While President Donald Trump launches an initiative to make America affordable again, Democrats are crafting their own messaging on cost of living, an issue that will likely define the midterms. Affordability Already Playing Central Role in Elections One of the most recent Democrat politicians to seize on topics of affordability is Amy Acton, a medical doctor who is running to be the Democrat nominee for the 2026 Ohio gubernatorial election. In a recent post on social media, the Ohio doctor attacked her potential Republican opponent in the general election, former biotechnology executive Vivek Ramaswamy, over comments he had made in 2024 about American culture. “Vivek Ramaswamy told us how he really feels when he said that Ohioans aren’t succeeding because they’re lazy and mediocre and watching too much TV,” Acton wrote. “That couldn’t be further from what I’m seeing on the ground every day. Ohioans are working harder than ever, they’re doing everything right, and they just can’t get enough breathing room. Ohio needs a governor who listens, understands, and who is ready to bring down costs on day one,” Acton went on. Acton’s social media post attempts to hit Ramaswamy on the issue of affordability, which voters have repeatedly expressed concern about, especially an increasing number of young Republicans who face rising living costs. Successful messaging on affordability likely helped Democrats secure victories in statewide and local elections in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Virginia last week—especially Zohran Mamdani’s victory in the New York City mayoral race. Gen Z Sounds the Alarm on Affordability It’s easy to complain about rising costs, but what does the data actually say? Well, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics assembled by the American Enterprise Institute, a center-right think tank located in Washington, key building blocks of a middle-class life in America have doubled in cost since January 2000. That includes hospital services, which were 200% higher in cost in June 2022 than in January 2000; college tuition and fees, which had an excess of 160% increase over the same time period, and medical care services, which sky rocked more than 120% compared to January 2000. For context, overall inflation was 74.4% from January 2000 to June 2022. By comparison, average hourly wages increased by wages by 99.6% over the same time period. In the New York City mayoral election on Nov. 4, young voters turned out in large numbers and broke for Mamdani by a large margin because of the Mamdani campaign’s emphasis on affordability issues. But an increasing number of young Republicans are ringing the alarm bell over these concerns as well. Nalin Haley, the Gen Z son of former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, has amassed a large media profile by talking about affordability issues facing his generation. In a recent interview with Sohrab Ahmari for UnHerd, the Gen Z rising star decried the scarcity of jobs available to his generation. “My friend group from high school, all graduated, great degrees from great schools. It’s been a year and a half, and not one of them has a job—not one,” Haley explained. “I’m angry at that, because I’m having to try and help my friends get jobs when their parents got jobs immediately—not just after graduating college, but out of high school.” The post Midterms Shaping Up to Be a War Over Delivering Affordability for Gen Z appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Sunday Smiles

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It turns out that being the home to America’s oldest sports franchise still in continuous operation since 1883 means that its history is both well — good and bad. Throughout the existence of Philadelphia, the city has seen its fair share of hoaxes and heists alike — and it turns out — the sport’s scandal has made it into our history books as well. Recently it’s been one hundred and twenty-five years since the Phillies were caught red-handled in a buzzer-based baseball scandal at the Baker Bowl on Lehigh Avenue.Michael Thomas Leibrandt explains. Morgan Murphy.Unfortunately for that same oldest, continuous sports franchise in American Sports History — the Phillies history has been intertwined with sign-stealing accusations multiple times over their long, storied history. Fifteen years ago in 2010 — during a stretch run of sustained success for the franchise catapulted by a 2008 World Series Championship right here at Citizens Bank Park — the team was accused of sign stealing when Philadelphia Bullpen Coach Mick Billmeyer utilized a pair of binoculars to observe catchers. In 2020 — players on the team even spoke out against the Houston Astros during their own sign-stealing controversy.To be fair — Major League Baseball Teams knew that something was going on with the Phillies for quite some time. On September 17th, 1900 — the world would find out exactly what that was. And if you looked at the analytics — in 1899 (one year after Murphy instituted his sign-stealing scandal)—the Phillies scored nearly 100 more runs at home. It was even noted that at the games where Murphy was not in attendance — that the Phillies could hardly hit at all.It turns out that all that the Philadelphia Phillies merely needed was some binoculars, a buzzer, and a certain player on the roster. During a double-header on September 17th against the Cincinnati Reds in Philadelphia in front of more than 4,800 fans — one of the earliest examples of sign-stealing in major league baseball would be exposed in the third inning.Phillies backup catcher Morgan Murphy had previously been associated with a sign-stealing scheme in Philadelphia in 1898. Then carefully positioned behind an outfield wall whiskey advertisement — he would utilize his field glasses to relay signals to the batter. In 1900 — he would take the scheme to a new level.Bringing in third base coach Pearce “Petie” Chiles — Murphy would sit in an observatory in the center-field clubhousewith binoculars in-hand. Then — Murphy relayed the signals from the visiting team’s catcher through the use of a telegraph device connected by hard-wire to a buzzer that had previously been buried under the third-base coaches box. Chiles has a noticeable leg-twitch — which some say combined with in detecting the vibrations of the buried buzzer — helped in allowing the scheme to be exposed.Back in the third-inning during one of the games of the double-header — Reds player Tommy Corcoran had uncovered something in proximity to third base. Before the stadium groundskeeper and a policeman could reach the third base area — Corcoran had dug up the buzzer. He followed the buzzer wire all the way to the Phillies clubhouse— confronting Murphy. Umpire Tim Hurst finally proclaimed, “Back to the mines, men. Think on that eventful day in July when Dewey went into Manila Bay, never giving a tinker’s dam for all of the mines concealed therein. Come on, play ball.”The Phillies were never punished by the MLB what was uncovered in Sept. 1900. With a final record of 75–63, they wouldn’t even make the playoffs. the Reds finished worse at 62–77. Just MLB history being made in September of 1900. And the outcome of the game itself? The Phillies won of course — by a score of 4–2. Michael Thomas Leibrandt lives and works in Abington Township, PA.

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