NEWS AND OPINION:
Former President Donald Trump is expected to attend the No. 2 Georgia vs. No. 4 Alabama game in Tuscaloosa on Saturday — as a guest of businessman and friend Ric Mayers.
“So what is his game meal of choice?” asked AL.com, the largest news site in Alabama.
“Trump requested two Filet-O-Fish sandwiches with cheese from McDonald’s, stadium hotdogs, Domino’s pizza and Diet Coke,” Mr. Mayers said. “Trump has previously requested McDonald’s while visiting Alabama, state GOP officials said,” the site reported.
“But there’s a hurricane coming — could Helene affect Saturday’s big game? Fortunately it doesn’t look like Helene will be an issue, according to forecasts from the National Weather Service in Birmingham,” AL.com added.
“Helene is expected to be clear of Alabama by Saturday, with the remnants of the storm expected to be over northern Tennessee by Saturday. The forecast for Tuscaloosa at game time on Saturday looks rather pleasant, with cooler temperatures and lower rain chances,” the site said.
MEANWHILE, ON THE BORDER
U.S. Customs and Border Protection continues its vigilant watch on the southern U.S. border. This week, for example, officers seized $815,000 worth of cocaine hidden in a vehicle at the port of entry at Eagle Pass, Texas. And $675,000 worth of the drug was discovered at the Brownsville & Matamoros International Bridge. A discovery at the Presidio port of entry also yielded quite a find.
Officers discovered and seized 748 pounds of Mexican bologna hidden in several suitcases.
“The prohibited meat was in a vehicle that arrived from Mexico. Officers also discovered more than 280 boxes of undeclared prescription medications while searching that same vehicle,” the agency said in a new report.
“We stress that it is important that travelers educate themselves on what products are allowed to be legally entered from abroad. And even if they believe an item is allowed, travelers should still declare all items they are transporting to the U.S. to avoid fines and penalties,” said CBP Presidio Port Director Benito Reyes Jr. in a statement.
“The concern with pork products is that they have the potential to introduce foreign animal diseases,” he said.
“The driver was issued a $1,000 civil penalty and the bologna was seized and destroyed by CBP agriculture specialists per USDA regulations. The medication was seized. CBP officers also seized the conveyance and more than $7,600 in concealed currency,” the report said.
EARTH’S TEMPORARY ’MINI-MOON’
NASA scientists have calculated that Earth temporarily gets a “second moon” beginning Sunday. The “mini-moon” is actually the tiny asteroid 2024 PT5, which is in orbit around the sun, Space.com reported.
“While Earth’s primary companion, the moon, has lingered around our planet for around 4 billion years since its formation in the solar system’s infancy, this asteroid will be a temporary fixture that won’t even see the year out,” the news site said.
According to the latest data from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory Horizons system, the temporary “capture” will start on Sunday at 3:54 a.m. and end at 11:43 a.m. on Nov. 25. That calculation comes from mini-moon event expert Carlos de la Fuente Marcoss, a scientist at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid.
“The object that is going to pay us a visit belongs to the Arjuna asteroid belt, a secondary asteroid belt made of space rocks that follow orbits very similar to that of Earth, at an average distance to the sun of about 93 million miles. Objects in the Arjuna asteroid belt are part of the near-Earth object population of asteroids and comets,” he told Space.com.
“Some Arjuna asteroid belt objects can approach Earth at a close range of around 2.8 million miles and at a relatively low velocity of less than 2,200 miles per hour. Asteroid 2024 PT5 will not describe a full orbit around Earth. You may say that if a true satellite is like a customer buying goods inside a store, objects like 2024 PT5 are window shoppers,” the scientist said.
THEY’RE IN THE MONEY
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise has presented $2 million to Republican election campaigns.
“This is Leader Scalise’s third major disbursement from ‘Scalise Leadership Fund 2024,’ Leader Scalise’s joint fundraising committee (JFC) dedicated to winning and retaining key House seats, and brings the cycle-to-date total to $26 million,” the Louisiana Republican’s office said in a report shared with Inside the Beltway.
“Scalise Leadership Fund 2024 supports 17 candidates, 36 incumbents, the NRCC, and CLF. With only 40 days until the election, these resources are critical to securing victory in the key races that will determine who controls the House Majority,” the report said.
“Since day one, we’ve prioritized putting resources directly into the pockets of Republican campaigns because a dollar goes farthest in the hands of our candidates. In an election as close and as important as this, every cent could mean the difference between defeat and victory,” Mr. Scalise said in a statement.
“I firmly believe we will expand our House Majority on November 5th and deliver President Trump a stronger Republican Congress than ever before,” he added.
WEEKEND REAL ESTATE
For sale: Historic fieldstone house with vineyard and winery on 6 acres near Bluemont, Virginia, built in 1893. Three bedrooms, four baths, meticulously restored living and dining rooms, family room, sitting room, wine tasting room, den; 3,452 square feet. Includes two fireplaces, beamed ceilings, original woodwork. Chef’s kitchen, Shenandoah mountain views; guest cottage with kitchenette, bath and storage building. Property includes mature grapevines, gated drive. Priced at $2.1 million through https://www.sothebysrealty.com/eng — enter MLS number VACL2002940 in the search function.
POLL DU JOUR
• 31% of U.S. adults describe their political viewpoint as “moderate.”
• 20% describe their political viewpoint as “conservative.”
• 16% describe their political viewpoint as “liberal.”
• 14% describe their political viewpoint as “very liberal.”
• 11% describe their political viewpoint as “very conservative.”
• 8% are “not sure” what their political viewpoint is.
Source: An Economist/YouGov poll of 1,622 U.S. adults conducted online Sept. 21-24.
• Follow Jennifer Harper on X @HarperBulletin, on Facebook @HarperUniverse.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
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