Let The American People Have Autonomy Over Their Automobiles
Let The American People Have Autonomy Over Their Automobiles
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President Biden’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) showed complete disregard for our freedom of choice earlier this year, by forcing the automotive industry to transition to electric vehicles (EVs) rather than allowing Americans to choose the cars they want to buy and drive. Our government shouldn’t be dictating who wins or loses, but rather should allow Americans to make the choice for themselves.
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The EPA finalized a rule that functions as a de facto gas car ban on light and medium duty vehicles, requiring 56% of vehicle sales in the U.S. to be electric by 2032. If people feel moved to buy EVs and do their part in quelling climate change, that’s up to them. But forcing a rushed mandate goes too far.
The remnants of a once bustling automotive manufacturing hub can be found along Pittsburgh’s Baum Boulevard, where people could buy themselves a brand-new Ford or Chrysler. A mandate of this severity would be the nail in the coffin for gas powered vehicles. With something so personal to each individual or family – and so vital to the economy – the government should be embracing freedom and not issuing a rule that takes away our autonomy.
At Americans for Prosperity, we advocate for sustainable legislation that increases economic prosperity for all. The “tailpipe rule” issued by the EPA is the antithesis to the mission we’ve worked to uphold. By phasing out affordable, more reliable options like gas powered vehicles, Pennsylvanians will have to make calculated decisions about where they spend their money in order to adapt to this market shift. By denying Americans choice, the federal government is ignoring the same people they committed to serve.
Despite the EPA’s efforts, Americans aren’t running to car lots to purchase expensive EVs. In fact, Tesla continues to https://www.silive.com/news/2024/06/tesla-to-layoff-hundreds-of-new-york-employees-this-summer-report-says.html
after experiencing a less than thrilling start to 2024. In short, people aren’t buying EVs like some industry leaders had hoped.
EV sales in Q1 2024 https://www.coxautoinc.com/market-insights/q1-2024-ev-sales/
in comparison to Q4 2023, demonstrating a shift in Americans’ purchasing power. The government shouldn’t force the American people to purchase vehicles they don’t want – or likely can’t afford – just to sustain Biden’s climate agenda. During a time where Americans are forced to be more money conscious due to inflation, it’s confusing why the government is issuing mandates that will only further inflict financial strain on the American people.
Even when people do choose to purchase an EV for themselves and/or their family, national EV infrastructure lags far behind, creating challenges for EV drivers. The government is investing millions to build more comprehensive charging infrastructure, but the roll out is happening at a https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/2024/03/28/ev-charging-stations-slow-rollout/
are built and concentrated in major cities like Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, leaving much of the state without reliable access to public charging stations. The pace at which critical charging stations is an ill omen, at least for Biden’s EPA; EV’s are too expensive, and the technology is not yet ready for universal adoption – let alone a government mandate.
In Pennsylvania, as of July 2023, just over https://afdc.energy.gov/data/10962
in 2021, when discussing Biden’s massive spending package that included electric vehicle rebates for households making up to $500K a year: who does this benefit? It’s whoever you see driving a Tesla on your block.
Democratic U.S. Sen. John Fetterman has echoed similar sentiments. This past March, Fetterman called for further conversation surrounding Biden’s EPA tailpipe mandate. Fetterman https://www.politico.com/newsletters/power-switch/2024/03/21/bidens-newest-democratic-worry-00148357
, “we need to respond to what seems to be the American consumer sentiment, what seems to be a diminished kind of enthusiasm, for EVs.”
Pennsylvania has a rich history of manufacturing, specifically in the automotive industry. It’s ingrained in our culture in ways many other states can’t understand. Through this blatant display of government overreach the EPA is choosing which sectors to uplift and which ones to take out at the knees.
To disregard the voice of the people and our nation’s functioning free market system by implementing a rushed, ill-advised plan is not the American way.
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Wed, 08/14/2024 - 17:40
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/let-american-people-have-autonomy-over-their-automobiles
Buffett 13F Confirms Sale Of 400 Million Apple Shares, Other Liqudations; New Positions In ULTA And HEI
Buffett 13F Confirms Sale Of 400 Million Apple Shares, Other Liqudations; New Positions In ULTA And HEI
At the start of August, https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/buffett-calls-top-berkshire-quietly-dumps-half-its-apple-shares-amid-record-liquidation
revealed deep inside the Berkshire 10Q, that billionaire Warren Buffett had sold more than half of his AAPL holdings (approximately 400 million shares according to our calculations)...
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... as part of Berkshire's biggest portfolio liquidation on record, one which saw some $75.5 billion in stock sales during the second quarter of 2024.
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Of course, all these were only approximations since the 10Q did not break out the specifics of the Berkshire portfolio, which is why were were eagerly awaiting today's release of the Berkshire 13F for the second quarter. It confirmed what we already knew:
Buffett indeed sold some 389.4 million shares of AAPL in Q2, bringing his total to exactly 400 million shares as of June 30. What is remarkable is that Buffett managed to unwind more than half his massive position (which at March 31 amounted to $135.4 billion), while the stock was levitating for much of Q2. Also remarkable is that even with the huge sale, Apple still remains Berkshire's top holding, valued at $84.2 billion as of June 30.
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Going down the list, Buffett also sold 3.6%, or 4.4 million, of his shares in Chveron, which remained the 5th largest position in Berkshire's portfolio.
The other 3 names in the top 5 were unchanged during the quarter, but as previously reported, we already know that Berkshire has been slowly dumping a lot of BofA shares, as he is now also liquidating his 2nd largest position (amounted to $41.1 billion as of June 30, but certainly less now).
There were some other stake reductions including:
Capital One Financial, where Buffett sold 21.3% of his March 31 stake, reducing his ownership from 12.5 million to 9.8 million shares.
T-Mobile, where Buffett sold 10.9% of his stake, reducing ownership from 5.2 million to 4.7 million shares.
Louisiana-Pacific, where Buffett sold 9.6% of his stake, cutting ownership from 6.6 million to 6.0 million shares.
Floor & Design, where Buffett sold 16.8% of his stake, cutting ownership from 4.8 million to 4.0 million shares.
It wasn't all sales: Buffett also added to existing positions in the following names:
Occidental: added 2.9%, or 7.3 million shares, bringing the total to 255.3 million shares. OXY is his 6th largest position, behind Chevron.
Chubb: added 4.3%, or 1.1 million shares, bringing the total to 27 million shares in what is now his 9th largest position by value.
Liberty Media: added 5.5%, or 6.7 million shares, bringing the total to 128.8 million shares.
Sirius XM: added 262% or 96.2 million shares, bringing the total to 132.9 million shares.
Also of note, there were two liquidations, as Berkshire dumped its entire stake in Snowflake, selling 6.125 million shares worth $990 million as of Q2, and also liquidated his stake in Paramount Global; this amounted to 7.5 million shares of the flaming dumpster fire worth $88.6 million.
Finally, Buffett added two new positions:
HEICO Corp: Berkshire purchased 1 million shares of the aerospace product manufacturer, worth $185 million
Ulta Beaty: Berkshire purchased 690K shares of the beauty store operator, worth $267 million.
That said, both of these positions are tiny and barely make a dent in the firm's $280 billion portfolio.
Finally, one thing which we find odd is that while the 13F showed some $50.6 billion in stock sales (by value) in Q1, Berkshire's 10Q cash flows statement disclosed the $75.5 billion worth of stock had been sold in Q2, indicating that at least $25 billion worth of sales took place without being revealed on the 13F.
While we muse over this puzzle, here is the full breakdown of Berkshire's latest 13F
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Source: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1067983/000095012324008740/0000950123-24-008740-index.htm
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https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden
Wed, 08/14/2024 - 17:28
Russia Ready To Execute Nuclear Attacks On NATO Targets, According To Leaked Documents
Russia Ready To Execute Nuclear Attacks On NATO Targets, According To Leaked Documents
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Western sources have reportedly leaked Russian plans drawn up between 2008 and 2014 for “a series of overwhelming strikes across Western Europe,” the https://www.ft.com/content/237e1e55-401d-4eeb-875b-03fe68f81575?countryCode=HUN
reported.
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Citing documents from Western security sources, Putin allegedly sought to enable the Russian navy to execute nuclear strikes within NATO territory were a conflict with the alliance to emerge.
Targets would not be solely military. According to William Alberque, a former NATO official:
“There could be hundreds, if not thousands, of targets mapped across Europe, including military and infrastructure targets.”
Russia is also evidently still capable of transporting nuclear weapons on surface ships, which experts say carries a significant risk of escalation or accident. The Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START I), signed by the U.S. and Russia in 1991, was supposed to have eliminated this possibility, although many have often questioned Moscow’s adherence to it.
Possible targets presented by the FT included the west coast of France, military installations in Norway, Germany, and Estonia, as well as the British port town of Barrow-in-Furness, known for its production of nuclear submarines.
“They see (tactical nuclear warheads) as potentially war-winning weapons,” says Jeffrey Lewis, a professor at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey and an arms control expert.
“They’re going to want to use them, and they’re going to want to use them pretty quickly.”
Anton Bendarzsevszkij, director of the Oeconomus Economic Research Foundation, has said that “there is a global arms race that resembles the Cold War of the 1950s and 60s,” according to https://mandiner.hu/kulfold/2024/08/titkos-aktak-szivarogtak-ki-oroszorszag-atomhaborus-celpontjairol-europa-is-teriteken
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Russia is said to have north of 5,500 nuclear warheads in its arsenal, while the United States has just over 5,000, meaning the two countries control some 90 percent of such weapons today.
Continue reading at https://rmx.news/article/russia-ready-to-execute-nuclear-attacks-on-nato-targets-according-to-leaked-documents/
https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden
Wed, 08/14/2024 - 17:00
Pentagon Belatedly Reveals 8 US Troops Were Wounded In Syria Attack Last Week
Pentagon Belatedly Reveals 8 US Troops Were Wounded In Syria Attack Last Week
Since last fall US forces have recorded over 100 rocket and drone attacks on their positions in Iraq and Syria by Iran-aligned militias or Syrian national militias, depending on the side of the border. While most of the time these incidents pass without casualties, some observers have long suspected the Pentagon attempts to keep the number of wounded or injured US personnel from these attacks under wraps.
The Pentagon belatedly https://www.arabnews.com/node/2567318/middle-east
that a total of eight US troops were wounded in a drone attack that struck a US base in northeast Syria last Friday. Spokesman Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said that all eight were treated for traumatic brain injuries - the common term for potential head injuries when a person is too near a blast - as well as smoke inhalation.
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"Three of those service members have returned to duty while the others remain under observation," told a press breifing. "According to CENTCOM (US Central Command), none of the injuries are life-threatening."
It happened at Rumalyn Landing Zone, which is in Hasaka in northeast Syria - for years subject of the US military occupation. While over the weekend the Pentagon acknowledged the attack, saying their were minor injuries, it had withheld details as well as to the number of troops injured.
These attacks have been on the rise of late, as ABC News https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/drone-attack-us-base-syria-injuries-reported/story?id=112730470
:
Since Oct. 18, there have been close to 170 attacks taking place on a nearly daily basis as Iranian-backed militia groups target U.S bases in Iraq and Syria, supposedly in retaliation for the Israel-Hamas war.
Those attacks largely stopped after Feb. 4 following large-scale U.S. airstrikes in Iraq and Syria and a drone strike that killed a top-level leader of the Kataib Hezbollah militia group that the U.S. held responsible for the attacks.
Since the July 31st Israeli killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, the region has been on edge in expectation of a major Iranian retaliation on Israel. This has put American troops occupying easter Syria in harm's way, leading many to question what the Pentagon is still doing there.
The Pentagon and mainstream media have meanwhile dusted off the ole 'counter ISIS' mission rationale...
"In a little-publicized campaign, American aircraft conduct airstrikes and provide live aerial surveillance to SDF ground forces who conduct raids on suspected Islamic State cells," https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/in-syrias-hinterlands-the-u-s-wages-a-hidden-campaign-against-a-resurgent-islamic-state-f22c44df
wrote this week. "While they usually stay a safe distance from the fighting, elite U.S. troops sometimes conduct missions on their own to kill or capture senior Islamic State leaders."
This is a recipe for seeking to keep US troops there as part of yet another post-911 era 'forever war' which has no specific and definable aims.
What is RLZ? It stands for Rumeilan Landing Zone. An austere US base in the Northeast of Syria with a paved runway that was constructed sometime in 2016. (The naming convention can also be seen in the similar KLZ base for Kobani Landing Zone) https://t.co/c5JSZFG4OP
— IntelWalrus (@IntelWalrus) https://twitter.com/IntelWalrus/status/1490051197029470210?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
WSJ wrote further that "Islamic State’s latest comeback effort represents a different challenge than the one it posed in its heyday, when hundreds of militants would charge through isolated villages and crowded cities in tanks and pickup trucks mounted with machine guns. Now the group operates in smaller cells armed with rifles and booby traps."
Of course, no one ever asks anymore how the Islamic State https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-05-23/secret-pentagon-report-reveals-us-created-isis-tool-overthrow-syrias-president-assad
, in the context of the Western allies and Gulf axis drive to overthrow Assad.
https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden
Wed, 08/14/2024 - 16:40
The Shiny New Kamala Harris That Propaganda Built
The Shiny New Kamala Harris That Propaganda Built
https://www.theorganicprepper.com/shiny-new-kamala-harris-propaganda/
Remember just over a month ago when Kamala Harris was the https://www.foxnews.com/media/kamala-harris-receives-worst-vice-presidential-rating-nbc-news-polls-history
?
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Remember how she utterly failed as “border czar?”
Remember how many terrible gaffes she made, speaking in word salads and nodding her encouragement to pretend we all understood what the heck she was talking about?
Don’t worry. Now we have a shiny NEW Kamala Harris who’s prepared to be the leader of the free world.
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Going back even further, who remembers her alleged inappropriate relationship with her boss that helped her to rapidly (allegedly) climb the political ladder in California? And what about her keeping black men incarcerated in California past their release dates just so they could be used as slave labor? What about her throwing the book at 2,000 people for possessing marijuana while currently laughing/cackling about how “nobody should go to jail for smoking some weed?”
But that was the OLD Kamala Harris.
You’re encouraged to forget all that. Not just encouraged, but you’re gaslit and brainwashed into forgetting it. The Shiny New Kamala Harris (SNKH) is a whole different human being.
SNKH is teleprompted and scripted. She doesn’t say anything that wasn’t already approved for her to say because the propaganda machine knows about those confusing word salads she rambles. In fact, SNKH hasn’t done a single interview since she was shoved into place for a floundering Joe Biden.
SNKH has had her entire background “disappeared” into some internet black hole. You know and I know that she was the “border czar” but all the “fact checkers” are acting like this never happened. Everything that is happening at the border and with illegal migrants now will continue to happen and even worsen if she is elected. She has a proven track record of doing… absolutely nothing about this issue. But I challenge you to find any mention of her shortcomings on the MSM.
SNKH is lauded as “Mommala” to the Gen Z-ers. But in fact, she has no children and she’s certainly not maternal when it comes to things like protecting kids from violent criminal migrant gangs. And if her step-daughter, Ella Emhoff, a radical pro-Palestinian “model,” reflects SNKH’s values, I want none of that. In fact, Ella’s dad is Jewish, and Ella has “pointedly insisted she does not consider herself Jewish,” according to https://nypost.com/2024/07/27/us-news/vice-president-harris-stepdaughter-joining-in-race-on-instagram/
t.
Emhoff has also raised cash for “urgent relief for Gaza’s children” — which critics said would https://nypost.com/2023/11/04/news/kamala-harris-stepdaughter-ella-emhoff-raising-money-for-gaza/
And that isn’t all – the candidate who everyone thought would be her Vice Presidential pick, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, was looked over for Tim Walz, a dude who turned Minnesota into a “sanctuary state” for illegals and LBGTQ kids whose parents won’t allow them to undergo “gender-affirming care.” Oh, and also, he’s lied about his military service. Repeatedly. We’re talking stolen valor level lies.
But the MSM is beating a totally different drum.
In the span of the three weeks since President Joe Biden dropped out of the election on Twitter and someone tried to assassinate former President Trump, SNKH has undergone a total transformation, courtesy of the Mainstream Media Propaganda Machine. The media appears to be colluding with the Democrats or Harris’s campaign or someone to make her a totally different and socially acceptable choice for president.
Not only have they memory-holed all mentions of “border czar-ing,” but they’ve also gotten rid of many of her former faux pas. They have created a new Kamala Harris to present to the world in the span of just 23 days. They have created a total illusion of SNKH’s greatness and somehow completely turned the polls around.
Or have they?
I remember when we all thought Hillary Clinton was going to win back in 2016 and were shocked when Trump was announced as the 45th president. The polls then showed a strong lead for HRC, but in the end, even allegedly cheating, she lost.
Are the polls now any different? Are all these positive polls for real that show this ultra-confused woman trouncing President Trump? The same President Trump who got shot and got up pumping his fist in the air telling us to “fight!?” The same President Trump who was soundly defeating President Biden? Has it turned around that quickly or are they just telling us that it has?
I honestly think it’s the second. I have great difficulty imagining who could believe this ridiculous scheme to paint SNKH as a totally different person. Of course, I also can’t understand why people thought Joe Biden was A-OK and non-demented until his fateful debate with Trump. So perhaps I’m wrong.
The Harris Campaign is feeding the Shiny New Kamala Harris creation, too
Of course, the Harris Campaign is right up there, priming the pump for all the wonderful things SNKH has accomplished and will soon accomplish. But they don’t seem to believe the MSM is doing enough.
According to https://www.axios.com/2024/08/13/harris-campaign-google-poltical-ads-news-publishers
, they are making up headlines and attributing them to MSM networks in their ad campaigns.
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Image Courtesy of Axios
No, those aren’t real. Those are ads that will pop up when you search Google for something related to the topic of SNKH and her wannabe VP, Tim Walz. Those misleading ads are fake headlines, wild dreams, and crazy wishes that are made to look absolutely real to those who are searching for information.
Here’s more from the https://www.axios.com/2024/08/13/harris-campaign-google-poltical-ads-news-publishers
about this:
… Since August 3rd, nearly a dozen news companies have been used in these types of search ads from the Harris campaign, Axios found.
.
The ads include links to real articles from the news outlets, but the headlines and supporting text have been altered to read as though the articles support the Harris campaign’s objectives.
For example, an ad that ran alongside an article from The Guardian shows a headline that reads “VP Harris Fights Abortion Bans – Harris Defends Repro Freedom” and then includes supporting text underneath the headline that reads, “VP Harris is a champion for reproductive freedom and will stop Trump’s abortion bans.”
An ad featuring a link to an NPR story reads, “Harris Will Lower Health Costs,” with supporting text that says, “Kamala Harris will lower the cost of high-quality affordable health care.”
It’s not illegal but it’s kinda crazy how all those “disinformation” websites aren’t all over this. They https://www.theorganicprepper.com/newsguard-rating/
for posting links to studies with opposing results.
What it all adds up to
In my humble opinion, here’s what we could expect from a Harris presidency:
More crime and devolution from our leaky southern border
More difficulty for the average REAL American to get social assistance because we’re spending billions on illegal immigrants
Unsafe cities because of liberal ideas of “criminal justice”
Even more inflation than we’re already facing at the grocery store
A full-on stock market collapse as the world loses faith in America and our dollar
More surveillance and control
A war in the Middle East that will spill over into the rest of the world
A globe that has no respect for Americans
More DEI-related incompetence
More Marxist B(aloney) S(andwiches) shoved down our throats at every opportunity
A quick trip to communism when people can no longer survive in the inhospitable economic climate of the future
Remember, you know what you know about her. Don’t let this tomfoolery and gaslighting make you forget how inept this person is and how unsuited she is for the highest office in the United States of America.
https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden
Wed, 08/14/2024 - 16:20
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/shiny-new-kamala-harris-propaganda-built
Bullion, Bitcoin, & Black Gold Battered But Sanguine CPI Slams Leaves Stocks & Bonds Confused
Bullion, Bitcoin, & Black Gold Battered But Sanguine CPI Slams Leaves Stocks & Bonds Confused
Inflation 'surprise' data continues to drift back lower (at February lows after this morning's CPI) but more problematically macro growth 'surprise' data is hovering near COVID lockdown lows...
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Source: Bloomberg
...and it is that potential growth scare that is dominating traders' minds as they reduce rate-cut expectations...
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Source: Bloomberg
Markets are confused...
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... Small Caps up, Dow down; Short-end of yield curve higher in yield, long-end lower; dollar flat as rate expectations slide; growthy Mag7 stocks rally while growthy commodities tumble...
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Source: Bloomberg
...and gold and crypto slammed with dollar unch (though gold seemed to see this coming way early)...
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Source: Bloomberg
...and distracted...
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...as Kamala's prediction market odds are now 12 pts above Trump's...
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Source: Bloomberg
By the end of the day, The Dow was up, Small Caps down, Nasdaq unch... until a late-day panic-bid put some lipstick on the pig ahead of tomorrow's retail sales data...
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VIX was clubbed like a baby seal back to a 16 handle...
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Treasuries were mixed with the short-end lagging (2Y +3bps, 30Y -4bps), but all yields are down on the week...
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Source: Bloomberg
Today's price action was a little wild in bond land with the CPI print sending 2Y up to 4.00% where it was firmly rejected...
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Source: Bloomberg
The dollar was dumped overnight and through CPI, only to retrace those losses to end unchanged on the day...
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Source: Bloomberg
While the dollar was unchanged, gold prices tumbled, erasing much of Monday's gains...
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Source: Bloomberg
Oil prices followed a similar trajectory, with WTI dropping to a $76 handle intrday (after an unexpected crude build)...
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Source: Bloomberg
Bitcoin was battered back down to $59k after CPI and reports that Kamala's administration is dumping more Silk Road seizures...
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Source: Bloomberg
Finally, market-driven financial conditions have eased dramatically in the last few months...
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Source: Goldman Sachs
...clearly the market is demanding 200bps of cuts this year...or else, Kamala loses!.
https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden
Wed, 08/14/2024 - 16:00
Watch: Tulsi Gabbard Suing Biden/Harris Admin For Placing Her On Terrorist Watch List
Watch: Tulsi Gabbard Suing Biden/Harris Admin For Placing Her On Terrorist Watch List
Former Democratic Representative Tulsi Gabbard is taking legal action against the Biden/Harris Administration after she discovered that she has essentially been placed on a terrorist watch list.
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Gabbard, a military veteran, had it brought to her attention by Federal Air Marshal whistleblowers that she has been marked under the Quiet Skies program, a TSA scheme that seeks to identify travellers who may pose a risk to aviation security.
Those on this watchlist are not banned from flying, but are subject to enhanced searches and surveillance at airports, including having armed Air Marshals accompanying them on flights.
The whistleblowers have informed Gabbard that she is being monitored by two Explosive Detection Canine Teams, one Transportation Security Specialist specializing in explosives, one plainclothes TSA Supervisor, and three Federal Air Marshals every time she flies.
Kamala Harris is not knowledgeable or strong enough to stand up to potential adversaries, or just as importantly the unelected warmongers — i.e. the Military Industrial Complex which profits from war, and the National Security State which uses these wars as a pretext to further… https://t.co/1uUS6CtGii
— Tulsi Gabbard 🌺 (@TulsiGabbard) https://twitter.com/TulsiGabbard/status/1815697038371397993?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
The whistleblowers have stated that Gabbard became marked on the program on July 23, just one day after she openly criticised Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, and the ‘Deep State’ during a Fox News interview with Laura Ingraham (below).
There is no logical reason why Gabbard should be on the watchlist, unless criticising the regime is a designating factor.
Gabbard posted a video explaining why she is taking legal action, noting “My own government, my president, my commander-in-chief is targeting me as a potential domestic terrorist, the closest word that comes to mind is a complete sense of betrayal.”
“After serving over 21 years and continuing to serve in our nation’s military, my own government has labeled and is targeting me directly now as a domestic terrorist,” she added.
Gabbard further asserted “They’re using people like the air marshals as weapons and pawns to target their political opponents.”
“Of course, there’s no explanation given, which is why we are taking legal recourse,” she emphasised.
“Obviously, I’ve been very outspoken about the dangers of the Biden-Harris administration to our democracy and to our freedom and to our national security. This is what happens as a result,” she concluded.
Tulsi Gabbard will be taking legal action against the Biden/Harris admin over putting her on a terrorist watch list:
“My own government, my president, my commander-in-chief is targeting me as a potential domestic terrorist, the closest word that comes to mind is a complete sense… https://t.co/2Z4gfzHFQv
— End Tribalism in Politics (@EndTribalism) https://twitter.com/EndTribalism/status/1822762309179281692?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Gabbard also went back onto Ingraham’s show to talk about the surveillance.
RETALIATION. A few weeks ago, I had the audacity to tell the truth: that Kamala Harris would essentially be a mouthpiece and puppet of the Military Industrial Complex and National Security State. The next day, July 23, they retaliated. Sadly this is what we can expect from the… https://t.co/nxddO5TGTj
— Tulsi Gabbard 🌺 (@TulsiGabbard) https://twitter.com/TulsiGabbard/status/1822256370382696599?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
I am deeply concerned about reports that https://twitter.com/TSA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
— Rep. Doug Lamborn (@RepDLamborn) https://twitter.com/RepDLamborn/status/1823113609637154861?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Wow. Just wow. Iraq veteran and former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard targeted for TSA harassment as a terror threat. Yet another example of the weaponization of government agencies against political opponents of the administration — or should I call it “the regime”? This is not…
— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) https://twitter.com/RobertKennedyJr/status/1821565272311963744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
* * *
Your support is crucial in helping us defeat mass censorship. Please consider donating via https://pauljosephwatson.locals.com/support
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Wed, 08/14/2024 - 15:05
Crypto Tumbles As 'Harris/Biden' Admin Moves Another 10,000 'Silk Road' Bitcoin To Coinbase
Crypto Tumbles As 'Harris/Biden' Admin Moves Another 10,000 'Silk Road' Bitcoin To Coinbase
Bitcoin prices fell this morning in reaction to the lackluster CPI (as rate-cut expectations dipped). That selloff broke through $60,000 and accelerated further as headlines broke that the US government moved 10,000 seized Bitcoin from the Silk Road dark web marketplace to a Coinbase wallet Wednesday.
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According to thehttps://x.com/ArkhamIntel/status/1823755773987500286
the funds were seized during the Silk Road raid and are currently valued at $593.91 million.
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It's not immediately clear whether the United States plans to sell or custody the assets.
The transaction follows a previous move of https://decrypt.co/242235/us-government-moves-2-billion-silk-road-bitcoin
worth of Silk Road Bitcoin in late July.
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As a reminder, the price action (dowwward) in various cryptocurrencies is front-running expectations of the creditors getting their hands back on these assets and selling them...
...the only problem with that argument is, https://www.zerohedge.com/crypto/diamond-hands-mtgox-creditors-hodl-bitcoin-despite-10-year-wait
, the creditors are not selling, they're HODLing...
“Now, seeing the continued growth and acceptance of their industry, many Mt. Gox creditors may have become even stronger believers in Bitcoin and its future potential, choosing to hodl further.”
So, its really only the algos, reacting to the headlines, that is driving any dips.
“This resilience suggests that while short-term volatility is possible, the long-term impact on Bitcoin’s market dynamics will likely be minimal.”
The US government currently holds roughly 203,000 BTC valued at approximately $12 billion at the time of this writing.
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The decision by the Biden/Harris administration in the last few weeks to seemingly accelerate the dumping of their 'seized' Bitcoin comes right as former President Trump outlined his Bitcoin strategy (including creating a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve).
The Harris campaign continues to desperately try and placate the crypto community - despite almost four years of nothing but hate for the sovereign currency and its heretical holders. Let's see how Crypto-Kamala's aides explain the ongoing dumping of assets.
https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden
Wed, 08/14/2024 - 14:45
NYC Migrant Crisis To Cost Staggering $5 Billion For Shelters, Security And Food
NYC Migrant Crisis To Cost Staggering $5 Billion For Shelters, Security And Food
The tab for New York City to house and feed scores of illegal migrants has likely surpassed $5 billion, of which $2 billion alone has been spent on housing, according to city data cited by the https://nypost.com/2024/08/13/us-news/nyc-migrant-crisis-costs-will-crack-eye-popping-5-billion-on-shelters-security-and-food/
.
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Since the spring of 2022, some 212,000 'asylum seekers' have flowed through the system, according to City Hall.
Money spent so far includes:
$1.98 billion on housing and rent.
About $2 billion on services and supplies.
Nearly $500 million on food and medical costs.
Another $500 million on IT, administrative and other costs.
The NYPD has spent $21 million on public safety and security related to the migrants.
The eye-popping figures, listed on the city’s online https://www.nyc.gov/site/omb/as-fund-tracker.page
, shows the city overall spent $4.88 billion combined through fiscal years 2023 and ‘24. Based on the rate of spending, the city likely exceeded more than $112 million since the start of the new fiscal year beginning July 1, or will soon, cracking $5 billion.
Mayor Eric Adams’ administration has even projected the cost could double, hitting $10 billion over the three year period ending June 30, 2025.
In a recent posting, the city's Department of Homeless Services revealed two more contracts this week totaling a combined $40 million in order to provide services to migrants at hotels converted into emergency shelters - which include hotels at the heart of the Broadway tourist disrict.
According to Mayor Eric Adams' chief of staff Camille Joseph Varlack, "This is not a New York City issue or even a United States issue, this is a worldwide issue," adding "We’ve had the opportunity to speak to other cities who are expecting and experiencing migration and we expect that to continue between wars and climate change and all the other issues."
Hotels Raking It In...
As noted last month by https://www.theblaze.com/news/nyc-hotels-are-set-to-take-in-over-1-billion-in-taxpayer-funds-to-support-migrants-report
New York City hotels will be taking in more than $1 billion in taxpayer cash to support migrants. Their reports note that the city currently uses 193 migrant shelters, with about 80% housed in motels, hotels, or inns.
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According to a May analysis by Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, the average cost per hotel room is $156, though some reports suggest these locations may be charging over $300 per night since migrants began arriving in spring 2022.
The report highlights that by May 31, the city had spent about $4.88 billion on the migrant crisis, with $1.98 billion allocated specifically to migrant housing, including hotels, motels, and tent cities at Randall's Island and Floyd Bennett Field.
that CoStar reported in November 2023 that up to 16,000 hotel rooms have been taken off the market for migrants, impacting the hotel industry negatively.
William Shandler, who is a manager at Iron Bar commented: “Our taxes are being used to pay for the migrants, and where are we supposed to make revenue? How as a business could we function?”
Councilwoman Joann Ariola added that hotels are "not for sheltering the masses of people pouring over our borders every day," but rather for tourism. “These locations were meant to boost the economy of this city, but instead they’ve become a net drain and are costing us enormously,” she told the https://nypost.com/2024/07/07/us-news/hotel-make-up-vast-majority-of-migrant-shelters-raking-in-millions/?utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=nypost&utm_medium=social
.
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The Post wrote that the city's financial support has bolstered the hotel industry, which added 21,000 rooms in the four years before the pandemic, according to the Department of Planning. When tourism plummeted in 2020, former Mayor Bill de Blasio provided a lifeline by contracting hotels to house the homeless.
Mayor Eric Adams has continued this practice. By September, the city extended a three-year, $1.3 billion contract with the Hotel Association of New York City to house migrants. Additionally, a $76.69 million emergency contract was signed in January for shelter at 15 hotels.
HANYC’s president, Vijay Dandapani, stated they're working to keep costs low while supporting the city's efforts to care for asylum seekers.
Enjoy your next vacation to New York City!
https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden
Wed, 08/14/2024 - 10:50
Rabobank: Questions Swirl What The Economic Program Of A Harris Administration Might Look Like
Rabobank: Questions Swirl What The Economic Program Of A Harris Administration Might Look Like
By Benjamin Picton, Senior strategist at Rabobank
Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc
Stocks struggled for direction yesterday as markets looked ahead to a packed data calendar for the rest of the week. The S&P500 closed flat, the NASDAQ rose 0.21% and the EuroStoxx 50 closed marginally lower. Active Brent crude futures defied lower demand estimates from OPEC+ to rise 3.31% (the most since October last year) as markets continue to brace for escalation in the Middle East, and the Treasuries curve barely moved at all.
Energy markets are particularly interesting at the moment. Dutch TTF natural gas futures took a bit of a breather yesterday after rallying for four-straight sessions last week. Active TTF futures closed down 1.79% following signs that Ukraine’s military incursion into Russian territory has not materially interrupted natural gas flows through the Sudzha metering point. Meanwhile, UK National Balance Point gas prices hit their highest levels since December last year before selling off into the close.
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that Crown LNG is aiming to construct a fourth British LNG import terminal by 2027, cutting the UK’s reliance on pipeline gas from the continent but also locking in a higher cost base for British supplies under normal market conditions. Rabobank Energy Analyst Florence Schmidt expects that any further geopolitical developments in the Middle East or Russia/Ukraine will keep European gas prices well supported in the near term, with warm weather providing the only bearish influence on prices.
Gold prices are again trading close to all-time highs after gaining 1.7% yesterday. The gains in gold came despite little change in the Bloomberg Dollar spot index but might be a reflection of nerves over geopolitical issues and a marginal increase in market pricing of rate cuts for the September Fed meeting (-39.2bps today vs -38bps yesterday). US PPI figures released later today will provide further direction to markets before the key CPI release tomorrow and jobless claims on Thursday.
PPI aside, the other major event today is Donald Trump’s return to the X platform in a live exchange with Elon Musk. In an extended (and, at time of writing, ongoing) interview Trump excoriated the Biden administration’s performance on dealing with the pandemic, controlling inflation, the border and international affairs while highlighting the strong economic performance of his own administration. The latter might contain some degree of ‘poast’-hoc fallacy (as does the Biden/Harris claims on job creation) as the Trump administration benefited in-part from ongoing recovery from the 2007/8 financial crisis.
Trump’s return to X might be interpreted as an attempt to regain the initiative in a Presidential race where some polling and betting markets have Kamala Harris taking a lead in likely electoral college outcomes. The Trump campaign appears to have been caught flat-footed by the switchout of Biden for Harris, but there’s still plenty of water to pass under the bridge before election day in November.
While Harris is enjoying a poll bump at the moment, questions are being raised about what the economic program of a Harris administration might look like. The Trump trade is already reasonably well understood, and the likely inflationary effects of an expansion of tariffs, tax cuts and easier monetary policy are incorporated into some market forecasts (including ours). Harris’ economic program remains a comparative mystery, but the Vice President has started to put some flesh on the bones recently by suggesting that she would safeguard the independence of the Fed while adopting Donald Trump’s idea of exempting tips from income tax.
Critics have https://pub.raboresearch.rabobank.com/public/r/YPuh4NhprBbDMtW8jS1Leg/Fnrah74JTdiyJ5liF5BDlg/wadffJdmHYbkgUEvnkGkww
that Harris’ adoption of Trump’s plan to exempt tips from income tax is at odds with her having cast a tie-breaking vote to pass Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, which included a provision to hire 87,000 new IRS agents to tighten up on income tax compliance. The Harris campaign has indicated that it plans to release further details of the Vice President’s economic agenda as early as Friday this week. Might that announcement contain some post-hoc fallacies of its own?
https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden
Tue, 08/13/2024 - 10:40
15 States Sue To Block Federal Government From Expanding Obamcare To Cover Illegal Immigrants
15 States Sue To Block Federal Government From Expanding Obamcare To Cover Illegal Immigrants
Fifteen states have filed a https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/attorneygeneral/documents/pr/2024/pr24-61.pdf
against the Biden administration and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), challenging a new rule that extends health coverage benefits under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to individuals granted Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).
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Filed in the United States District Court for the District of North Dakota on Aug. 8, the lawsuit alleges that the new rule defies existing federal laws defining eligibility for public benefits.
The states, represented by their attorneys general, argue that the rule published by CMS in May unlawfully expands the definition of “lawfully present” to include DACA recipients, thus making them eligible for federally subsidized health insurance coverage.
“Illegal aliens shouldn’t get a free pass into our country,” Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, who is leading the coalition of states, said in a https://ag.ks.gov/media-center/news-releases/2024/08/08/kobach-leads-coalition-to-stop-biden-harris-from-giving-obamacare-to-illegal-aliens
.
“They shouldn’t receive taxpayer benefits when they arrive, and the Biden–Harris administration shouldn’t get a free pass to violate federal law.”
The plaintiffs contend that the CMS rule conflicts with the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) of 1996, which restricts federal public benefits to certain categories of “qualified aliens.”
According to court documents, “aliens who have been granted deferred action under DACA are not included in the definition of such qualified aliens.”
The plaintiffs argue that CMS’s inclusion of DACA recipients in the “lawfully present” category contradicts statutory definitions for public benefits eligibility.
The complaint states that the ACA mandates that only U.S. citizens, nationals, or aliens “lawfully present” are eligible to enroll in a qualified health plan through a subsidized exchange.
The plaintiffs assert that “DACA recipients are, by definition, unlawfully present in the United States,” and therefore should not be eligible for these benefits. They claim that CMS’s decision is “contrary to law and arbitrary and capricious.”
Furthermore, the plaintiffs argue that the rule places undue financial and administrative burdens on the states, particularly those with state-run ACA exchanges.
They claim that the expansion of coverage incentivizes unlawfully present individuals to remain in the United States, thereby increasing fiscal burdens on state resources.
CMS justified the rule, stating it aligns with the “broad aims of the ACA to increase access to health coverage.”
CMS also cited the economic importance of DACA recipients and their disproportionately high percentage of uninsured individuals.
The lawsuit seeks declaratory and injunctive relief, requesting the court to vacate the CMS rule and prevent its implementation. The states ask for the rule to be postponed pending judicial review and for the defendants to be enjoined from implementing it.
A CMS spokesperson told The Epoch Times in an email that the agency does not comment on pending litigation.
https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden
Mon, 08/12/2024 - 06:30
US Ambassador Boycotts Nagasaki A-Bomb Ceremony Because Israel Not Invited
US Ambassador Boycotts Nagasaki A-Bomb Ceremony Because Israel Not Invited
US Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel https://apnews.com/article/japan-us-israel-nagasaki-atomic-bombing-75745a8d700649930803bdc63548d805
commemorating the 79th anniversary of the US dropping a nuclear bomb on the city because Israel was not invited to attend.
Emanuel said the ceremony had become "politicized" by the decision not to invite Israel, but Russia and Belarus will also be excluded for the third year in a row, a move supported by the US.
Envoys from the US, the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and the European Union sent a letter to Nagasaki last month saying it would "become difficult for us to have high-level participation" if Israel wasn’t invited. The envoys said the decision would equate Israel with Russia and Belarus.
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Nagasaki Mayor Shiro Suzuki https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2024/08/31057cd434bd-urgent-nagasaki-mayor-says-israel-exclusion-from-a-bomb-event-not-political.html
not to invite Israel despite the pressure. He said it was due to concerns that Israeli attendance could lead to demonstrators disrupting the ceremony. "I will continue to persevere and ask for understanding of the decision as often as necessary," Suzuki said.
Suzuki said he made the decision "not for political reasons" but to ensure "a smooth ceremony in a peaceful and solemn environment."
Israel’s ambassador to Japan was invited to Hiroshima’s ceremony on Tuesday, which was attended by Emanuel and other Western ambassadors. The ambassadors of the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and the EU are expected to boycott the Nagasaki ceremony along with Emanuel, and the Western nations will send lower-level representatives instead.
Israeli officials have pointed to the US and allied bombings of Japan and Germany during World War II to justify the mass slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza. President Biden https://news.antiwar.com/2023/12/12/biden-says-israels-gaza-bombing-campaign-is-indiscriminate-vows-to-keep-supporting-it/
to the US atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which killed over 200,000 Japanese civilians, in conversations they had about Gaza.
Let me get it straight... Israel, which did not exist as a country then, wasn't invited. So the US... which actually dropped the bomb.. is angry. https://t.co/muhnmPU8Di
— Brad Hoff (@BradRHoff) https://twitter.com/BradRHoff/status/1821656233343930734?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
"It was pointed out to me that — by Bibi (Netanyahu) — that ‘Well, you carpet-bombed Germany. You dropped the atom bomb. A lot of civilians died,'" Biden said in December 2023.
https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden
Fri, 08/09/2024 - 21:45
Million Dollar Ba-Boy: Genetic Male Wins Gold In Women's Olympic Boxing
Million Dollar Ba-Boy: Genetic Male Wins Gold In Women's Olympic Boxing
Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, a genetic male, won a gold medal in the Paris Olympics Friday night after beating 13 women to snatch victory in the walterweight final.
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The 25-year-old Khelif - who was disqualified from last year's IBA World Championships for failing a gender test, beat China's Yang Liu in front of a packed audience at Roland Garros - capping off a controversial path to first place in which the boxer didn't lose a single round.
🚨 IMANE KHALIF STEALS GOLD MEDAL IN WOMEN’S BOXING.
Today, the IOC allowed a male boxer with XY chromosomes to win a gold medal in women’s boxing, beating 4 women to get there.
For shame. Women’s sports is a joke.
SAVE WOMEN’S SPORTS. https://twitter.com/hashtag/Paris2024?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
— Hazel Appleyard (@HazelAppleyard_) https://twitter.com/HazelAppleyard_/status/1822019376515838251?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
After winning, Khelif could be seen with a raised arm in a mock military salute before being carried around the ring.
notes, questions have been raised over whether Khelif should have been permitted to fight in the women's competition in Paris, where eligibility rules were lax compared to the IBA.
The IBA was stripped of its right to run the Olympic competition amid a war with Games bosses the IOC. As a result, there are no gender or testosterone exams in Paris and the category is open to those who have ‘female’ in their passport.
Khelif, who roared ‘I am a woman’ after cruising to quarter-final victory, has been the subject of a wave of online abuse.
Meanwhile, Taiwan's Lin Yu-Ting, who was also disqualified from the IBA World Championships, will fight for gold in the featherweight division on Saturday night.
There has been a massive controversy over whether Khelif was actually born a male or a female - with some claiming 'she' has hyperandrogenism, a condition which features higher-than-usual levels of androgens (male hormones), however earlier this year IBA president Umar Kremlev told Russian news agency https://tass.ru/sport/17370249
and were thus excluded from the sports events."
The IBA told The Guardian that it had made the decision "following a comprehensive review and was intended to uphold the fairness and integrity of the competition."
Last week the IOC and the Paris 2024 Boxing Unit issued a joint statement saying that every athlete competing in the 2024 games had complied with their regulations.
"All athletes participating in the boxing tournament of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 comply with the competition's eligibility and entry regulations, as well as all applicable medical regulations set by the Paris 2024 Boxing Unit (PBU)."
And since there were no gender tests, and all that was required was a passport that says 'female,' they complied.
Meanwhile, IOC President Thomas Bach claims there are 'zero scientific ways' to identify a woman.
International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Bach just said we have zero scientific ways to identify a woman https://t.co/LUqsrNXLr3
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) https://twitter.com/EndWokeness/status/1821930975661535668?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
The balls on these people...
It’s no secret men can easily beat the fuck out of women. That’s why we carry a gun.
— Valentina Gomez (@ValentinaForSOS) https://twitter.com/ValentinaForSOS/status/1822023579455910397?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Fuck the Olympics. This is horrific.
— Alexander (@AlexandrTheOkay) https://twitter.com/AlexandrTheOkay/status/1822019727537140122?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden
Fri, 08/09/2024 - 19:40
Rogan: State Of Free Speech In The UK Is Worse Than Russia
Rogan: State Of Free Speech In The UK Is Worse Than Russia
https://modernity.news/2024/08/09/joe-rogan-state-of-free-speech-in-the-uk-is-worse-than-russia
Responding to the recent authoritarian crackdown, Joe Rogan pointed out that more people get arrested in the UK for “thought crimes” on social media than they do in Russia.
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“Terrible government overreach – you’re seeing it now in England where people are getting arrested for tweets,” said the podcast host.
“People talk about Soviet Russia, like how bad Russia is in terms of cracking down on thought police and cracking down on bad tweets and things like that,” he added.
🚨🇺🇸JOE ROGAN: UK’S SPEECH CRACKDOWN REMINDS ME OF SOVIET RUSSIA
“The fact that they're comfortable with finding people who've said something that they disagree with and putting them in a f—king cage in England in 2024 is really wild.
Especially, they’re saying you can get… https://t.co/r1nMOKZLZJ
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) https://twitter.com/MarioNawfal/status/1821703410237735270?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Rogan then compared how Russia polices free speech on social media compared to the UK.
In Russia, only around 400 people are arrested each year for ‘hateful’ tweets, while that number is around 3,300 in the UK.
“The fact that they’re comfortable with finding people who’ve said something they disagree with and putting them in a fucking cage in England in 2024 is really wild,” said Rogan.
He then drew attention to a https://modernity.news/2024/08/07/brits-warned-merely-retweeting-information-about-riots-could-be-a-criminal-offense/
by Stephen Parkinson, the Director of Public Prosecutions, who told Sky News that merely retweeting information about the UK riots could lead to criminal charges.
Rogan pointed out that the term “hateful” is completely subjective “and in our lifetime we’ve seen that get moved,” before explaining how ‘deadnaming’ a transgender person by referring to them by their original name is now treated as “hateful”.
yesterday, a woman in Cheshire was arrested for tweeting “inaccurate information” about the killer of three girls in Southport.
Meanwhile, one of the latest arrests in the UK in the aftermath of the riots is of a man who wrote “filthy bastards” on Facebook alongside an emoji of an ethnic minority person and a gun.
He will now spend the next 12 weeks in prison.
🇬🇧MAN JAILED IN UK FOR COMMENTING ON FACEBOOK POST ABOUT RIOTS
31-year-old Billy Thompson was sent to prison for 12 weeks after he replied "Filthy ba**ards" on a post about the Police issuing a dispersal order to try and prevent protests from becoming violent.
It also included… https://t.co/7t5LRYvigZ
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) https://twitter.com/MarioNawfal/status/1821796789327982937?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
* * *
Your support is crucial in helping us defeat mass censorship. Please consider donating via https://pauljosephwatson.locals.com/support
.
https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden
Fri, 08/09/2024 - 10:00
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/rogan-state-free-speech-uk-worse-russia
California Power Bills Are Soaring
California Power Bills Are Soaring
https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/California-Power-Bills-Are-Soaring.html
California residents face the second-highest average electricity bills in the U.S., driven by investments in wildfire mitigation, grid upgrades, and renewable energy integration.
The surge in electricity costs has left nearly 1 in 5 California households behind on their energy bills.
California is transitioning to a new net billing tariff for residential solar and a flat monthly fee structure for electricity in an effort to make electrification more affordable.
Consumers in California have seen their electricity bills surge in recent years and double over the past decade as utilities are investing more in wildfire prevention and transmission lines to accommodate growing renewable energy output.
As these utilities invest billions of U.S. dollars to make the grid more resilient, they pass the higher spending on to consumers.
So California now has the second-highest average electricity bill in the United States, second only to Hawaii.
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“Untenable” Surge
California is looking to rapidly shift away from fossil fuels and make its grid more resilient, but these efforts show the other side of the greening of the grid - power generation costs may be plunging, but transmission and distribution costs are rising, leading to higher spending from utilities.
These increased expenditures are passed on to consumers by the investor-owned utilities Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison, and San Diego Gas & Electric. As a result, electricity bills in California have risen so much in recent years that in some places, the power bill exceeds the cost of rent, The Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/business/energy-oil/why-californians-have-some-of-the-highest-power-bills-in-the-u-s-a831b60e
in a featured article.
The surge in bills has been “untenable,” according to the consumer advocate’s office at California’s utilities regulator.
In its latest 2024 Q2 Electric Rates https://www.publicadvocates.cpuc.ca.gov/-/media/cal-advocates-website/files/press-room/reports-and-analyses/240722-public-advocates-office-q2-2024-electric-rates-report.pdf
last month, the Public Advocates Office tracked residential electric rate changes across Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), and Southern California Edison (SCE) service territories through July 1, 2024.
The report found that over the last few years, California’s electric bills are generally rising due to higher electricity use from things such as air conditioning, and higher overall electricity prices.
Since January 2014, residential average rates for the PG&E service area have jumped by 110%, those of SCE have surged by 90%, and SDG&E rates have soared by 82%.
The primary statewide drivers of soaring rates have been investments in wildfire mitigation, transmission and distribution investments, and rooftop solar incentives or the so-called net energy metering, the Public Advocates Office said.
Overall, residential electricity rates have increased substantially since 2014, surpassing inflation, it noted.
It couldn’t be surprising then that nearly 1 in 5 households are behind on their energy bills, according to the office. A total of 18.4% of the customers of the three investor-owned utilities are in arrears in their energy bills.
Changes in Charging for Electricity
This year, California has changed the way utilities charge for electricity and is transitioning from net energy metering to net billing tariff for residential solar projects. These regulatory changes have hit residential solar installations and are set to change the way power bills are formed starting next year.
The move to the net billing tariff in California dragged down the total U.S. residential solar market, which saw in the second quarter of 2024 its lowest quarter since Q1 2022 at 1.3 GWdc, reflecting a 25% decline year-over-year and 18% quarter-over-quarter.
“While slowdowns are occurring nationwide, these declines were heavily influenced by California, where quarterly installations have shrunk for the last two quarters as NEM 2.0 projects are built out and the state transitions to the net billing tariff,” the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) said in its latest quarterly https://www.seia.org/research-resources/solar-market-insight-report-q2-2024
.
In another significant change, California’s utilities will charge from next year or 2026 a flat monthly fee of up to $24.15 on all customers while reducing the charges imposed per kilowatt of electricity used.
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/news-and-updates/all-news/cut-residential-electricity-prices
that the new billing structure “lowers overall electricity bills on average for lower-income households and those living in regions most impacted by extreme weather events, while accelerating California’s clean energy transition by making electrification more affordable for all.”
The usage rate for electricity will be reduced by 5 to 7 cents per kilowatt-hour for all residential customers, which makes it more affordable for everyone to electrify homes and vehicles, regardless of income or location, because the price of charging an electric vehicle or running a heat pump is lower.
However, critics of the new billing structure have said \ it will hurt customers who live in small homes and have relatively small electricity use as the lower per-kWh rate would not offset the new flat fee.
It remains to be seen how the new billing structure will affect California customers and whether it will lead to the expected mass electrification of homes.
A total of 78% of Americans https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Most-Americans-Are-Concerned-About-Rising-Energy-Bills.html
.
California leads in U.S. solar and battery installations, but the cost of bringing that power generation to consumers has soared with the need to expand, upgrade, and protect the power grid.
https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden
Fri, 08/09/2024 - 08:35
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/california-power-bills-are-soaring
Ford Files Patent For System To "Automatically Snitch" On Speeders
Ford Files Patent For System To "Automatically Snitch" On Speeders
Ford has filed a new patent called "Systems and Methods for Detecting Speeding Violations" that reveals the company is looking at ways to "automatically snitch" on speeding drivers, a new https://www.techradar.com/vehicle-tech/hybrid-electric-vehicles/ford-could-be-working-on-a-camera-system-that-automatically-reports-speeding-vehicles
.
Ford's patent filing with the USPTO details a system using vehicles' cameras and sensors to detect speeding motorists and report them to authorities.
Basic sketches and flow charts illustrate how this technology senses speed violations, activates cameras to capture images, and transmits data to nearby pursuit vehicles or logs it to a server. The captured data, including speed, GPS location, and clear imagery or video, can then be sent to authorities for potential action.
Ford's statement said that the technology was for use in police cars, telling TechRadar: “The patent explicitly states this idea for a system is specific for application in law enforcement vehicles, such as the Ford Police Interceptor, as it would automate a capability that law enforcement already have in use today, except this could utilize the built-in systems and sensors in law enforcement vehicles in the future."
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The company continued: "This patent does not state that driving data from customers’ vehicles would be shared with law enforcement, which is what some media have incorrectly reported. And note, patent applications are intended to protect new ideas but aren’t necessarily an indication of new business or product plans.”
And while Ford's patent is for law enforcement vehicles, modern motorists face increased scrutiny due to advances in camera technology, sensors, and AI. It's nearly impossible to speed, run a red light, or block a crossing without being fined.
Next-gen AI traffic cameras can now detect mobile phone use, seatbelt violations, and other distractions. Though Ford's patent may never be implemented, it highlights growing concerns over surveillance, https://www.techradar.com/vehicle-tech/hybrid-electric-vehicles/ford-could-be-working-on-a-camera-system-that-automatically-reports-speeding-vehicles
.
Drivers are already uneasy about the data shared between carmakers and insurers. In Europe, new cars must have Intelligent Speed Assist, which automatically slows the car or alerts the driver to reduce speed. Soon, cars will be so advanced - and rules will be so heavy-handed and micromanaged - that there will be no need for patrolling Fords.
https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden
Fri, 08/09/2024 - 04:15
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/ford-files-patent-system-automatically-snitch-speeders
Bulgaria Bans LGBT Propaganda In Schools
Bulgaria Bans LGBT Propaganda In Schools
https://rmx.news/article/bulgaria-bans-lgbt-propaganda-in-schools/
The Bulgarian parliament has passed an amendment to the preschool and school education law, which bans the “promotion of ideas and views related to non-traditional sexual orientation.”
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The amendment was adopted with 135 deputies voting in favor, 57 against, and 8 abstentions.
The new regulations stem from a survey conducted in schools about the attitudes of students aged 14 to 18 towards https://rmx.news/article/american-conservative-slam-us-ambassador-s-criticisms-of-poland-over-lgbt-issues/
.
The draft amendment was quickly passed on Wednesday after being introduced in the national parliament.
Under the new law, Bulgarian preschools and schools face a total ban on promoting “in any way ideas and views related to non-traditional sexual orientation or defining a gender identity different from biological sex.”
Members of the nationalist Vazrazhdane party, the leftist BSP, the Turkish Movement for Rights and Freedoms, the There Is Such a People party, and part of the center-right GERB party supported the amendment.
The entire center coalition, We Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria, opposed it.
Supporters of the coalition organized a protest outside the parliament on Wednesday evening, arguing that the amendment would hinder efforts to combat bullying of young lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender individuals in schools.
In 2023, the Bulgarian Supreme Court ruled that “changing sex” through judicial proceedings is not permissible under the current legal framework, emphasizing that “gender is recognized at birth and defines a person until death.”
Meanwhile, in another European country, Georgia’s parliament approved in the first reading a package of laws banning LGBT propaganda proposed by the ruling Georgian Dream party.
The second and third readings are scheduled for the autumn parliamentary session, just before the elections set for Oct. 26.
https://rmx.news/article/bulgaria-bans-lgbt-propaganda-in-schools/
https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden
Fri, 08/09/2024 - 02:00
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/bulgaria-bans-lgbt-propaganda-schools
Yet Another Cargo Theft From A Refrigerated 18 Wheeler In Philadelphia
Yet Another Cargo Theft From A Refrigerated 18 Wheeler In Philadelphia
Cargo thefts are becoming a trend in Philadelphia...and it doesn't look like the swearing in of new Mayor Cherelle Parker - who is supposed to be far tougher on crime than her predecessor Jim Kenney - is deterring them.
This time around thieves made off with "large cartons of tuna from a refrigerated truck" in South Philadelphia, https://6abc.com/post/cartons-tuna-stolen-tractor-trailer-parked-south-philadelphia/15158689/?ex_cid=TA_WPVI_TW&taid=66b4c1701c60d20001634b32&utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A+Trending+Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter
.
The crime took place at about 3:30am on Thursday near Pattison Ave. when the truck was parked on the roadway. The report https://6abc.com/post/cartons-tuna-stolen-tractor-trailer-parked-south-philadelphia/15158689/?ex_cid=TA_WPVI_TW&taid=66b4c1701c60d20001634b32&utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A+Trending+Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter
"multiple male suspects got away in two vehicles - a white sedan and a SUV."
Back in April, https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/more-12000-pork-stolen-truck-northeast-philadelphia-while-driver-slept
with more than $12,000 in pork from a Northeast Philadelphia truck. That crime marked the 37th cargo theft in the area for the year, and it was months ago.
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The thieves made off with 56 cases of pork at the time.
As ABC noted in April, the location where the pork was stolen is a popular overnight stop for truckers en route to morning warehouse deliveries. However, it's also become a hotspot for theft, with recent incidents on March 14 involving stolen bourbon and meat while drivers were asleep.
Captain Jack Ryan of the Philadelphia Police Dept. commented: "They are asleep in a lot of cases. The refrigerated trucks make a lot of noise."
And, recall last year thieves https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/thieves-steal-2-million-dimes-worth-200000-back-big-rig-parked-philadelphia-walmart
worth $200,000 from a truck parked at a Philadelphia Walmart. The truck had $750,000 in dimes in it altogether. Many were found strewn about in a Walmart parking lot where the trailer was parked.
The dimes had been picked up at the Philadelphia Mint, but the driver of the truck went home to sleep before planning to drive the next day to Florida.
https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden
Thu, 08/08/2024 - 22:10
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/yet-another-cargo-theft-refrigerated-18-wheeler-philadelphia
Kentucky Governor Plans To Collect Sales Tax On Gold And Silver Despite New Law
Kentucky Governor Plans To Collect Sales Tax On Gold And Silver Despite New Law
,
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear has decided he's going to continue collecting sales tax on the sale of gold and silver despite a new law repealing the levy and an attorney general opinion calling his line-item veto of the provision unconstitutional.
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Only five other states levy a sales tax on gold and silver.
Initially, Rep. Steven Doan and Rep. John Hodgson introduced a standalone bill to repeal the sales and use tax on gold and silver bullion. The provisions were later inserted into House Bill 8 (https://legiscan.com/KY/text/HB8/2024
), an omnibus revenue and tax bill.
The provisions in HB8 define “bullion” as “bars, ingots, or coins, which are made of gold, silver, platinum, palladium, or a combination of these metals, valued based on the content of the metal and not its form and used, or have been used, as a medium of exchange, security, or commodity by any state, the United States government, or a foreign nation.” Currency is defined as “a coin or currency made of gold, silver, platinum, palladium, or other metal or paper money that is or has been used as legal tender and is sold based on its value as a collectible item rather than the value as a medium of exchange.”
The House passed the bill 87-9 and the Senate approved the measure 34-0.
Gov. Beshear signed the bill but used a line-item veto to strike out the sales tax exemption for gold and silver.
“If you own gold, you can afford to pay sales tax,” Beshear wrote in his veto message. “Tangible goods are the primary basis of the sales tax.”
Unconstitutional Veto?
House and Senate leadership deemed the veto unconstitutional. Under Sec. 88 of the Kentucky Constitution, "The Governor shall have the power to disapprove any part or parts of appropriation bills embracing distinct items, and the part or parts disapproved shall not become a law unless reconsidered and passed, as in case of a bill."
In other words, the governor only has line-item veto power on appropriation (spending) bills. A line-item veto power does not exist for revenue bills.
Instead of simply overriding the veto, Republican leadership decided to make a political statement and try to give Beshear a black eye. It asked Attorney General Russell Coleman to issue an opinion on the constitutionality of the veto, and he agreed with the legislature's assessment.
“Because the Governor’s veto power must be strictly construed, and because House Bill 8 is not an ‘appropriation bill,’ Section 88 does not empower the Governor to use his line-item veto on it. The Governor’s attempted line-item vetoes of House Bill 8 were nullities, as they exceeded his constitutional authority.”
Based on the AG's (non-binding) opinion, the legislature directed the secretary of state to ignore the veto and enroll the statute. It went into effect on August 1.
Beshear Begs to Differ
Gov. Beshear rejected the AG's opinion and has directed the Department of Revenue to collect the sales tax despite the law technically being on the books.
Beshear spokesman James Hatchett called the AG's opinion "incorrect."
"The very title of the bill at issue says it makes an appropriation. The governor properly exercised his constitutional authority to veto parts of the bill, and previous legal opinions have upheld similar line-item vetoes.”
Hatchett was referring to the first line of HB8: "AN ACT relating to fiscal matters, making an appropriation therefor, and declaring an emergency." [Emphasis added]
The legal question boils down to whether or not a single appropriation in a revenue bill makes the bill an "appropriation bill."
The National Coin and Bullion Association issued a statement highlighting the dilemma for gold and silver dealers and buyers in Kentucky.
"Retailers are now faced with a challenging decision. Collecting sales tax could result in consumer backlash and potential class action lawsuits for overcharging, while not collecting it might lead to penalties or interest from the Kentucky Department of Revenue. Given the rapidly evolving situation, each dealer must decide whether to charge sales tax on transactions involving bullion and currency starting August 1."
Until there is a legal resolution, which will likely require a lawsuit, Money Metals plans to charge sales tax to Kentucky customers.
Here is the official position from Money Metals:"Despite the new tax exemption in state law, the Democrat Kentucky governor and his Department of Revenue are threatening dealers and citizens with legal action if they refuse to pay/remit sales taxes on gold and silver purchases. However, you can avoid taxes if your order is delivered to a state without sales taxes OR when you store your precious metals in your secure account at the https://www.moneymetals.com/silver-gold-storage
."
https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden
Wed, 08/07/2024 - 19:15
The Trump–Harris 2024 Presidential Election Matchup Is Now Official
The Trump–Harris 2024 Presidential Election Matchup Is Now Official
The Democratic Party officially nominated Vice President Kamala Harris for president late on Aug. 5 when delegates finished virtual voting.
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Harris and former President Donald Trump are now deadlocked in a race that has taken presidential politics into territory uncharted in the modern era.
Within three days in late July, Trump survived an assassination attempt on the campaign trail, was formally nominated by his party, and named Sen. JD Vance of Ohio as his running mate.
Less than a week later, President Joe Biden withdrew from the race and endorsed Harris. She became the Democratic nominee on Aug. 5 without winning a single primary election, something that hasn’t happened since 1968.
“[It’s] like a giant jigsaw puzzle, with the pieces changing practically every day, or at least a couple times a week,” Susan MacManus, a political scientist from Florida, told The Epoch Times.
Ken Kollman, a political science professor at the University of Michigan, made a similar comment.
“Things have gotten really scrambled,” Kollman told The Epoch Times.
Despite these unusual circumstances, the old rules of politics still apply, according to political experts. The winner will likely be the candidate who can do three things well: maintain their core constituents, present an issues-based appeal to independent voters, and turn out the vote on Election Day.
Here’s the status of the race to date, and what each side is doing to gain an advantage.
Neck and Neck
Polling shows that the race is essentially tied at this point. Harris and Trump are each polling within the margin of error in national polls.
An Aug. 5 polling https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/polls/president-general/2024/national/
, also released Aug. 5, shows Harris up 1 point.
The candidates are running close to each other in most of the battleground states of Pennsylvania, Michigan, Georgia, Wisconsin, Arizona, Nevada, and North Carolina, which could determine the Electoral College vote.
Recent polls have shown Harris with a slight lead in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, and Trump leading in Arizona, Nevada, and North Carolina. Other polling shows a dead heat in Michigan and Georgia.
Harris’ entry into the race significantly changed the picture, as Trump had been leading Biden by several percentage points. However, the bump in polling could be a honeymoon effect based on her entry into the race, according to TIPP Insights.
Analysts agree that the race is still very much up for grabs. To negate Harris’ momentum, Trump will have to settle on new messaging, experts told The Epoch Times.
Trump Reboot
The Trump campaign appears to be searching for new messaging now that Biden has left the race, according to Aaron Dusso, a professor of political science at Indiana University, Indianapolis.
“I think they were surprised, like most of us, that Biden chose to step aside,” Dusso said. “They weren’t really prepared for that.”
To regain traction, experts say the Trump campaign must move beyond personal attacks and general promises to mount an issues-based campaign.
Personality-based campaigning will benefit neither side, according to MacManus, adding that both candidates would be wise to address “how they are going to solve a problem, and how their opponent is not.”
American political history professor Jeff Bloodworth said the Trump campaign should focus on this question: “Are you—or the world—better off” under the Biden–Harris administration than you were during the Trump administration?
“That was the subtext of the Trump–Biden campaign. That should be the text of the Trump–Harris contest,” said Bloodworth, who teaches at Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania.
“It’s the economy,” said Edwin Benton, a political science professor at the University of South Florida. “Always, what’s on the mind of the public is their pocketbook, economic issues.”
There is evidence that the Trump campaign is shifting its message in that direction. A political action committee supporting the campaign has aired a https://x.com/mattdizwhitlock/status/1819878890174640208
tying Harris to high grocery prices, rising crime rates, and the surge of illegal immigrants.
Harris Momentum
Harris has gained momentum in part because she is new to the race. Multiple experts said her greatest advantage may be her youth. At age 59, she entered a race in which age had been a significant handicap for her predecessor. She now appears as the fresh face running against Trump, who is 78.
In campaign speeches, Harris has presented herself as the candidate for a new generation.
“This campaign is about two very different visions for our nation: one focused on the future, the other focused on the past,” she told rallygoers in Atlanta on July 30.
The obvious line of attack for the Trump campaign is to identify Harris with her predecessor, experts said.
“Her biggest liability is her link to the Biden administration, a pretty unpopular president,” Kollman said.
“[Biden’s] weaknesses are her weaknesses,” Dusso said. “Continue to tie those together.”
In an email to The Epoch Times, Karoline Leavitt, national press secretary for the Trump campaign, said Harris must defend her support for the Biden record, including inflation, immigration, and foreign wars.
The Epoch Times requested comments from the Harris campaign but did not receive a reply by the time of publication.
Winning, Losing Issues
Both candidates have issues they can win with, and both would do well to present their core issues in a problem-solution formula, pundits said.
Harris’ strongest issue is abortion access, which has become a winner for Democrats following the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
“That, I think, has really been a major change in American politics,” Kollman said. He noted that abortion access is now the single most important for Democrats—and many Republicans—in the way the pro-life cause was for decades.
Trump holds a number of strong cards, experts said. Immigration continues to be a winning issue for Republicans, despite Harris’ attempt to nullify it by pointing out that Trump opposed a bipartisan border security bill earlier this year, which went on to fail in the Senate twice.
International affairs remain a strong point for Republicans also. According to Benton, the Biden administration’s position on Ukraine and Israel has been confusing. On the one hand, the administration has advocated military aid to Ukraine and Israel. But it has attempted to moderate the effect by prescribing how the weapons should be used.
“Joe Biden and Harris tried to play at both ends, and you can’t do that,” Benton said.
The winning formula in politics remains the same, according to Dusso: “Point to a problem, and say, ‘I have a solution.’”
Ground Game
Both campaigns have mounted efforts to rally voters in swing states. The Harris campaign has stated that it now has a network of staffed field offices in most swing states, and more than 500,000 volunteers focused on mobilizing voters, according to the campaign’s battleground director, Dan Kanninen.
The Trump campaign’s battleground initiative, Trump Force 47, has engaged tens of thousands of volunteers, Leavitt told The Epoch Times by email.
“We have paid staffers and volunteer-powered field programs in every battleground state, and they are expanding daily,” she said.
Both campaigns have impressive fundraising totals. As of May 24, the Harris campaign had about $96 million on hand. The Trump campaign had a balance of $128 million.
The Harris campaign said it has raised $310 million in July. The Trump campaign reported $137 million raised in July.
Voter Turnout
In the end, the race may come down to which candidate can rally his or her core voters on Election Day. For Harris, that means rallying younger people, who are historically the least likely to vote.
For Trump, that means turning out rural voters, especially men, who are also infrequent voters, according to Kollman.
Latino voters have been a historic demographic for Democrats but have been trending toward the Republican Party. Experts had mixed opinions on whether the Latino vote would shift decisively toward Trump or move back toward the Democrats.
Trump has also made inroads among black voters, but the experts are uncertain whether that will produce enough movement, especially in swing states, to affect the election.
Biden won a number of votes from disgruntled Republicans in the last election, according to Kollman. Harris has launched a campaign to round up those voters, but it’s uncertain whether she'll inherit those who defected for Biden in 2020.
Despite the relatively brief window remaining in this campaign, it will take time for the dust to settle after Harris’ entry into the race.
“Everything’s brand new,” Dusso said, adding that it will take a couple of weeks to figure out where the polling will land after voters get used to Harris as a candidate.
The candidates now have less than three months to settle on the best issues and messaging to present to the voters. The general election is Nov. 5.
https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden
Tue, 08/06/2024 - 08:09
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/trump-harris-2024-presidential-election-matchup-now-official