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August 2018

There is a fascinating new analysis showing that despite the American unemployment rate at historically low levels, there has not been a significant drop in food stamp use.
But while the economy has improved dramatically, food-stamp enrollment has not, declining just 17 percent while the unemployment rate fell three times faster — 62 percent. Why the disconnect? Critics say states are milking the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), overstating their needs, while the Trump administration is approving state “work waivers” it doesn’t have to.

In June, the Argentine soccer team, which includes superstar Lionel Messi, canceled a friendly against Israel in Jersualem after players received threats "that exceeded those of the Islamic State." Video even captured Palestinian Football Association President Jibril Rajoub threatening Messi. Due to these actions, FIFA has banned Palestinian Football Association President Jibril Rajoub for one year.

The family of Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) has announced that he will end treatment for brain cancer. From The Washington Examiner:
“Last summer, Senator John McCain shared with Americans the news our family already knew: he had been diagnosed with an aggressive glioblastoma, and the prognosis was serious. In the year since, John has surpassed expectations for his survival. But the progress of disease and the inexorable advance of age render their verdict,” the McCain family said.

A new election model from a conservative polling group has Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley ahead of incumbent Democrat Claire McCaskill, 53 to 47 percent. From The Washington Free Beacon:
The model, created by WPA Intelligence and shared with the Washington Free Beacon, was based on predictive data available for each of Missouri's 4,101,062 registered voters and found Hawley to have a six-point advantage over McCaskill, 53 to 47 percent. The model uses available consumer data, voter history, and demographic information to assign each voter with a predictive score.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has laid out an ambitious plan to counter the United State at the world stage. In an article titled "Making Plans for a New World Order," Minister Mass talked about forming a "counterweight" to the US and called on the the European Union to become "a cornerstone of the international order." "[W]here the USA crosses the line, we Europeans must form a counterweight," German Foreign Minister wrote on Wednesday. "The main goal of our foreign policy is therefore to build a sovereign, strong Europe."

We previously covered the lawsuit brought by the local Gibson's Bakery against Oberlin College and its Dean of Students, Meredith Raimondo. The lawsuit arises out of accusations by Oberlin College students, allegedly assisted by Raimondo and others at the college, that Gibson's was racist and engaged in racial profiling after the arrest of three black Oberlin College students for shoplifting. Protests outside Gibson's ensued, as did a boycott of Gibson's by students and the college.

The last time we checked on the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), the group was at the center of a blue-vs-blue drama after it hired a bikini clad women to hand out non-dairy treats to the crowd at Wimbledon. Feminists were angry, claiming the organization was objectifying women. Now, in response to pressure from PETA, Mondelez International (the parent company of Nabisco), has redesigned the packaging of its Barnum's Animals crackers to "free" them from cages.
PETA, which has been protesting the use of animals in circuses for more than 30 years, wrote a letter to Mondelez in the spring of 2016 calling for a redesign.

Data from Swedish state TV station, SVT, revealed that 58% of men convicted of rape and attempted rape in Sweden were born abroad. From the BBC:
The Mission Investigation programme, due to be broadcast on Wednesday by SVT, said the total number of offenders over five years was 843. Of those, 197 were from the Middle East and North Africa, with 45 coming from Afghanistan.