Around the Nation and World in Five Minutes

By Robin Itzler 

Editor's Note: This is a commentary in Robin's weekly newsletter Patriot Neighbors. If you wish to get the full edition, E-mail her at PatriotNeighbors@yahoo.com to get on her list, it's free. RK

From around the the nation:

North Carolina: House and Senate leaders announced an agreement to redraw the state’s congressional districts that will yield an additional Republican representative from the state.

Nevada: Are people tired of gambling, watching beautiful dance girls and dining at all-you-can-eat buffets? The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority reported that visitor volume fell 11.3 percent in June as compared to last year. 

Virginia Gubernatorial Race: Months ago, it looked like Democrats would win the gubernatorial, lt. governor and attorney general races, but that was then. Democrat Abigail “won’t answer questions” Spanberger leads Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears by 2.5 points in a recent Trafalgar Group poll. That is within the margin of error. The Trafalgar Group had the most accurate polling in the 2021 gubernatorial race. When polls are close with the Democrat leading, it often is a positive for Republicans

If you know any conservatives who live in Old Dominion, tell them to vote Republican in the election so we can hold the state.

Alaska: Antimony (Sb on the periodic table) is a rare earth mineral with many applications. However, much of the antimony production is in countries that don’t particularly like the United States, such as China, Russia and Tajikistan. Those three nations account for 80 percent of antimony global production. By 2027, we should see Alaska-sourced antimony in U.S. supply chains. Nova Minerals, Ltd. (with the Pentagon’s backing) has secured a nearly 43-acre site for a refinery at Port MacKenzie, west of Anchorage.

Turning Point: Applause for Turning Point USA CEO Erika Kirk and the organization’s leadership for immediately seeing an opportunity after the NFL ridiculously announced that anti-American Bad Bunny would star in the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show. Turning Point’s "The All American Halftime Show" celebrating faith, family and freedom will feature entertainers who love the United States of America. That’s how the NFL halftime show used to be! To show your support for this outstanding organization that is educating our nation’s youth, consider joining or making a donation. Click here to donate to Turning Point USA.

National Education Association: Who do you think of when you hear “indigenous people?” If you are the NEA, the nation’s largest teachers’ union, you think of the terrorist loving folks living in Gaza. The leftist organization recently emailed THREE MILLION TEACHERS info on the Middle East (cough-cough, you can just imagine what is in their info) that includes a map that does NOT have Israel pictured. 

Their map makes as much sense as a map of the 48 states in America being called “Indian.” To share your thoughts with NEA President Rebecca Pringle (who is to the left of Randi Weingarten, president of American Federation of Teachers):

Email: click here, Phone: 202-833-4000, Write: 1201 16th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036

Events From Around the Globe

Nobel Peace Prize:  Some very un-noble responses. Maria Corina Machado of Venezuela was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and deservedly so for her unyielding heroic stance against the nation’s brutal dictator Maduro. Liberal news outlets were bothered that when Machado was interviewed, she frequently thanked President Trump for his support and global efforts on behalf of freeing nations from tyranny. Here are three nations that roundly criticized giving the Nobel Peace Prize to Machado:

1. Cuba: President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez 
2. Columbia: President Gustavo Petro 
3. Mexico: President Claudia Sheinbaum 

It’s a shame that above and below the United States we have leaders in Mexico and Canada who lean toward tyranny.

Japan- —Let’s take a dip! This photo was taken in Japan.  What is it? (a) An indoor swimming pool. (b) A public bath house. (c) A subway station. A flooded subway in Japan

The Japanese people keep their streets so clean and free of trash that when there are floodwaters in the Underground Transportation System (subway) the crystal-clear water makes it look like swimming pools. From a young age, Japanese people are taught that keeping public spaces clean is the responsibility of all its citizens. (What would subways in most major American cities look like if flooded? Just the thought of what would be floating in that putrid water makes us lose our appetite.)

Italy: Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s ruling Brothers of Italy party wants to fight “Islamic separatism.” They are promoting a bill that would institute a ban on the burka and niqab in public places such as schools, universities, shops and offices.

Syria: Since 1967, Jews have been barred from seeking political office. But the times they are a changing. Syrian American Rabbi Henry Yosef Hamra has declared his candidacy for the People’s Assembly in the Damascus district. Hamra (age 48) is the son of Yosef Hamar who is the chief rabbi of the Syrian Jewish community in New York. The elder Hamar left the country in 1992.

China: Supply chain AI company Exiger CEO Brandon Daniels has been talking to the media and warning that the U.S. currently imports 75 percent of our essential medicines—many sitting in your medicine cabinet—from China and India. Don’t breathe a shy of relief since we mentioned India. The nation relies on China for 80 percent of its active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). More than 500 generic drugs—many sitting in your medicine cabinet that include treatments for diabetes, heart conditions as well as antibiotics—are directly/indirectly from China.