October 18, 2026

OPEN THREAD: Make me proud.

Posted at 9:30 pm by Glenn Reynolds

OH, TO BE IN ENGLAND: Mother referred to Prevent for ‘over-identifying with Israel.’

When Holly Passmore heard a knock at her front door at about 11am on July 4 last year, she assumed it was an Amazon delivery.

Instead, the 44-year-old mother-of-two from County Durham found two plain-clothes police officers on her doorstep wanting to know why she had recently visited Israel.

“They said it was a safeguarding matter,” recalled Ms Passmore, who cares for her nine-year-old son, Rex, who has severe autism, while studying for a master’s degree.

She assumed they were concerned she had taken her son into a war zone.

“I said, ‘Well, my son didn’t go to Israel. He stayed here with my mum and my daughter, who’s 20’,” she recalled. But the female officer replied: “No this is about you – because you may be at risk of manipulation.”

The officers from Durham Constabulary were investigating an anonymous referral to Prevent, the Government’s counter-extremism programme.

British authorities once again do the meme:

Posted at 8:14 pm by Ed Driscoll

INDEED:

UPDATE:

Plus:

I predict extra sanctimony.

Posted at 7:41 pm by Glenn Reynolds

NOW WILL THE FRENCH GET SERIOUS?

Posted at 6:46 pm by Stephen Green

JOSEPH CAMPBELL: Read this before you buy the ‘blue tsunami’ hype.

The news is awash these days with poll-inspired expectations about Democrats winning big in next month’s midterm elections. USA Today declared the other day that “the expected blue wave could be even bigger than expected, and could not only give Democrats control of the House, but also the Senate.” Even more expansively, Huffington Post proclaimed: “Historic victories are seemingly within grasp” for Democrats.

And yet, solid reasons exist for treating such poll-based narratives cautiously, even warily, given that surveys are inherently fragile instruments for measuring an ephemeral electorate. As data journalist Nate Silver has noted, “It’s not unreasonable to approach election polls from a position of mild — maybe even more-than-mild — skepticism.”

This is not to say poll-driven expectations are bound for error. They might be accurate; the Democrats might enjoy a “blue tsunami” of electoral success next month.

But there are compelling reasons for tempering pre-election headiness — reasons that are rooted in polling’s checkered past. The following summary of recent shortcomings in election polling offers context and justification for tapping the brakes about poll-driven high hopes this year.

Read the whole thing – and don’t get cocky, to coin an Insta-phrase.

Earlier:

Posted at 6:45 pm by Ed Driscoll

POLITICS IN THE PULPIT: Let’s see, evangelical Christians (EC) make up one of the largest voting blocks in America, so folks with opposing values — think secular liberal Democrats — just might have advice that discourages ECs from voting. Something like this: “Paul never tried to change politics. Peter never tried to change politics. Nope, not even Jesus. The Christian walk is NOT about changing America. Jesus doesn’t want us getting caught up in fruitless endeavors.”

Who benefits if 40 million+ evangelicals heed that admonition and stay home on election day? Secular liberal Democrats, of course. Michael Clary, the Lead Pastor of Christ the King Church in Cinncinnati, offers a decisive Scripture and common sense-based refutation of such theological thinking and five things Christians should expect of their pastors concerning politics.

 

 

Posted at 4:34 pm by Mark Tapscott

IT’S CERTAINLY A TALE AS OLD AS THE DNC:

Posted at 3:22 pm by Stephen Green