Beltway Insider: Biden/Jobs Report, Election/VP Debate, Israel, Hurricane Helene Devastation

President Biden toured the devastated western region of North Carolina this week, after raging flood waters from Hurricane Helene, swept down the mountains in shocking strength decimating cities, towns, leaving more than 200 dead and thousands homeless.

The President's job approval rating, according to the website fivethirtyeight.com for the period ending October 6, 2024, decreased by 0.5% to 39.5% of those polled who approve of his effectiveness as President and those who disapprove of his effectiveness increased by 0.3% at 55.3% of those polled. A slight 3% of the population polled have no opinion. Ratings are calculated weekly.

Averaging the National Polls, with the Tuesday, November 5, 2024 election in 29 days, Vice-President Kamala Harris's popularity with prospective voters has decreased by 0.1% to 48.4% over the former president and convicted felon Donald Trump, whose popularity with prospective voters has increased by 0.2% to 45.9%. The political countdown site 270towin.com averages 10 national polls and places Vice-President Kamala Harris ahead with 49.6% an increase of 1.1% and the former president Trump with 0.7%, a increase of 0.7%.


Beltway Insider: Biden/UN, Israel Escalates War/Bombs Lebanon, NYC Mayor Indicted, Hurricane Deaths, VP Debates


Job Reports: Biden Addresses Reporters in Press Conference

President Biden made surprise visit to a regularly scheduled press briefing this week, providing the White House press corps, the opportunity for a brief Q & A with the president. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 250,000 jobs were created in September, which is 150,000 more than were expected. which by all reports, surpassed the expectations and was met with

After the announcement President Biden said, "When I came to office determined to end trickle-down economics and to grow the economy from the middle out and the bottom up — I know you're tired of hearing me say that over and over again, but that was the policy; it remains the policy — because when you do that, everyone does well.  When the middle class grows, the nation is stronger.  And the nation is stronger when there is a strong union movement as well."

He then accepted questions, which ranged from the status on the status of the conversations with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, negotiation teams, and an Israeli cease fire effort, as well as the circulating rumor of Netanyahu using the war to influence the election.

A final question was asked if he believed the election would be free and fair and more importantly would it be peaceful, Biden answered: "I'm confident it'll be free and fair.  I don't know whether it will be peaceful.  The things that Trump has said and the things that he said last time out when he didn't like the outcome of the election were very dangerous. If you notice — I — I noticed that the vice-presidential Republican candidate did not say he'd accept the outcome of the election.  And they haven't even accepted the outcome of the last election.  So, I'm — I'm concerned about what they're — what they're going to do."

Election 2024 Updates

As the election moves into its last month of active campaigning before the November 5, 2024, both campaigns are enlisting high profile names to convince voters of the importance of the election.

Former president and convicted felon Donald Trump rallied with billionaire Elon Musk, which should be a clear indication of his intent should he return to the White House. Trump has clearly presented himself as a friend of the wealthy, the 1%, and for the remainder of the population, the shmucks of the world, he is willing to indenture the middle class and poor to servitude so his billionaire buddies can continue to pay less, and build more wealth as they ride the backs of the poor and middle class to the ATM.

Vice-President Kamala Harris has enlisted former President Barack Obama to her campaign. The Harris-Walz has countered the Trump sales tax which would cost the average family $4000 annually, with a tax cut, that will keep more money in the pockets of the average American and have announced they will resurrect the Child Tax Credits and Earned Income Tax Credit.

North Carolina

Pre-Hurricane Helene former President Donald Trump held marginal, 0.8%, lead in North Carolina, not a significant lead, but this state's devastation has become a critical component in the upcoming election, so the 16 electoral votes can solidly move to either candidate.

Nearly one-fifth of registered voters in North Carolina live in the hardest hit regions in the western area of the state. According to NC Newsline, there are 1,275,054 registered voters in the area affected by Hurricane Helene, 215,246 of those live in hardest bit Buncombe County, and as citizens have been told it will take at least four weeks to restore power, water and other necessities, and even longer to repair the roads that were wiped away, voting has become a distant second concern to the immediate daily survival needs.

With many polling stations no longer operatable, and as the region was unprepared for the nearly six feet of mud, sludge, and flood waters that carried debris, trees, cars, and homes, anything in its path, polling stations will probably be moved to areas where electricity can be generated, and for many the effort to cast their ballot, may not be worth the trip to the new location, which also means leaving what limitedly remains of their homes and possessions, unprotected.


World News: Israel, Lebanon, and the U.S. Election


Netanyahu Moves into Phase 2 of His War

It's doubtful that Netanyahu is using the continued military operation to leverage or influence the U.S. presidential election. October 7, 2023, which initiated an unprecedented massacre within Israeli borders, ushered in this continued season of war, as Netanyahu has lived and planned for a day when all enemies of Israeli would be subdued. He is not fighting for only today, he is fighting to dismantle, degrade, and destroy all enemies, and their strength. Netanyahu's mentality is the same as any leader whose nation had been targeted by terrorists.

There are causalities in every war and the innocent are the ones that suffer the most. With Netanyahu focused on Lebanon, and Iran supported Houthi's, the possibility of Gazans receiving supplies, medical care, water, and the small necessities needed to survive.

As much as Netanyahu is determined to secure the safety of his nation for the next generation, his effort is reminiscent of Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, who planned the attack on Pearl Harbor when he said, "I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve."

Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran have been filled with a terrible resolve, while they are not and will never be sleeping giants, the fact remains that they are filled, now, with a terrible, determined, long lasting and permanent resolve.

Hurricane Helene Devastation

Hurricane Helene will be recorded as one of the deadliest hurricanes in recent history, as Buncombe County an area usually protected from storm surge, with an elevation of 6,400 above sea level, was nearly wiped off the map, as the storm produced three solid days of rain, in a region where the ground was already saturated before the intensity of the rain produced by Helene began to fall.

Swollen rivers breaching their banks created torrents of mud, sludge, and debris roaring through cities, towns, and villages, snapping trees and power lines, flooding homes, and leaving residents no choice but to punch holes in the roofs to escape the rising floodwaters reminiscent of Hurricane Katrina, in 2005, that produced a storm surged that flooded the entire ninth ward in New Orleans, Louisiana.

"There have been at least 221 deaths in six states as a result of the storm, whose flooding, wind and storm surge inundated communities from the southeast to the southern Appalachians. Many people may still be unaccounted for. Officials say they expect the death toll to rise as search and rescue efforts continue," reported The Washington Post.

The devastation left families homeless, with no power, water, shelter, cell service or anyway to communicate with nearby neighbors or unaccounted family members. Stories of families, armed with chain saws, ATVs, and determination were able to create make-shift paths to reunite with their loved ones. Helene has destroyed bridges, and chucks of highway and roads, leaving innovative North Carolinians to use the many fallen trees to create bridges.

The immediate needs cause the devastated communities to focus on the securing what is necessary for today. Soon, however, the neighborly communities began seeing what seemed as impossible, neighbors helping neighbors, and truck loads, helicopters, the Cajan Navy, began arriving with supplies, food, water, and hope.

Infrastructure was also hard hit. Sewage and water services, which flow through underground pipes are gone. There is no cell service or phone chargers. Electrical poles, that pre-devastation would stand like mile markers and are now skewed, tilting or downed, will need to be returned to their upright position, restrung with electrical cable, which could take a month, at minimum, for power to be restored to some areas. Some of the less hard-hit areas in Buncombe County, may see power sooner. If the electricity poles are standing, and there are no downed cables, electricity will be restored sooner.

Cleanup has begun, state, local and federal assistance has arrived. FEMA tents and immediate need financial assistance has been provided. For residents the overwhelming and incapacitating shock of what passed through this region and the long-term loss will wait for another day, while the hands-on work of sifting through the debris, saving what can be saved, and restoring some level of normalcy is the order the day.


Beltway Insider: Biden/Fed Rate, Pres/VP Debates, Teamsters, Israel Exposes Hezbollah, War Strategy, Voter Registration


Coronavirus Total

The CDC has recommended every person from age six months, including senior citizens should receive at least one shot of an updated COVID-19 vaccine, annually.  The death toll from Covid-19 has dramatically decreased, as has transmission of the virus. Even as confirmed new cases continue each week, fewer are dying from the newer variants.

For the seven days ending October 6, 2024, the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases reported by The World Health Organization increased by 105,261 confirmed cases totaling 776,386,491. The total worldwide death toll increased by 1,380 to 7,067,260 deaths. The United States has stopped providing Covid data to the World Health Organization. (Data updated September 22, 2024, from The World Health Organization).

Soft VP Debate – A Very Dignified Affair

The only Vice-Presidential debate scheduled in the 2024 Election season was held this week. Moderated by CBS Evening News Anchor Norah O'Donnell, and "Face The Nation" moderator Margaret Brennen. 

The two men, Democratic Vice-President nominee Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota and Republican Vice-Presidential nominee Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, answered the questions presented in a dignified, and cordial manner.

As expected, each of the response by Mr. Vance were a monologue of the accomplishments of his running mate, with a single sentence as the end of these round the way responses, to directly reply. What we saw was a master at the spin, and someone who "did a great impression of being a decent guy."


Beltway Insider: Harris, Trump Debate Performance Analysis, Truth Verses False Facts, Navient Banned


What the public should have been looking for during his response time was his presidential ability, as his running mate is facing one unescapable possibility as he is 78, death is closer today than yesterday, and two he is facing the possibility of a lengthy prison sentence for his felony convictions.  And the question remains, is J.D. Vance the person Americans want representing them in throughout the world?

Governor Walz, who delivered a rousing speech during the Democratic National Convention, and this impression left voters with closer memory of him. Walz projected an across the aisle approach to this divide that has become American politics.

The vice-president debate was such a dignified affair, by the time of this writing, five days later, it was a forgotten, in the news cycle of devastations and catastrophes. Which was probably the idea going in, respond to the questions, don't go for the win, present the campaigns positions, accomplishments, and policies, be respectful, cordial, and be the ticket pillar and support the leader.

For more information on President Joe Biden: Whitehouse.gov.

Sources: Various © Articles covered by Copyright protection.

 

Janet Walker is the publisher, founder, and sole owner of Haute-Lifestyle.com. A graduate of New York University, she has been covering international news through the Beltway Insider, a weekly review of the nation's top stories, for more than a decade.  A general beat writer/reporter and entertainment/film critic, she is also an accomplished news/investigative news/crime reporter and submitted for Pulitzer Prize consideration "Cops Conspire to Deep Six Sex Assaults" in the Breaking News Category. Ms. Walker has completed five screenplays, "The Six Sides of Truth," "The Assassins of Fifth Avenue," "The Wednesday Killer," "The Manhattan Project," and the sci-fi thriller "Project 13: The Last Day." She is a member of the Los Angeles Press Club, the National Writers Union, and the International Federation of Journalists.

Haute Tease