You have to hand it to the Huffington Post. Were it not for its slavish devotion to abortion, events most of us would never hear about get publicized.

For example, “Gloria Steinem Speaks At Planned Parenthood Fundraiser, Tackles Gender, Sexuality,” written by Ashley Alman and posted Wednesday. Alman’s own piece is almost incoherent, but it led me to read the story in The City Sentinel, a weekly that serves Oklahoma City, which evidently served as the basis for Alman’s account, and which is hardly the model of accuracy.

Here are a couple of observations.

“The women’s advocate [Steinem] talked about how many women are victims of horrific crimes in the United States,” Alman writes. “There is a son surplus and a daughter deficit because of female infanticide, and there is a huge market in sex trafficking, where the life expectancy is very, very short.”

Pardon?

Steinem (according to The City Sentinel) talked at length about women killed in the United States by boyfriends and husbands, which horrifies anyone and everyone with even a tinge of a conscience. But the second half—about a “son surplus and a daughter deficit because of female infanticide, and there is a huge market in sex trafficking, where the life expectancy is very, very short”—obviously had nothing to do with the United States.

Presumably Steinem was tackling, whether obliquely or directly, the hundreds of millions of “missing women.” Author Mara Hvistendahl is to be credited for raising awareness with her book, “Unnatural Selection: Choosing Boys Over Girls and the Consequences of a World Full of Men.” These millions of “missing women” were prenatally targeted for extinction, because of the availability of ultrasound technology improperly used. [1]

IF the quote is accurate, and assuming–as we should—that Steinem is really talking about gendercide, it was not hundreds of millions of new-born females who were killed (although infanticide surely does occur) but obviously unborn baby girls. Steinem does not flat-out denounce gendercide which illustrates the bind into which a mindless appetite for abortion places pro-abortion feminists.

As an aside, Steinem offers the usual mishmash of feminist herstory and hosannas for Planned Parenthood. The real show-stopper was “Steinem contends it is more accurate to characterize the organization as preventing abortion stating, ‘abortion is only one percent of what Planned Parenthood does,’” according to The City Sentinel’s Darla Shelden.

Usually the utterly misleading formulation is that abortion makes up “only 3%” of PPFA’s “services.” But for Steinem, even that concession is too much.

NRLC’s Dr. Randall K. O’Bannon has debunked this nonsense (“PPFA, abortion, and ‘3%’: “The Most Meaningless Abortion Statistic Ever”). Just remember that PPFA takes in a small fortune performing 330,000+ abortions each year AND that about one out of every nine women coming through Planned Parenthood’s door will have an abortion!

Tip of the hat to Jill Stanek.

[1] We’re written about this tragedy on many occasions. Here are two examples: “It’s a girl: The three deadliest words in the world”; and “Pro-abortionists and “Gendercide”—trying to squirm out of the corner.”

Dave Andrusko, National Right to Life

Overview.

Over the course of two nights this Fall, Republicans from all over our great nation will convene in Dallas, Texas for a clear purpose: To support the outstanding slate of GOP candidates running in the midterm elections this Fall and articulate all we have done and will continue to do to strive for what our Founding Fathers fought for 250 years ago – a more perfect union.

In 2026, the stakes could not be higher. All elections offer voters a path to the future. In November, we must decide whether to take the path of steady progress or ourselves obstruction. One that leads to prosperity, peace through strength, and a doubling-down on core American ideals – or the one littered with far-left liberal ideology and policies that have decimated our cities, outsourced American jobs to China and beyond, and provided the dismal promise of a future filled with high taxes and low wages. The choice is crystal clear.

The Republican Midterm Convention marks a first in American political history – a primetime showcase for President Trump’s success, candidates, and causes that have propelled the 2026 midterms to unprecedented focus. Our Party will also articulate a clear and bold plan of the work we will continue to do on behalf of the hard-working and patriotic Americans after we achieve victory in November.

The message is simple: Americans want strong borders and sound immigration policies, not sanctuary cities and the unspeakable crimes that come with them. They want to continue to reap the profound benefits from the One Big Beautiful Bill: no tax on tips, new pathways to retirement savings, and a vibrant economy that lifts all boats. Parents want a common-sense approach to education, youth sports and school choice – not a liberal lecture on transgender rights and those who think boys should be allowed to play in girls athletics.

Each night will not only showcase the dedicated men and women running in key races around the country but also the voices of everyday Americans – who want to fight to continue President Trump’s common-sense revolution.

Midterm Convention Programming Fast Facts President Donald Trump will appear both nights with a keynote address on the second night Vice President JD Vance will make a keynote address on the first night Night 1 Total: 53 items/speakers Ni

September 4, 2026

What you should know

• Ahead of 25th anniversary of terrorist attacks, Executive Orders establish citywide day of service and modernize continuity of operations for first time since 2007
• New interagency Continuity and Mission Assurance Team will strengthen preparedness, ensure continued service delivery during emergencies

NEW YORK – Today, ahead of the 25th Anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani will sign two Executive Orders to honor the victims, first responders, survivors, City workers and families whose lives were forever changed by the tragedy while strengthening City government’s ability to protect New Yorkers and maintain essential services during emergencies.  

“I am honored to establish the City’s first Day of Remembrance and Service on September 11th to remember those we lost on that horrific day and the first responders, families and City workers whose lives were irrevocably changed in the aftermath. Through this Executive Order, we are calling on New Yorkers to honor their memory through service and deep reflection,” said Mayor Zohran Mamdani. “We must also recognize that remembrance carries a responsibility to strengthen our city, protect New Yorkers and ensure that government is prepared to deliver for people no matter the circumstances. ‘Never Forget’ is not a slogan. It is a commitment that we must carry forward through action. And that is precisely what these two Executive Orders demonstrate.”

The first Executive Order establishes September 11th as an official Citywide Day of Remembrance and Service. It directs the administration to designate time that day for a moment of silence in honor of those who were killed in the attacks and those who suffered health consequences in the years since. City agencies are also encouraged to hold memorial ceremonies, educational programming and other activities to honor those lost, their families and the first responders who answered the call.  

The Mayor’s Office will work with NYC Service to promote community service and volunteer opportunities for New Yorkers and encourage City agencies to participate. While similar Days of Remembrance exist at the State and Federal levels, this is the first such action taken by a New York City mayor. 

The second Executive Order strengthens and modernizes the City’s Continuity of Operations planning for the first time since 2007, helping ensure that City government can continue delivering essential services and protecting New Yorkers during an emergency.  

The Executive Order establishes the City’s first Continuity and Mission Assurance Team (CMAT), a senior interagency body chaired by the Deputy Mayor for Operations and composed of leadership from NYC Emergency Management (NYCEM), the Office of Technology and Innovation (OTI), the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) and the Office of Management and Budget. The team will meet regularly to strengthen operational preparedness, coordinate continuity planning and ensure City government is ready to deliver for New Yorkers, no matter the circumstances.

“By designating September 11 as a Day of Service and Remembrance, we remember those we lost and carry forward the spirit that defined our City in its darkest hours. Service was the legacy of those who answered the call on September 11, 2001, and those who have died since. The greatest tribute we can pay them is to continue serving one another with compassion, courage and a shared commitment to building a stronger New York,” said New York City Fire Department Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore. 

“September 11 is a day to remember the lives we lost, honor the heroes who answered the call, and renew our commitment to serving our communities,” said NYC Emergency Management Commissioner Christina Farrell. “Declaring September 11 an official Day of Remembrance and Service ensures that we carry that legacy of service forward. We are putting that same commitment into action by strengthening our Continuity of Operations Program. It will make sure that the City is prepared to keep essential services available when New Yorkers need them most. Together, these actions reflect what resilience means for New York City: remembering where we have been, supporting each other and preparing for what may come next.” 

“25 years ago, we experienced the unimaginable — and New Yorkers and city workers came together to rebuild our city,” said DCAS Commissioner Yume Kitasei. “On this upcoming Day of Remembrance and Service, we will join the mayor in recommitting to our promise to never forget the sacrifices made that day and the months after, and as a core member of the Continuity and Mission Assurance Team, DCAS stands ready and prepared.” 

“As we reflect on the solemn legacy of September 11th and honor those we lost, we are reminded that preparedness is essential to keeping New Yorkers safe,” said Chief Technology Officer and OTI Commissioner Lisa Gelobter. “Technology powers the City’s critical response capabilities, and modernizing our operational preparedness is essential to keeping New Yorkers safe. Through this Executive Order, OTI is deepening our interagency collaboration with agency partners and City Hall to ensure our systems, communications and emergency playbooks are resilient and built for any challenge.

“9/11 is a significant day in New York City history – a day of tremendous loss and tragedy, and also a day when New Yorkers of all backgrounds came forward to serve each other,” said Chief Service Officer Laura Rog. “Over the last 25 years, our city and country have made the commitment to show up for each other even in the darkest, hardest hours. Every act of service by every New Yorker since 2001 has not only honored the first responders, family and friends and recovery workers impacted, but each act has also woven the legacy of service across generations to turn our grief into a spirit of service that carries us forward.”

“On the 25th anniversary of September 11, we remember the brave first responders who answered the call in the face of unspeakable tragedy, participated in rescue and recovery operations and succumbed to illnesses or suffer from illnesses until this very day. We also honor the thousands of victims who lost their lives on that fateful day, and the family and friends who carry their legacy. And we recognize and appreciate the OMB employees who were working on that day and experienced the aftermath,” said Mayor’s Office of Management and Budget Director Sherif Soliman. “OMB is proud to partner with other City agencies in order to leverage our expertise and institutional knowledge in support of the Mayor’s Continuity of Operations Program, and to ensure that the City’s resources are appropriately marshaled to strengthen the city’s emergency preparedness posture and service delivery capabilities.”

NYC Office of the Mayor

In this Federalist Society America250 series, experts analyze modern legal and policy debates through the lens of the Founding generation. The Founders gave us the tools to answer many contemporary questions; join us as we explore those answers.

During the constitutional convention, Alexander Hamilton raised the idea of a presidential pardon power, borrowing from the British monarchy’s prerogative of mercy. Hamilton’s proposal ultimately resulted in Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution, which gives the president the authority to pardon individuals convicted of a federal crime.

The first presidential pardon was exercised by George Washington in 1795, when he granted amnesty to individuals who participated in Pennsylvania’s Whiskey Rebellion. Since then, there have been more than 14,000 instances of presidential pardons. From Andrew Johnson’s pardon of Jefferson Davis to Gerald Ford’s preemptive pardon of Richard Nixon to more recent instances including Joe Biden’s preemptive pardon of Hunter Biden and Donald Trump’s January 6th pardons, presidents’ use – and sometimes purported abuse – of the power has been a controversial and fiercely debated executive authority throughout our nation’s history.

Join our panel of experts as they explore the Founders’ views of the pardon power and place recent use in context with the founding generation.

Featuring:

• Paul J. Larkin, Senior Legal Fellow, Advancing American Freedom
• Andrew McCarthy, Senior Fellow, National Review Institute; Contributing Editor, National Review
• James Trusty, Member, Ifrah Law
• (Moderator) Jeffrey DeSousa, Florida Office of the Attorney General 

MAGDEBURG, Germany (AP) — The far-right Alternative for Germany was projected to win a strong victory in a regional election Sunday, but it wasn’t immediately clear whether it would be able to fulfill its ambition of forming the country’s first far-right state government since World War II.

The party’s 35-year-old charismatic candidate for governor of the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt hailed what he called a historic showing and said that Germany’s unpopular leader, Chancellor Friedrich Merz, had helped his campaign.

Ulrich Siegmund told ARD public broadcaster that “we have written history.” Voters, he said, had sent a signal that “things cannot carry on like this.”

It was “also a signal toward Berlin,” Siegmund said. Of Germany’s leader, he added: “A very good campaigner for us in this election campaign was Friedrich Merz. Every day this man is in the chancellery is one too many.”

Alternative for Germany, or AfD, went into the vote seeking an absolute majority in the state legislature to govern on its own. That would overcome the so-called firewall of mainstream parties’ refusal to work with AfD, but it was unclear after polls closed whether it would happen.

A first state government would be the biggest prize in the anti-migration party’s 13-year history, at a time of widespread discontent with an unpopular national government that has yet to persuade voters that it can get the country’s sluggish economy moving.

Whether or not AfD can form a government, the projected result is a blow to Merz, whose center-right party has led Saxony-Anhalt for 24 years. Unlike other countries in Europe, modern Germany hasn’t yet had a far-right or right-wing populist party leading a national, state or major-city government.

AfD’s regional branch in Saxony-Anhalt is one of several classified by the domestic intelligence agency as a proven right-wing extremist group. AfD vehemently rejects accusations of extremism.

Projections for ARD and ZDF public television, based on exit polls and early counting, put AfD at around 44% of the vote, more than double its showing five years ago in the region of 2.1 million people west of Berlin.

That was far ahead of the Christian Democratic Union, the center-right party of Merz that has led the state for 24 years, which was seen polling 18.5% and losing about half its support. The Left Party and the center-left Social Democrats and Greens were seen taking around 9% each.

It was unclear whether the BSW party would get the 5% of the vote needed to win seats. The projections put AfD at least marginally short of an absolute majority, though that could change.

AfD’s national co-leader, Alice Weidel, described the projected result as “sensational” and said that “we have received a very clear mandate to govern here.” The party’s “hand is outstretched to all who want to make Saxony-Anhalt better and move Germany forward,” she said.

A visibly disappointed incumbent governor, Sven Schulze, congratulated AfD on becoming the state’s strongest political force and said that “we as the CDU will also have to deal with this result,” without specifying how.

Franziska Hoppermann, the national general secretary of Merz’s party, said that it was “a very difficult result for us.” She and others rejected the idea of backing off their refusal to deal with AfD.

Germany’s 16 states have extensive powers, for example in overseeing security matters and running the education system.

Siegmund has listed among his top priorities “the deportation of people who are illegal, a deportation offensive and above all dropping the incentives for why people come here and exploit our social system.” He wants to initiate a long process to withdraw Saxony-Anhalt from the regional public broadcaster, citing concerns about “disinformation.”

AfD in Saxony-Anhalt wants to allow home schooling, which so far isn’t permitted in Germany. It pledges to ban schools from officially raising the rainbow flag and ensure they fly the national flag. It opposes taxpayers’ money being “given away” to Ukraine and says it would push to lift sanctions against Russia, but that isn’t a matter state governments can decide.

___

Geir Moulson reported from Berlin.

https://t.co/oLWg9pr3n4 pic.twitter.com/XQU9AtxbYc— ABC News (@ABC) September 5, 2026

Iran lacks the capacity to replace these tankers, and lacks the resources to buy them. Those attacks on American targets are carrying a high long-term cost for the IRGC without any corresponding benefit.

Strategic patience for the win? Iran’s regime leaders thought they could force the US to buckle by strangling the global economy at the Strait of Hormuz. The US, however, has an actual blue-water navy, and that tends to matter in blockades involving a country entirely reliant on sea trade for its only valuable export economy.

As the Wall Street Journal concedes, Donald Trump’s Hormuz blockade is a lot less “leaky” than the IRGC’s. And as Trump himself pointed out yesterday, the Strait may not matter for very much longer anyway:

By squeezing the Strait of Hormuz, both the U.S. and Iran expected to outlast their foe, believing time would work in their favor.

Now, it looks like the trend is moving against Tehran.

The U.S. naval blockade has prevented Iran from shipping any oil from the Persian Gulf since July. At the same time, despite Iranian drone and missile attacks, Washington has been able to assist Gulf Arab states in moving significant amounts of their crude through the waterway, keeping global oil prices from surging above critical levels.

Talk about a bad bet. The IRGC may have convinced itself that Trump would buckle out of domestic political pressures, not to mention diplomatic pushes from Gulf states concerned about attacks on their own energy infrastructure. And for a few months, anyway, that position looked accurate. Qatar, Pakistan, and Turkey – and at times, Saudi Arabia and the UAE – pushed Trump into fruitless negotiations with the IRGC, which not only went nowhere but changed nothing even when agreements did get reached. 

In July, Trump stopped talking about deals. Instead, he started talking about increasing the blockade, and eventually expanded the economic warfare into Scott Bessent’s “economic D-Day.” Qatar, Turkey, and Pakistan are still trying to get the band back together in Islamabad, but Trump has made clear this week that he has no interest. 

The WSJ reports on the results of the IRGC’s bet, at least at the moment:

But now it is clear that Tehran’s calculation six months ago, as it shut down the Strait of Hormuz and bottled up one-fifth of the world’s crude oil supply, proved erroneous. The move didn’t trigger a worldwide economic crisis or force President Trump to end the war on Iranian terms. …

For now, however, Iran’s leverage over the Strait of Hormuz is slowly but surely being eroded by the U.S. military campaign in the region. Crude oil prices remain below $100 a barrel on international markets, elevated but well below the critical threshold for the global economy. In part, this was due to China drawing on domestic reserves and reducing imports.

It isn’t just about oil, of course. Shipments of liquefied natural gas, fertilizers and other commodities also remain stuck in the Gulf, choking the economies of Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq and Bahrain—nations that don’t have alternative sea outlets.

That’s true – for now. However, the al-Sharaa government in Syria stepped up this week to declare itself open for business in oil distribution. With Syria starting to stabilize in its post-Assad era, al-Sharaa wants to bring investors into his country to turn it into a pipeline for the western Gulf nations to the Mediterranean. Naturally, Donald Trump has enthusiastically endorsed the idea:

US President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that Syria acting as an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz would be “great.” This comment was prompted by The Washington Post’s headline, which noted that Syria was “eyeing role as [a] Middle East hub, offers options to bypass Hormuz.” …

There are plans for Syria to serve as a means of transferring oil to the Mediterranean. However, a recent report at Reuters noted that “Iraq’s plans to export oil via a pipeline through Syria to avert future disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz will likely require four years of construction and cost at least $15 billion.” The report added that the idea was receiving “initial support for feasibility studies from a consortium including Chevron.”

Even if the project gets expedited, the construction of a pipeline system will take several years. There are plans to rehabilitate a 1950s-era pipeline and restore it to service, but that won’t happen overnight. However, launching these projects will make clear that Iran’s influence on global economics will be ending sooner or later, with or without a resolution in Hormuz, and most pointedly, whether Iranian crude comes on the market or not. 

The IRGC is running out of options, now and in the future. The US Navy has increased the “leakage” from Iran’s attempted blockage to nearly the normal level of shipping through the Strait, at least for crude. Iran tried to cut a deal with Oman that would eliminate those routes set up by the US Navy, but Trump threatened to make them the next US target if they interfered or attempted to “toll” commercial traffic. Oman caved a couple of days ago:

Oman has quietly rejected Iran’s request to jointly charge service fees on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, The Post has learned — averting a clash with President Trump, who has threatened to rain down bombs on the US ally.

A high-ranking regional official said that Muscat declined to consent to charging fees — even on a voluntary basis — for environmental and security services, contrary to a statement last week from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The terms of a proposed revenue-sharing deal had not been finalized, even by Tehran, a US official told The Post last week — indicating the IRGC jumped the gun.

The IRGC won’t surrender any time soon, if at all. However, the clock is ticking on their regime, and they know it. As long as Trump maintains his strategic patience, the regime will slowly get strangled to the point where a popular revolt might succeed, especially if the regime’s thugs stop getting compensated. Trump can do this for two more years, by which time the pipeline options might render moot what’s left of Iran’s leverage. The US only needs the political will to maintain strategic patience with the blockade, and the strength to enforce sanctions on the IRGC’s enablers. 

Addendum: Strategic patience does not preclude enforcement of the blockade nor responses to attacks. As Trump warned this week, the US is now applying consequences for Iranian attacks on American targets to its merchant tanker fleet:

BREAKING: U.S. forces “permanently disabled” two Iranian oil tankers and “completely destroyed” another after IRGC launched ballistic missiles toward an American aircraft carrier and destroyer, U.S. Central Command said.

Read more:

https://t.co/oLWg9pr3n4 pic.twitter.com/XQU9AtxbYc— ABC News (@ABC) September 5, 2026

Iran lacks the capacity to replace these tankers, and lacks the resources to buy them. Those attacks on American targets are carrying a high long-term cost for the IRGC without any corresponding benefit.

Ed Morrisey, Hotair

Veteran Democratic strategist James Carville said the Democratic Party faces an ideological “reckoning” in 2028 but rejected the idea that primary voters will choose a democratic socialist presidential nominee.

Speaking on “Saturday in America,” Carville offered his prediction of how Democratic voters will approach the party’s 2028 presidential primary.

“The reckoning will be in a nominating process for the nominee of the Democratic Party in 2028. This has to be taken to Democratic voters,” Carville said while discussing recent victories by candidates backed by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).

I don’t agree. I say Carville is out of touch, living in his more glorious professional past of 35 years ago. Today’s Democrat voters are fine with anything that’s not Republican. They associate Republicans with liberty, free markets, fiscal solvency, low taxes, law and order, a strong military, and low regulations. In practice, most Republicans practice none of these things, but they pay lip service to these conventional American, rational, Western values — and Democrats LOATHE these things. Perhaps most Republicans (Trump was an exception) don’t stand up (when voting) for anything decent, but most Democrats believe Republicans do — and that’s precisely why they despise Republicans.

Granted: Some of the older Democrats, like Carville, are concerned about the rise of radical (i.e., consistent) socialists, but they have no problem voting even for a Communist if the choice is between a Communist and a MAGA Republican. Carville will not vote for Rubio or Vance in 2028; nor will he stay home. He will vote for AOC, or any Democrat Communist served up. Democrat voters will never, ever turn Republican; they WILL vote for any Communist or fascist or Muslim radical any day, any time, not just over a Trump, but over a Marco Rubio, a J.D. Vance, a Bush, anyone. The younger the Democratic voter, the truer this trend is.

I believe America is on a trajectory to complete socialism, if not Communism, over the next 10-15 years tops. The only question is whether everyone will submit, or whether the whole country will break apart, not just state by state, but county by county and town by town — with probably lots of bloodshed. Not an organized Civil War like the first time; just a disintegration and breaking up. I see this as plain as if it’s already happening, because it has already started happening: Observe openly Communist mayors in Seattle, Los Angeles, New York, D.C., Chicago and increasingly in Congress. It starts with the big cities, then the smaller cities, then the purple states and finally the conservative red rural areas. This is not negativity or conjecture. It’s a simple observation of facts developing right before our eyes, daily.

Michael J. Hurd, Daily Dose of Reason

The Democratic Party is radicalized … everywhere. That includes even a reliably Republican state like South Carolina.

Annie Andrews, a rabidly woke pediatrician who suggests you’re not a real doctor unless you support hormonal gender alteration treatments on minors, also favors gun confiscation:

In September 2024, days after a school shooting in Georgia, Andrews went after Gov. Brian Kemp and South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster for supporting gun rights. She said they “continue to prioritize the NRA over our children’s safety” and told them: “You are the bad guys. You are the villains.”

“The lollipops are so the kids will stay quiet during a lockdown, in case you are as dense as you are evil.”

“I hope you see images of bloody school children when you close your eyes at night. I hope you hear their screams… I hope you never get another good night’s sleep.”

Where does her Republican opponent, Darline Graham, stand on gun rights? Anybody’s guess. But there’s no doubt where the Communist totalitarians stand.

If a deep red state like South Carolina sends a monster like Annie Andrews to the U.S. Senate, then America is in bigger trouble than you think.

Michael J. Hurd, Daily Dose of Reason

The Wolverines had 276 yards on 48 plays, but committed nine penalties and were just 3-of-10 on third downs.

Had the clock actually expired on the incomplete pass, the first game of coach Kyle Whittingham’s tenure would have been an unmitigated disaster. The former Utah coach hired to clean up the mess left behind by the fired Sherrone Moore has a lot to go through when he watches film with his coaching staff.

Instead, Michigan is, somehow, 1-0.

No. 16 Michigan avoided an upset loss to Western Michigan on Saturday night with a lot of help from instant replay.

Bryce Underwood hit JJ Buchanan for an incredible 47-yard Hail Mary as time expired for a 13-12 win. The pass came after the ball was snapped with one second left after Underwood’s previous Hail Mary appeared to fall incomplete with no time remaining.

After a short review, a second was added back to the clock. And then Buchanan made the catch.

Hours after the game ended, the Big Ten issued a statement saying that the game clock showed there was still 0:01 remaining when Micah Davis touched the ball and provided a video of Davis synced up to the game clock as proof.

Following video review, it was determined Western Michigan’s No. 18 started his jump from an established out-of-bounds position (left foot) and made contact with the ball with one second remaining on the clock,” the statement said. “As shown in the provided video of what was viewed during the replay process, a side-by-side view of the play and the game clock, using a direct shot of the game clock in the stadium, was used to determine the final ruling.

“Eighty-five minutes prior to the game, all broadcast cameras used for the replay system, including the camera on the game clock, are synced using a strobe system to ensure all cameras are aligned.

“Per NCAA Football rule 4-2-3-a: ‘A ball not in player control, other than. Kick that scores a field goal, is out of bounds when it touches the ground, a player, a game official or anything else that is out-of-bound, or that is on or outside a boundary line,’ and thus the clock is stopped.”

A screenshot from the video the Big Ten provided to back up its assertion there was a second remaining

After the Big Ten released it statement, MAC commissioner Jon Steinbrecher said that his conference also reviewed the footage and agreed with the explanation.

In the immediate aftermath of the play, NBC’s numerous replays of the first Hail Mary showed that the ball was not close to touching Davis until the clock showed 0:00. Rules analyst and former referee Terry McAuley was unable to come up with a concrete explanation for why a second was added to the clock.

The clock on the bottom left shows 0:00. The ball is circled in red.

“The ball isn’t even close to touching the player when it goes to zero,” McAuley said after he told viewers that he was informed that the clock on the bottom left of the screen was the stadium clock and in sync with the replay. “Now their Hawk Eye system apparently either was — had a different sync or whatever and they came up with one second when it touched the players. I don’t see how that happened assuming our clock is correct. It is clearly not touching the player. It is clearly still in the air when the clock goes to zero on our screen. So the Big Ten’s going to have to tell a lot of us how did they get to one second on this play.”

Here’s how the first Hail Mary looked in real time.

The second-chance Hail Mary was Buchanan’s second massive catch of the final drive. He was responsible for all 75 yards on the drive as he caught a 28-yard pass on third down to get Michigan across midfield and put the Wolverines in position to go for the end zone.

Michigan got the ball back for its final drive with 35 seconds to go after Western Michigan kicked a field goal to go up five points. The Broncos’ fourth field goal of the game came after Underwood fumbled while trying to scramble for a first down with 1:40 to go.

That turnover was Michigan’s third of the game and Underwood’s second. He had a rough game and had just 95 passing yards before the final drive.

Western Michigan’s offensive stats weren’t pretty either, but they controlled the clock. The Broncos had just 221 total yards on 67 plays but held onto the ball for just over 40 minutes. WMU was 8-of-18 on third downs and had 16 first downs to Michigan’s 12.

The Wolverines had 276 yards on 48 plays, but committed nine penalties and were just 3-of-10 on third downs.

Had the clock actually expired on the incomplete pass, the first game of coach Kyle Whittingham’s tenure would have been an unmitigated disaster. The former Utah coach hired to clean up the mess left behind by the fired Sherrone Moore has a lot to go through when he watches film with his coaching staff.

Instead, Michigan is, somehow, 1-0.

Nick Bromberg, Yahoo

Democrat U.S. Senate nominee James Talarico spoke of “dismantling” capitalism while dismissing the future of Texas’ oil and gas industry during a 2020 climate forum, newly resurfaced video shows.

The comments, first reported by CNN, came during a virtual candidate forum hosted by the Austin Sierra Club while Talarico was serving his first term in the Texas House.

During the forum, Talarico was asked what lawmakers could do to address the effects of climate change on minority communities.

“I am so thankful that you asked this question, and also thankful that young activists have really drawn the link between climate change and white supremacy and capitalism in our country,” Talarico said.

“And I think only ending the ways that all three of those oppressive systems work together, are we going to be able to begin the process of dismantling them.”

Earlier in the discussion, Talarico described what he called the “multifaceted threat of a climate crisis, an economic crisis, and a social justice crisis.”

He said a “New Deal effort” would be “the only approach to start to address all three in a thoughtful and meaningful way.”

Talarico also questioned the future of the oil and gas industry, comparing Texas’ position as a national energy leader to dominating an obsolete technology.

“We all know that Texas has been a leader in oil and gas, but in many ways that’s like being the leader in cassette tapes in the 1980s,” Talarico said. “That industry is not gonna last.”

Six years later, Talarico is presenting a markedly different message as he campaigns against Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton for U.S. Senate.

His campaign told CNN that Talarico is now a “proud capitalist” who supports the oil and gas industry.

“James is a proud capitalist and agrees with the majority of Texans that racism, natural disasters, and a billionaire-controlled economy are all problems we need to address,” campaign spokesman JT Ennis said.

The Paxton campaign responded to the resurfaced remarks by pointing to Talarico’s comments about both capitalism and the oil and gas industry.

Campaign spokeswoman Madison Cercy said the report “just confirmed what we already knew: James Talarico is a Democratic Socialist who wants to destroy economic opportunity, ban oil and gas, and raise taxes to pay for his radical agenda.”

“Talarico called capitalism an ‘oppressive system’ and said the Texas oil and gas was ‘not gonna last.’ His views and values are completely antithetical to Texas and are a threat to our way of life,” she added.

Texas Scorecard ^ | 9/1/2026 | Brandon Waltens