Your BRIGHT Week in Review

Plus: Dinner and a Movie

Photo of the Week

The Waffle House Storm Index wasn’t the only thing on display this week. We also saw the Waffle House Storm Center, which had many people wondering, “Why isn’t the Waffle House Storm Center run FEMA?”

Pro-Palestinian Crowds Hijack October 7 Anniversary

The Spectator’s Brendan O’Neill criticized pro-Palestinian demonstrations in the UK, accusing protesters of hijacking the anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel. The attack killed over a thousand people, yet protestors redirected the anniversary to condemn Israel. O’Neill said the timing of the protests downplay Hamas’s atrocities. There are also concerns about rising anti-Semitism, support for Hezbollah, and calls for the elimination of Israel, reflecting dangerous sentiments within parts of the British left.

Likewise in the U.S. anti-Israel protests were on display, with the New York Post reporting over 2,000 marching in anti-Israel demonstrations through Washington Square Park and 300 protesting at NYU.

O’Neill concluded, “It is time the decent majority spoke up. What we will remember in the next day or two is the violent calamity that was visited on Israel by Hamas, and the surge in anti-Semitism it gave rise to across the West. Solidarity with Jews, not animus for the Jewish state, will be front and centre in every good person’s heart and mind.”

RELATED: These 97 people are still being held by Hamas a year after Oct. 7 attacks (New York Post)

FEMA’s Growing Involvement in Aiding Immigrants

Just the News reported on how FEMA’s resources were diverted to manage immigration, leading to bipartisan blame as the agency faces criticism for its hurricane response. Many were surprised by evidence that “FEMA routing $640.9 million in grants to nonprofits aiding immigrants,” while FEMA asserts that no disaster funds were diverted. FEMA clarified, “Disaster Relief Fund money has not been diverted to other, non-disaster-related efforts.”

However, Fox News reported, “The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has less than 10% of front-line staff available for deployment amid preparations for the second major hurricane to hit the Southeast this month, according to the agency's daily operations briefing.”

Fox News also noted:

However, despite the optimistic response to concerns about FEMA resources, Mayorkas did say last week during a formal press conference that "FEMA does not have the funds to make it through the [hurricane] season."

Questions about FEMA funding have been exacerbated by suggestions that the agency was giving disaster relief money to migrants. FEMA has sent aid to migrants, but the money was part of the Shelter and Services Program, which remains separate from disaster relief funds. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R–La., acknowledged that the funds were part of a separate program unrelated to disaster relief, but noted that he didn't think the agency should be involved in the migrant crisis.

"The streams of funding are different, that is not an untrue statement, of course," Johnson told Fox News’ Shannon Bream. "But the problem is with the American people, see, and what they're frustrated by, is that FEMA should be involved."

Critics of FEMA’s involvement with immigrants, like Congressman Ralph Norman, argue that the broken budget process is responsible for FEMA funding immigrants instead of disaster victims. Norman said, “They, the Democrats, play us like a drum.” Republicans have raised concerns that FEMA’s immigration responsibilities are hindering its ability to handle natural disasters, particularly after Hurricane Helene left many without help.

So, how did we get here at the end of hurricane season with two major disasters with limited resources allocated to relief for Americans?

Just the News reported:

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre also denied that FEMA resources were going to illegal migrants at a press conference last week despite her own statements at the podium two years earlier touting the opposite. 

“Funding is also available through FEMA’s Emergency Food and Shelter program to eligible local governments and not-for-profit organizations upon request to support humanitarian relief for migrants,” Jean-Pierre said of FEMA efforts to alleviate the immigration crisis.  

A Democrat-run Congress that year later created the Shelter and Services Program (SSP) was to replace a similar program formerly run by DHS, which was directed to transfer $800 million of its appropriations in 2023 to the emergency management department. Though FEMA is a subagency of DHS, it represented a transfer of the core responsibility for illegal and legal immigrant support to the agency dedicated to disaster relief. 

RELATED: After bungled response to Helene, demand a squeaky-clean election (Glenn Reynolds on New York Post)

Expert Says Ultra-Processed Foods Dominate Children’s Diets

Fox News reported the growing concern over ultra-processed foods (UPFs), which make up 60% of Americans’ daily caloric intake, with children consuming even more at over 70%. Dietitian Ilana Muhlstein warned that this reliance on processed foods, high in unhealthy fats and lacking essential nutrients, is linked to numerous health issues, including cancer, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. Muhlstein said, “We’re actually seeing that this next generation might be the first generation to … have a shorter lifespan than their parents due to nutrition and lifestyle factors.”

To counter this, she advises parents to adopt the “80/20 rule,” aiming for 80% of whole foods in children’s diets, such as eggs, fish, fruits, and vegetables. Simple swaps like marinara sauce instead of ketchup and choosing hamburgers over hot dogs can help reduce UPF consumption. She also emphasized the importance of family meals and gradually shifting kids towards healthier eating habits for long-term well-being.

Good advice for all of us!

What I’m Reading This Week

If you’ve ever watched Catfish or 90 Day Fiancé and wondered how those people were sucked into a phony online relationship, then There Is No Ethan: How Three Women Caught America's Biggest Catfish will have you hooked. From the description:

In 2011, three successful and highly educated women fell head over heels for the brilliant and charming Ethan Schuman. Unbeknownst to the others, each exchanged countless messages with Ethan, staying up late into the evenings to deepen their connections with this fascinating man. His detailed excuses about broken webcams and complicated international calling plans seemed believable, as did last minute trip cancellations. After all, why would he lie?  Ethan wasn't after money — he never convinced his marks to shell out thousands of dollars for some imagined crisis. Rather, he ensnared these women in a web of intense emotional intimacy. After the trio independently began to question inconsistencies in their new flame's stories, they managed to find one another and uncover a greater deception than they could've ever imagined. As Anna Akbari and the women untangled their catfish’s web, they found other victims and realized that without a proper crime, there was no legal reason for “Ethan” to ever stop.

Dinner and a Movie

After a conversation with my book publisher this week, I’m ready to start the next project. More on that later — BRIGHT readers will definitely be the first to know! For inspiration, I’m looking at Risky Business. Don’t worry, inspiration is not for the business but for the risk 😂

Dolly Parton and her sister, Rachel, have a cookbook out called Good Lookin’ Cookin’. Garden and Gun has their recipe for one of my favorite things — Dressed (or deviled) Eggs. Additionally, ABC has recipes for a full meal if you want to try before you buy the cookbook — Barbecue Ribs, Mac and Cheese, and Southern Green Beans.