DML Morning Briefing ~ Mon. Oct. 17

Today is October 17. Below are some of the stories grabbing headlines this morning. I hope you share this briefing as doing so will make you the smartest person in the room.

1 – GOP keeps lead for House control, Democrats’ momentum stalls amid economy worries — CBS News Battleground Tracker poll
CBS News reports: For two months the Democrats chipped away at the Republicans’ lead in the battle for House control, helped by motivated abortion-rights voters and what turned out to be fleeting glimmers of optimism about the economy. But that momentum has stalled, at least for now, and the Republicans’ House lead has stabilized today at 224 seats to the Democrats’ 211. The Republicans’ lead had shrunk in the two previous model runs of September and August.

What’s behind this? Today’s views of the economy have gotten worse amid continuing inflation, a volatile stock market and — in a stark reversal from August — people are reporting gas prices are rising in their neighborhoods. And voters are feeling this personally: more now say their own financial situation is bad, and there’s more concern about saving and paying for things, compared to last month.

The Republicans still win voters who prioritize the economy but haven’t been able to grow their share of them. Meanwhile the Democrats have not been able to grow the number of people prioritizing the abortion — an issue that favors them.

So, it’s becoming clear that so much of the closing weeks will be about motivating turnout, and for all the attention these elections get, many eligible voters simply will not participate.

And The Hill reports: Republicans hold a four-point advantage over Democrats with midterm elections less than a month away, according to a New York Times/Sienna College poll published Monday.

About 49 percent of likely voters said they would back the GOP nominee while 45 percent said they would support a Democratic candidate.

This is a shift since September, when the Times poll found Democrats holding a slim 1-point edge over Republicans among likely voters. But it is in line with several other polls suggesting Republicans have regained an edge over Democrats, who appear to be losing ground after a surge of support following the Supreme Court’s controversial overturning of abortion rights in June.

Inflation and the economy are hurting President Biden and Democrats. They remain the top concern for voters this election cycle, and last week the Labor Department showed inflation accelerated once again in September and remains at a 40-year high.

MY TAKE: Democrats are out of touch with the majority of Americans, and it’s showing.

2 – Data: 73% of Migrants Bused to New York City Are in Homeless Shelters
Breitbart reports: The overwhelming majority of border crossers and illegal aliens bused to New York City from Texas by Gov. Greg Abbott (R) remain in the city’s homeless shelter system which is “nearing a breaking point,” according to Mayor Eric Adams (D).

Since April, Abbott, along with the city officials in El Paso, Texas, and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) have bused more than 19,400 border crossers and illegal aliens to New York City — the Democrat-controlled metropolis that prides itself on being a sanctuary jurisdiction.

The latest city data published by CNN reveals that more than 14,100 border crossers and illegal aliens bused to New York City remain in homeless shelters, indicating that 73 percent are not leaving the shelters after they arrive.

Adams, a proponent of the city’s sanctuary policy, is now warning New Yorkers that “the city is going to run out of funding for other priorities” and they may end up footing a $1 billion bill if the inflow of illegal immigration does not stop.

“This is unsustainable,” Adams said last week while declaring a state of emergency just as Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul calls on the National Guard to help deal with the inflow.

MY TAKE: Maybe Adams and Hochul should take a trip down to the border to see what an emergency REALLY looks like.

3 – Kari Lake spars with CNN anchor over election integrity
The Washington Examiner reports: Arizona’s Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake sparred with CNN anchor Dana Bash over election integrity during an interview on Sunday.

Lake, who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump and reportedly has Democrats spooked, said she would accept the results of the upcoming election on Nov. 8 if she won and refused to answer Bash’s prodding about her reaction if she lost, stressing that she would be the victor. The two also accused each other of harping on the 2020 presidential election, which Trump has still refused to concede.

Bash asked Lake why she has called the 2020 election “corrupt, stolen, rotten and rigged” when there is “no evidence … that any of those things are true?”

“The real issue, Dana, is that the people don’t trust our elections. They haven’t since 2000,” Lake responded.

MY TAKE: That’s worth a watch!

4 – Xi Threatens Taiwan Invasion As Chinese Communist Party Congress Kicks Off
The Daily Caller reports: General Secretary Xi Jinping threatened the “use of force” to “resolve the Taiwan issue” during the opening session of the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in Beijing, according to Chinese state-run media Sunday.

Although Xi stated that “peaceful reunification” with Taiwan was his nation’s aim, the dictator was quick to add that communist China reserved the “option of taking all measures necessary,” state-run CCTV News reported. While never directly calling out the U.S. by name, Xi warned against “interference” from “outside forces” related to the “Taiwan question.”

“Complete reunification of our country must be realized, and it can, without doubt, be realized!” Xi said, according to the report.

MY TAKE: Biden’s weakness has emboldened Xi, no question about it.

5 – Still never had Covid? Thank your genes: Three in 10 people have a genetic quirk that blocks infection
The Daily Mail reports: Some people might never get Covid thanks to their genes, scientists say.

Researchers from the University of Oxford have found that people who have a particular mutation produce a larger antibody response after getting vaccinated.

Around 30 to 40 per cent of people have the gene, known as HLA-DQB1*06. The boosted protection might be enough to block out infections entirely. It may partly explain why some people never get the virus, even when family members come down with the virus.

MY TAKE: Red that again!  30 to 40 PERCENT!!  Why isn’t this in headlines everywhere?!  Meanwhile, keep your immune system healthy and boosted with DML CBD!  Check out the amazing deal below… it was supposed to end on Sunday, but you’re in luck, because it’s still up as of this report. HURRY!!