Southwest
Our children's clothes matter. Here's what science and religion teach us
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In the past two weeks, a quintessentially local story became news around the world. The Charles Middle School in El Paso, Texas, banned all-black clothing for the coming school year because such attire “has become more associated with depression and mental health issues and/or criminality than with happy and healthy kids ready to learn.”
The response was fast and furious. Krista Wongate, the chief of child and adolescent services at El Paso’s Emergence Health Network said: “… mental health and depression, they don’t have colors. They don’t have outfits.”
Alex Lucero, a member of the community, objected as well. He said: “The color of clothing has nothing to do with your ability to do anything or feel any emotion.”
In recent years, a new discipline has emerged at universities across the world – fashion psychology. (iStock)
The response worked. The dress code was revoked.
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As is always the case with social, cultural, psychological and political questions, there is one book to consult for guidance – the Torah.
Let’s start with Genesis 28, perhaps the pivotal movement in the early history of the Jewish people. Rebecca has a few hours to prevent her husband, Isaac, from making a huge mistake, and giving the blessing of eternal Jewish leadership to their impulsive, unthoughtful and undisciplined son Esau.
She has an alternative: Esau’s twin, Jacob. If Rebecca can convince Isaac that Jacob is really Esau, her husband will – mistakenly but irrevocably – give the blessing to Jacob. The future of God’s project on earth is in her hands, at that moment.
The problem: Jacob, we are told, “dwelt in tents” – indicating that he spent his time studying, apart from the difficult doings of the world. He has never done anything like the trickery she needs him to perform. How can Rebecca get Jacob to immediately become like Esau. She has the solution. She tells Jacob to put on his brother’s “favorite clothes.”
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Why Esau’s “favorite clothes”? Why, for that matter, Esau’s clothes at all? Isaac is blind, and would have no idea what Jacob was wearing. The clothes were not to deceive Isaac. They were to change Jacob. Rebecca knew that we become what we wear. Sure enough, the young man who “dwelt in tents” pulls the most important ruse of all time.
Moving from the first to the last book of the Torah – Deuteronomy – there is a speech from Moses about what the Jewish people will need to emphasize in order to be a free people in the Promised Land.
Moses, amplifying a law from Leviticus, commands: “You shall not wear wool and linen together.” The ancient rabbis interpreted this commandment so strictly that they ruled that one who finds himself in public wearing wool and linen should take off those clothes rather than continue!
Why is the commandment against mixing wool and linen so important? It relates to the Torah’s idea of separation. We sanctify things by separating them. For instance, we sanctify the Sabbath by separating it from all other days. We sanctify marriage, formally under the chuppah (the marriage canopy), by separating our wife from all other women. The prohibition on mixing wool and linen has us wear the concept of separation, so that it is always a part of who we are.
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Is the guidance throughout the Torah that we become what we wear correct?
For Pittsburgh sports,1979 was a great year. The Steelers had won the Super Bowl and the Pirates had won the World Series. But there was a problem.
The Penguins had started the season by winning less than half of their games. They made one change that was entirely within their control. They changed their uniforms – from white and blue to black and gold. There was a result, but it did not show in the win-loss column. The Penguins, after they changed their uniforms, had a 50% increase in their number of penalties.
The Cornell University professors Thomas Gilovich and Mark Frank set out to determine if this was a fluke. It wasn’t. They examined the penalty data for the NFL and the NHL from 1970 to 1986. Of the 28 teams in the NFL, five wore black uniforms. These teams had the first, third, seventh, eighth, and 12th most penalties. Of the 23 teams in the NHL, five wore black uniforms. These teams had the first, second, third, sixth and 10th most penalties.
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Is there anything unique about sports that might explain how clothing profoundly affects performance? No. The reasons and evidence showing that we become what we wear has been demonstrated in activities from heavy metal drumming to math test-taking – and are discussed in the chapter on clothing in my forthcoming book “God was Right: How Modern Social Science Proves the Torah is True.”
A quintessential example came from Northwestern University in 2012. Professors Hajo Adam and Adam Galinsky gave the same kind of white coat to two groups of study participants. They told one group that the coat was a painter’s coat. They told the other group that it was a doctor’s coat.
The result: those who were told it was a doctor’s coat did far better on tasks that required careful attention to detail. Galinsky explained, “Clothes invade the body and brain, putting the wearer into a different psychological state.”
In recent years, a new discipline has emerged at universities across the world – fashion psychology. Degrees in fashion psychology are offered at Purdue, Pepperdine, Arizona State, the London School of Fashion and other universities. One of the leaders in this emerging field is Karen Pine of the University of Hertfordshire.
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Professor Pine’s research has led her to conclude that it is possible to contemplate “a wardrobe of ‘happy clothes,’ as protection against ever feeling miserable again.” She recommends: distinctive jewelry, playful patterns evoking childhood, flowered prints that signify health, and bright colors that connect us with nature.
There is now a term for what Pine described: Dopamine Dressing. Dopamine Dressing is the concept that clothing choices significantly influence the release of dopamine, the “feel good” neurotransmitter associated with feelings of pleasure, motivation, satisfaction and joy.
While Pine’s specific recommendations may be novel and helpful, the general truth she tells should resonate widely given recent lived experience. In March 2020, when COVID-19 struck, millions of people suddenly found themselves working from home. The customary workplace norms and customs quickly became obsolete. How should people working from home adapt? One guiding principle emerged, especially among those mindful of mental health.
On March 17, 2020, the BBC highlighted this as the No. 1 recommendation in their article, “Coronavirus: Five Ways to Work Well From Home”: Get dressed. A variety of studies published after the pandemic confirm that those who dress formally for work are more mentally fit, productive and successful than those who do not – whether the work is at home or in the office.
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So the Torah, validated by modern social science and experience, does for El Paso what it always does: it illuminates the path of truth for any social, cultural, psychological or political question.
The Charles Middle School administrators were absolutely right that a student’s attitude and performance will be profoundly affected by the clothes he or she wears. They were right again in concluding that wearing all black clothing is inadvisable for a cohort of students who might be struggling with mental health issues.
They were wrong only in conceding to clearly erroneous ideas that “mental health and depression… don’t have outfits” and that “the color of clothing has nothing to do with your ability to do anything or feel any emotion.”
Within the next few weeks, our children will be back at school. We parents are preparing them in all kinds of ways – from school supplies to class selection, from organizing transportation to choosing after-school activities, from easing social anxieties to getting doctor’s appointments.
The Torah and social science converge to tell us parents: Remember what just might be the important thing – which is what your children wear. The primary function of clothing, the divine and scientific voices are telling us, has nothing to do with temperature control or aesthetics. It has everything to do with helping us to feel, think and act as we want to.
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How might parents help our children in this back-to-school season? We could follow the wisdom of King Solomon, who told us: “Educate the child according to his way” – with, crucially, the “his” being singular. We parents who want our children to thrive in this school year should consider the specific gifts and challenges of each child – and dress them accordingly.
If we have a daughter who is struggling with depression, we should take the advice of Pine and fill her closet with bright colors and floral prints.
If we have a son who is struggling with confidence issues, we should channel our inner Rebecca and tell him to go to school in his “favorite clothes” – his jerseys of Tom Brady, Kobe Bryant or Aaron Judge.
If we have a child who gets distracted doing his homework, we should tell him to put on a button-down shirt and pressed pants – even, and perhaps especially, if he studies alone in his bedroom.
We can explain to our children, and to ourselves, that there is nothing pediatric about this advice. It is universal. We adults should, as well, think about how we want to feel and who we want to be – and dress accordingly!
MARK GERSON
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Southwest
Travis County DA faces renewed ‘soft on crime’ criticism after career criminal charged with murder
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A Texas-based career criminal with a lengthy rap sheet is behind bars in Travis County after he was charged with murdering a father of five outside a 7-Eleven in Austin, reviving scrutiny of Travis County District Attorney José Garza and what critics call his controversial prosecutorial record and “soft on crime” approach.
Caleb Anthony Jenkins, described by police as a career criminal, was charged with murder in connection with a shooting last year that left a 25-year-old father dead outside a 7-Eleven. According to Austin police, Jenkins allegedly shot the victim and drove off.
But critics argue the killing may have been preventable. Garza’s office previously dismissed or declined to prosecute three separate gun charges against Jenkins in incidents dating back to 2022. He was also arrested in 2023 on a domestic violence charge and failed to appear in court, as Fox News reported. Most recently, he was re-arrested and released after his bond was raised.
Taken together, the developments have intensified public criticism of Garza, the Democratic district attorney backed by liberal mega-donor George Soros,
District Attorney Jose Garza in Austin, Texas. (Spencer Selvidge for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Garza, who was elected Travis County DA without prior experience as a prosecutor, has faced criticism from police advocacy groups and victims’ families since taking office. They have accused him of deliberately slow-walking certain cases and embracing lenient sentencing policies.
The criticism has sparked national attention in years past. In 2023, the family of 25-year-old Doug Cantor, who was shot and killed in the 2021 Sixth Street mass shooting in downtown Austin, criticized Garza for slow-walking the trial of the gunman.
Family members told Fox News Digital in an interview at the time that they believed Garza had put the case on the “back burner.”
“It’s very clear that his focus and attention is not on this case,” Nick Kantor told Fox News Digital in an interview reflecting on the two-year anniversary of his brother’s death — and the way Garza, who has been widely criticized for soft-on-crime policies, has handled the case.
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Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza poses in front of the Austin skyline in a portrait from the county website. Garza has faced criticism for accusations that he aggressively prosecutes police officers accused of wrongdoing while going easy on career criminals. (Travis County DA Website)
“He’s doing things that are clearly causing distress on the trial and on the overall outcome of the case and for getting justice for my brother,” Kantor said.
Other victims’ families cited similar behavior from Garza’s office in interviews with Fox News Digital.
While overall reported crime in Travis County has declined, opponents argue dismissal rates have been “political,” and could further endanger public safety.
It “appears that Garza has now become more of an advocate for the criminal than he has for the victim,” Dennis Farris, president of the Austin Police Retired Officer’s Association, previously told Fox News Digital.
“The prosecution is acting more like defense attorneys than they are prosecutors,” Farris said in an interview roughly one year after Garza took office. “Whatever his skewed view of what criminal justice reform is, it isn’t working. It sure isn’t working for the victims.”
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George Soros delivers a speech at the 2022 World Economic Forum in Davos. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images)
“It used to be that they got the victims’ buy-in before offering plea bargains. Now it doesn’t appear he’s even doing that, because they’re not even communicating with them, and that’s what’s leading to the revictimization of these families.”
Current and former local law enforcement officers have criticized Garza’s actions and his alleged “war on cops,” after the Soros-backed district attorney campaigned on indicting police officers and “reimagining” policing in Austin.
Soros contributed $652,000 to the Texas Justice & Public Safety PAC in the months leading up to the 2020 Travis County DA election, according to campaign finance records.
That same PAC spent almost $1 million on digital and mail advertisements to help Garza’s campaign, as Fox News reported.
The Travis County District Attorney’s Office did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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Southwest
Jasmine Crockett campaign reportedly kicked Atlantic writer out of rally for being a ‘top-notch hater’
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Atlantic staff writer Elaine Godfrey reported that she was “thrown out” of a rally for Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, for being a “top-notch hater” according to Crockett’s team.
“Right before armed guards escorted me from the rally and left me on the edge of a Texas-county road, I was informed that I was no longer welcome at an event that I had already attended,” Godfrey wrote on Thursday.
She described having spent an hour at the Lubbock rally for Crockett’s Senate campaign before being approached by a woman with a badge as soon as she joined other reporters.
Elaine Godfrey claimed Rep. Jasmine Crockett’s team removed her from a rally in Texas earlier this week. (Dustin Franz/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“‘Are you Elaine?’ she asked. I recognized her from the entrance of the event, where I had identified myself as she’d waved me into the building’s press area. Yes, I answered. ‘Her team has asked you to leave,’ she said. When I asked why, the staffer looked at her phone and read dutifully: ‘They just said, “Elaine from Atlantic, White girl with a hat and notepad. She’s interviewing people in the crowd. She’s a top-notch hater and will spin. She needs to leave,”’” Godfrey wrote.
Godfrey was the staff writer behind a profile piece for Crockett in July that reportedly received backlash from the Texas representative after including comments from fellow House Democrats “without telling her first.”
“She was, she told me, ‘shutting down the profile and revoking all permissions,’” Godfrey wrote at the time.
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Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, is running in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate. (LM Otero/AP Photo)
The piece was still published and included comments from other Democratic figures.
According to Godfrey, Crockett said that there was “no evidence” that a reporter was removed from her rally but claimed that there was a “specific journalist” who has a “history of being less than truthful” and had previously lost a lawsuit against Crockett.
“Perhaps she was thinking of someone else, because that’s not something that has ever happened to me,” Godfrey wrote.
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Godfrey added that her removal from the rally wasn’t a surprise considering Crockett’s firebrand-style of politics, though she expressed concern over how she was handled.
Rep. Jasmine Crockett allegedly tried to shut down an article from Elaine Godfrey after she spoke to other House Democrats. (Bob Daemmrich/The Texas Tribune/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“As security guards began to materialize around me, I wondered to myself what distinguished a top-notch hater from a middling one. I agreed to leave, and four guards, including at least one who was armed, escorted me out of the building, through the parking lot, and right to the edge of the nearby highway, where they waited as I ordered a car,” Godfrey wrote.
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Fox News Digital reached out to Crockett’s office and campaign for comment.
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Southwest
FAA restricts Texas airspace after Pentagon reportedly strikes down Customs and Border Protection drone
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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) restricted flights Thursday near Fort Hancock, Texas, after a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) drone was reportedly shot down by a laser sytem operated by the Pentagon.
While government agencies have not identified who the drone belonged to, top Democrats on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee released a joint statement Thursday evening claiming the drone belonged to CBP.
U.S. Reps. Rick Larsen, Bennie Thompson and Andre Carson said their “heads are exploding over the news” that a CBP drone was shot down by the Pentagon with “a high risk counter-unmanned aircraft system.”
The legislators added that this incident is “the result of [the White House’s] incompetence” after a “short-sighted” decision to “sidestep a bipartisan, tri-committee bill to appropriately train C-UAS operators and address the lack of coordination between the Pentagon, DHS and the FAA.”
The FAA expanded a temporary flight restriction near Fort Hancock, Texas, after lawmakers said a Pentagon-operated counter-drone system may have shot down a U.S. government drone. (iStock)
In a joint statement provided to Fox News Digital, the Department of War, CBP and the FAA said the DOW used counter-unmanned aircraft system to respond to a “seemingly threatening unmanned aerial system operating within military airspace.”
The departments said the engagement took place “far away from populated areas and there were no commercial aircraft in the vicinity,” adding they “will continue to work on increased cooperation and communication to prevent such incidents in the future.”
The departments said they are “working together in an unprecedented fashion to mitigate drone threats by Mexican cartels and foreign terrorist organizations at the U.S.-Mexico border.”
“The bottom line is the Trump Administration is doing more to secure the border and crack down on cartels than any administration in history,” the statement added.
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Congressional aides told Reuters that the Pentagon reportedly used the high-energy laser system to accidentally shoot down the CBP drone near the Mexican border, an area that frequently sees incursions from drones believed to be operated by Mexican drug cartels.
The FAA told Fox News Digital that a temporary flight restriction (TFR) was “already in place” around the Fort Hancock area and that the TFR “has been expanded to include a greater radius to ensure safety.”
The restriction does not impact commercial flights, the agency said.
The FAA said in a Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) that airspace around Fort Hancock was temporarily restricted for “special security reasons.”
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The restriction comes a couple of weeks after the FAA grounded flights to and from El Paso International Airport for 10 days before lifting the order roughly eight hours later.
Drones operated by Mexican drug cartels breached American airspace earlier this month near El Paso International Airport in Texas, leading the FAA to temporarily close the airport. (Kirby Lee/Getty Images)
A Trump administration official previously told Fox News that the initial lockdown came in response to “Mexican cartel drones” that breached U.S. airspace.
A U.S. official later confirmed that the U.S. military had shot down what was later determined to be a party balloon near El Paso.
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment and was directed to the joint statement provided by the Department of War, Customs and Border Patrol and Federal Aviation Administration.
Fox News Digital’s Anders Hagstrom and Reuters contributed to this report.
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