THERE’S ALWAYS PLENTY OF MONEY FOR LEFTIST PRIORITIES: Despite budget crisis, Penn State offers in-state tuition to illegal immigrants.

YOU AIN’T BLACK: Black Voters Saved Biden in 2020. Democrats Now See a ‘Red Flag’ in Slipping Support.

The red flag is Black voters,” said Quentin James, who controls The Collective super PAC dedicated to electing Black Democrats. “It’s not time to panic. But it’s time to get to work.”

A Quinnipiac University national poll released last week found Biden receiving 73% support from Black voters, compared to 20% for Trump in a hypothetical 2024 rematch. A poll conducted for Fox News released this month showed 61% of Black voters favoring Biden, compared to 20% for Trump. August surveys from Emerson College, Harris X/The Messenger, and YouGov/The Economist also showed similar results.

That’s a significant shift, given exit polls found Biden won 87% of Black voters in 2020, compared to only 11% for Trump.

Biden’s 76-percentage point margin, though ostensibly large, was still low for a Democratic nominee by recent standards. And for a party that needs outsized support and turnout from Black voters, it kept the 2020 Electoral College results close. Biden edged Trump then – as well as in most of the polls cited above – because he has relatively strong white voter support for a Democrat.

If you thought Democrats jacked up the racial division before, just wait until 2024.

KRUISER’S MORNING BRIEFING: The Hot Mess GOP Primary Debate Season Is Under Way. “The fact that our time was wasted by what Asa Hutchinson, Doug Burgum, and Chris Christie had to say thanks to Ronna McDaniel’s debate eligibility rules makes me think that she’s deliberately trying to become a four-time election loser as GOP Chairwoman.”

ROE V. WADE WAS DECIDED BY AN “ALL MALE” COURT, TOO: Media Eager to Point Out That South Carolina’s ‘All Male’ Supreme Court Upheld Six Week Abortion Ban. Abortion views among men and women are pretty much the same, but the press can’t even imagine that there are pro-life women because there aren’t any in their circles. At least, not any who are willing to admit it.

You can lose your job for that, as woman partner Robin Keller at the Hogan, Lovells law firm discovered: “The global law firm Hogan Lovells fired a retired equity partner after she spoke positively about the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in a conference call with other female employees, some of whom expressed anger at her, she wrote in a Tuesday Wall Street Journal opinion piece.”

SOCIAL MEDIA GAMES, STILL BEING PLAYED.

OH, CANADA: This City Made Developers Build Affordable Housing or Pay Up. They All Paid.

A law designed to build affordable housing in Montreal—and which an elected official predicted would lead to 600 new units a year—has led to zero units of affordable housing, according to the city’s data. The law required developers to either build housing or pay into a fund. Every developer chose the second option.

In April 2021, Montreal adopted the Bylaw for a Diverse Metropolis. According to the law, developers who build five dwelling units (or the equivalent in terms of space) must sign an agreement with Montreal to either construct new city-subsidized housing or new affordable housing subsidized by the developer, along with other subsidies. If developers don’t build this housing, they can either donate land or pay directly into a fund that the city will use to build affordable housing units.

According to data on the city’s website, and first reported by CBC, 150 agreements have been signed under the bylaw as of May 2023, resulting in 7100 units of housing, all of which are market rate. Every single developer opted to pay a penalty and five donated property rather than build affordable housing.

There was less money to be lost in paying up than there was to be lost in building “affordable” housing.

If cities really wanted affordable housing, they’d eliminate the taxes and regulations that help make housing unaffordable. But they’re more interested in grift and showboating.

THAT’S WHY DEMOCRATS WANT TO TALK ABOUT TRUMP: Republicans crave debate about the economy, not Trump or 2020.

Related: Interest rates are soaring, raising the alarm for a painful reckoning for America.

INTEREST: Trump and Tucker Show Was Perfect Counterprogramming to Fox News GOP Debate.

Trump said, “I think [Biden’s] the most corrupt president we’ve ever had. And he also has the distinction of being the most incompetent.” He also said that he believes Biden is “compromised because China knows so much about him. They know where the money comes from. They know where it is, who paid it — they probably paid it.” He mentioned the University of Pennsylvania Biden Center receiving Chinese money.

“He is in many ways the Manchurian candidate,” Trump said. “He is the Manchurian candidate and he’s afraid to tell Russia to get out of Cuba. He’s afraid to tell China to get out of Cuba.”

Biden’s failing health and the prospect of Kamala Harris being the nominee prompted Trump to say, “Her moments are almost as bad as his.” On Biden, he said, “You watch him and it looks like he’s walking on toothpicks–he’s so stiff. And then you see him on the beach and he can’t even lift that chair. You know, they’re made to be light. He can’t lift the chair. He can’t walk to the chair…. Somebody thinks he looks fabulous on the beach. I think he looks horrible on the beach.”

Related: Donald Trump’s Interview With Tucker Carlson Got a Jaw-Dropping Number of Views.

IT’S (STILL) GOOD TO BE THE NOMENKLATURA: Reedy Creek Improvement District Funneled Millions of Taxpayer Dollars to Disney.

MASSIVE RESISTANCE: Law School Administrators Huddle To Circumvent Affirmative Action Ban.

The next GOP administration should consider civil rights conspiracy prosecutions since this is, in fact, a conspiracy to evade civil rights rules.

DEAL OF THE DAY: COZSINOOR Hotel Grade Queen Size Cooling Bed Pillows: Set of 2. #CommissionEarned

WELL, NOT THAT SECRET: Huawei Tries to Sidestep US Sanctions Using Secret Chip-Manufacturing Plants. “According to the SIA, Huawei is attempting to bypass such restrictions by running these manufacturing plants under other company names and not disclosing its involvement. It’s a ‘shadow manufacturing network’ that exists to help Huawei do business and establish itself as an advanced chip production company within China.”

THOUGHTS ON “THOUGHT CRIME:” How Does It Emerge?

THE FULL VIDEO OF THE 2023 PROMETHEUS AWARD CEREMONY, IF YOU NEED SOMETHING TO CHEER YOU UP THIS MORNING:  Prometheus Award Ceremony.

Yes that is my real accent. Yes, it is Portuguese. No, I will not say moose and squirrel for you.

IT’S GOOD TO BE THE NOMENKLATURA: FEMA Officials Enjoy Luxury Hotels as Displaced Maui Residents Need Aid.

THE FUTURE OF APPALACHIA: South Appalachia is already turning around, and remote work offers new opportunities for North Appalachian communities too. “For fully remote workers, I changed my mind about the various incentive programs that are out there like Tulsa Remote. These pay people $10,000 to move to a new city or state. I used to think this sounded desperate and was hokey. But they seem to have had some success. West Virginia’s Ascend WV program has done very well, and Eastern Kentucky’s pilot program is already showing good results. This is something communities could consider.”

IF HE WANTS TO, SURE, BUT DOES HE? Does God Control History?

ABOUT TIME:  Rocket Lab launches a satellite reusing one rocket engine from previous flight.

UH: Burning Man is flooded thanks to tropical storm Hilary, attendees turned away.

You could say it’s fire and water….

BORDERING ON GASLIGHTING:  Friday Thoughts: Propaganda.

WELL, LOOKIT THAT, MY SHOCKED FACE:  Biden Admin Restores Obama-Era Restrictions on Offshore Drilling.

AS MY FRIEND, DAVE FREER, TOLD ME YEARS AGO, CHINA’S ECONOMY IS A BEAUTIFUL LACQUERED VASE, WITH THE LACQUER HIDING CRACKS AND ROT:  China’s Economy in Grave Danger as Growth Engines Stall, Options Dwindle.

PEOPLE IN HELL WANT ICE WATER:  House Republicans Want Answers From State Department About Suspended Iran Envoy Robert Malley.

THIS WAS A SURPRISE ONLY TO HIMSELF. OH, MAYBE THE OTHER 9 TOO:  Russian dissident Yevgeny Prigozhin dead after a plane crash outside Moscow: Wagner group.

TEACH WOMEN NOT TO MAKE DEATH THREATS:  Woman threatened to shoot Donald Trump, son Barron ‘straight in the face’: feds.