THE SHOW NOTES: The Great Debate, Inflation Movement, & Biden’s Bizarre Backtrack
Welcome! Joe Biden and Donald Trump have agreed to a CNN debate on June 27th and an ABC debate on September 10th.
WATCH: Biden’s 14-second announcement video required 5 jump cuts.
NEW: Cheating on Workplace Drug Tests Hits a Record - WSJ (free)
Uhhhh: Arizona prosecutors can’t find Rudy Guiliani to serve him with an indictment notice.
BREAKING: Slovakia’s Prime Minister Fico shot after government meeting - CNN
HEADLINE: The Rise of the ‘Never Bidens’ - The Free Press
WHY: Netflix to broadcast two Christmas NFL games in 2024 - ESPN
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Inflation and Debt
The Consumer Price Index suggests that inflation nominally eased in April by one-tenth of a point to 3.4% and beat Wall Street expectations by the same amount.
The problem: While the White House has understandably welcomed the news, the problem for Americans is that prices are still going up, only slower than before. In April, rent and gas combined accounted for more than 70% of price increases with auto insurance premiums remaining 22.6% higher on a year-over-year basis.
Lies: As inflation continues to linger, President Biden has repeatedly falsely stated that inflation was 9% when he took office. Despite mainstream outlets like The Washington Post (paywall) correcting him, he has doubled down on the statements. In reality, inflation was 1.4% when he came into office.
Debt: The compounding effect of multiple years of price increases is having a direct impact on the amount of credit card debt that consumers are forced to carry. The data below is from the New York Fed which Heather Long at The Washington Post compiled. However, data like this does not take into account “Buy Now, Pay Later” schemes which have skyrocketed in popularity in recent years. 43% of those who use BNPL methods are behind on debt.
Biden’s Bizarre Backtrack
After announcing that his administration was pausing congressionally approved military aid designated for Israel, the Biden administration notified Congress last night that it was moving forward with $1 billion in new weapons for the Israeli military.
Details: The package includes $700 million in tank ammunition, $500 million in tactical vehicles, and $60 million in mortar rounds.
Why this matters: Biden’s mixed signals over Israel’s handling of Rafah has infuriated all sides of the political spectrum in the United States. After telling Israel that invading Rafah was his red line and that weapons would not be sent if they did so, Israel invaded Rafah and Biden authorized the weapons transfer anyway.
Ouch
The Democratic Governor of Colorado is openly blasting Biden’s tariff plans on Twitter.
Near Miss
The FAA has opened an investigation after four planes nearly crashed at an airshow in Fort Lauderdale.
Trending news:
Think corporate greed is the leading cause of inflation? Think again - CNN
Rory McIlroy files for divorce from wife, Erica, after seven years of marriage - Independent
DOJ: Boeing breached 2021 safety agreement that prevented charges for crashes - Axios
Fed Chair Powell says inflation has been higher than thought, expects rates to hold steady - CNBC
Tom Brady says his appearance on ‘The Greatest Roast of All Time’ has ‘affected’ his children - CNN
Peru officially classifies trans people as ‘mentally ill’ - The Telegraph
Nashville police officer fired over OnlyFans video showing 'traffic stop' - Fox News
Jamie Dimon urges the U.S. to deal with its deficit sooner rather than later - CNBC
Only Four Media Outlets Meet Biden’s Criteria for Hosting Presidential Debates With Trump - Mediaite
What is Georgia’s ‘foreign agents’ bill, and why is Europe so alarmed? - CNN
Congress Launches Probe Into Groups Funding 'Pro-Hamas' Unrest on Campus - Free Beacon
‘Inappropriate’ behavior shuts down Dublin to New York City portal - CNN
How MSNBC’s Leftward Tilt Delivers Ratings, and Complications - NYT (free)
Trump gets $1 million from Silicon Valley donor who once gave to Democrats - The Washington Post (paywall)
Market snapshot:
Why debate Biden before the Democrat convention?
I do hope that republicans are prepared to indict any democrat who challenged the 2016 election of Trump and who will challenge this one if somehow they mess up and Trump wins in spite of democrat shenanigans. I just read a great article, and I wish I could remember where, that explained why the alternate elector idea worked in 1960 and did not in 2020. Definitely worth a read if you can find it. So the debate plan is that Joe will pretend to challenge Trump to a debate, then insist on setting all the rules, with everything tilted in his favor, and if Trump chooses not to be set up, he will be blamed as refusing to debate. Good trick. But not unexpected.