Vance Defends Marriage, Stands Firm Against Porn, Exposes Obama

This Weekly Briefing rounds up five big stories capturing attention: JD Vance’s measured response to a student’s question about his marriage and immigration, a critique of pornography’s harm to men, concerns about Barack Obama’s influence on tech and policy, Portland police action against anti-ICE protesters, and Democrats scrambling over Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral bid and polling strength.

The first story centers on JD Vance answering an awkward student question about his inter-cultural marriage and immigration. The exchange highlighted cultural differences and prompted debate about faith and family leadership. Observers praised Vance’s calm demeanor and pointed to his public faith as shaping his response. Critics online took issue with Vance’s choice of spouse, but supporters noted his personal journey from agnosticism to Christianity.

She went further, comparing Vance’s family lineage of only a few hundred years old, and Usha Vance’s lineage, which is thousands of years old. What one had to do with another is beyond me. Frankly, how she phrased the question was quite rude. This young woman made it sound as though Vance was forcing his Christianity down Usha Vance’s and his children’s throat. 

Vance once again responded gently, with greater self-control than I would have been able to muster. What a witness of his Christian faith that he leaned into those fruits of the Spirit. 

Vance’s response reflected a man who is the spiritual leader of his household and a partner with his spouse in raising their children. There are male commenters on the video of this post, supposedly Christian, who criticize the fact that Vance had choosen to marry a woman who did not share his faith. Had they read Vance’s book or listened to any of his many interviews, they would have known that Vance and Usha both started out leaning toward agnosticism, and it was he who moved toward faith in Jesus Christ. Another witness to his grounded faith: Vance is following what the Apostle Paul instructs in 1 Corinthians 7:12-14 concerning marriage between believers and unbelievers.

The second piece argues that pornography damages men, with a writer echoing Allie Beth Stuckey’s warning about its corrosive effects. The column references research and personal testimony from a former performer turned pastor, noting depression and isolation as common outcomes. The tone is moral and concerned, calling out the industry’s human cost. Readers are urged to consider the broader social implications of normalizing such content.

Allie is 100 percent right. Porn is a weakening force in the lives of men. I’ve spent a great deal of time on this very website talking about it. In fact, I talked about it on Wednesday when addressing the idea that “sex work is real work” and how destructive it is on both the worker and the consumer. 

You don’t have to take my word for it either. One of the most revealing insider looks into the destructiveness of the porn industry comes from a former porn star turned pastor, Joshua Broome. During an interview with Michael Knowles, Broome discussed just how mentally damaging the porn industry is, noting that more than a few colleagues he’d known committed suicide at some point. Depression and isolation are features of the industry, not a bug.

The third article raises alarms about former President Obama’s role in shaping networks of influence and tech moderation. The reporting points to appearances and affiliations with forums that critics say lean left, questioning the balance of voices on those stages. The piece links that influence to broader concerns over internet censorship and alleged efforts to shape narratives about political opponents. Skeptics argue these activities deserve scrutiny where they intersect with government or quasi-government power.

Gabbard released this report on July 23, a month after Obama spoke at The Connecticut Forum, a non-profit organization which claims to “encourage the free and active exchange of ideas in forums that inform, challenge, entertain, inspire, and build bridges among all people and organizations in our community.” 

In looking at its past speaker events, it is a laundry list of every globalist, left-of-center, and Democrat activist, with very few (if any) conservative or right-leaning speakers. So much for a free and active exchange of ideas when the only ideas platformed are Democrat and leftist. These are the places Obama is most at home as he continues to burnish his increasingly tarnished reputation and positions himself as a leader in the free world, despite no longer being the leader of the free world. 

Obama’s remarks surrounding the government’s role were strangely aligned with the revelations of his manufacturing intelligence to take down President Trump.

The fourth report looks at Portland, where police cleared an anti-ICE encampment after mounting pressure and media attention. The raid included removing supplies and enforcing sidewalk rules, and supporters chanted in approval as officers acted. The story frames the police response as the result of sustained scrutiny and political pressure. Observers on both sides saw the incident as a sign of shifting enforcement priorities.

The fifth item profiles Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral bid and the panic setting in among Democrats as the election approaches. The piece highlights claims Mamdani has promoted, as well as reporting that one of his anecdotal stories may have been inaccurate regarding a relative. Despite controversy, recent polling numbers put him well ahead of some rivals, which has Democrats scrambling to respond. The coverage mixes skepticism of his platform with surprise at his polling strength.

Mamdani offers the socialist (communist) fairy tale of taxing richer, whiter neighborhoods, free everything, and has stated that billionaires should not exist. But he was also caught in quite a whopper. My colleague, Sister Toldjah, recently reported on the fact that Mamdani’s story about an aunt who, after 9/11, was afraid to ride the subway because she was wearing a hijab is patently false. The relative in question is actually a now-deceased cousin. But the next logical question is: what else is he lying about?

With a week to go, Mamdani is polling at 43.8 percent, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is at 33.6 percent, and Republican Curtis Sliwa is at a distant 10.8 percent. Democrats sure picked a fine time to panic.

Editor’s Note: The Schumer Shutdown is here. Rather than put the American people first, Chuck Schumer and the radical Democrats forced a government shutdown for healthcare for illegals. They own this.