Your BRIGHT Week in Review

Plus: Dinner and a Movie

Photo of the Week

This week we saw a good example of Scott Adams’ two movie, one screen observation. Democrats boasted that Kamala went “Baier hunting” and gave his show the highest rating for that time slot (Fox News already leads in cable news). Republicans saw Kamala fumbling and stalling without giving any answers.

Doom-scrolling Is Bad For Your Health

StudyFinds reported how excessive content consumption negatively impacts mental health. A Talker Research survey of 2,000 Americans revealed that the average person loses three days per month to online content, with Gen Z losing closer to five. Excessive screen time is also linked to feelings of guilt and poor mental health, with those in worse mental health losing more time to scrolling.

Psychiatrist Dr. Sham Singh suggests creating tech-free zones, saying, “Creating designated areas where technology is off-limits in your home can significantly impact your daily habits. For instance, by making your bedroom a tech-free zone, you promote better sleep hygiene and relaxation, free from the distractions of notifications and screens. Similarly, establishing a tech-free dining room encourages meaningful conversations and family bonding during meals. These intentional spaces reduce screen time, foster healthier interactions, or enjoy quiet moments.”

Just ignore the news until the next morning and let BRIGHT do the dirty work for you 🥰

Is Biden Sabotaging Harris?

The New York Post highlighted several political commentators who think President Biden, bitter over being forced to withdraw from the race, may be sabotaging Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign. After being pressured to step down due to concerns over his cognitive abilities, Biden has reportedly offered minimal support to Harris. Tensions between Biden and Harris’s teams have also grown, with some viewing Biden’s actions, such as wearing a “Trump 2024” cap and praising Republican figures, as deliberate. Critics claim Biden harbors resentment towards Harris, while the White House insists he has endorsed and supported her fully. Republicans argue Harris' campaign struggles are self-inflicted. Meanwhile, some believe Biden’s withdrawal left emotional scars, with figures like Vivek Ramaswamy said, “I think it’s clear that Joe is still bruised by what happened.”

The Rise of the Venezuelan Gang, Tren de Aragua

A new report by the Heritage Foundation warns that the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) is expanding across the U.S., likening its rise to the notorious MS-13. Fox News reported the gang, which originated in a Venezuelan prison, has spread to multiple U.S. states, including Georgia, New York, Texas, and Colorado, following Venezuelan migration. TdA’s violent activities have included robberies and assaults, with law enforcement agencies increasingly identifying gang members.

More from Fox News:

The researchers say that Tren de Aragua began in the Tocoron prison in the Venezuelan state of Aragua and has since expanded into Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru and the U.S. They say the threat from TdA echoes the Salvadoran MS-13 gang, which arrived in the 1980s and is regularly linked to crimes throughout the country.

"TdA expanded its network by creating alliances with other gangs and moved into areas following the pattern of Venezuelan migration into the U.S.," they say.

The report quotes former Customs and Border Protection (CBP) acting Commissioner Mark Morgan, who oversaw a gang task force in the early 2000s targeting MS-13. His warning is stark, as he blames the rise of TdA on the current administration.

"Although MS-13 remains at the top of the list of the 50-plus different gangs from across the globe attempting to illegally enter our borders, the Biden–Harris Administration has intentionally provided the pathway for what could become MS-13 2.0," he says. 

Former President Trump has pledged to combat the gang through “Operation Aurora” if re-elected, using the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to dismantle migrant criminal networks. Last week, Trump said, “Think of that 1798. This was put there 1790. Yeah, that's a long time ago. Right? To target and dismantle every migrant criminal network operating on American soil. Who would have ever thought that a president or a future president would ever have to stand here and say such things?" 

Experts warn that the gang’s presence could impact U.S. security for decades, as its criminal activities grow. The report emphasized that the crimes linked to TdA may be underreported, with many potential connections yet to be uncovered.

But it’s only a handful of apartment buildings, right?

RELATED: New Migrant Caravan Headed North Trying to Beat the Possible Arrival of a Trump Administration (Breitbart)

FBI Revises Data That Showed Violent Crime Down

In what they call a “Stealth Edit,” RealClearInvestigation’s John Lott reported that in 2023, the FBI initially reported a 2.1% drop in violent crime for 2022. This statistic quickly became a key talking point for Democrats. However, the FBI quietly revised this data, showing a 4.5% increase in violent crime, including thousands of additional murders, rapes, robberies, and assaults not previously counted. The agency offered no public explanation for this significant revision, raising concerns among researchers about transparency and data reliability.

Lott wrote:

RCI discovered the change through a cryptic reference on the FBI website that states: “The 2022 violent crime rate has been updated for inclusion in CIUS, 2023.” But there is no mention that the numbers increased. One only sees the change by downloading the FBI’s new crime data and comparing it to the file released last year.

After the FBI released its new crime data in September, a USA Today headline read: “Violent crime dropped for third straight year in 2023, including murder and rape.” 

It’s been over three weeks since the FBI released the revised data. The Bureau’s lack of acknowledgment or explanation about the significant change concerns researchers.

Experts noted that, while small revisions occurred in previous years, such drastic changes were unprecedented. The FBI’s method of estimating crime based on partial data from police departments complicates the trustworthiness of the figures. The FBI's failure to address this revision has fueled skepticism, and broader crime trends remain contentious, with other surveys like the National Crime Victimization Survey showing much sharper increases in violent crime than the FBI’s reports.

The Times of India wrote, “When Donald Trump said during the debate that crime incidents increased in the Joe Biden-Kamala Harris administration, he was fact-checked…the new numbers show Trump was right.”

Dinner and a Movie

The movie of the week is Demolition Man with Sylvester Stallone, Wesley Snipes, Denis Leary and Sandra Bullock. I caught a couple minutes while my guy was flipping channels and now want to see the entire more. (And I can not start watching a movie unless it’s from the very, very beginning).

For dinner, I’m eyeing a Blue Apron recipe from several weeks ago — Mexican-Style Beef and Rice Bowls. I like the you can customize the toppings. I skip the rice and add more cheese.