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Our Federal Government Needs an Intervention
By John Green
Two New Studies Illustrate Our Energy Transition Money Pit
David Blackmon
May 22, 2024
A study released last week by big energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie says a Republican, i.e., Trump win in November’s elections could ‘decelerate [the] energy transition,’ and result in a reduction of ‘energy investment’ of $1 trillion.
Anticipating a possible Trump victory, Wood-Mac’s study includes what it calls a “delayed transition” scenario, in addition to a “base case” assuming current policy trends, and a “net zero” case that assumes an acceleration of more and more debt-funded “green” subsidies at the federal level. The firm estimates its net zero scenario requires overall US energy investments of $11.8 trillion in the coming 26 years, compared to $7.7 trillion in its base case and $6.7 trillion in the delayed transition case.
“This election cycle will really influence the pace of energy investment, both in the next five years and through 2050. Investments in low carbon supply need to be made in the near term to realize longer-dated decarbonization targets,” David Brown, director of Wood Mackenzie’s Energy Transition Research, said in a release.
None of this should be surprising to anyone who has been paying attention. It is no secret that Donald Trump has a dim view of many of the subsidy provisions for so-called “green” energy and EVs that were included in the Orwellian-named Inflation Reduction Act. In Wood-Mac’s release, Brown speculates that “It is not likely that the IRA will be fully repealed. However, a second Trump presidency would likely issue executive orders that would abandon the 2035 net zero target for the power sector, establish softer emissions goals from the EPA, and issue tax credit regulations that could favor blue hydrogen.”
Obviously, less subsidy money flowing out of Washington, DC will result in less overall investment in the chosen rent-seeking industries favored by the Biden administration. Certainly, Brown is correct to say a full repeal of the IRA is unlikely – really, politically impossible is more accurate. But a second Trump administration would have myriad means of cutting back on money outflows from the federal Treasury via the same executive branch means Biden has used more often than any other previous president to saddle the nation with his radical agenda.
https://blackmon.substack.com/p/two-new-studies-illustrate-our-energy?publication_id=712558&post_id=144870192&isFreemail=true&r=rd9j8&triedRedirect=true
Wednesday's Energy Absurdity: Biden's Energy Department Sells Off New England's Strategic Gasoline Reserve
David Blackmon
May 22, 2024
Hey, remember in 2014, when Hurricane Sandy rolled up through the states on the Northeastern Atlantic coast, causing power outages and all sorts of infrastructure damage? Part of that damage was the disruption of gasoline supplies to that region, and caused all sorts of societal disruption for weeks afterwards.
More recently, remember when the Colonial Pipeline was hit by a cyber attack in May, 2021, just three short years ago? Remember how we found out that single pipeline supplied most of the gasoline up and down the Atlantic coast of the US, moving it thousands of miles from refineries in the Golden Triangle area of Texas?
What does the Colonial Pipeline cyber attack mean for Texas' economy? | KXAN Austin
The Hurricane Sandy event convinced congress and President Barack Obama to create a strategic gasoline reserve for the region, consisting of about 1 million barrels of gas stored underground in that region to be tapped in just such emergency situations. But congress has a very short memory, and snuck language into the $1.7 trillion budget deal passed in March that orders the Biden administration to sell off every barrel in that reserve during the current fiscal year.
The Department of Energy announced Tuesday that it will be taking bids next week from parties interested in buying the gasoline, eager to leave the northeastern states completely insecure in the event of another big storm or cyber attack.
Biden officials believe the sale will raise something around $125 million, roughly equal to the amount the federal government spends every 15 minutes or so, before expenses of holding the sale are accounted. Some experts think the sale of that 1 million barrels of gas could lower gasoline prices by a few cents per gallon for maybe a couple of days.
This isn’t just absurd - it is insane.
But don’t worry, New Englanders, you’re supposed to have forgotten about what you went through during Sandy and the Colonial outage, and hey, Old Joe’s got your back, so everything will be fine.
*sigh*
That is all.
https://blackmon.substack.com/p/wednesdays-energy-absurdity-bidens?publication_id=712558&post_id=144868558&isFreemail=true&r=rd9j8&triedRedirect=true
Conservative group partners with gas stations to highlight 'Biden's war on American energy': Here's how
The national average gas price when President Biden took office was $2.38 per gallon. Today it is $3.59
By Chris Pandolfo
FIRST ON FOX – An influential, fiscally conservative and libertarian political advocacy group will work with gas stations across the country this week to remind Americans what the price at the pump was four years ago.
On Monday, Americans for Prosperity (AFP) will host the first of a series of events that will roll back gas prices from coast to coast "to get a pre-Bidenomics break at the pump." More than 20 gas stations will participate throughout this week, temporarily reducing prices to as low as $2.38 per gallon – near the average price per gallon of gas on the day President Biden assumed office.
"Biden’s war on American energy has had disastrous results and Americans are reeling from high gas prices going into the summer," said Akash Chougule, AFP vice president of government affairs.
"From shutting down the Keystone Pipeline to banning energy leases on federal land, Joe Biden’s top-down policies have stifled our country’s energy resources and made even the things like a family road trip more expensive," Chougule said in a statement. "This week, we are spotlighting what gas prices could be with policies that unleash our country’s energy potential."
An Americans for Prosperity van is parked at a Sunoco gas station on May 20, 2024, in Pittsburgh, where prices have been temporarily lowered to show how inflation has impacted what Americans pay for gas. (Americans for Prosperity / Fox News)
The first AFP gas rollback event kicked off Monday at 11 a.m. at the Sunoco station at 7701 Penn Avenue in Pittsburgh, and the events will continue through May 29, closing at a gas station in Oregon located at 13488 SE Hwy 212. AFP expects at least 4,000 drivers to line up at gas stations this week to fill up their tanks at a bargain price.
Sen. Cynthia Lummis, a Republican, will pump gas at one of the events in Wyoming this week, according to an AFP spokesperson.
"Since President Biden took office, his spending spree has resulted in the people of Wyoming paying nearly $1200 more a month for basic goods and services. I look forward to joining Americans for Prosperity of Wyoming for this gas rollback event where people will not only save at the pump, but be reminded of the real impact the Biden administration has on their pocketbooks," Lummis said in a statement to FOX Business.
Gas prices were not immune to the high inflation rates that have plagued Biden's term in office, which peaked at 9% in 2022 and have since declined to 3.4% – still well above the Federal Reserve's 2% target. The national average price for a gallon of gas was $3.59 as of Monday, more than 50% more expensive than when Biden took office in January 2021.
Republicans have blamed Biden's policies for driving energy prices up, with costs climbing over 41% in the last four years, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Last month, the White House's top economic adviser said the Biden administration will "make sure gas prices remain affordable," as Biden campaigns for re-election in November.
"There are of course things that have been done in the past and we’ll continue to very closely monitor, make sure that gas prices remain affordable for so many American families going into the summer driving season," national economic adviser Lael Brainard said at Semafor's World Economy Summit in April, CNBC reported.
Gas prices did decline last week for the third consecutive week to a national average of $3.58 per gallon, according to GasBuddy data, which is collected from more than 12 million individual price reports covering 150,000 gas stations across the country. That is still more than a dollar more expensive per gallon than prices were when Biden entered the White House.
AAA on Thursday attributed the "glacial descent" of gas prices to weak domestic demand and oil costs below $80 per barrel.
"Barring some unforeseen event, this pokey drop in pump prices is not likely to change anytime soon," said Andrew Gross, AAA spokesperson. "There are seven states with county gas averages at less than $3 a gallon. This trend will likely accelerate as more gas outlets east of the Rockies drop their prices."
In previous attempts to keep gas prices under control, Biden has tapped the Strategic Petroleum Reserve for temporary relief. The White House released 180 million barrels from the SPR in 2022 when oil and gas prices surged during the initial months of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The reserve has been depleted to about 365 million barrels, its lowest level in decades, for which Republicans have lambasted the president.
GasBuddy head of petroleum analysis Patrick de Haan shares his forecast for gas prices ahead of busy summer travel.
Former President Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee in 2024, has hammered Biden over the cost of gas and promised to "drill, baby, drill" if he wins, to get prices back to where they were during the previous administration. Over Trump's four years in office, gas prices averaged $2.57 per gallon, although the last 10 months of Trump's term were impacted by the COVID pandemic and historically low demand for gas, which caused prices to nosedive.
White House senior adviser John Podesta indicated last month that Biden could release more barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve if gas prices surge before the election.
"The president did it (release oil from SPR) before... and I think he wants to keep the price of gasoline affordable, and he will do what he can to make sure that happens," Podesta said at the BNEF Summit in New York.
He stopped short of saying there would be a release from the SPR any time soon.
https://www.foxbusiness.com/economy/conservative-group-partner-gas-stations-highlight-bidens-war-american-energy-heres-how
Harrison Butker Late For Practice Again After Spending Morning Enslaving Women And Forcing Them To Wear Handmaid's Tale Uniforms
KANSAS CITY, MO — Tensions between Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker and his teammates escalated this morning after he showed up late for practice again. Sources say he was late due to spending his entire morning enslaving women and making them all wear Handmaid's Tale uniforms.
"Hey guys, sorry I'm late, but I was really busy subjugating women with the patriarchy and forcing them to be barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen all the time," said Butker to his frustrated coach. "It's a tough job, but someone's gotta do it."
Feminist experts confirmed that Butker has been hard at work entering thousands of women's homes and literally forcing them to be oppressed housewives who have lots of babies and go to church and stuff like that. "Just this morning, Butker climbed in through my window and forced me to make dinner for my husband while wearing a long red robe and white bonnet," said one feminist who asked to remain anonymous. "It was the most horrifying experience of my life."
Sources claim that the coaching staff has been talking with Butker, asking him to save his woman-enslaving activities for after practice. "No player should allow patriarchal repression of females to interfere with his work on this team," said one of the coaches. "If Butker wants to force all the women everywhere to be housewives that have babies forever, he should do that on his own time."
At publishing time, feminists had warned that if Butker isn't stopped, the birth rate might climb to replacement levels.
https://babylonbee.com/news/harrison-butker-late-for-practice-again-after-spending-morning-enslaving-women-and-forcing-them-to-wear-handmaids-tale-uniforms/
Closer to Nuclear War
Guest Post by Jacob G. Hornberger
I can’t help but wonder what proponents of America’s participation in the old Cold War dinosaur known as NATO are thinking about NATO officials who are contemplating sending NATO military personnel into Ukraine to train Ukrainian troops in their war against Russia. Those who relish the idea of nuclear war between the United States and Russia undoubtedly must be ecstatic over the possibility of such a move.
It has been clear for some time that Ukraine is losing its war with Russia. Ukraine has lost countless young soldiers and their front-line troops are now largely composed of middle-aged men. Its production has plummeted. Its supply of weapons is low, which is why it continues to desperately seek replacement weapons from the United States. Ukrainian forces continue to retreat. And there is the increasing possibility that Russian forces will achieve a breakthrough in Ukrainian defense lines.
Obviously feeling desperate over the battlefield situation, European officials within NATO are contemplating sending military personnel into Ukraine to help train Ukrainian soldiers.
But wouldn’t that put NATO and Russia into direct military conflict? After all, what happens if a Russian missile kills a bunch of NATO soldiers inside Ukraine?
According to the New York Times, “So far the United States has said no, but Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on Thursday that a NATO deployment of trainers appeared inevitable. ‘We’ll get there eventually, over time,’ he said.”
Brown’s objection, for now, seems to be based more on military practicality rather than the possibility than the increased likelihood of nuclear war. He stated, “For now, he said, an effort inside Ukraine would put ‘a bunch of NATO trainers at risk’ and would most likely mean deciding whether to use precious air defenses to protect the trainers instead of critical Ukrainian infrastructure near the battlefield.”
The Times adds the important kicker in all this: “As a part of NATO, the United States would be obligated under the alliance’s treaty to aid in the defense of any attack on the trainers, potentially dragging America into the war.”
It’s important that we keep in mind why the United States continues to move ever closer to the possibility of all-out nuclear war with Russia. The reason is so that Ukraine can be a member of NATO, something that Russia has long opposed. If the day ever comes when mushroom clouds are suddenly and unexpectedly enveloping cities in Russia and the United States, those who are still alive can mull over whether Ukraine’s membership in NATO was worth it. Indeed, they can also contemplate whether U.S. membership in that old Cold War dinosaur was worth it too.
https://www.theburningplatform.com/2024/05/20/closer-to-nuclear-war/
“He’s Corrupt!” – Trump Arrives at Court for SIXTH WEEK of Ongoing Lawfare Trial, Blasts Crooked Judge Juan Merchan – Merchan’s Daughter Has Now Raised $93 Million Off the Case
President Trump arrived in court this morning and made a statement to reporters as he does every morning.
This is the sixth week of the hush money lawfare case against President Trump and the prosecution has yet to define Trump’s crime.
Trump called out Judge Merchan again for calling him into court early after Trump had previously scheduled an event with supporters this morning but was then called in early to court by the crooked Democrat judge.
President Trump blasted the criminal judge after arriving at court this morning.
Here is his full statement.
President Trump: As you know, I was supposed to be in a very different state this morning, and the judge actually decided to call it early. And yet it looks like we’re going to have a very big gap between days, and it’s going to be determined right now in court. But we’re here about an hour early today. I was supposed to be making speech for political purposes. I’m not allowed to have anything to do with politics because I’m sitting in a very freezing cold courtroom for the last four weeks.
It’s very unfair. They have no case, they have no crime. It’s been determined by everybody, every legal scholar, New York Post Editorial Board today, Trump prosecution, wind down. It’s always been a witch hunt. With a prosecution winding down in Donald Trump’s Manhattan case, we have to ask in the mortal words of Peggy Is that all there is? That’s the New York Coast Editorial Board.
It’s become utterly apparent, if that wasn’t seen already, that the key elements to any prosecution is missing. The key element is missing And it says, What’s missing? A crime. There’s no crime. They go through all this stuff, and there was nothing done wrong. The NDAs were perfect. And by the way, legal expenses. We paid a legal expense. You know what it’s marked down in the book says? A legal expense. Again, it’s not marked down as construction. It’s not marked down as sheetrock and cinder block. It’s marked down as legal expense. You have a lawyer, you pay them a legal expense, and it’s covered in the book as legal expense.
I had nothing to do with it. A bookkeeper put it down as a legal expense. This is why I’m here, because we called it a legal expense, a payment to a lawyer. Jonathan Turley, even liberal experts, have continued to express doubt out over where’s the crime? Andy McCarthy, let’s stick with the relevant undisputed facts of the case. Mershon should dismiss this case. He should dismiss this case immediately. Bragg’s evidence is woefully inadequate. This case should be dismissed. It should have never been brought. And the judge is highly conflicted. He’s a corrupt judge. He’s highly conflicted. He’s totally corrupt. And he’s interfering with an election. Greg Jarrett. There is no credible evidence of a crime. Brad’s case against the accused is beyond anemic. It is an audacious, let’s see, it is an audacious corruption of the legal process and a very dangerous one…
…All Americans, regardless of political affiliation, should be appalled at this selective prosecution. Today, it’s a great term. I should use it now. I will. Selective I enter prosecution. This all comes from the White House. It all comes from the DOJ in the White House. Take a look who’s in the room. This all comes from the DOJ in the White House. It’s an attack by Biden, who’s mentally unfit. He’s mentally unfit to be the President of this country. It’s an attack on his political opponent. That’s all it is. All of the things you see that you saw over the last four weeks, most of it should have never even been brought up. Then on top of that, there’s no crime. We go on day after day, and I tell Iowa, I’m sorry, I won’t be able to make it. I tell New Hampshire, Sorry, I won’t be able to make it. I’m sitting in an ice box all day…
…John Adams said, Liberty without virtue is tyranny. We have tyranny right now. We have tyranny right now, and we’re disgracing our New York Court system. And we’re really disgracing our country because all over the world they’re watching.
President Trump will be sitting in the icebox as he calls it all day today, the sixth week of this particular lawfare trial.
https://www.domigood.com/2024/05/hes-corrupt-trump-arrives-at-court-for.html
Swing State Poll Results Stun Trump and Biden – Sudden Surge in 5 States Changes Everything
By Sean Kerrvin|May 14, 2024
Democrats must be shaking in their fashionable booties right now. Another group of election polls has exposed more weakness in Biden’s path to reelection.
Biden has been losing ground to former President Donald Trump for months, and new slate of polls may reveal just how much trouble the incumbent is in as the election draws closer. Biden can’t afford to lose key states he won in 2020 or Trump will surge pass him in electoral votes.
Key voting blocs in swing states appear to be fueling the surge in Trump support. These are groups of voters that Democrats have depended on for decades to keep them in office.
From The Daily Wire:
New surveys conducted by The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and Siena College show former President Donald Trump leading President Joe Biden in five of six swing states.
In a two-man race between Trump and Biden, Trump leads 51-38% among likely voters; by a whopping 13 points 51-38% in Nevada; six points 49-43% in Arizona; nine points 50-41% in Georgia; three points in Pennsylvania 48-45%; and one point in Wisconsin 47-46%; while Biden clings to a one-point margin in Michigan.
When third-party candidates such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. were included, Trump’s lead soared to nine points in Arizona, to 14 in Nevada, and stayed almost the same at eight points in Georgia.
These are huge numbers for Trump as he is forced to spend most of his time in a Manhattan courtroom defending against wild charges related to alleged hush money payments. The more Democrats try to send Trump to jail the more it appears the legal attacks fuel voter sentiment in his favor.
The new poll results are shocking when comparing numbers to how Biden won the 2020 election. The Siena College poll showed that in all six states that most people believe the economy is in bad shape and the people trust Trump to provide better financial well-being than Biden.
Trump also appears to be winning in key demographics that Democrats believe they have locked up each presidential election cycle.
“The polls suggest that Mr. Trump’s strength among young and nonwhite voters has at least temporarily upended the electoral map, with Mr. Trump surging to a significant lead in Arizona, Georgia and Nevada — relatively diverse Sun Belt states where Black and Hispanic voters propelled Mr. Biden to signature victories in the 2020 election,” The New York Times stated.
The polls revealed that voters believe Trump can get things done in Washington, D.C., better than Biden could. Seventy percent of voters believe Trump will either bring major changes to the political or economic system or tear down the systems altogether, compared with 24 percent who expect the same from Biden. The surveys also showed that 43 percent of voters believe that Trump will bring good changes to the country.
Trump’s campaign said the polls reveal how the public is reacting to the widespread legal attacks fueled by anti-Trump Democrat politicians and prosecutors.
“The truth about Joe Biden’s witch hunts against President Trump is being revealed and reflected in the polls. The Biden Trial is an epic backfire,” Karoline Leavitt, national press secretary for the Trump campaign, told the Daily Caller News Foundation in a statement.
Leavitt highlighted that more than 100 polls have shown Trump “crushing Joe Biden” with the former president leading in key battleground states and winning independents by double digits.
Key Takeaways:
Trump clobbered Biden in crucial swing states within a slate of recent election polls.
The former president gained more ground among black and Hispanic voters this round.
Trump posted leads in five of six swing states that could impact the electoral map this year.
https://americanjournaldaily.com/swing-state-poll-trump-biden/
Donald Trump trial updates: Crooked Michael Cohen's bizarre justification for STEALING $60,000 from Trump after he slashed his bonus as 'self-help' - as bombshell testimony blows major hole in prosecution
By Rob Crilly, Senior Political Reporter In Manhattan Criminal Court For Dailymail.Com and Daniel Bates From Manhattan Criminal Court For Dailymail.Com and Nick Allen For Dailymail.com
Published: 07:16 EDT, 20 May 2024 | Updated: 13:43 EDT, 20 May 2024
The prosecution’s 'star witness' Michael Cohen is back on the stand for a third day, as the court waits with bated breath to find out whether former President Donald Trump could testify himself.
He finally admitted under oath that he stole $60,000 from the Trump Organization by ‘grossing up’ payments for tax. Donald Trump was seen shaking his head as his former ‘fixer’ made the revelation - while saying he justified stealing as 'self-help' after getting his bonus slashed.
Cohen also dramatically revealed that he dealt with an apparent photo ‘extortion’ blackmail attempt involving the ex-president’s daughter, Tiffany.
Cohen admits he was wrong to steal from Trump and says it was 'like self-help'
Explaining why he stole from the Trump Organization, Cohen says he was 'angered' because his bonus had been cut.
'So, I felt it was almost like self-help,' he said of his decision.
He said he had personally laid out $130,000 for the Stormy Daniels hush money payment and then had his bonus reduced by 'two thirds'.
'It was very upsetting to say the least,' he said.
Asked by Trump's lawyer if it was 'wrongful' to then steal from Trump, he said: 'It was.'
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13438295/donald-trump-trial-live-updates-michael-cohen-testify.html
Harvard Study: Covid Shots Cause Sudden Deaths, Strokes
Frank BergmanMay 20, 2024 - 12:54 pm
A damning new study from some of America’s most well-respected researchers has determined that Covid mRNA shots are causing surging cases of strokes and sudden deaths.
The case study was conducted by Harvard Medical School and chronicled soaring cases of fatal cerebral ischemia over the past three years.
Cerebral ischemia is a form of deadly brain damage triggered by insufficient blood flow to the brain.
The Harvard researchers found that Moderna’s Covid mRNA injections specifically caused the recent spike in the fatal disorder.
Leading experts have been responding to the explosive study by raising the alarm about the mRNA vaccines.
The study is the latest in a long line of studies linking the shots to sudden death and potentially fatal side effects.
However, it is the first major study to specifically link Moderna’s injection to cerebral ischemia and sudden deaths.
Among those reacting to the study is Dr. John Campbell – a top British oncologist, immunologist, and immunotherapy expert.
Campbell has published a video breaking down the results of the study.
“This could not be a more serious report,” Campbell warns.
The doctor discussed brain scan images from the study which showed dark areas of the brain.
These marks, Campbell explains, indicate a lack of blood flow to those regions.
This is due to blood backing up in other regions, causing over-pressure and under-pressure in different parts of the brain.
He notes that the issue can emerge within just a few hours after receiving the injection.
“24 hrs after receiving her first dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, a 30-year-old female developed severe headache,” the Harvard study said in the “Case Summary” section.
“Three weeks later she was admitted with subacute headache and confusion.
“Imaging initially showed scattered cortical thrombosis with an elevated opening pressure on lumbar puncture.
“An external ventricular drain was placed, but she continued to have elevated intracranial pressure.
“Ultimately, she required a hemicraniectomy, but intractable cerebral edema resulted in her death. Pathology was consistent with thrombosis and associated inflammatory response.”
Doctor Campbell explained how the medical team working on the vaccine victim opened up her head after trying many other techniques and modalities of treatment.
“So it sounds like what they did here was they, to try and get the pressure down, they actually took away some of the side of the bone over the scull to try and get the pressure down, pretty drastic,” he said.
Campbell talked about how the vaccine victim already had Covid, meaning she should have had natural immunity, and that she should not have been vaccinated given that fact and her young age.
Dr. Campbell explained that the researchers don’t know why the pressure inside the vaccine victim’s head was so high.
However, it may have been due to cerebral auto-regularity function – the brain’s regulation of its own blood supply.
WATCH:
Trump Fires Back Against 'Fake Story' About His Speech That Was 'Made Up' by the Biden Campaign
By Johnathan Jones May 20, 2024 at 8:28am
Former President Donald Trump issued a fiery response on Sunday night amid claims he “froze” for about 30 seconds while speaking on stage at the National Rifle Association’s annual convention in Texas.
Trump addressed the NRA in Dallas on Saturday as he accepted the organization’s endorsement, NBC News reported.
When a segment of the speech went viral on the social media platform X, the presumptive Republican nominee hit back, calling it a “MADE UP Biden Campaign story.”
During his remarks, Trump briefly paused while music was played, a common occurrence when he speaks to large crowds.
The official account of President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign shared a clip of the moment and said, “Trump starts playing QAnon music during his bizarre slur-filled NRA speech.”
That video was shared by “Biden’s Wins,” an X account described as the “largest online community of President Biden’s supporters.”
“Donald Trump just glitched out and froze at his rally tonight,” the account said. “He is clearly unfit for office. Retweet so every American knows Trump is senile.”
BREAKING: Donald Trump just glitched out and froze at his rally tonight. He is clearly unfit for office. Retweet so every American knows Trump is senile. pic.twitter.com/QTa5qKNy8H
— Biden’s Wins (@BidensWins) May 19, 2024
Many other pro-Biden accounts on X also seized on the clip to claim the former president was either unwell or unfit to run the country.
35 seconds! That’s how long Trump froze when his teleprompter stopped scrolling at yesterday’s NRA convention. He can’t think or speak without a teleprompter. All he could do was shake his head in frustration & grimace in embarrassment until it restarted.pic.twitter.com/fmIZpXxKG3
— Jon Cooper (@joncoopertweets) May 19, 2024
WTF??? Trump just FROZE for a solid 30 seconds. This guy is clearly unfit to serve. He has mentally declined rapidly, and it’s very clear. He needs to drop out of the race ASAP! pic.twitter.com/q8JQOADyis
— Harry Sisson (@harryjsisson) May 18, 2024
Trump issued a response Sunday on his Truth Social account.
“My Speech in Dallas this weekend at the NRA’s ‘Endorsement of President Donald J. Trump,’ was attended by a Record Crowd of very enthusiastic Patriots,” he wrote. “The Biden Campaign, however, put out a Fake Story that I ‘froze’ for 30 seconds, going into the ‘Musical Interlude’ section, when in actuality, the 30 to 60 second period of silence is standard in every one of my Speeches where we use the Music.
“Check out any of my Speeches! The reason they came up with this Disinformation is that Biden freezes all the time, can’t put two sentences together, and can rarely find his way off the stage without help.
“Donald Trump doesn’t freeze! It is a MADE UP Biden Campaign story, put out in a dying Newspaper that I never heard of, and every Reporter knows it, including the large group that was there.”
In another post, Trump hit Biden, who has been dogged for years by speculation he is suffering from a cognitive and physical decline.
“As far as the podium, I actually stopped it from falling due to good reflexes and strength, two elements which Joe Biden does not possess,” the former president wrote. “Check out the clip! Crooked Joe is a completely incompetent and corrupt person, even when it comes to putting out a fake story like this.”
While anti-Trump accounts spread the clip from the NRA speech, a video of numerous moments of Biden freezing up while speaking — originally posted in February — went viral again.
Here are five straight minutes that show exactly why the special counsel noted Biden’s diminished mental fitness pic.twitter.com/u1ToosAKyz
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) February 11, 2024
Trump’s appearance in Texas was one of the few times he had been able to travel for a campaign event in recent weeks.
The former president is a criminal defendant in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s “hush money” trial in New York.
Trump has consistently criticized Bragg’s unprecedented prosecution of him as election interference.
https://www.westernjournal.com/trump-fires-back-fake-story-speech-made-biden-campaign/
Swing-State Senate Dems Running From Biden
By Charlie McCarthy | Monday, 20 May 2024 10:06 AM EDT
Democrat U.S. senators in competitive reelection races are distancing themselves from President Joe Biden, The Hill reported.
Lawmakers such as Sens. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., Bob Casey, D-Pa., Jon Tester, D-Mont., and Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, represent battleground states in which former President Donald Trump leads Biden, according to recent polling.
So far, Biden's unpopularity hasn't hurt the senators too much, but they know that could change.
"If you go out there and do a focus group, the focus groups all say, 'He's [Biden's] 200 years old. You got to be kidding me.' And the worst part about it is for unaffiliated voters or people that haven't made up their mind, they look at this and say, 'You have to be kidding us. These are our choices?' And they indict us for not taking it seriously," a Democrat senator told The Hill.
Another Democrat senator told The Hill that the president's age (81) is a concern among voters even though Trump is 77.
"Biden's showing his age in ways weirdly more than Trump," the senator told The Hill.
Democrats will be trying to keep control of the Senate in November's general election, in which they'll have 23 seats on the ballot, Forbes reported. Three of those seats are in states that voted for Trump in 2020.
Republicans, meanwhile, will be defending just 11 seats, all in states Trump won.
New York Times, Siena College, and Philadelphia Inquirer poll results last week showed Biden trailing Trump in the swing states of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, and Pennsylvania and tied with him in Wisconsin.
However, the same poll showed Democrat senate candidates leading their likely GOP opponents in Arizona, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
Rosen, who's slightly ahead (40% to 38%) of Republican opponent Sam Brown, has tried to separate herself from Biden over his decision to withhold bombs from Israel.
Casey also has split with Biden over Israel, and on liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports. Casey is currently leading Republican candidate Dave McCormick 46% to 41%.
Tester said he's running on his own brand in Montana.
"Biden's running his race, I'm running mine. I've got a good brand, people understand who I am, and we got to remind them who I am and what I've accomplished and what I intend to accomplish," Tester said, The Hill reported. "They really are separate races."
Brown has criticized Biden for not going far enough to protect American workers from cheap Chinese imports.
"While tariffs are needed to level the playing field for American workers, they are not enough to stop a flood of Chinese-government-subsidized products on their own. That's why the administration must ban Chinese electric vehicles and use every possible tool to stop China's cheating," Brown said, The Hill reported.
https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/swing-states-senate/2024/05/20/id/1165373/?ns_mail_uid=110c4f27-b39e-4490-8c9e-becd156886f8&ns_mail_job=DM624329_05202024&s=acs&dkt_nbr=010502uw1and
No, Illegal Immigrants Do Not Make the Country Rich
May 20, 2024
There is a joke about immigration: “If illegal aliens grow the economy, then the countries they left must be rich.” The reality is, however, that rather than making the country richer, illegal immigrants cost the country money. The amount of money the government spends on illegal aliens each year is “the equivalent of $500 per American man, woman, child, and retiree.”
Every day, approximately 5,000 illegal aliens enter the United States. The media claims that immigration is growing the US economy, using this argument to justify open borders and illegal immigration. However, there are several intentionally misleading points here. First, the economic growth attributed to immigration includes the wages earned and taxes paid by legal immigrants, which has nothing to do with illegal immigration. The fact that legal immigrants contribute to the economy does not justify what is happening at the southern border.
Yes, every additional person living in the country adds to GDP; however, there is nothing special about illegal aliens that contributes more to this growth. In fact, legal aliens are significantly better for the economy because they pay taxes and are less likely to send most of their earnings out of the country. Legal immigrants are more likely to buy a home and pay property taxes, which fund local schools. They are also more likely to start a business, creating jobs.
Adding people to the economy who do not work or contribute only grows the economy by the amount of government transfer payments they spend. However, these transfer payments come from taxes already paid by citizens or from government debt that will need to be repaid in the future. Additionally, these transfers draw funds away from existing social programs.
In economics, there is a concept called “the broken window fallacy,” which illustrates why poor decisions by the government do not actually grow the economy. The story goes like this: kids are playing baseball and accidentally break a shop window. Some politicians argue that a broken window is beneficial because someone must be paid to fix it. The repair person has to buy the glass, so the glass vendor makes money. The glass vendor and the repair person then use the money they earned on the broken window to buy groceries, pay rent, and pay for services, creating jobs for others.
The fallacy is that before the window was broken, the shop had a window, and the shop owner had cash. After the repair, the shop still has a window, but the owner no longer has his cash. Society is no better off because nothing new was created. If the shop owner had instead used the money to expand his shop, he would create jobs while also providing better or more services to the community.
When politicians claim that illegal aliens added hundreds of billions to the economy, they are counting the money the government paid to support them. While it is true that this money went into the community because the illegal immigrants purchased food and services, or these were purchased on their behalf, this spending simply added to government debt. It is akin to the government cutting checks and sending them to people, as was done during COVID-19. This type of stimulus does not create real growth; it just creates inflation.
According to research by the Center for Immigration Studies, “Illegal immigrants are a net fiscal drain, meaning they receive more in government services than they pay in taxes.”
The lower education levels of illegal immigrants mean they are low earners and often qualify for welfare programs, frequently receiving benefits on behalf of their U.S.-born children. “The tax payments of illegal immigrants do not come close to covering the costs they create.”
The Center for Immigration Studies found that the annual cost to care for and house illegal immigrants could reach up to $451 billion. The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) arrived at a lower figure, determining that illegal immigrants are costing the US at least $150 billion per year. Supporters of illegal immigration may claim that this money, spent on goods and services for illegal immigrants, is added to the economy. However, this money is not added to the economy; it is diverted away from taxpayers.
https://www.yourdestinationnow.com/2024/05/no-illegal-immigrants-do-not-make.html
$45 billion of auto loans teetering on the brink of default.
May 20, 2024 8:59 am by CWR
The surge in missed payments suggests that many households are experiencing financial distress akin to a recessionary environment, despite broader economic indicators.
In a chilling turn of events, serious delinquency rates for auto loans have skyrocketed to 2.8% in Q1 2024, the highest since the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis. This surge paints a stark picture of financial distress among US households, with $45 billion of auto loans now perilously close to default.
As delinquencies climb, reaching levels not seen in over a decade, it’s clear that American consumers are facing mounting economic pressures. The $9 billion jump in auto loan balances to a record $1.62 trillion amplifies concerns over the sustainability of household debt levels.
What’s even more concerning is the parallel rise in car insurance costs, which surged by a staggering 22.6% in April alone, echoing inflation rates not witnessed since the 1970s. These dual pressures are squeezing household budgets, leading to missed loan payments at rates reminiscent of recessions past.
The implications are profound. From potential market disruptions and lender vulnerabilities to the broader impact on consumer spending and economic stability, the repercussions could reverberate throughout the economy. As households struggle to make ends meet, the specter of further economic hardship looms large.
BREAKING: Auto loan serious delinquency rates surged to 2.8% in Q1 2024, the highest level since 2010.
90+ day delinquencies have been rising a pace last seen during the 2008 financial crisis.
Auto loans held by US households jumped by $9 billion in Q1 to $1.62 trillion, an all… pic.twitter.com/iwQf4a5ulD
— The Kobeissi Letter (@KobeissiLetter) May 18, 2024
https://citizenwatchreport.com/45-billion-of-auto-loans-teetering-on-the-brink-of-default/
Bidenomics chart shows what we all have been suffering
May 20, 2024 9:02 am by CWR
BIDENOMICS IS WORKING: Consumers are so demoralized by inflation and high rates that they’ve given up on saving for the American Dream and are spending money instead, economist says.
Joanne Hsu, who is the director of the University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment survey, told CNBC on Friday that she thinks Americans have abandoned plans to save money as they see their financial goals look less attainable and are spending money instead.
“This positive spending is not a reflection of some sort of internalized secret sense of confidence that consumers have,” he explained. “And instead my interpretation is that consumers see that a lot of aspirational goals that we talk about as part of the American Dream—homeownership, paying for college, paying for college for your kids, having a comfortable retirement—with high prices and high interest rates right now, those aspirational goals just feel increasingly out of reach.”
And as a result, consumers have “given up” on saving for those goals, Hsu added, noting that the still-strong labor market allows them to spend now.
The unintended (and ironic) consequence is that the front-loaded aggregate demand is inflationary.
https://citizenwatchreport.com/bidenomics-chart-shows-what-we-all-have-been-suffering/
88% of Americans say U.S. in on the wrong track, national Monmouth Poll says
Biden disapprovals at 58%
By David Wildstein, July 05 2022 12:52 pm
President Joe Biden has an upside-down 36%-58% approval rating with an astonishing 88% of Americans saying the nation is on the wrong track, according to a new Monmouth University national poll released on Tuesday.
One-third of the country (33%) lists inflation as their top issue, followed by gas process (15%) and the economy (9%). Abortion polled at 5%, with guns at 3% and Covid at 1%.
“Economic concerns tend to rise to the top of the list of family concerns, as you might expect, but the singular impact of inflation is really hitting home right now,” said Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute. “And most Americans are blaming Washington for their current pain.”
Nearly half of Americans (42%) are struggling to remain where they are financially. That’s up 18 percentage points since last year.
Biden’s approvals are at 29%-63% among independents, and 42%-52% among self-identified moderates.
The Monmouth Poll was conducted from June 23-27 with a sample of 978 adults and a margin of error of +/- 3.1%.
https://newjerseyglobe.com/polling/88-of-americans-say-u-s-in-on-the-wrong-track-national-monmouth-poll-says/
Biden is bombing with Catholic and even mainline Protestant church-going voters -report
By Monica Showalter
Buried news: Biden administration refuses to release data about how many 'asylum' cases are waved through by his asylum officers
By Monica Showalter
No compassion for migrants in Massachusetts
By Monica Showalter
Even as leftists relentlessly push ‘trans,’ hard evidence shows how suicidally dangerous it is
By Andrea Widburg
America’s cultural controllers, the ones in political circles, the news media, entertainment, and Hollywood, are relentless in their insistence that so-called “transgenderism” is real and that the way to improve so-called “transgender” people’s lives is to give them hormones that are opposed to their biological sex and to engage in mutilating slice-and-dice surgery. However, as more data arrive, it’s clear that the whole “transgender” push is a Big Lie—and the problem with a Big Lie is that, eventually, usually long after lots of damage is already done, the truth starts to leak out.
Disney, of course, is one of the leaders in the LGBTQ+ grooming vanguard, but it’s not just Disney. NBC is now promoting a nature show that is also an exercise in LGBTQ+ grooming.
If you’re like me, you remember watching the wonderful “Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom,” a nature documentary that ran from 1963-1988 and was rebooted from 2002-2011.
I was a toddler when it started, but probably watched it regularly through about 1975. Those were the Marlin Perkins years when he’d recount with breathless enthusiasm the wild and wonderful things animals would do.
We’d see their hunts but not their kills or, at least, the kills would be shown from a carefully bloodless distance. We also got to see their mating rituals but never saw the animals actually having sex. We’d learn about their migrations and their habitat building. It was real information but very family-friendly.
In the nature shows of that more innocent era (a time when Disney was also in the nature show biz), the most risqué it ever got was seeing animals getting drunk on ripened marula fruits, as in this famous footage: