A person who holds Vice President Kamala Harris' views on gun control cannot hold high office in a free republic. No matter how she attempts to soften those views to appeal to low-information voters in swing states, Harris poses a threat to the Second Amendment, which, more than any of...

2025 Ducati Multistrada V4 S Ducati has announced updates to its Multistrada V4 for the 2025 model year, including three versions: the base Ducati Multistrada V4, the up-spec V4 S, and the sportier V4 Pikes Peak. Updates to Ducati’s flagship ADV models are mostly focused on electronics and rider aids, adding sophistication to models already teeming with technology.  2025 Ducati Multistrada V4  All the updates present on the base model V4 carry over onto the V4 S and the V4 Pikes Peak as well, with most of the revisions benefiting rider and passenger comfort and safety. Many of these updates are possible thanks to the new Ducati Vehicle Observer function, which uses input from 70 sensors to analyze data and refine strategies for cornering ABS, wheelie control, and traction control. DVO estimates the ground forces acting on the motorcycle and accounts for the bike’s load, the rider’s riding style, and the road conditions.  2025 Ducati Multistrada V4 S The Multistrada V4 is equipped with Ducati’s extended cylinder-deactivation technology, which is refined for 2025. With this tech, the rear cylinders are now switched off during slow-speed riding as well as when stationary. The rear cylinders are automatically reactivated when speed increases. This system is claimed to improve fuel consumption and emissions by 6% compared to the previous model.  The V4 features three levels of engine brake control, and the Electronic Combined Braking System modulates braking action on both the front and rear brakes and now accounts for vehicle load. In addition to the front-to-rear application, the system now also includes a rear-to-front function that optimizes braking power when pressing only the rear brake control.  2025 Ducati Multistrada V4 S Five ride modes are present on the V4, including the updated Enduro mode and the new Wet mode. In Enduro mode, power is limited to 114 hp (from 170 hp), traction control switches to a lower interventional level, wheelie control is switched off, rear-wheel ABS is deactivated, and cornering and rear lift-up detection are inhibited. Wet mode provides riders with a gentler ride in wet conditions with reduced grip.  The Multistrada V4 also gets updated styling to more closely resemble the Panigale V4, particularly in the front end. The double front headlight is framed by newly painted parts, and the new silencer has a sharper shape. It is also equipped with cornering lights to illuminate the inside corner of a turn when leaning, as well as a Coming Home function that leaves the low-beam light on for a few seconds after turning off the ignition.  The V4’s aluminum monocoque frame and shell-cast-aluminum double-sided swingarm return, but the swingarm is now mounted on a pin repositioned 1mm higher to decrease squatting.  Returning is the 1,158cc V4 Granturismo engine, which delivers 170 hp at 10,750 rpm and 91 lb-ft of torque at 9,000 rpm. Also included is a counter-rotating crankshaft derived from Ducati’s MotoGP experience.  2025 Ducati Multistrada V4 S 2025 Ducati Multistrada V4 S  The V4 S receives the updates of the base model in addition to a few extras, including a more advanced suspension system. The V4 S is equipped with the semi-active Skyhook DSS EVO system, with a new sensor mounted on the fork and equipped with functions, such as bump detection, that allow the system to adapt rear suspension response in real time. It is also equipped with self-leveling functionality in Rider, Rider+Passenger, and Luggage configurations, and the rider can change suspension settings while on the move.  The V4 S is also equipped with Ducati’s Automatic Lowering Device, which is updated for 2025. The device lowers the seat by 1.1 inches when speed drops below 6 mph. When speeds increase above 31 mph, the bike returns to its normal riding height. This system can also be deactivated by the rider. Also upgraded for 2025 is the monoshock’s preload range, which increases from 12mm to 20.  2025 Ducati Multistrada V4 S New for 2025 on the V4 S is Forward Collision Warning, which warns the rider of a potential collision with a vehicle ahead via a pop-up alert on the 6.5-inch TFT display. Also updated is the brake light function, which flashes and activates the turnsignals when decelerating to warn vehicles behind.  The Ducati Multistrada V4 S will also be available in a Travel & Radar trim, which includes a centerstand, heated grips and seats, front and rear radar, and polymer side cases.  2025 Ducati Multistrada V4 Pikes Peak  The Pikes Peak version includes sportier features and ergonomics for more aggressive riding, including a single-sided swingarm and forged 17-inch wheels. It also gets a MotoGP-inspired “Pikes Peak” livery with number plates on the side panels and windshield.  2025 Ducati Multistrada V4 Pikes Peak Also included on the Pikes Peak version are carbon-fiber parts, an Akrapovič titanium silencer, a gold-anodized Öhlins fork, the V4 logo on the seat, and the Ducati Corse shield on the beak.  The riding position is also more aggressive than the other Multistradas, with higher and more rearward footpegs and a lower and narrower handlebar. The Pikes Peak version’s five-spoke wheels are wrapped in Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV sport tires.   The Race riding mode on the Pikes Peak replaces Enduro mode and offers a race-oriented adjustment for the rev limiter. The up/down quickshifter also received a dedicated calibration for aggressive downshifting.  2025 Ducati Multistrada V4 Pikes Peak These differences are in addition to all the technology and features also present on the V4 and V4 S models, making the Multistrada Pikes Peak the most feature-rich version of the Multistrada family.  2025 Ducati Multistrada V4, V4 S, and V4 Pikes Peak Pricing and Availability  All three models will begin arriving in dealerships in the first quarter of 2025. The 2025 Ducati Multistrada V4 has an MSRP of $19,995. The V4 S retails at $28,305, and the V4 Pikes Peak has an MSRP of $32,995.  Visit the Ducati website for more information.  Check out more new bikes in Rider’s 2025 Motorcycle Buyers Guide  The post 2025 Ducati Multistrada V4, V4 S, and V4 Pikes Peak Preview  appeared first on Rider Magazine.

Vice President Kamala Harris, the 2024 Democrat nominee, articulated her stance on Second Amendment issues during a live event with Oprah Winfrey on Thursday evening in Farmington Hills, Michigan.

A University of Illinois-Bloomington student was awarded six figures in damages after a jury found the university had discriminated against him based on his sex. The student, who will be referred to as John Doe, appears to be the first student who has won on Title IX grounds – that is, he was found to be discriminated against specifically because he was a male and not on the grounds that the school breached its contract with him. In June 2020, John was a student at IU and matched with a woman who will be referred to as Jane Doe on a dating app. On the evening of June 16, 2020, Jane texted John and agreed to come to his house for a date, even after John suggested meeting somewhere else. Jane arrived at John’s house, and the two talked for a bit. They had two glasses of wine, including a glass Jane had poured for each of them. Just after midnight, Jane received a phone call from a friend asking if she needed a ride home, but she said no. She texted the friend about 40 minutes later to say “looks like I’ll be here a hot minute,” according to court documents reviewed by The Daily Wire. Jane would later claim that immediately after this, she “blacked out” and didn’t remember anything that happened – and suggested that John had drugged her. John says in his lawsuit against the university that Jane showed no signs of incapacitation or being blacked out – which is a state of mind where the brain doesn’t form short-term memories, but people in such a state can appear completely coherent. He said Jane started kissing him, and the two went up to his room where they, two math majors, completed complex math problems. The two then laid down in John’s bed and, according to John, Jane initiated sexual contact with him, removing her shirt and bra and initiating kissing. John said in his lawsuit that he asked to stop, feeling they were moving too fast. He went to the bathroom and returned to find Jane asleep in his bed, so he got into bed next to her and fell asleep as well. At some point, Jane started receiving calls from her roommate but wouldn’t wake up when John tried to let her know. He said he eventually answered the call and said Jane was asleep and didn’t want to talk. Jane’s roommate told him that she was coming to get Jane. This roommate later said they found Jane naked in John’s bed and that she appeared “out of it.” With John’s help, the roommate and another friend gathered Jane’s things and left John’s house. Early the next morning, John texted Jane to say he was “sorry about last night,” referring to the awkwardness of Jane leaving his home. Jane claimed she didn’t know what happened and that her roommate was mad at her. Jane claimed she “did not know how she got that drunk” and told John she was “really sorry,” according to court documents. The two discussed the events of the previous night and Jane’s level of intoxication. About seven hours after their encounter, Jane texted John, saying, “You do realize you sexually assaulted me, right? I just talked to my roommate and got a much better idea of what happened last night.” John didn’t respond. A couple of days later, Jane went to the hospital for a rape test kit and drug test. She then reported John to the police and IU. Police investigated, and no charges were brought, but IU went ahead with its own investigation that didn’t allow John full use of counsel, denied him the ability to cross-examine witnesses, and gave him only a single, time-limited chance to see the evidence against him. He was found not responsible for drugging Jane – and she never turned over the results of her drug test – but was still found responsible for sexually assaulting her, even by her own admission she only had 2-and-a-half glasses of wine. Am I Racist? Is In Theaters NOW — Get Your Tickets Here! John sued the university, and the case went all the way to a jury trial, which ruled in favor of John and awarded him $136,782.60, which, according to his attorney, Jonathan Little, is less than what he paid in legal fees. Little told The Daily Wire that he typically represents victims but has been taking cases involving false accusations of men on college campuses. “The process given to these men is just a farce,” he said, noting that the current campus climate at IU and other schools “gives the impression that any young lady can run to Illinois University and cry rape.” He added that IU spent the trial going over its policies, essentially arguing that it could follow its own policies and not the law set forth under Title IX. “IU’s hubris lost them this case and I hope that what we did is replicable – I believe that it is – and I hope that other lawyers can look at this and do the same thing,” he told The Daily Wire. The university did not respond to a Daily Wire inquiry prior to press time.

The U.S. Secret Service admitted to numerous failures on Friday during the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump on July 13 at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Secret Service acting Director Ronald Rowe said during a press conference that the Secret Service was solely responsible for protecting the president and presidential candidates and that it needed to be able to fulfill its mission without support from the Department of Homeland Security. “The Secret Service did not give clear guidance or direction to our local law enforcement partners,” he said. “There were communication deficiencies between law enforcement personnel at the site. For example, the Secret Service did not co-locate its security room with local law enforcement, there was an over-reliance on mobile devices, resulting in information being siloed.” Rowe laid out a timeline of events that demonstrated how these issues caused inaction by the Secret Service in the moments leading up to Trump being shot by the would-be assassin. Am I Racist? Is In Theaters NOW — Get Your Tickets Here! “With respect to diligence, line of sight issues were acknowledged but not properly mitigated,” he said. “Issues were encountered the day of the visit with respect to line of sight concerns, but they were not escalated to supervisors. While some members of the advance team were very diligent, there was complacency on the part of others that led to a breach of security protocols.” Rowe added that the Secret Service agents who failed that day would be “held accountable” through a “robust table of penalties” that would be administered. He said that in light of the events of July 13 and the second assassination attempt on Trump on Sunday, the agency would be undergoing a transformational “paradigm shift” in how it approaches its mission. “The paradigm shift will be a driving force to move the Secret Service from a state of reaction to a state of readiness,” he said. “And the vision is for the Secret Service to be more agile, with the ability to escalate protection to the highest levels for numerous protectees for undetermined periods of time. But in order to do this, we need additional personnel, technical assets, and equipment for the sustainment of immediate and future needs.”