Photo of the Week
Pi Kappa Phi brothers at UNC-Chapel Hill put the American flag up after it was taken down by anti-Israel protestors on campus. After becoming an internet sensation, a GoFundMe was organized to throw them a party. It’s now at over $450,000! Additionally, country singer John Rich offered to put on a free concert for them.
ICYMI
Texas Sues Biden Administration Over Title IX Change
The Daily Wire reported that Texas filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration's new Title IX rules that require public schools to allow transgender males in women’s sports and facilities. The regulations, effective in August, aim to prevent blanket bans on transgender athletes. Attorney General Ken Paxton argues this violates Title IX, alleging it serves “radical gender ideology” rather than women. He wrote in a statement:
Texas will not allow Joe Biden to rewrite Title IX at whim, destroying legal protections for women in furtherance of his radical obsession with gender ideology. This attempt to subvert federal law is plainly illegal, undemocratic, and divorced from reality. Texas will always take the lead to oppose Biden’s extremist, destructive policies that put women at risk.
Texas is joined by America First Legal, who also opposes the rules, saying they endanger women’s rights, safety, and educational environments. Critics argue the rules are vague and may discourage limits on transgender athletes, while some transgender activists fear schools could still ban them from sports.
The Daily Wire noted, “The Biden administration’s new rules state that schools that receive federal funding may not ban biological males in girls’ sports wholesale, but they may exclude them on a case-by-case basis.”
Of Course Anti-Israel Campus Groups Are Soros-Funded
The New York Post reported that billionaire George Soros and his allies are funding many of the radical anti-Israel protests on college campuses, with tent cities popping up at Columbia, Harvard, Cornell, UT-Austin, Yale, and more. Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), backed by Soros, is the central organization. Additionally, paid radicals from US Campaign for Palestinian Rights (USCPR) encourage protests and violence, receiving thousands for organizing campaigns. USCPR has received significant funding from Soros and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund.
The funding also flows through networks of nonprofits for “fellows.” Soros' Open Society Foundations and others fuel the protests, which often involve clashes with Jewish students and police.
More from the New York Post:
USCPR provides up to $7,800 for its community-based fellows and between $2,880 and $3,660 for its campus-based “fellows” in return for spending eight hours a week organizing “campaigns led by Palestinian organizations.”
They are trained to “rise up, to revolution.”
The radical group received at least $300,000 from Soros’ Open Society Foundations since 2017 and also took in $355,000 from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund since 2019.
…
The cash from Soros and his acolytes has been critical to the Columbia protests that set off the national copycat demonstrations.Three groups set up the tent city on Columbia’s lawn last Wednesday: Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) and Within Our Lifetime.
Newsbusters noted the history of Soros-funded anti-Israel activities:
In 2007, the leftist billionaire made an absurd comment about the terrorist group, saying that America and Israel “must open the door to Hamas.” Soros also gave $525,000 to Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) between 2017 and 2022 and $350,000 to JVP Action.
Recently, Soros-funded anti-Israel groups JVP and MPower Change organized protests of a deal between Google and the Israeli government. During the same month, Soros-funded groups mounted a campaign to sanction a unit of the Israel Defense Forces, as Israel battles Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip.
What’s the Deal with the Left Killing Comedy?
Jerry Seinfeld recently discussed the "extreme Left" killing comedy in an interview with The New Yorker. He highlighted the lack of humor in modern TV compared to classics like Cheers and M*A*S*H*. As noted in BRIGHT before, this is why many classic TV streaming channels are getting better ratings than new network sitcoms! Seinfeld said:
“People always need [comedy] … they need it so badly and they don’t get it. It used to be you’d go home at the end of the day, ‘oh, ‘Cheers’ is on. Oh, ‘M*A*S*H*’ is on. Oh, ‘Mary Tyler Moore’ is on. ‘All in the Family’ is on.’ You just expected there will be some funny stuff on TV you can watch tonight.
“But guess what? Where is it? Where is it? This is the result of the extreme Left and PC crap and people worrying so much about offending other people.”
Hollywood in Toto wrote that Seinfeld credited shows like Curb Your Enthusiasm for pushing boundaries, contrasting them with today's limitations.
Seinfeld criticized the constraints on comedy, contrasting it with the freedom stand-up comics still enjoy. He said, “Now, they’re going to see stand-up comics because we are not policed by anyone … the audience polices us. We know when we’re off track and we know instantly and we adjust to it instantly. But when you write a script … and it goes into four or five different hands, committees, ‘here’s our thoughts about your jokes,’ then that’s the end of your comedy.”
Seinfeld continued, “...If you have good craft and craftsmanship, you’re kind of impervious to the whims of the industry. Audiences are now flocking to stand-up because it’s something you can’t fake. It’s like platform diving. You could say you’re a platform diver, but in two seconds we can see if you are or you aren’t. That’s what people like about stand-up. They can trust it. Everything else is fake.”
Seinfeld also cited an episode of Seinfeld as an example, questioning (rhetorically, we assume) if it would be allowed today. I remember Mel Brooks once saying in an interview that “Could Blazing Saddles be made today?” is his most-hated question because the answer is so obviously “No!”
Christian Toto noted that the response from the Left was swift following the interview. Toto summarized their response writing, “Long story short? Seinfeld is old, white and cranky. That’s not an argument, just ad hominem attacks.”
Bidenflation Update: Americans Flock to Aldi’s
The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) recently highlighted Aldi's success in the U.S. grocery market amid rising food prices. CEO Jason Hart discussed how Aldi maximizes space and minimizes stocking time by using custom-made crates that double as shelves. With smaller stores and a focused product range, Aldi saves on rent, labor, and procurement costs.
Despite its limited assortment, Aldi's prices undercut competitors, attracting more customers, especially with food price inflation. The company plans an aggressive expansion, aiming to double its store count by 2028. Aldi’s emphasis on private-label products and innovative cost-cutting measures keeps prices low and customers returning. One shopper told the Journal, “I feel food-price inflation the least when I’m shopping at Aldi.”
I’m probably in the minority, but the things that make Aldi successful are also the reasons I don’t shop there — limited product range, items in crates and overwhelming, bagging or cart rules I can never remember. This comment on the article makes me want to give them a second chance: “Aldi prices are really impressive. It's like going to a grocery store in 2019.”
Have I been missing out?
Dinner and a Movie 🍸
On a whim, we went to see The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare this week in the theaters. It’s based on a true story of the first special ops team in World War II that inspired the character James Bond. I really enjoyed it and was tickled to see that in his own way Henry Cavill got to play Bond.
Staying true to my word, I will check out Aldi’s this week. There are a ton of Aldi’s recipes out there. Here are a few five-ingredient options if you’re also looking for easy meals.
Seinfeld is right. I love Jerry and say fu to the jerk who says he's old, cranky, etc
The left is not in charge of me, Seinfeld or comedy. Period.
Support Gutfeld and 'standup'. Thank you for this opportunity to vent!