NEWS AND OPINION:

One of the most unique and convivial gatherings in the nation’s capital will take place on Oct. 19 in the nation’s capital.

That would be the annual William J. Donovan Awards Dinner — a unique and well-attended event that honors the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), an agency created during World War II by Army Maj. Gen. William J. Donovan. It was the predecessor of the CIA and powered by some of America’s greatest unsung heroes who served at the “tip of the spear” in the nation’s defense.

The host of the event is the OSS Society, a charitable organization founded in 1947 by the aforementioned Gen. Donovan himself. There will be a three-course gourmet French meal and a tribute to chef Julia Child — who was an OSS veteran — and some fine dancing to the music of the era.

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The evening will commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the 75th anniversary of NATO’s founding and the liberation of the Hotel Ritz in Paris by Ernest Hemingway — whose son served in OSS. Col. David Bruce, London branch chief of the OSS, and members of the French Resistance also played hefty roles.

Arriving at the hotel on Aug. 25, 1944, Hemingway ordered approximately 50 dry martinis for those present at the time, according to historic accounts.

“The recipient of this year’s William J. Donovan Award was one of the most revered figures in the intelligence community who passed away on October 5th: Patrick Hughes former Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency and a retired U.S. Army officer,” the OSS Society said in a written statement shared with Inside the Beltway.

“After his passing, GovCon executive and veteran advocate Michael Bosco wrote that ’LTG Hughes embodied dedication, patriotism, and leadership, inspiring many within the intelligence and military communities. His legacy will endure through the people he mentored and the contributions he made to our nation.’ The award will be presented to him posthumously. Before he passed, General Hughes wrote an acceptance speech that will be delivered by Lieutenant General Donald L. Kerrick, U.S. Army (Ret.),” the OSS Society also noted.

The organization led a successful effort to have a Congressional Gold Medal awarded to the OSS itself, which was signed on Dec. 14, 2016. The society also led a push to have OSS and original CIA headquarters on Navy Hill in Washington added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Curious about both organization and event? Visit osssociety.org or contact the group at oss@osssociety.org.

THE HURRICANE HEADLINES

All eyes are on Florida and Hurricane Milton. Here’s some headlines of note from the last 24 hours:

“Political battle over Hurricane Milton already raging” (CNN); “Astronauts capture Hurricane Milton at Category 5 from Space” (ScienceAlert.com); “Helene, now Milton delivering devastating storm surge: Will Florida ever build for it?” (Miami Herald); “Hurricane Milton closes in” (Accuweather.com); “Hurricane Milton: Protect your home from looting with these 4 steps” (Fox News); “Hurricane Milton to double in size as ‘storm of the century’ threatens Florida” (The Guardian); “Walt Disney World closing as Hurricane Milton projected to take $150 million toll” (Forbes); “What is the strongest hurricane ever? How Hurricane Milton compares to powerful storms” (USA Today); and “JD Vance rips Biden-Harris ’incompetence’ in Hurricane Helene response” (NewsMax).

ARRINGTON’S REALITY CHECK

“At some point, we’re going to run out of other people’s money. Some of our foreign creditors, like Japan and China, will stop loaning us money to pay for an ever-growing government where we have an annual deficit of almost $2 trillion. If you look over 10 years, we’re going to add over $20 trillion to the national debt,” Rep. Jodey Arrington told CNBC on Wednesday during a conversation about the national debt.

“We’re paying over 50 cents on every dollar just to service the debt. That’s more than we spend on all of our national defense. That cost is almost a trillion dollars. That’s more than we’re spending on Medicare now. The wheels are coming off the wagon, and we have to have a plan to reduce our spending, stabilize the debt, and get back to economic growth,” the Texas Republican advised.

SEEKING THAT DEBATE

Here is a letter from Fox News to Jennifer O’Malley Dillon, campaign manager for Vice President Kamala Harris — which speaks for itself and is verbatim from the network:

“With a month to go until the last votes are cast, Fox News Media would like to make one final pitch for a debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. We propose to host a debate in Pennsylvania on either of these dates: Thursday, October 24 and Sunday, October 27. We are extending this offer to both campaigns. Again, we believe Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum, the faces of our political coverage, are the best choices to moderate,” the network said.

The letter also cited a New York Times headline which appeared Monday: “Harris Should Offer to Debate Trump Again – On Fox.”

The network also included proposed criteria and format for the debate as well as data on the reach of the Fox News audience.

“We appreciate your consideration and look forward to the opportunity to foster informed political dialogue at this pivotal moment for our nation,” the letter said.

It was signed by Jay Wallace, president and executive editor of Fox News Media, and Jessica Loker, vice president of politics for the network. A duplicate letter was also sent to Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles, senior advisors for the Trump campaign.

POLL DU JOUR

• 47% of U.S. adults think the U.S. economy is “getting worse.”

• 71% of Republicans, 51% of independents and 20% of Democrats agree; 50% of women and 44% of men also agree.

• 27% overall think the economy is “about the same.”

• 23% of Republicans, 26% of independents and 32% of Democrats agree; 26% of women and 29% of men also agree.

• 21% overall think the economy is “getting better.”

• 5% of Republicans, 15% of independents and 43% of Democrats agree; 18% of women and 25% of men also agree.

• 5% overall are not sure about the issue.

• 1% of Republicans, 8% of independents and 5% of Democrats agree; 7% of women and 3% of men also agree.

SOURCE: An Economist/YouGov poll of 1,604 U.S. adults conducted online Oct. 6-7.

• Contact Jennifer Harper at jharper@washingtontimes.com.