases the demand for sex trafficking‚ prostitution‚ and child sexual abuse images/child pornography‚” the resolution said. Exodus Cry‚ a Christian non-profit that works to help women and others impacted by sex trafficking‚ has previously praised the enactment of age verification laws. “The less Pornhub is accessible‚ the better! These age verification laws have been a long time coming and we’re celebrating every state that moves to protect children from the violent‚ dehumanizing porn which saturates the online world‚” the organization said on Instagram.

Around a century ago‚ the Spanish Flu killed 700‚000 people in this country. In terms of casualty count‚ that pandemic was deadlier than both World Wars‚ plus the wars in Vietnam and Korea‚ combined. The average life expectancy in this country dropped by 12 years virtually overnight. Many of the dead were young people. And yet‚ as the pandemic subsided‚ according to historians who have extensively documented this whole episode‚ life returned to normal in just a couple of years. Society didn’t reorder itself. There were no permanent changes to election law. Mail-in balloting didn’t become the norm. Clusters of effete Leftists in San Francisco and Portland didn’t insist on wearing masks for years afterwards. Things progressed. People moved on. Fast forward a century to the post-COVID era and‚ as you may have noticed‚ the exact opposite happened. Instead of moving on‚ elected officials have opted to indefinitely extend COVID policies‚ wherever possible. Some of these efforts are obvious. I just alluded to a few of them. But some of these efforts are not so obvious. In fact they’ve gotten basically no major media coverage whatsoever‚ even though they could affect your children in profound ways. In particular‚ with COVID as the pretext initially‚ there’s now a large-scale effort underway to transform schools into mini-hospitals‚ all for the benefit of a handful of startups that are funded out of Silicon Valley. You thought the point of school was to provide an education for your child‚ but that’s not the case anymore. Now the point is to turn students into patients‚ in order to enrich investors in California. School is now‚ supposedly‚ a one-stop shop for all your children’s educational and medical and psychiatric needs. WATCH: The Matt Walsh Show According to research from the Kaiser Family Foundation‚ prior to COVID‚ there were‚ “essentially zero” Telehealth appointments for mental-health and substance-related issues. You could look throughout the entire country‚ and you’d find that it’s just not something that was done. Beginning around March of 2021‚ though‚ everything changed. That year‚ Telehealth technology exploded in popularity. It was used for more than one-third of all outpatient visits for these symptoms. Telehealth went from something no one used‚ to something more than 33 percent of patients nationwide were participating in. Nothing like that has ever happened before. Many of these new patients were students‚ in grades K through 12. As the Associated Press reports this week‚ “Now at least 16 of the 20 largest U.S. public school districts are offering online therapy sessions to reach millions of students. … In those districts alone‚ schools have signed provider contracts worth more than $70 million.” Have you heard about that? Unless you read the AP‚ probably not. You were never asked to vote on this. It just happened‚ whether you like it or not. One of the largest Telehealth providers in schools today is called “Hazel Health.” They’re active in more than 150 school districts‚ across 15 states. Just this year‚ the AP reports‚ Hazel signed a $24 million contract with Los Angeles County to provide “tele-therapy” to more than a million students. Hazel has also signed lucrative deals in Hawaii‚ Nevada‚ Florida‚ Texas‚ Washington‚ Georgia. A lot of taxpayer money is being spent‚ all of a sudden‚ on in-school therapy for kids. Tens of millions more dollars spent by the school system‚ to go along with the billions that it wastes.  But the bigger issue‚ beyond the cost of all of this‚ is that schools shouldn’t be handling any of it in the first place. This is maybe the most egregious example of “mission creep” in modern history. It should go without saying that schools are not hospitals and they’re not mental health facilities. Outside of dealing with minor injuries — which school nurses can handle‚ and have always been able to handle — schools should not be offering full-service medical care‚ least of all psychiatric care. They certainly shouldn’t be promoting mental health treatments via the Internet.  This is the biggest problem‚ and the thing we should all be stopping to think about. Why are schools spending tens of millions of dollars to offer therapy to kids?  It used to be — back in my day — that the school guidance counselor was really just the school’s version of an HR rep for the students. You’d talk to the guidance counselor if you have some kind of issue with another student‚ or a teacher‚ or whatever. She would give you a sticker or a coloring book and send you on your way. The guidance counselor’s role was relatively narrow.  But now‚ increasingly‚ schools are taking it upon themselves to play shrink. They’re referring children to Zoom calls with anonymous doctors for talk therapy. And parents often have no idea what exactly is being said in these sessions. It’s true that parents have to consent to these Telehealth providers seeing their children‚ but beyond that‚ the whole point of the practice is that parents don’t have to come and get their kids. Parents can stay at their jobs. Meanwhile‚ a Telehealth provider is free to‚ say‚ affirm a child’s gender delusions‚ or misdiagnosis a serious illness. There are a lot of issues here. One — and not even the biggest one — is the quality of care kids will receive. Time Magazine looked into this back in November of 2022. They reported at the time that‚  TIME interviewed six mental-health professionals who formerly worked for telepsych or substance-treatment startups‚ some of whom asked to remain anonymous because they still work in mental-health care. Regardless of their employer‚ they had similar complaints: appointments were too short to properly treat and assess patients; clinicians were overworked; and policies around prescribing drugs and treating complex cases often weren’t rigorous enough. TIME also reported that‚  Federal investigators are probing prescription practices at Done and Cerebral‚ a popular startup that offers virtual therapy and medication management for depression‚ anxiety‚ insomnia‚ ADHD‚ bipolar disorder‚ and substance-use disorders for as little as $99 per month—and that some former employees have said overprescribes stimulants for ADHD. In May‚ pharmacy giants including CVS and Walmart stopped filling controlled-substance prescriptions from Cerebral and Done clinicians. For its part‚ The Wall Street Journal found that‚  Done‚ run by a former Facebook product manager with no medical training‚ also advertises heavily on social media. Done’s clinicians continue to prescribe stimulants‚ sometimes after appointments as short as 10 minutes. More broadly‚ when people go to Telehealth providers‚ they’re often being misdiagnosed. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic looked at around 2‚400 patients who underwent a video Telehealth consultation‚ followed by an in-person visit for the same problem. They found that in 13 percent of cases‚ the diagnosis didn’t match up. That might not seem like a lot — and indeed‚ the Mayo Clinic touts this as a positive number. But it’s not. It means that out of just 2‚400 people‚ more than 300 of them were misdiagnosed. That‚ it would seem to me‚ is obviously a major problem. WATCH: “Lady Ballers” on DailyWire+ It’s no secret why these businesses have appeared out of nowhere‚ and immediately acquired an enormous amount of funding. Children and young adults are experiencing extraordinarily high levels of mental distress in this country. This year alone‚ more than 60 percent of teenage girls reported feeling persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness. The director of the CDC’s school health division‚ Kathleen Ethier‚ said that in 30 years of collecting data on depression among young people‚ “we’ve never seen this kind of devastating‚ consistent findings.” When you look at the long-term data‚ you can see why the CDC is saying that. According to a recent report in Education Week‚ CDC data shows that‚  Forty-two percent of high school students in 2021 reported feeling so sad or hopeless for at least two consecutive weeks in the previous year that they stopped engaging in their usual activities‚ up from 26 percent in 2009. So children are more depressed than they’ve been in a very long time. And now they’re being “treated” with a brand-new form of “Telehealth talk therapy” — therapy offered in school — even though there’s very little evidence that talk therapy actually accomplishes anything. Just this year‚ The New York Times reported that a recent meta-analysis found that‚ “more than half of the patients receiving therapy [for depression] had little or no benefit.” A 2022 paper out of Germany‚ meanwhile‚ determined that‚ “After more than half a century of research” and “millions of invested funds‚” the positive impact of therapy and medication was‚ “limited.” In other words‚ a lot of people relied on therapy to fix their problems‚ and therapy did absolutely nothing for them. In fact‚ especially if they were counting on this therapy to fix their issues‚ it may have made their mental problems even worse. That’s the very thin evidence that supports in-person talk therapy. The evidence supporting Zoom therapy is even more scant. There’s really no reason to think that it helps at all.  So this is another area where we are essentially conducting psychological experiments on children. “Hey let’s see what happens when we have kids sit in therapy sessions with some random person over Zoom! Maybe it will help them‚ maybe it will screw them up more. Let’s find out!” There’s a lot of this kind of thing going around. Across the country‚ many school districts‚ and many parents‚ are allowing this to take place. And they’re doing it‚ ostensibly‚ because of the widely reported “mental health crisis” with our kids. But the problem is that there’s a lot of confusion about the cause of this crisis. Usually the problem is blamed on an epidemic of “bullying.” I mentioned the AP article about the‚ as they put it‚ “booming business of online therapy‚” which schools are now turning to‚ and spending tens of millions of dollars on. That article starts with an anecdote about a young girl who was bullied in school‚ called fat and ugly‚ and so she is now in online therapy with whatever therapist her school connected her with. The obvious implication is that this is why we need our schools to increasingly provide psychiatric care to kids. Because of all the bullying that goes on. But kids have always been bullied. Arguably‚ if you’ve ever listened to your parents or grandparents talk about their public school horror stories‚ bullying used to be considerably worse than it is these days. And back then‚ kids weren’t going to therapy over it. They certainly weren’t going to therapy at school. They also generally weren’t psychologically devastated by the bullying to the same degree that kids today are. Because it is probably true that kids today are more anxious‚ confused‚ and depressed than ever before. Childhood suicide used to be basically unheard of. Now it’s a growing epidemic. So something is going on here. There is a major problem. And the schools have come up with all kinds of schemes to allegedly help solve it‚ which now includes putting millions of kids in therapy during school hours. But it’s not helping‚ and it won’t‚ because the people addressing the mental health crisis don’t understand where it comes from. Here’s where it comes from: What lies behind it is a deliberate effort to psychologically and spiritually destabilize our children. This is an effort that’s been undertaken in large part by the school system itself‚ which now pretends that it wants to solve the problem that it is actively helping to create. Our children are lost‚ untethered‚ vulnerable. That’s why they’re so incapable of coping with the kinds of challenges that kids in the past handled relatively easily. It’s because of the conditioning they’ve been subjected to. Kids are indoctrinated into a worldview where reality is uncertain‚ truth doesn’t exist‚ their own biological identity is fluid and subject to change‚ their country is evil‚ their ancestors were bigoted troglodytes. They’re taught to be suspicious of their own families and their parents. For years‚ they were told to stay inside‚ and not talk to anyone‚ because they might spread a virus that had a minuscule chance of causing them any harm whatsoever. If they’re white‚ they are taught to hate their own race. If male‚ to hate their own sex. They are severed from all anchors of meaning and purpose‚ and then we look around and wonder why they’re all so depressed. Then we send them to therapists who invariably will enforce the indoctrination that put them in this state of psychological distress in the first place. But schools aren’t even doing that‚ really. They’re not bothering to refer kids to the psychiatrist’s office. Now schools are simply putting iPads in front of childrens’ faces‚ and connecting them with TikTok nurses who will affirm every delusion they have. They’re doing this allegedly to save parents some time‚ but in reality it’s about making a few Big Tech startups a lot of money‚ and about solidifying the indoctrination they’re getting in school. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP And so far‚ parents are going along with it. In school districts all over the country‚ they’re handing their kids over to Zoom shrinks while they stay at work. All the while‚ they’ll just have to hope that their children don’t get the wrong diagnosis‚ or receive a prescription for some drug they don’t need‚ or end up with more mental problems than they already had.  We’re told this is the future of medicine. And whether you like it or not‚ whether you consented to it or not‚ it’s probably on its way to your child’s school.

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