As Floridians in the state’s Big Bend braced Thursday evening for the arrival Hurricane Helene, the storm strengthened to a category 4 major hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center. In the run-up to landfall, the National Hurricane Center stated in a 7:06 p.m. eastern time update: “Sustained tropical-storm-force winds are being reported along the west coast of Florida, with wind gusts near hurricane-force. Tropical storm conditions are approaching the coastline of Florida’s Big Bend.” The New York Times notes that Helene is packing sustained maximum wind speeds of 130 mph as it heads toward the shore, and is bringing with it a “two-story-high wall of water.” The National Hurricane Center predicts storm surge of between 10 and 20 feet in parts of the Big Bend “if peak surge occurs at high tide,” with the areas on either side seeing anything from 3 to 12 feet. The Skyway Bridge and the Howard Frankland Bridge are both CLOSED due to high winds and storm surge. Motorists should stay off the highways. #Helene pic.twitter.com/OAM2aMUPEP — FHP Tampa (@FHPTampa) September 26, 2024 According to the National Weather Center, 110+ mph winds will be experienced in parts of the Big Bend, including in Tallahassee, with winds between 58 mph and 74 mph as far north as Atlanta, Georgia, and as far east as Charleston, South Carolina. Water beginning to come over walls off the beach in Indian Shores. Also, as the sheriff said earlier…someone is gonna “win a stupid prize…” #HurricaneHelene pic.twitter.com/jLISw266dt — Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office (@SheriffPinellas) September 26, 2024 Helene is the ninth named storm of the 2024 hurricane season, and the fourth to hit the Gulf Coast. The storm is sizable, with The Weather Channel noting that hurricane warnings are “in effect from Florida’s Big Bend and Nature Coast into middle Georgia, including from Tallahassee to Albany and Macon.” Hurricane #Helene has rapidly intensified into a Category 4 storm. Worse case scenario with several more hours left for additional strengthening. pic.twitter.com/2LHhP510Ce — Colin McCarthy (@US_Stormwatch) September 26, 2024 In a Thursday press conference, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis warned residents to be prepared. “We can’t control how strong this hurricane’s going to get. We can’t control the track of the hurricane, but what you can control is what you can do to put yourself in the best chance to be able to ride this out in a way that’s going to be safe.”

Matthew McConaughey doesn’t just have skills on the big screen, he’s got skills on the soccer field, too. Three days ago, a video surfaced online of him doing an incredible soccer trick, and the internet, and Matthew, were very excited about it. Check it out below. Matthew McConaughey Is A Soccer Star? View this post on Instagram A post shared by Austin FC (@austinfc) Matthew McConaughey joined Austin FC, an American professional men’s soccer club in Austin, Texas, for a day on the field. While there, the movie star was challenged to complete a difficult goal. While some may have doubted him, Matthew McConaughey walked towards the ball with confidence. There was a small hole in the upper right-hand side of the goal, and the object was to hit the soccer ball through that small hole. As Matthew stepped up and kicked the ball, it glided through the air and sailed perfectly into that hole. He and his fellow players on the field were ecstatic. Those who watch the video can hear Matthew McConaughey as he screams “Oohhhhhhhh” and runs around the field with excitement. His companion places his hands on his head in utter disbelief. As Matthew runs off the field, fans can hear him say, “That’s the second time,” proving that this moment captured on video was not his only incredible feat. Matthew McConaughey The Athlete Although he never played soccer as a child, Matthew McConaughey was an athlete. In an interview with The Sporting News, he listed all the sports he played as a child and young adult. “He said he played football and baseball until he attended Longview High School when he took up tennis and golf.” Fans on Instagram are loving his continued athletic spirit. One user commented, “And he did it barefooted bravo Matthew .” Another added, “Alright alright alright, I’m a fan again… .” A third added, “It’s his little “hehe” laugh right at the end for me .” Fans love that Matthew McConaughey is a star on the screen and on the soccer field. The source of the featured image is here. The post Matthew McConaughey Loses It After Nailing Insane Soccer Trick Shot appeared first on InspireMore.

Smartmatic had initially sought damages amounting to billions

'Ban noncitizen voting'

'they plan to end it'

'This is an outrageous betrayal'

When I wrote last week on the clever (and misleading) statement from Vice President Kamala Harris linking the pursuit of diverse energy sources with freedom from foreign oil dependence, I suspected there was more to the story. I just hadn’t stumbled on the evidence—until I saw a headline referencing a recent study documented in a research article published by PNAS. For the uninitiated, PNAS is a well-known scientific journal trusted by many but not by all.  The title of the research article is: “Effects of system-sanctioned framing on climate awareness and environmental action in the United States and beyond.” Sounds pretty heady, I know. But I bought it and read it so you don’t have to.  The purpose of the study is to determine whether people are more likely to get on board with climate action if they are first exposed to “patriotic” and “system-sanctioned” messaging. My Spidey sense is already tingling, because there’s a hypothesis embedded in that purpose and it doesn’t feel right.  They didn’t go into the study wondering whether people might be influenced by some sort of messaging (that would sound like objective science). They began with a specific message—which means someone wanted to know whether that particular message would have the desired effect. That sounds like an agenda. So let’s consider the inciting incident for such a story. The authors note that planetary concern alone has failed to inspire enough people to make the sacrifices needed to avert an alleged disaster. It seems many of us, like the poor R2 unit, have a bad motivator. So we need something else. Something more visceral. Something that really moves us.  That something, it turns out, is the status quo. Here in America, we care deeply about preserving our way of life. And we should—it’s a good way. In fact, the authors suggest the status quo is what keeps many people from taking action. Their version of supposedly saving the planet requires changes that impact our way of life, and we naturally resist such changes—especially if we’re not convinced the cause is real. So someone hatched a plan to use our defense against us. And they tested their idea with this study. Here’s how they did it. They presented participants with a series of statements and sentimental photos that connect environmental themes with happiness and life in America. It ends with “Let’s keep the United States as it should be.” Shrewd. After looking at the “messaging,” the participants answered questions about the severity of climate change and what should be done about it—from raising taxes to government-mandated “sustainable” energy. The control group, who only read a random passage from “Great Expectations,” answered the same questions. And now for the exciting conclusion:  In a large, nationally representative U.S. sample, we found that the system-sanctioned change intervention successfully increased liberal-leftists’ as well as conservative-rightists’ belief in climate change; support for pro-environmental policies; and willingness to share climate information on social media. Sounds Orwellian? I thought so too.  It’s probably no coincidence this study was published on Sept. 9 and the presidential debate was one day later. Kudos to the Kamala Harris team for picking it up and weaving it in so quickly—unless perhaps they had an advance copy, since it was accepted by PNAS in June. There’s a lot I could say about the study itself and how the “messaging” is constructed using the principle rules of propaganda. But few of us are truly innocent of that charge, even for honorable purposes. Nonetheless, the mission for this sort of message is not to win on logical grounds. In the words of the research article: We tested an experimental manipulation derived from system justification theory in which pro-environmental initiatives were framed as patriotic and necessary to maintain the American “way of life.” From the text it is objectively clear that someone wants to manipulate us. Someone wants us to hear something that makes us go along with what they want. If the intention were genuinely about protecting our way of life, then the environment is a consideration. But in today’s world the chief factor is affordable, reliable energy—without which everything stops. If we truly want to “keep the United States as it should be,” then it all starts with energy. And the only proven solution at this time comes from cheap, abundant oil and natural gas. We have plenty of that in America to maintain our way of life for a long time. At least until someone perfects dilithium crystals.  This allegedly scientific study is not about preserving our way of life. But it certainly provides a base from which to launch a barrage of new messaging. Coming soon to a campaign near you. Originally published by RealClearEnergy and made available via RealClearWire The post The New Campaign for Climate Patriotism appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Twenty state attorneys general are accusing the nation’s largest association of pediatricians of violating state consumer-protection laws in relation to gender dysphoria care for minors and transgender children. The AGs’ letter, spearheaded by Idaho Attorney General Raul R. Labrador, was addressed to leaders of the Itasca, Illinois-based American Academy of Pediatrics. “It is abusive to treat a child with biologically altering drugs that have an unknown physiological trajectory and end point,” Labrador wrote. “It is also inhumane to endorse such experimentation without a confident safety profile, especially if more times than not, it proves to be medically unnecessary.”  Labrador says in the letter Tuesday that an Idaho law, Code § 48-603(17), prohibits “engaging in any act or practice that is otherwise misleading, false, or deceptive to the consumer.” AAP’s Compliance with State Consumer Protection LawsDownload In a 2018 report, the pediatricians’ association claimed that giving puberty blockers to children was “reversible,” and then doubled down on that last year, according to the attorneys generals’ letter.  But the National Health Service of England in April released a document, the “Cass Report,” which was created to help transgender children get safe care, and according to Labrador’s letter, explains possible “irreversible consequences” of puberty blockers for children.  CassReview_FinalDownload Among the consequences listed are irreversible neurocognitive development, problems with bone density and metabolic health, difficulties with normal pubertal experience, and infertility and sterility.  “Telling parents and children that puberty blockers are ‘reversible’ at the very least conveys assurance that no permanent harm or change will occur,” the heavily footnoted, 10-page letter states. “But that claim cannot be made in the face of the unstudied and ‘novel’ use of puberty blockers to treat gender dysphoria.”  Labrador also highlighted the AAP’s affiliation with the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), and insinuates that the pediatricians association’s stances on transgender children’s health have been inappropriately influenced by political agendas. “We are additionally concerned about AAP’s involvement in pressuring WPATH to make last-minute changes to [Standards of Care, Version 8] based on political considerations—and then assuring the public that those same standards are ‘evidence-based,’” Idaho’s top law enforcement officer wrote.  The “Standards of Care for the Health of Transgender and Gender Diverse People, Version 8” (SOC8), is a guide from WPATH that it says is meant to lead clinicians in helping trans people. The organization also claims that the standards are meant to “maximize” the overall health, psychological well-being, and self-fulfillment of trans people and that the assistance from ‘health professionals’ may include primary care, gynecologic and urologic care, reproductive options, voice and communication therapy, mental health services, or hormonal and surgical treatments. Earlier this year, two investigative reporters, Michael Shellenberger and Mia Hughes, published the WPATH files, which exposed WPATH’s own knowledge of the harmful side effects from “gender-affirming care,” The Daily Signal reported in March. WPATH FilesDownload The attorneys general are demanding transparency from the pediatricians association, with the letter containing a list of 14 questions that it says it wants answered by the AAP on or before Oct. 8.  The letter calls on the pediatricians group to provide, among other things, “substantiation for the AAP’s claims that puberty blockers are reversible when used to treat adolescents suffering from gender dysphoria.” The AAP and WPATH did not respond to The Daily Signal’s requests for comment. The post 20 State AGs Accuse Pediatricians Group of Promoting ‘Abusive’ Treatment of Gender Dysphoric Kids, ‘Misleading’ Public appeared first on The Daily Signal.

A national survey released weeks before the Nov. 5 presidential election shows most voters know little about the personal impacts of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which is set to expire at the end of 2025. The survey, conducted by Public Opinion Strategies on behalf of Stand Together, shows that 76% of voters, an overwhelming majority, say now is a bad time to increase taxes, and only 5% say it is a good time. The other 18% said it was neither a good time nor a bad time. The Tax Foundation has estimated that if the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act expires next year, a single parent with one child making $30,000 per year will pay more than $1,000 more in taxes annually. A family of four making $75,000 is estimated to face a tax increase of more than $1,500. Former President Donald Trump signed the TCJA, often called the Trump tax cuts, into law in 2017, and it is set to expire at the end of 2025. During the debate between the Republican nominee and Kamala Harris, the vice president claimed they were “tax cuts for billionaires.” To date, Harris has not answered the question if she would let them expire. The survey of 1,000 likely voters was conducted nationally Sept. 5-9 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.53 percentage points in 95 out of 100 cases. This sentiment on tax increases was broad and bipartisan, with 89% of Republicans, 74% of independents, and 65% of Democrats all saying that now is a bad time to raise taxes. The survey showed unprecedented support for keeping the current tax rates, with voters viewing the expiration of the TCJA as a tax increase. The survey showed that a whopping 90% of voters said that if they were in Congress and had a choice between keeping current tax rates or raising taxes, they would vote to keep the current rates. It also showed that 72% of voters, including 66% of independents and over 60% of Democrats, view doing nothing and letting the tax rates expire as a tax rate increase. The survey also showed that the majority of independent voters said increasing the corporate tax rate would hurt small businesses. Over 61.7 million people work in small businesses, of which there are over 33 million in our country, according to data from the Small Business Administration. Independent voters also said increasing the corporate tax rate will hurt American consumers and middle-class families the most because corporations will be forced to cut jobs, increase prices, and possibly move their headquarters to other countries. In August, Harris proposed increasing the corporate tax rate to 28%, according to campaign spokesperson James Singer. Trump cut the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% when he was president. The survey showed that after voters heard messaging about the impacts of increasing the corporate tax rate, voters swung 20 points against the increase and across partisan lines, including a 36-point increase in opposition with soft Republicans, and a 24-point increase in opposition among independents. There is also a sizable increase in opposition among key demographics, such as voters aged 18-34 and those without college degrees. COPYRIGHT 2024 CREATORS.COM The post Voters Moving Right on Tax Cuts, Poll Shows appeared first on The Daily Signal.

A kind person helped a group of cats after they lost the only home they had ever known. To his surprise, one of them had kittens. Lilah and her kittensChatonsOrphelinsMontrealSeven cats found themselves outside of their own home after their owner sadly passed away. They were lost and scared and had nowhere to go until a kind-hearted person came across them.While onsite for work, Samuel was shocked to discover the hungry and thirsty cats in the yard. "He gave them some water, and they lapped it right up," Chatons Orphelins Montreal shared."He went to a convenience store to get some canned food, and the cats scarfed it down." Lilah was left outside of her home with six other catsChatonsOrphelinsMontrealKnowing the cats couldn't stay there, he took matters into his own hands. "He decided to secure all seven of them and place them in his house until he could find a rescue to help them."He borrowed a humane trap and returned to the location with cans of food. The hungry cats were immediately drawn in, and, one by one, they were led to safety. ChatonsOrphelinsMontrealSamuel transported the sickest cat to Chatons Orphelins Montreal so he could be treated right away. To his surprise, while caring for the remaining six in his home, one of them, Lilah, gave birth to three kittens.His house was already full, and the shy mother cat urgently needed a quiet space to raise her young. She surprised her rescuer when she gave birth to three kittensChatonsOrphelinsMontrealThe compassionate volunteers at Chatons Orphelins Montreal stepped up once again and arranged for a foster home for the family of four. "She was very anxious initially and didn't let anyone approach her. Her kittens were ten days old and underweight."They immediately put Lilah on a nutrient-rich diet to help improve her milk production. Lilah learned to trust with the help of treatsChatonsOrphelinsMontrealThe kittens began gaining weight, and their energy levels soared. "Their foster family takes wonderful care of them and weighs the kittens daily. There are two girls, Dottie and Iris, and one boy, Narcisse."The mama cat was timid but accepted help from her humans and allowed them to be around her babies. ChatonsOrphelinsMontrealLilah started taking treats from a wooden spatula, slowly coming out of her shell. With excellent care and boundless food, she grew more confident each day, and soon, she felt comfortable enough to step away from her kittens to refuel and relax.As soon as the kittens found their legs, they began exploring the room, keeping their mom on her toes. ChatonsOrphelinsMontrealLilah no longer hides away and spends her days happily lounging with her kittens. She keeps them immaculately clean and teaches them all the essentials of being a cat.The kittens have grown by leaps and bounds. They can eat on their own now but still enjoy nuzzling their mom for comfort. ChatonsOrphelinsMontrealThanks to the rescuer and volunteers, these three kittens are growing up knowing only comfort and love.At two months old, they've entered the rambunctious phase of zoomies and playful antics. The trio is constantly on the move, running, jumping, and wrestling with each other until they tire out from all the shenanigans. ChatonsOrphelinsMontrealWhile the kittens are busy perfecting their feline skills, Lilah watches from the sidelines, starting to focus on her own needs and learning to appreciate the love and attention from her humans. ChatonsOrphelinsMontrealShare this story with your friends. More on Lilah and her kittens and Chatons Orphelins Montreal on Instagram and Facebook.Related story: Kitten Meows All Day After Being Found in the Road, Crew of Cats Take Him in, Making Him Feel Like He Belongs