White House Dossier's

It's time to defang the administrative state . . . Our Founding Fathers created three co-equal branches of government: legislative, executive, and judicial. But today, they are all ruled by a de facto fourth branch: the administrative state. The Supreme Court accidentally elevated the permanent bureaucracy into a fourth branch of government with its 1984 ruling in Chevron U.S.A. v. Natural Resources Defense Council. The case established a legal doctrine known as Chevron deference, in which federal courts defer to an administrative agency’s interpretation of ambiguous statutes as long as that interpretation is “reasonable.” Agencies quickly stretched congressional ambiguity to include congressional silence on a matter, allowing them to create laws out of thin air.

Over the years, Chevron deference has steadily empowered unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats, allowing them to legislate by fiat while undermining the role of Congress and distorting the original intent of America’s founders. At the same time, the courts themselves have abdicated their responsibility to provide scrutiny and oversight by automatically deferring to government agencies. Worst of all, because deference is given to agency interpretations rather than the actual text of the law, bureaucrats can completely alter the law’s meaning while bypassing the legislative process altogether. For American citizens and businesses caught in the bureaucracy’s crosshairs, it can be nearly impossible even to comprehend the implications of arcane regulations or what their legal obligations may be. This lack of clarity not only hampers public participation in the regulatory process — it forces those involved to spend untold fortunes just to stay in compliance.

Having been gifted such sweeping power, it should come as no surprise that the administrative state has come to relish wielding it with impunity. Washington Examiner

Americans say this should be mandatory to be on the presidential ticket: 'most crucial part' of an election . . . It's no debate: Americans agreed that presidential candidates should have to square off onstage if they want to be included on the ballot. "If you can't stand up for what you believe in and have a debate with somebody – you're out," Nancy said. Bailey said: "It's just fair for the American people to know these leaders and to hear what their thoughts are." AMERICANS ON IMPORTANCE OF DEBATES: Fox News

New Iowa, South Carolina polls good news for Trump, bad news for DeSantis . . . Now, there are two new polls, both from Fox Business, that shed light on the status of the Republican race in Iowa and South Carolina. The Iowa survey, of 806 caucusgoers, found former President Donald Trump with 46% of the vote and Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) 30 points behind with 16%. In a development that is attracting a lot of attention, Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) is in third place with 11%, just 5 points behind DeSantis. Behind the top three are Vivek Ramaswamy at 6%, Nikki Haley at 5%, former Vice President Mike Pence at 4%, Doug Burgum and Chris Christie at 3% each, and Asa Hutchinson and Francis Suarez each at 1%. Washington Examiner

McCarthy whets conservatives’ appetite for Biden impeachment . . . It’s beginning to seem inevitable that President Biden will be impeached. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy floated a trial balloon on Hannity Monday night, and conservatives jumped on it. White House Dossier

Biden's Relentless Lawfare Against Trump Could Backfire . . . What we have seen over the years is that every time the Deep State tries to hurt President Trump, his poll numbers rise, and he is able to fund-raise even more than before. It is an inexplicable reaction that frustrates Democrats, who fail to understand that most Americans are honest, ethical, and busy individuals, committed to caring for their families, attending church, and being active in the community. Most voters do not understand the complexities of national security laws. Nor do they believe that Trump committed felony violations by participating in a conspiracy to obstruct justice. TIPPInsights

Trump tests the Oscar Wilde-P.T. Barnum theory . . . “There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about,” Oscar Wilde wrote, “and that is not being talked about.” Or as P.T. Barnum said, “Say anything you like about me, but spell my name right.” “Trump” is even easier to spell than “Barnum,” but that’s not the real issue. The theory that any publicity is good publicity helps explain why former President Donald Trump was the one to tell the world that he’s a target of a criminal investigation — in this case, special counsel Jack Smith’s probe into the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot. Trump is already facing charges from Smith over his handling of classified documents and from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg over a hush-money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. CNN

Ron DeSantis Shifts Strategy After Staff Cuts, Drop in Polls . . . Ron DeSantis and his allies are shifting gears as his struggling presidential campaign faces questions about whether he has veered too far to the right and failed to tell a positive story about himself and his vision for the country. The Florida governor is slipping in polls, and his second-place status to front-runner Donald Trump is now under threat. On Tuesday the DeSantis campaign laid off nearly 40 staff members, roughly the total number employed by Trump’s campaign. It also plans to slash travel and event costs as it seeks to reassure supporters of his readiness for the national stage. Wall Street Journal

Will the real Ramaswamy please stand up, please stand up . . . Before he was an upstart candidate for president and a philosophical leader of what he dubs the “anti-woke” movement, before he was a New York Times bestselling author and billionaire biotech entrepreneur, Vivek Ramaswamy was a rapper.

During his time as an undergrad at Harvard, Ramaswamy had a side-hustle as a libertarian-minded rap artist who went by the stage name “Da Vek.” The gig was an early sign of the extroverted, self-assured personality that has propelled him far further in the primary than virtually anyone expected. Politico

Russia, U.S. Inch Toward Direct Conflict in Middle East . . . Pentagon officials are again imploring Russian aircraft to stay away from U.S. drones after one was severely damaged on Sunday in Syria. The U.S. this year renewed its efforts in Syria to combat the Islamic State militant group (ISIS), even as the organization that controlled large swaths of Iraqi and Syrian territory a decade ago has lost about 95 percent of that land.

The area is currently inhabited by the U.S., Russia, Turkey and Iran. This month, ISIS leader Usamah Al-Muhajir was killed by U.S. forces in an airstrike in Eastern Syria. Newsweek

Fearing escalation, Biden administration hesitant to confront Russia directly in Black Sea or skies over Syria . . . PULLING PUNCHES: For the second time in four months, a Russian fighter jet has damaged a U.S. drone conducting a combat mission, and the response from the U.S. has been the same: a stern protest and a call for Russia to cut it out. “Russian unsafe and unprofessional behavior in the air not only degrades our Defeat ISIS mission, it risks unintended escalation and miscalculation,” said Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla, commander of the U.S. Central Command, in response to the July 23 incident over Syria in which declassified video shows a Russian jet dropping flares on an MQ-9 Reaper drone, damaging its propeller. Washington Examiner

The war in Ukraine is spurring a revolution in drone warfare using AI . . .  In an open test field in rural Ukraine, a drone equipped with a bomb lost connection with its human operator after coming under attack by electronic jamming equipment — but instead of crashing to the ground, the drone accelerated toward its target and destroyed it. The drone avoided the fate of thousands of other uncrewed aircraft in this war by relying on new artificial intelligence software that accounts for the electronic interference now commonly deployed by Russia, stabilizing the drone and keeping it locked on a preselected target. AI capabilities help the drone complete its mission even if its target moves, representing a significant upgrade from existing drones that track specific coordinates. Washington Post

Senate votes to keep China from buying US farmland . . . 
The Senate voted overwhelmingly to include an amendment to prevent future purchases of American agricultural land by foreign adversaries to the must-pass annual national defense bill on Tuesday. The vote passed with bipartisan support 91-7. The only senators to vote against the measure were Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Rand Paul (R-KY), Peter Welch (D-VT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Mike Lee (R-UT) and Chris Murphy (D-CT). The amendment was offered by Sens. Jon Tester (D-MT) and Mike Rounds (R-SD) in an effort to prevent countries like China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran from purchasing American farmland. The Senators said there were concerns after reports of China posing an even greater national security risk by acquiring U.S. farmland near military installations. Washington Examiner

Putin enforces Ukraine 'red line,' now aims to create 'as much suffering as possible' with grain strikes . . . Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has hit a slow-burn phase after nearly 18 months of intense fighting, focusing primarily on Kyiv’s counteroffensive and Moscow’s efforts to hold their gains after ensuring Ukraine will not be able to join NATO. "The Russian offensive is grinding on a low-intensity pace as the Russians are focused primarily on holding on to the territory they’ve captured and thwarting [the] Ukrainian counteroffensive, which has not produced much gain for Kyiv," Rebekah Koffler, president of Doctrine & Strategy Consulting and a former Defense Intelligence Agency officer, told Fox News Digital. "Putin is unlikely to push for any new major gains, as his objective in Ukraine is largely achieved," she explained. "Russia controls roughly about 20 percent of Ukraine and the conflict has turned into a protracted war." "This means that lack of territorial integrity and an ongoing conflict preclude Ukraine from meeting the requirements to join NATO, Putin’s red line," Koffler added.  Fox News

Volodymyr Zelenskyy warns Ukraine officials over corruption after two arrests . . .  Ukraine’s president has warned government officials and lawmakers that “personal enrichment” and “betrayal” will not be tolerated, after the arrest of a military recruitment chief on embezzlement charges and an MP accused of collaborating with Russia. “No one will forgive MPs, judges, ‘military commissars’ or any other officials for putting themselves in opposition to the state,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly TV address on Tuesday. “Any internal betrayal . . . or any personal enrichment . . . triggers fury at the very least.” His comments came after the arrest on Monday of Yevhen Borysov, head of the military recruitment office in Odesa, by Ukraine’s State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) and Prosecutor General’s Office. The National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption said he had illegally acquired more than $5mn through elaborate business schemes.
Financial Times

How Promising NATO Membership To Ukraine Could Lead To World War III . . . President Joe Biden’s promise last week to admit Ukraine after the conclusion of the war will make it harder to negotiate an end to the war. It also could force America to send troops to fight Russia in Ukraine if fighting resumes after a ceasefire or peace agreement. NATO members agreed at the Vilnius Summit to expedite membership for Ukraine but declined to provide a timeline. According to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, NATO will issue Ukraine an invitation to join the alliance “when allies agree and conditions are met.”  Federalist

Money

Fed Set to Raise Rates to 22-Year High. Here’s What to Focus On . . . The Federal Reserve is set to raise interest rates by a quarter-percentage point on Wednesday to a 22-year high, with most investors focused on what it would take for the central bank to lift rates again later this year. Economic growth has likely been too firm in recent months for Fed Chair Jerome Powell to signal that Wednesday’s increase in the Fed’s benchmark short-term rate will be the last of the current tightening cycle, as investors anticipate. The recent slowdown in inflation also makes it hard for central bank officials to firm up plans for any additional rate increase. Wall Street Journal

Culture (and Corruption)

Shoplifting suspects casually roll out three carts of merch from California Burlington store: video . . . Three women suspected of shoplifting from a California Burlington store were caught on camera slowly wheeling out three shopping carts of merchandise in a broad daylight spectacle over the weekend.

Sacramento police confirmed they’re actively investigating the alleged theft. Video of the brazen incident emerged online showing the plus-sized suspects making a break for it in the parking lot of the shopping center on North Freeway Drive and loading up the goods into a red Dodge Charger as alarms blared in the background. “Damn, look at these people stealing! Say hi to the camera!” the man filming can be heard teasing the women in the video as they hurl mounds of clothes and shoes into the trunk of the car. New York Post

Watch the video included in the piece.

Hunter Biden set to plead guilty to tax charges . . . U.S. President Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden is set to plead guilty on Wednesday to two misdemeanor charges of willfully failing to pay income taxes, part of a deal that allows him to avert conviction on a gun-related charge. Reuters

KASH PATEL: Forget Joe Biden, It’s Time For Congress To Hold Merrick Garland And Christopher Wray To Account . . . President Joe Biden and his administration appear to have lied at least four times about the president’s ‘relationship’ with Hunter and business deals in China, Ukraine, and elsewhere. Although many are rightfully calling for his impeachment, blaming Biden alone misses the bigger problem. While many want to understandably target Joe Biden, I want Congress to stay on mission – focus solely on the DOJ and FBI role in running cover for the administration and interfering in our elections. Attorney General Merrick Garland and FBI Director Chris Wray have been called to task by their own documentation. Just like we have been demanding for so many months, Senator Chuck Grassley’s most recent release by – the now-famous FD-1023 – is at least partially verified. No politically funded operators, no bogus confidential human sources, and no Hillary Clinton media disinformation campaigns – so definitely not like the infamous Steele Dossier. Daily Caller

Confronting the dangers of ultra-processed food . . .  A cocktail of additives and preservatives poses a risk to people’s health. Which is healthier: a bag of crisps or a kale salad? That is easy. Now which is healthier: a pizza made from scratch or one made from the same basic ingredients, with the same number of calories, pulled out of a box in the freezer? Many people concerned with what they eat would instinctively say the former, perhaps citing a vague concern with “processed food”. Such food can often be delicious. (This columnist has a particular weakness for salty potato crisps.) And there is much to cheer about calories being cheap and abundant, when for most of human history they were neither. But as Chris van Tulleken’s new book, “Ultra-Processed People”, explains, that cheapness and abundance come at a cost. Economist

Keen-eyed historians notice apparent error in 'Oppenheimer' film . . . Some keen-eyed fans noticed an apparent error in the highly anticipated war film "Oppenheimer," the Christopher Nolan-directed and Cillian Murphy-led film which chronicles the life of physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer and the rise of the atomic bomb.

Without spoilers, the possible error is evident during a scene where Oppenheimer, played by Murphy, walks into an auditorium in Los Alamos, New Mexico, where most of the film takes place, to address an enthusiastic crowd. The rally attendees are standing, cheering, and waving American flags that have 50 stars. However, the scene takes place in 1945 — when the American flag had 48 stars as Alaska and Hawaii had not yet become states. Alaska and Hawaii became states in January 1959 and August 1959, respectively. In 1960, the 50-star flag was officially adopted. Fox Business

Biden’s other dog is biting everyone too . . . Down Commander! Bad boy! President Biden’s nearly 2-year-old German shepherd Commander bit seven people in a four-month span after former first dog Major was ousted from the White House over similar aggressive behavior, according to internal Secret Service records. The shocking spate of incidents involving Commander — none of them previously reported — mirrors attacks involving Major, who the White House says was given to family friends after biting many Secret Service members in 2021. White House Dossier

Any way to give this dog directions to Adam Schiff’s house?

Hot Weather Does Not Mean Climate Change . . . No matter that hot summer days in cities do not equate to climate change; that climate change models are poor predictors of warming; and that the incidence of hurricanes and tornadoes has not increased over time. A better use of funds would be to buy air conditioners to keep people cool during hot months. The Sixth U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report stated that the “attribution of certain classes of extreme weather (e.g., tornadoes) is beyond current modelling and theoretical capabilities.” Daily Signal

Tucker Joins Famous Rapper For Tour Through Homeless-Infested Streets Of LA . . . Tucker Carlson joined famous rapper Ice Cube to tour South Central Los Angeles three years following the destructive George Floyd riots of 2020. Ice Cube, born O’Shea Jackson Sr., drove Carlson through the “tougher neighborhood” where he grew up. The rapper criticized politicians for doing very little to fix the city, as the camera cut to scenes of streets full of homeless tents and run-down buildings. “Politicians only really pay attention to the people who give them money. Everybody else is kind of extra,” O’Shea told Carlson. Daily Caller

Escaped goats overrun California neighborhood . . . Police in California put their shepherding skills to the test when they were called to round up a herd of goats that escaped their enclosure and took over a neighborhood. The Pinole Police Department posted a video to Facebook showing the Shea Drive neighborhood overrun with escaped goats. The goats were rounded up and returned to their enclosure. The ownership of the goats was unclear from the post, but the escape took place the same day Bay Area Rapid Transit announced it would be replacing its herd of fire mitigation goats with a flock of sheep. UPI