Important Context Scoops, Hurricane Helene Horrors, and Israel’s Invasion of Lebanon

It's been a minute since our last newsletter. In that time, OptOut's original reporting outfit, IMPORTANT CONTEXT, has broken some important stories.

First, there's a new far-right, dark money moms' group you should be aware of. Restore Childhood was founded in 2021, but it's becoming a bigger player with nearly $230,000 raised last year and a recent promotional for its upcoming pro-COVID, anti-school closure documentary at the Moms for Liberty summit. Like Moms for Liberty, funding for Restore Childhood is anonymous. The group has similar positions: It opposes COVID mitigation measures and trans-affirming care.

Who’s Behind Pro-COVID, Anti-Trans Dark Money Group Promoted By Moms for Liberty?

New York-based Restore Childhood is flush with big money allies.

Important ContextAllison Neitzel

The next story involves the upcoming health policy conference at Stanford University we reported on back in August for its speaker roster comprised of contrarian medical voices and political operatives. At the time of our original report, the lineup was incomplete. But now, more names have been added.

The new additions include prolific COVID vaccine opponent Alex Berenson as well as a senior editor for the conspiracy-pushing right-wing media outfit, The Epoch Times. IMPORTANT CONTEXT noted the new additions and updated our original article to include the new, fleshed out roster.

Stanford University To Welcome Vaccine Skepticism, Epoch Times At Upcoming Health Policy Conference

The controversial summit just got a lot more controversial.

Important ContextWalker Bragman

 But wait, there's more!

OptOut's Walker Bragman did a livestream with Julia Doubleday of THE GAUNTLET to talk about public health and COVID-19. You can watch the full video here

The Gauntlet x Important Context

A recording from Walker Bragman and Julia Doubleday’s live video

Important ContextImportant Context

Hurricane Devastation

A major Hurricane Helene made landfall last week in Florida before moving north and hitting multiple other states, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. The damage was not limited to the coast. Asheville, NC, a city nearly 300 miles inland from the ocean and at 2,100 feet of elevation above sea level, was hit with major flooding.  GRIST reported on the fallout from the storm and what it portends for our climate change future.

After battering coastal towns, Hurricane Helene causes deadly flooding across five states

“This is not a fluke. We should expect to see more rapidly intensifying hurricanes in a warming climate.”

GristAnita Hofschneider

In Florida, hundreds of thousands were left without power, FLORIDA PHOENIX reported. More than a dozen were reported dead.

Hurricane Helene causes deaths, leaves hundreds of thousands without power in Florida • Florida Phoenix

State and local officials are reporting more than half a dozen deaths in the wake of Hurricane Helene, which came ashore late Thursday night in the Big Bend region as a powerful Category 4 storm.

Florida PhoenixJay Waagmeester

More alarming, federal officials say hundreds of Americans are reportedly missing in southeastern states. STATES NEWSROOM had the latest.

Hundreds missing in Southeast states after Hurricane Helene, federal officials say • Louisiana Illuminator

A White House official said Monday there are 600 people missing following Hurricane Helene struck in states across the Southeast.

Louisiana IlluminatorJennifer Shutt

President Joe Biden, meanwhile, has pledged federal aid to the southeastern states hit by the storm. He plans to bring his funding request to Congress this week, STATES NEWSROOM reported.

Biden pledges federal help for states in the Southeast stricken by catastrophic storm • Idaho Capital Sun

President Joe Biden pledged Monday that the federal government would help people throughout the Southeast recover from the devastation of Hurricane Helene and its aftermath, and said he expects to ask Congress for emergency funding in the weeks ahead. “I’m here to tell every single surv…

Idaho Capital SunJennifer Shutt

GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump, who has been campaigning in the affected states, has plans to dismantle National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration, which provides free weather reports for the nation and tracks hurricanes. Project 2025, the plan developed for his second term by the right-wing Heritage Foundation, calls for completely gutting the critical government agency. THE NEW REPUBLIC had the story.

Donald Trump Still Wants to Dismantle Critical Hurricane Agency

If the former president and his cronies have their way, future superstorms will be a much more chaotic and horrific experience.

The New RepublicEllie Quinlan Houghtaling

Israel Invades Lebanon

Israel has launched an invasion of southern Lebanon after days of strikes that killed a leader of the group Hezbollah. The Biden administration has called for a ceasefire, but has not blamed Israel for its escalating military campaign. Civilian casualties have already begun to pile up and more than 1 million are reported displaced from their homes.

The latest developments cast a shadow over Kamala Harris's presidential bid. The ongoing violence is deeply unpopular with voters according to polls and most Americans support conditioning aid to Israel. While the vice president initially signaled that she might take a firmer approach with Israel, in recent weeks, she has committed to continuing military assistance and promised that the administration is working "around the clock" to deliver a ceasefire–even as it continues to provide support for Israel. There is growing concern that the issue could hurt Harris on the margins in states like Michigan with its high Arab-American population.

THE INTERCEPT reported on Sen. Bernie Sanders's efforts to block $20 billion in weapons sales to Israel.

Progressives Escalate Calls for Arms Embargo as Israel Expands War Into Lebanon

Sen. Bernie Sanders introduced legislation last week that would block $20 billion of U.S. weapons sales to Israel.

The InterceptJessica Washington

Israeli officials have justified its expanding military campaign, claiming that it is atempting to de-escalate through escalation. JACOBIN published a piece responding to such arguments.

There’s No Such Thing as Escalating to De-Escalate

Israeli officials have cited a need to “escalate to de-escalate” as motivation for their ongoing assault on Lebanon. This theory has a long and ill-fated history in American foreign policy thinking, where it has served as a fait accompli for bloodshed.

Emma Claire Foley

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