Policy Flip-Flops

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Read Online | Oct. 17, 2024 | E-Paper

Good morning. It’s Thursday. Here’s what’s shaping the day:

Election Rules Blocked: A Georgia judge ruled Wednesday that the State Election Board had no authority to implement seven new rules impacting certification, absentee ballots, and vote counting.
Legal Backlash: A man who was arrested on Oct. 12 outside of a rally of former President Donald Trump has sued a California sheriff who erroneously said his department thwarted an assassination attempt.
EPA Rule Survives: The Supreme Court denied an emergency request yesterday to block a new federal regulation restricting emissions by coal-fired power plants, but two justices suggested it may revisit the case.
Fossil Fuel Dominance: Soaring electricity demand is placing significant pressure on energy systems, and despite the rapid buildout of renewable and alternative energy sources, fossil fuels are expected to remain a dominant part of the energy mix through mid-century, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).
Heartfelt Mission: A woman from Illinois drove a 54-hour round trip to rescue her 93-year-old grandma from Hurricane Milton. Story below.

Written by Ivan Pentchoukov,
U.S. National Editor

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Top Story

Illustration by The Epoch Times, Getty Images, Shutterstock

4 Policy Issues Harris and Trump Have Flip-Flopped On

Shifting Views: Presidential candidates Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump have both changed their views on major issues throughout their careers.

Harris has recently asserted that “my values have not changed,” while Trump has similarly downplayed shifts in his opinions on political topics over his nearly five decades in the public eye.

Expert Explains: “The advantage in switching positions is to move to the middle to attract moderate, undecided voters,” Robert Shapiro, a political science professor at Columbia University, told The Epoch Times. “The risk is looking awkward and perhaps alienating supporters of the original positions.”

Shapiro added that it’s probably a “good risk” at this stage, as the two candidates’ supporters will likely stick by them as they appeal to others.

Four Policies: The Epoch Times chose four policies that have seen an evolution in positions from each candidate. For Harris, her views on fracking, immigration, Medicare for All, and gun control, have all changed. Trump has shifted on abortion, marijuana, Social Security, and state and local tax deduction (SALT). Read about them here. ➞

More election updates:

US News

HURRICANE

FEMA Restarts Door-to-Door Operations in North Carolina After Reported Threats

The Federal Emergency Management Agency told The Epoch Times that it had to make “operational adjustments” after law officials with a sheriff’s office said that a man was arrested for making threats against the agency. Another sheriff’s office said that FEMA suspended some aid in North Carolina due to the threats over the weekend.
92 People are still missing in the state, Gov. Roy Cooper said.

FOOD SAFETY

BrucePac’s Meat Recall Expands to 11 Million Pounds Amid Listeria Risk

The USDA released a 345-page document showing the labels of affected products from specific retailers, brands, and food items containing the recalled meats.

BUSINESS

Amazon Contracts With 3 States to Advance Nuclear Energy to Power Data Centers

The contracts with the states of Washington, Virginia, and Pennsylvania for the construction of small modular reactors (SMRs) are a part of Amazon’s seven-year goal to draw from carbon-free energy by 2030.

General Motors Commits $625 Million to Develop Largest Lithium Mine in the US

The mine is projected to produce enough lithium for approximately 800,000 EVs each year.

FINANCE

Social Security Makes Changes for 2025—What You Need to Know

Beginning in January, the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will boost monthly benefits by about $50 on average. The federal government estimates that the average Social Security benefit for retired workers will be $1,976 next year.

Opinion

JEFFREY A. TUCKER

Globalism and Freedom Do Not Mix

The problem of migration plus pandemic planning are only two data points but they both suggest an ominous reality.

World

Biden Announces $425 Million Arms Package for Ukraine in Call With Zelenskyy

The new military assistance for Ukraine will include additional air defense capabilities, air-to-ground munitions, armored vehicles, and deliveries of other “critical munitions to meet Ukraine’s urgent needs,” according to a White House readout.

US Says Gaza Humanitarian Conditions Improving After Warning Letter to Israel

The State Department said Israeli authorities had reopened an aid delivery route between Jordan and northern Gaza, allowing 50 trucks with food, water, and other humanitarian supplies to reach that area on Oct. 15.

Health

XEC COVID-19 Variant Now Circulating in the US: CDC Data

According to the CDC’s Nowcast tracking tool, XEC makes up about 10 percent of all COVID-19 cases reported in the country as of Oct. 13.

Stanford Holds Conference to ‘Repair Rifts,’ Reflect on Pandemic Policy and COVID Origins

Public health practitioners and policymakers from all sides of the COVID-19 policy debate participated in four expert panels.

‘Why This World Is a Realm of Unknowing,’ by Falun Gong Founder Mr. Li Hongzhi

Words of Wisdom

Biba Kayewich for American Essence

“There is no doubt that it is around the family and the home that all the greatest virtues are created.”

—Winston Churchill,

British Prime Minister, 1948

Inspired

Mom and Daughter Drive a 54-Hour Round Trip to Rescue 93-Year-Old Grandma From Hurricane Milton

Strong Bond: Worried about the devastating impact of Hurricane Milton, a woman from Illinois drove a 54-hour round trip to rescue her 93-year-old grandma from her assisted living home in Venice, Florida.

Jennifer Seaman, 40, and her mom, Sue Schaffnit, 66, set off on their journey on Oct. 6 at 10 p.m.
“We didn’t pack bags or have a change of clothes,” Seaman said.

Jennifer and her grandma. SWNS

Upon Arrival: The mother-daughter duo spent only 30 minutes at the care home packing the nonagenarian grandma’s clothes.

Although the staff at the care home had planned an alternative shelter-in-place and encouraged residents to stay, Seaman and her mom were worried that if something bad happened or if the storm took a massive turn and wiped people out, they didn’t want their grandma “to have died without family with her.”

Happy Together: The family arrived back home in Peoria, Illinois, at 5 a.m. on Oct. 9 after spending 34 hours on the road.

Food

KC and Gale Kratt

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

We enjoy this cold-weather soup every year, often by the fire. For parties, we prepare the soup ahead of time, and then we put on a big pot for guests to help themselves. This keeps the mess in the kitchen low and gives us something yummy to sneak off with and eat.

Get the recipe here.

—Geoffrey Zakarian, executive chef of several restaurants in New York City, Atlantic City and Miami.

Games

Spot the Difference is our readers’ favorite. Play it here.

Here are more games that everyone loves:

Thanks for reading.

Have a wonderful day.

—Ivan Pentchoukov and Kenzi Li.

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