Donald Went to Jared

5.18.26

Happy Monday and welcome back to Common Sense with Ally Sammarco. Let’s break down the latest news.

Ebola Outbreak in Central Africa Triggers Global Health Emergency…Global health officials are raising alarms over a growing Ebola outbreak in Central Africa, which the World Health Organization has now declared a public health emergency of international concern. More than 300 suspected cases and 88 deaths have been reported, primarily in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with spread to Uganda. The outbreak involves a rare Bundibugyo strain of the virus—one with no approved vaccine or treatment—and was detected late, raising concerns about how far it may have already spread. While the WHO says the risk of a global pandemic remains low, the situation is complicated by regional conflict, limited medical resources, and uncertainty around the true scale of infections. U.S. agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are assisting with containment efforts, even as experts warn that weakened international response infrastructure could make the outbreak harder to control.

Common Sense Takeaway: Here we go again. First Hantavirus, now Ebola. The risk of a global pandemic may be low right now, but a fast-moving illness with no vaccine and late detection is exactly how things spread. And with the Trump Administration cutting and politicizing public health measures, we certainly aren’t prepared for an outbreak in America.

Polis Commutes Sentence of Election Clerk Tina Peters….Democratic Colorado Gov. Jared Polis has commuted the prison sentence of former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters, who was serving more than eight years for her role in allowing unauthorized access to voting machines after the 2020 election. Polis reduced her sentence to time served plus parole, arguing the original punishment was unusually harsh for a first-time nonviolent offense and influenced in part by her election denial beliefs, which he noted are protected speech. The move comes after sustained pressure from Donald Trump and has sparked sharp backlash from fellow Democrats, who say it undermines election integrity and accountability.

Common Sense Takeaway: What is Jared Polis thinking here? Is he being blackmailed? Why would he do this for someone who interfered in our elections? Would MAGA ever do this for a Democrat who committed a similar crime? I have so many questions and absolutely no answers.

GOP Rep. Virginia Foxx Goes Off on 10-Year-Old Over EV School Project….82-year-old GOP Rep. Virginia Foxx is catching heat after going after a 10-year-old. The fourth grader had written her about electric vehicles for a school project—pretty standard stuff—and instead of a normal, encouraging response, Foxx unloaded. She trashed his idea for EV incentives, warned that he and his classmates would be stuck paying off the national debt, and then took it a step further by accusing his teachers of “indoctrinating” him. The 10-year old’s mom posted the letter, and said, “You don’t deserve to be on a Committee for Education when you talk to children like this and think so lowly of teachers. No wonder NC is 50th in education funding level under your ‘leadership.’”

Common Sense Takeaway: Who the hell talks to a child like that? His idea was actually a good one, but even if it wasn’t, that’s certainly a way to scar him forever. MAGA is a virus and Virginia Foxx is clearly unwell. Just do us all a favor and retire, Virginia.

That’s it for today. Thanks for reading Common Sense with Ally Sammarco. Check back tomorrow for more.