Small Town Values

 

Friends, you may find this scandalous, but I belong to a union.  Most academics who work for public colleges do.  Anyway, my union sends out a newsletter of sorts, which is mainly devoted to bashing Trump, but occasionally contains matters of genuine interest.  This week I was shocked to see an article about Olean, NY.  I'm not a resident of Olean, but I know a lot of people who are, and my beloved Right Thinkers have their world H.Q. there.  Anyway, it turns out that Olean is in the news because it's created a cash incentive program to convince successful professionals to move there.  Wow!  So many towns and small cities are slowly dying across this great land, as our population ages, as childbearing grows unpopular, and as immigration lags.  Olean has decided to do something about it, and I sincerely hope their gambit works.  It's a lovely city with much to offer and a very intriguing history.  The cost of living is low, low, low, and I see no reason why people wouldn't want to move there in preference to, oh, residing in a big blue abomination like NYC, Chicago, or L.A.  Go, Olean, go!  And, in case you're in the market for a place to live, how about YOU go there too?

 

https://buffalonews.com/news/local/business/article_3deedcf0-8d17-437f-9ec0-e2adb0bb2b2e.html?gift=1&gift_token=f7b91176-8d2d-4c90-ba63-289b2e67317f 

 

In related news, our fertility rate has hit a new low!  Probably just as well, since humans are about to be obsolete anyway.

 

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/10/23/cdc-u-s-fertility-rate-hit-new-record-low-in-2025/ 

 

How close is the race to control the U.S. Senate?  Pretty darn close!  The Dems have made a lot of seats in red states competitive, which is heartening to them, I'm sure, but what they haven't done is close the deal.  If Republicans even slightly outperform the polling averages, which they usually do, the Senate will stay in GOP hands.  From my lips to God's ears!!!

 

https://www.realclearpolling.com/elections/senate/2026/toss-ups 

 

Finally, despite numerous outrageous claims to the contrary, President Trump has no good way to "steal" the midterms, and he shows no inclination to do so.  Having said that, his DOJ is maneuvering to challenge the outcome in Alaska, where the incumbent Republican is in trouble.  There's a man running there with the same name as that incumbent, you see, and many suspect he's a Dem plant designed to trick thousands of unsuspecting Alaskans into voting for the wrong guy.  I suspect this will be a hard case to make in court, but hey -- give it a whirl, Trumplicans!

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c678pv4krx37o 

That Cataclysm That Wasn't

 

Friends, a funny thing is happening this election season: the American people are apparently experiencing a psychotic break.  What do I mean by that?  What I mean is that perceptions of the economy, and negativity about current and future economic prospects, have soared to almost unheard of levels.  At the same time, the economy itself just keeps growing, generating jobs, padding retirement accounts, etc.  People believe the bad economy will inevitably get worse, whereas the truth is that the good economy is getting better.  Ergo, I say: the voters have gone certifiably insane.  They've lost touch with reality.  All this is very good news for Democrats, of course, but it's bad news for Republicans and, more importantly, the human race.  It suggests that spin and propaganda have taken hold of public opinion in a decisive way.  None of this is unprecedented, mind you, but usually you can count on the American people to be able to discern that up is up, and down is down.  Not nowadays, alas.  I could go on: the border is secure, crime is down, unemployment rates are at rock bottom, but what would be the point?  Clearly, America isn't listening to me, or to anyone telling the truth.  And that ought to scare us mightily!  (Boo!!!)

 

https://www.breitbart.com/economy/2026/10/22/leading-indicators-point-to-brighter-prospects-for-growth/ 

Once More Into the Breach!

 

Friends, Yours Truly is known for my FEARLESSNESS!!!!!!!  I charge in where others fear to tread.  Possibly this reputation is recognized only by me, but that doesn't make it any less accurate.  Possibly other things make it less accurate, like my reputation for cowardice.  Now we're getting bogged down in facts, though, so let's power through to the main point: Dr. Waddy is back on the air this week, and he's up to his usual tricks!

 

On today's Newsmakers show, Brian and I discuss the state of the midterms, which is disspiriting, from a Republican perspective, but perhaps not unrecoverable.  We also cover the evolution of the Russia-Ukraine war and what it might portend for the future of warfare.  We naturally consider what a Democratic victory in Congress and the next presidential election would look like, at least as regards the infrastructure that DJT is building on the White House grounds and elsewhere.  We also ponder the race for Attorney General in New York State, the fabulosity of the Right Thinkers group in Olean that I have long been a part of, the cancellation of the livestreaming of the execution of the Fort Hood shooter, the challenge posed by the Houthis on the Arabian Peninsula, and where responsibility lies for inflation.

 

An impressively broad and comprehensive discussion, you say?  I say: you're right!

 

https://wysl.podbean.com/e/newsmakers-10-17-26/ 

The Oops Factor

 

Friends, not so long ago, we were admiring the success of the latest Trump Administration in putting behind it the heavy turnover and instability that sometimes characterized Trump's first term in office.  Well, some of those first term jitters are back, and -- case in point -- press secretary Katie Zacharia is out after just five days on the job.  That doesn't look so good, needless to say.  Was she "the right man for the job"?  Well, if she was, she should still be there.  If she wasn't, she never should have been hired in the first place.  Likewise, the administration's about-face on the issue of livestreaming the execution of the Fort Hood shooter is a bad sign: it shows indecision, and perhaps even a hypersensitivity to media criticism, which won't serve Trump well, given how much criticism the media is inclined to dish out.  Here's hoping that wily ole Susie Wiles can right the ship.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c32l4ekpvzl8o 

 

Lest we conclude that the Trump presidency has been one big faceplant, I would remind you that the U.S. border with Mexico is more secure than it has been in generations, and illegal immigration rates are darn close to nil.  In that sense, the Trump Administration has been, from start to finish, a spectacular success, and this was, after all, one of the main reasons why many of us voted for the man...

 

https://www.breitbart.com/border/2026/10/16/promise-kept-trump-delivers-most-secure-border-in-history-96-percent-drop-from-bidens-crisis-peak/ 

 

Finally, you may have heard that the flying cars of tomorrow are here...today!  Well, kinda.  Elon Musk's Tesla previewed its new Roadster, which is the ultra-sporty Tesla, and it can go very, very fast, it can drive upside-down, and it can even fly for short distances.  What it can't do, as yet, is be for sale, but with any luck we'll get there in the next year or two.  As usual, Musk is on the cutting edge!

 

https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2026/10/16/musk-unveils-flying-tesla-roadster-at-spacex-texas-site/ 

All Bad Things Must Come to an End?

 

Friends, no one talks about the Russia-Ukraine conflict anymore, because it's become part of the background noise of national and international politics, but subtle changes may be occurring in the balance of power there that could portend an end, of sorts, to the war.  I sure hope so, although the conclusion we get may not be the one we seek.

 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/world/articles/why-russia-believes-finally-crush-060000416.html 

 

In other news, there was a debate here in the Empire State between incumbent Governor Kathy Hochul and her Republican challenger Bruce Blakeman.  Hochul, as is her wont, railed against President Trump, which, in a blue state, may sadly be all she needs to do to best her opponent.  Time will tell.

 

https://nypost.com/2026/10/14/us-news/fact-checking-hochul-blakeman-ny-gov-debate-ice-gas-wells-and-fired-corrections-officers/ 

 

Finally, Fox's latest poll is out, and it spells trouble with a capital "T" for Republicans!  It shows the dastardly Dems ahead by 9 points in the so-called generic ballot, and Trump's approval rating circling the drain.  Could the GOP outperform expectations?  You bet, but at this stage that's not saying much!

 

https://static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/10/fox_october-9-12-2026_complete_national_topline_october-14-release.pdf 

What To Do About Yemen?

 

Friends, as you no doubt noticed, the Houthis in Yemen recently launched a brazen attack on the main airport in Riyadh, the capital city of Saudi Arabia.  How can a bunch of upstart zealots in the hills of Yemen strike at the heart of "The Kingdom"???   It's a puzzlement.  These Houthis have been in control of most of the populated areas of Yemen for some time, and the internationally recognized and supported government there has been unable to tame them.  Saudi airstrikes haven't changed the equation much.  How can a ragtag group backed only by Iran achieve so much success, and even threaten a vital maritime chokepoint like the Bab al-Mandab Strait at the bottom of the Red Sea?  I think the time has come for the U.S. to join the fight against the Houthis.  Not with ground troops, of course, but with intelligence, airpower, and naval forces.  They ought to be seen as Iranian proxies as well as a serious menace in their own right.  Down with the Houthis!!!  Down with the mullahs!!!  Up with the USA (and those reasonable types who get along with us)!!!

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cr4g1pwxxlq1o 

Fun in the Sun

 

Friends, America just gets better and better thanks to DJT -- not that most Americans appear to have noticed.  Case in point: President Trump is offering one of his trademark golf clubs in Florida as a "presidential retreat" for future Commanders-in-Chief.  What a swell guy!  No doubt Democrats would burn it all to the ground if they got half a chance, which they may...  All this harkens back to the days when President Truman would visit the "Little White House" in Key West, Florida.  A nice tradition, if you ask me!

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9gkvxjvl7v3o 

 

In yet more good news, the number of people filing for unemployment is low, low, low, signaling that we are close to "full employment", despite all the doom-saying that you hear about the job market and everything else.

 

https://www.breitbart.com/economy/2026/10/08/jobless-claims-october/ 

 

Lastly, crime is a scourge that has been a top-tier issue in American politics, but no more...  Now the media only covers (alleged) outrages committed by federal agents.  Crimes committed by (self-motivated) thugs and maniacs just don't have much cachet these days.  To be fair, there are a lot fewer crimes to cover...thanks to President Trump!  The bottom line is that we are all safer because of the anti-crime measures this administration has taken.  We Republicans have the good sense and grace to admit it.  The Democrats never will and never would.

 

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/4756837/trump-remove-worst-of-worst-golden-age-public-safety/ 

Blue Alert! Blue Alert!

 

Friends, it sure looks like, come election day, those dastardly Dems might be storming Congress and seizing control of both houses, if the polls are to be believed.  This horrific prospect is just one of the topics that Brian and I cover on this week's Newsmakers show.  We also update you on the status of the Iran conflict, the sensational allegations swirling around Cornell University, the dramatic turn that the recent Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv took, the botched execution in Tennessee and the political fallout it has produced, and the red hot debate over the future of AI and data centers in the U.S.  I mean...wow!  We really do bring you the world, huh???

 

https://wysl.podbean.com/e/newsmakers-10-3-26/ 

 

As you ponder for whom, or whether, to cast a ballot this November, bear in mind that, despite the doom and gloom that the media peddles, a lot is going well in America.  Here's a case in point: DJT, in his second term, has made historic reductions to the size of the federal workforce.  Kudos to President Trump!!!  You better believe that, if America elects more Democrats, one of their first orders of business will be growing, rather than shrinking, the federal bureaucracy.  It's their lifeblood, after all...

 

https://nypost.com/2026/10/02/opinion/the-good-news-on-federal-workers-you-probably-never-heard-about/ 

The Unfriendly Skies

 

Friends, I'm sure by now you've heard the harrowing tale of a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv that almost crashed due to the Islamist mania of one of its pilots.  Luckily, the other pilot, and various passengers, managed to salvage the situation and save the lives of everyone on board.  Kudos to the captain of the flight, an Indian national who was stabbed but still had the presence of mind to do what needed to be done.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cje3r3z7g0zzo 

 

In other news, some lefties are discovering that "equity" in our public schools, which invariably comes at the expense of educational rigor, might not be in the best interests of every child, including their own!  Well, elite lefties found this out years ago, and they've addressed the problem by sending their kids to private school, while insisting that everyone not "of means" be saddled with ineffectual, doctrinaire public schools.  And in most of the country that's exactly how it is: for most parents, private school and/or homeschooling are kept intentionally out of reach by the education establishment.

 

https://thehill.com/opinion/education/6118105-nikole-hannah-jones-just-ran-head-first-into-the-great-dumbing-down/?tbref=hp  

Deal Me OUT!

 

Friends, unsurprisingly, the moderates in Iran want to talk turkey with Trump.  They say that the previous deal -- the U.S./Iranian "memorandum of understanding" -- was just fine, and we should go back to it.  Well, that may or may not be the case, but since the hardliners won't accept any such deal, and will literally blow it up the first chance they get, what's the point?  I believe Trump is right to rebuff these entreaties, despite the fact that he's probably hurting Republican chances in the midterms by doing so.  Of course, Trump probably knows that, whatever he does vis-a-vis Iran, the press will say he's wrong.  If he makes peace, they'll say he "surrendered".  If he escalates the military conflict, they'll say he's a bloody-minded warmonger who picked a fight for no reason.  Bottom line: the only deal that Trump should make with Iran is one that permanently neutralizes the Islamic Republic as a threat.  Otherwise, let's tighten those screws until the Iranian people give the mullahs their walking papers...  This is now a fight to the finish!

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqgmrr9ekr7ko