The Brew: YETI is Just a Sasquatch After All

Hold on tight to your coffee, folks, cause this Brew will make your head spin faster than a fidget spinner in a toddler’s hands — from Matt Walsh stirring the pot over voting criteria and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis promising a tax break that doesn’t involve selling seashells by the seashore. Also, with YETI canceling the canceled and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sniffing out Sharia shenanigans, there’s a lot to unpack.

So, grab your coffee (or your YETI mug, if you haven’t thrown it away in protest yet), and let’s dive in.

Common Sense or Suppression?

First up, our favorite bearded provocateur, Matt Walsh, has angered the people who think it’s racist to show an ID proving one’s citizenship in order to cast a ballot with a tweet that’s got the internet buzzing like a beehive at a picnic. His four-step plan to “fix America” includes:

Speak English fluently
Be a U.S.-only citizen
Pass a fifth-grade civics test
Not be on welfare

How to fix America in four easy steps:

-You must speak English fluently to vote

-You must be a US citizen and only a US citizen to vote

-You must pass a 5th grade level civics test to vote

-You must not be on any form of welfare to vote

— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) March 30, 2025

That sounds simple enough — but not if you ask the critics, who are clutching their pearls harder than your grandma at a rock concert. Democrats are again labeling the measures “voter suppression” and “un-American,” saying they violate the Fourteenth Amendment. From the way they’re acting, you’d think Walsh had suggested we bring back duels to settle election disputes.

But let’s take a step back and breathe, shall we? After all, there’s something refreshing about the idea of ensuring that voters know what (and who) they’re voting for. Proverbs 18:15 says, “The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, for the ears of the wise seek it out” (NIV).

Asking people to pass an elementary-level civics test isn’t about excluding them — it’s about making sure folks understand the system they’re taking an active role in shaping. And the English fluency bit? In a nation where laws and ballots are printed in English, it’s not crazy to expect voters to have a basic grasp of the language. As for the welfare restriction … well, thatt’s a spicy take, but maybe it’s not a bad idea to have voters who don’t rely on Uncle Sam for handouts when voting on measures that include the way taxpayer dollars are spent.

Whether you agree with Walsh or not, this isn’t about disenfranchising anyone — it’s about raising the bar for everyone. If a fifth grader can pass a civics test and even win a game show, surely adults can manage it without turning it into a civil rights crisis.

Florida’s Homeowner Ballad

Down in the Sunshine State, Gov. Ron DeSantis is playing Santa Claus with a “Florida-First Tax Package” that’s got homeowners singing “Hallelujah” louder than a church choir on Easter Sunday.

Yesterday, DeSantis announced his plan to redirect $5 billion from sales tax relief to property tax breaks, and proposed an a estimated $1,000 per home tax rebate as a way for homeowners to have assistance paying their property taxes. He also has a long-term goal of axing property taxes altogether by passing a constitutional amendment.

Governor Ron DeSantis Proposes Eliminating Property Taxes https://t.co/JBC7lE9zmE

— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) March 31, 2025

Giving homeowners a tax break so they can thrive, rather than drowning in ever-rising property taxes, sounds like a win for families and communities.

The plan’s not without its hurdles, though; any amendment to Florida’s constitution requires voters’ approval in the 2026 elections, and some are grumbling about the shift from sales tax relief. But DeSantis isn’t backing down — and why should he?

Property taxes have been creeping up like kudzu on the roadside, and this could be the machete homeowners need. So, to the naysayers: Maybe you should sip some orange juice and enjoy the relief instead of fretting over the tourists who’ll still be paying plenty whenever they visit Disney World.

Conservative Cups Canceled?

Speaking of sipping, let’s talk about YETI, the thermal cup-making king that’s landed itself in hot water. The Clare Boothe Luce Center for Conservative Women, a nonprofit in Virginia, put in an order for customized tumblers recently — only to see YETI unilaterally cancel that order on March 20, despite happily fulfilling the same order last May. FOX Business got the scoop, complete with emails showing YETI’s flip-flop. Kimberly Begg, the center’s president, didn’t mince words: “It’s ridiculous.”

Soooo @YETICoolers cancelled us pic.twitter.com/fvzaG1adr2

— Clare Boothe Luce Center for Conservative Women (@cblwomen) March 25, 2025

YETI’s excuse? The company’s terms and conditions let them reject orders tied to “political affiliations,” and they’re claiming the Luce Center’s logo tripped that wire. Never mind that YETI didn’t blink an eye last year for an order totaling $3,797.84 — or that the center is all about mentoring young women with a nod to the fearless Clare Boothe Luce, a celebrated playwright, congresswoman from Connecticut, and ambassador to Italy.

Begg told Fox Business, “[Luce] actually has an amazing quote that we use all the time: ‘Courage is the ladder upon which all the other virtues mount.’ We think that that is the one quality above all else that young women need, to be courageous.”

Conservatives are fuming. Intercessors for America also chimed in, saying they faced the same snub when YETI denied a similar order for customized mugs. YETI’s stock prices have fallen 17.38% since last year, per StockAnalysis, so maybe they’re feeling the heat — or just not keeping their cool.

YETI’s “We don’t do politics” line feels flimsier than a dollar-store tumbler when they’re picking and choosing who gets to sip in style. You might take the Libertarian approach to this matter, saying, “It’s their business, their rules,” but when you’re happy to take conservative cash one day and ditch it the next, that’s not principle — it’s hypocrisy.

Maybe YETI should stick to keeping drinks hot or cold (not lukewarm — never lukewarm!) and leave the virtue signaling to the baristas.

Don’t Mess with Texas

Finally, over in the Lone Star State, Attorney General Ken Paxton has got his spurs on, investigating a 402-acre Islamic development called EPIC City in Josephine, Texas. (We mentioned a similar development called the East Plano Islamic Center [EPIC] in mid-February. )

Plans for the residential development in Josephine include a mosque, schools, and more than 1,000 homes, but Paxton is sniffing out potential consumer protection-law violations.

BREAKING: Today, I took action as part of my ongoing investigation into a real estate development tied to East Plano Islamic Center.

Under my watch, there will be zero tolerance for any person or entity that breaks Texas law. pic.twitter.com/PZeUf4BFlp

— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) March 25, 2025

Governor Greg Abbott’s already sounded the alarm, declaring, “Sharia law is not allowed in Texas, nor are Sharia cities or no-go zones.” Paxton’s Civil Investigative Demand to Community Capital Partners, LP, aims to dig into whether EPIC is raking in profits under shady pretenses — especially since the center’s own promotional materials say it’s the “sole beneficiary” of plot sales.

If EPIC City is playing fast and loose with Texas laws, Paxton’s got every right to saddle up. Texas is even mulling a full-on Sharia ban, potentially making it the first state nationwide to pass such a law — a bold move that’s got conservatives cheering and liberals clutching their ACLU handbooks.

To the hand-wringers: relax, have a brisket taco, and let Paxton do his job. Transparency’s not a witch hunt — it’s accountability. If there’s nothing to hide, then EPIC’s got nothing to fear.

As Psalm 33:12 reminds us, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.” Let’s keep praying for wisdom, laughing at absurdities, and holding fast to what’s right.

Now, go refill that “Coffee Gets Me Started Jesus Keeps Me Going” mug!

Along The Stream…

Check back later today to watch how Great Britain is doubling down in schools over “inclusivity,” “respect,” and “diversity,” but at the cost of erasing their own culture. Don’t miss this nine-minute Apologetics Roadshow video, “Canceling Easter (But Not Ramadan!) for ‘Inclusivity’.”

Also up later today is Stream contributor Peter Demos with “It Looks Like a Victory … But Is It?” He unpacks how, though President Trump’s executive order defunds Planned Parenthood, the battle against abortion persists as Medicaid, providing 37% of the organization’s revenue, remains its financial lifeline.

Gayle McQueary is The Stream’s social media coordinator. She has a background in production and is a scary judge of mugs, especially when she hasn’t had her coffee.

The post The Brew: YETI is Just a Sasquatch After All appeared first on The Stream.

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