NEWS AND OPINION:
Mark your calendars: Fox News Media revealed Wednesday that network hosts Stuart Varney and Dana Perino will co-moderate the second Republican presidential primary debate of the 2024 election, set to take place Sept. 27 at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, and airing on Fox Business Network.
Mr. Varney is a longtime FBN anchor, and Ms. Perino is co-anchor for “America’s Newsroom” on Fox News Channel and a co-host of “The Five” — the most-watched program in the cable news realm, according to the network.
The pair will “provide Americans with a comprehensive view of the qualifying candidates vying for the Republican nomination for president,” Jay Wallace, president and executive editor of Fox News Media, said in a written statement.
The third co-moderator will be Illia Calderon of Univision, which will exclusively air the debate in a Spanish translation. Ms. Calderon also co-moderated the final Democratic primary debate in 2020 between then-presidential candidates Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders.
In case you miss it, the first Republican presidential debate took place Aug. 23, and aired on Fox News — drawing 12.8 million viewers, according to Nielsen.
READY TO ROLL
The Federal Emergency Management Agency — FEMA for short — is ready for Hurricane Idalia.
“FEMA’s National Response Coordination Center is activated to support any requests for federal assistance. FEMA deployed 640 personnel, including six Incident Management Assistance Teams, nine Urban Search and Rescue teams, and three Disaster Survivor Assistance Strike Teams,” the federal agency said in a statement released Wednesday.
“FEMA has fully stocked distribution warehouses with response commodities and teams ready to move those assets at the request of the state once the storm passes. The American Red Cross and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers deployed teams and resources anticipating the need to provide shelter, food and emergency power support,” the agency said.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis also said in a statement that the Florida National Guard has been fully activated, with a mobilization of 3,700 guard members in position across the state for preparedness and response efforts. An additional 1,800 guard members are on the way bringing the total to 5,500 prior to the storm landing.
Also on hand: 2,400 vehicles — including “high mobility and high-water” vehicles plus 14 strategically placed helicopters and 23 small watercraft ready to perform search-and-rescue and reconnaissance missions, the statement said.
THE TRUMP PARADOX
Former President Donald Trump doesn’t appear to fear risk. Some say it works for him, however.
“Most candidates would see their poll numbers drop after taking risky moves like skipping a nationally televised debate or, say, being arrested and having their mugshot released coast to coast. This is not the world that former President Donald Trump lives in,” wrote Nate Ashworth, founder and editor-in-chief of ElectionCentral.com.
“In a move that is probably surprising to some but unsurprising to anyone paying attention, the more persecution Trump receives from his political foes, the more his supporters dig in and his base broadens,” he said.
“The anti-Trump argument usually centers around electability. Sure, they concede, his policies were golden and the country thrived under this leadership. However, they contend, he has too much baggage to win over independent voters and will drive more Democrats to the polls than Republicans in 2024. Plus, they scream, look at these indictments,” Mr. Ashworth said.
“However, that all seems irrelevant for most GOP primary voters as a majority of them see Trump as more electable after skipping the debate and having his mugshot released,” he points out.
Findings from a recent Morning Consult poll of 800 Republican voters back up this claim.
“According to our Aug. 24-27 survey, 62% of potential primary voters said they think Trump has the best chance of beating the Democratic incumbent. That is up 9 percentage points over the previous week, and matches a high in Morning Consult’s tracking of the question since April,” the pollster said.
HOPE FOR THE MEDIA
The news media have been maligned plenty in recent years, charged with political bias, inaccuracy and sensationalism, among other journalistic sins. But things are not all bad.
Participants at LMA Fest — a recent gathering of journalists, broadcasters and other media folk — offered some hope. The event was organized by the Michigan-based Local Media Association, which boasts a membership of some 3,000 print, broadcast and digital organizations.
“Despite the well-documented challenges facing local journalism, the mood in the room was one of optimism, energy and determination,” Editor & Publisher, an industry source, noted in its review of the event.
Evan Smith, former CEO of the Texas Tribune, pointed out that “smaller, scrappier” newsrooms are now breaking major stories and garnering influence with determination and creativity despite a slim budget.
“I am so hopeful when I see these smaller insurgent news organizations punching above their weight every day,” Mr. Smith told the audience.
“Local journalism plays an indispensable civic role despite all the challenges,” Editor & Publisher said in its summary of the event, which took place Aug. 1-2.
“Reliable local news is vital for an informed populace and a healthy democracy,” the organization said.
POLL DU JOUR
• 74% of U.S. adults agree that “things in this country are headed in the wrong direction.”
• 64% disapprove of the way President Biden is handling gun policy.
• 63% disapprove of the way Mr. Biden is handling the U.S. economy.
• 57% disapprove of the way he is handling his job as president overall.
• 56% disapprove of the way he is handling foreign policy.
• 52% have an overall “unfavorable” opinion of Mr. Biden.
SOURCE: An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll of 1,165 U.S. adults conducted Aug. 10-14 and released Wednesday.
• Follow Jennifer Harper on X, formerly known as Twitter, @HarperBulletin.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
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