THE SHOW NOTES: Live From Charleston
I am at Nikki Haley’s presidential announcement in Charleston and am jumping on radio to share all of the details. Listen live here.
DATA: California's population dropped by 500,000 in two years.
HEADLINE: McConnell vs. Scott: The Senate beef that won't die - Politico
NEW: Russian forces have relocated at least 6,000 Ukrainian children to camps since start of war, new report says - CNBC
Clip of the day: The shooter used a handgun.
First Haley Endorsement
House Freedom Caucus member Ralph Norman is the first member of Congress to endorse Nikki Haley’s bid for President. Norman - a fellow South Carolinian - was elected along with Haley to the House back in 2004.
Significance: Ralph Norman - a longtime Trump ally - addressed the elephant in the room claiming the Republican Party needs a new vision this presidential cycle. Norman was backed by Donald Trump in 2022 and even refused to certify the election in a symbolic nod of loyalty to the former President.
Ohio Train Derailment
The controlled release of toxic chemicals resulting from a train derailment is continuing to have a deleterious impact on East Palestine, Ohio. Animals as far as 11 miles away have reportedly fallen ill or died as a result of the fumes released.
Disturbing: Officials told residents yesterday that most of the drinking water in the area is safe to consume but warned locals with private wells to have the water tested.
Controlled release: At least five tanker cars were transporting an unstable chemical known as vinyl chloride which is primarily used in plastic production. Following the derailment, officials were forced to do a controlled release of the gas in order to prevent the cars from exploding.
New Cars Are Only For The Rich
Bloomberg (paywall) has an eye-opening piece arguing that new cars can no longer be afforded by the middle class while automakers rake in record profits. The reason: supply chain shortages have incentivized automakers to keep inventory low and price tags high. Here’s the paragraph that matters:
The average monthly payment for a new car has soared to a record $777, nearly doubling from late 2019, according to Kelley Blue Book owner Cox Automotive. That’s almost a sixth of the median after-tax income for US households. Even used models have climbed to $544 a month on average.
The rest of the news:
America turns against immigration - Axios
This Russia-linked hack is worse than we knew - Politico
‘Dystopian’ homeless encampments overtake Chicago’s O’Hare Airport - NY Post
Housing costs are still a big problem - Axios
Apparently ‘Love Your Enemies’ Is Now ‘Fascism’ - National Review
Chinese Spy Balloon May Not have Been Intended to Fly Over Continental U.S. - National Review
This Bird-Flu Outbreak Is Unprecedented - MSN
Worker Burnout Is Even Worse Than at the Peak of the Pandemic - Bloomberg (paywall)
Give Him a Birth Control Pill for Valentine's Day - Bloomberg (paywall)
Prosecutors Seek Trump Lawyer’s Testimony, Suggesting Evidence of Crime - NYT (paywall)
Tweets that caught my eye:
Market snapshot:
