Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) said during the vice presidential debate on Tuesday that Vice President Kamala Harris is responsible for the “real family separation policy” in the United States. The CBS moderators asked Vance, who was facing off against Minnesota Democratic Governor Tim Walz, about the Trump campaign’s plan for deportations. .@JDVance: "The REAL family separation policy int his country is unfortunately Kamala Harris's WIDE OPEN southern border. I'd ask my fellow Americans to remember, when she came into office, she said she was going to do this. Real leadership would be saying, 'I screwed up, we're… pic.twitter.com/mGG5cqXbCS — Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) October 2, 2024 Vance quickly steered his answer to discuss how President Joe Biden tasked Harris — who is now the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee — with getting a grip on the “root causes” of migration to the southern U.S. border. He later turned his response back to the question, and in particular as it relates to the issue of family separations. Am I Racist? Is In Theaters NOW — Get Your Tickets Here! “Right now in this country, we have 320,000 children that the Department of Homeland Security has effectively lost,” Vance said. After lamenting how some of the kids may get thrown into sex trafficking or mixed up in drug trafficking, Vance took another swipe at Harris. “The real family separation policy is unfortunately Kamala Harris’ wide open southern border,” Vance said. Vance contended that “real leadership” would involve an admission that undoing the border policies of his running mate, former President Donald Trump, was a mistake. “I wish she would do that. It would be good for all of us,” Vance said.

"The Jayden Daniels Effect" is in full effect

In the wake of a catastrophic disaster, effective leadership and a rapid, coordinated response are critical to mitigating the impacts and restoring public confidence.   That’s not what is happening.  The aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which made landfall as a Category 4 storm and caused catastrophic flooding in North Carolina, has revealed significant gaps in the federal response. From strained resource deployment to absent leadership, the response to Hurricane Helene serves as a stark reminder of how quickly disaster management can falter when clear direction and visible leadership are lacking.  The absence of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris during the height of the disaster response has set a troubling tone, raising questions about the federal government’s ability to handle large-scale emergencies and putting a spotlight on the critical role that leadership plays during moments of crisis.  Hurricane Helene made landfall on Thursday evening, battering coastal regions with intense winds, storm surges, and heavy rainfall. FEMA quickly mobilized resources and state-level response teams to address the immediate impacts on North Carolina’s coastline, where the devastation was most visible.   However, as the storm moved inland, it unleashed torrential rains and flash flooding in communities far from the coast. By Saturday, North Carolina’s inland regions were facing catastrophic flooding, and yet the federal response struggled to keep pace. As FEMA faced the challenge of reallocating resources—already stretched thin from the initial surge to coastal areas—many communities were left vulnerable as they waited for relief.  While logistical challenges in relocating frontline resources are to be expected, especially during widespread disasters, there is no excuse for the absence of visible leadership from the nation’s highest offices.   When resources are delayed or overwhelmed, it becomes even more important for administration officials to step forward, demonstrate accountability, and provide clear direction. Visible leadership from the president, vice president, and other key officials can reassure the public that the government is taking swift, decisive action to address the crisis. However, when that leadership is absent, as was the case during Hurricane Helene, the optics of failure begin to take hold.  Biden and Harris’ failure to demonstrate visible leadership over the weekend of the disaster is a prime example of how quickly perceptions can turn. Despite the storm making landfall on Thursday evening and devastating inland North Carolina by Saturday, Harris chose to attend political fundraisers, while Biden remained at his beach home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Their absence from public view during such a critical moment sent the wrong message to those suffering in North Carolina and to the nation. Furthermore, the lack of engagement from the administration leaves many questioning the federal government’s commitment to addressing the crisis.   This response is emblematic of this administration’s failed attempt to lead. The administration has prioritized DEI and climate change ‘feel good’ policies implemented by equity advisors and taskforces while allowing mission-critical roles and training to languish.  In times of disaster, Americans look to their leaders for reassurance, direction, and empathy. When President George W. Bush was slow to respond to Hurricane Katrina, it set a precedent for how a lack of visible leadership can irreparably harm an administration’s credibility. The response to Hurricane Helene is drawing similar comparisons. Between fundraisers and  beach weekends, the administration’s priorities appeared out of step with the urgency of the disaster response. Biden and Harris’ absence at a time when leadership was most needed has set the stage for criticism and frustration, particularly among those in the hardest-hit areas who were looking for a sign that help was on the way.  Disasters require more than just operational responses—they require leaders to be present, engaged, and visible. The failure of President Biden and Vice President Harris to demonstrate leadership during Hurricane Helene not only left a vacuum in public perception but also has affected the tone of the entire federal response.   As FEMA struggled to surge resources to inland areas, the absence of top officials reinforced the narrative that the federal government was disconnected from the realities on the ground. The consequences of this leadership vacuum will not only affect the administration’s standing but also the overall effectiveness of future disaster responses.  In the end, Hurricane Helene has highlighted both the logistical and leadership challenges that come with managing large-scale disasters. While FEMA’s ability to surge resources is always tested in these moments, it is the responsibility of the nation’s leaders to show that they are actively engaged in the response. The failure to do so during Hurricane Helene, particularly by Biden and Harris, has set a troubling precedent.   If the federal government is to regain the trust of the American people in its disaster management capabilities, it must prioritize not only operational readiness but also visible, accountable leadership in the face of crisis. Instead, the administration’s focus on peripheral priorities like DEI and climate change at the expense of mission-critical functions has only exacerbated the growing concern over the federal government’s ability to respond effectively when it truly matters.  The post Hurricane Helene Response Highlights Biden and Harris’ Failure to Lead  appeared first on The Daily Signal.

With only 34 days until the 2024 presidential election, vice presidential candidates Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democrat, and Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, the Republican, squared off Tuesday night on the debate stage.  CBS News hosted the vice presidential debate in New York City, with “CBS Evening News” anchor Norah O’Donnell and “Face the Nation” chief foreign affairs correspondent Margaret Brennan moderating.  Walz, Kamala Harris’ running mate, and Vance, Donald Trump’s running mate, are both relatively new to the political limelight. Walz was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2006. After serving half a dozen terms in the House, Walz was elected Minnesota governor in 2018. Vance won his Senate election in 2022 after his memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy,” became a New York Times bestseller.  The microphones will be live during the entirety of the debate, but moderators reserve the right to mute the microphones at their discretion.  Tuesday’s debate is expected to be the last major debate of the 2024 election. Vance Says Solar Panels Made in China JD Vance criticized the Harris-Walz plan for remedying climate change with solar panels. “Issue is that if you’re spending hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars of American taxpayer money on solar panels that are made in China,” Vance said. “Number one, you’re going to make the economy dirtier.” Vance said we should be making more solar panels in the United States, as their components are made overseas in China. Vance is correct, according to Erin Walsh, senior research fellow for international affairs at The Heritage Foundation’s Asian Studies Center. The development of solar energy began in America, and then the Chinese developed it further, and now China controls the “entire supply chain, so you can’t be involved unless you’re purchasing some goods from China to make your solar panels,” Walsh said.  China has “taken advantage of the United States, because we’ve had this very driven climate agenda,” Walsh said.  The more the U.S. and other nations move toward use of wind and solar energy, and electric vehicles, the further China’s economy benefits and the more America’s economy and national security are put at risk, according to Walsh. Vance’s statement came after Walz bragged that the largest solar manufacturing plant in North America is in Minnesota. Last month, the Biden-Harris administration announced $40 million in investments across the solar energy supply chain. ‘Scientists Say Climate Change Makes These Hurricanes Larger’  O’Donnell used the devastation from Hurricane Helene to ask the candidates about climate change.  “More than 160 people are dead, and hundreds more are missing,” O’Donnell said. “Scientists say climate change makes these hurricanes larger, stronger, and more deadly because of the historic rainfall.” Although climate change theoretically may affect hurricanes, the concrete claim that burning fossil fuels has made hurricanes worse doesn’t measure up. In fact, hurricanes should get worse if the climate grows colder, not warmer. “[If] we have colder periods, we will get more hurricane activity,” climatologist David Legates told “The Daily Signal Podcast” in June. “If we have warmer periods, the hurricane activity tends to drop off.” Legates, a visiting fellow for the Science Advisory Committee in the Center for Energy, Climate, and Environment at The Heritage Foundation, is a professor emeritus at the University of Delaware. He cowrote the book “Climate and Energy: The Case for Realism.” Legates pointed to a graph showing that global hurricanes have remained within the same general range for the past 50 years, without a clear trend of higher or lower power. ?Norah O'Donnell says, “Scientists say climate change makes these hurricanes larger, stronger, and more deadly because of the historic rainfall.” No, this is a debatable point, and the increased temperatures that presumably would come from burning fossil fuels should lead to… pic.twitter.com/tfmYmYH2hX— Tyler O'Neil (@Tyler2ONeil) October 2, 2024 320,000 Missing Migrant Children “We have 320,000 children that the Department of Homeland Security has effectively lost,” Vance said, adding that “some of them have been sex trafficked.” In August, the Inspector General’s Office of the Department of Homeland Security announced that 320,000 migrant children could not be located within the U.S.  “[Immigration and Customs Enforcement] must take immediate action to ensure the safety of [unaccompanied children] residing in the United States,” stated the Homeland Security report. “Based on our audit work and according to ICE officials, [unaccompanied children] who do not appear for court are considered at higher risk for trafficking, exploitation, or forced labor,” the inspector general’s office wrote in the report.  When minor children cross the border alone, they remain in the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement until they are placed with a parent or sponsor, but the agency does not track the location of each child after they are released to their sponsor.  In February 2023, The New York Times reported that even though the Department of Health and Human Services “checks on all minors by calling them a month after they begin living with their sponsors,” data obtained by the newspaper “showed that over the last two years, the agency could not reach more than 85,000 children.” Project 2025 Registry of Pregnancy Walz said that Project 2025, the presidential transition plan released by The Heritage Foundation and its 100 coalition partners, calls for a national registry to monitor women’s pregnancies.  Even legacy media outlets like CBS News have fact-checked this claim as false. Project 2025’s 900-page “Mandate for Leadership” does call for the Centers for Disease Control to collect certain information from states, namely information on the number and method of abortions, the reason for an abortion, how far along in pregnancy each abortion was, and the pregnant woman’s state of residence. However, there is no evidence that Project 2025 has ever called for a federal registry of pregnancies. Furthermore, Trump has repeatedly stated that he has not read “Mandate for Leadership” and has not endorsed Project 2025.  ?? Tim Walz lies through his teeth about @Prjct2025. He falsely claims Project 2025 calls for a national pregnancy registry. This is a baseless lie, and even legacy media outlets have admitted as much.????https://t.co/LP96W7LOvj pic.twitter.com/dmHcXfzZMt— Tyler O'Neil (@Tyler2ONeil) October 2, 2024 This article will be updated throughout the night. The post Fact-Checking Claims Made in Vance-Walz Debate appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Republican former President Donald Trump refused an invitation from CBS to an interview on "60 Minutes," but the network and the campaign differ on whether he had ever accepted the offer. The campaign admits to being in talks with CBS but said Trump had never agreed to the interview. 'Fake News... There were initial discussions, but nothing was ever scheduled or locked in.' “For over half a century, 60 Minutes has invited the Democratic and Republican tickets to appear on our broadcast as Americans head to the polls,” the network said. “This year, both the Harris and Trump campaigns agreed to sit down with 60 Minutes.” The interview was to air on Monday in a special edition of the show. “After initially accepting 60 Minutes’ request for an interview with Scott Pelley, former President Trump’s campaign has decided not to participate,” CBS continued. CBS will continue with its interview with Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris on her own. “Our original invitation to former President Donald Trump to be interviewed on 60 Minutes stands,” it added. The Trump campaign released a statement criticizing CBS. “Fake News. 60 Minutes begged for an interview, even after they were caught lying about Hunter Biden’s laptop back in 2020. There were initial discussions, but nothing was ever scheduled or locked in,” said Steven Cheung, the spokesman for the campaign. "60 Minutes" is the most-watched newsmagazine in the U.S., according to CBS. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Previously, researchers believed octopuses hunted alone and that fish came by to pick up any leftover scraps — but new research reveals a much more complex operation. The post Some Octopuses Hunt With Packs Of Fish — And Punch Those That Don’t Cooperate appeared first on All That's Interesting.