A Washington Post columnist condemned a proposed inflation fix by Vice President Kamala Harris that has allowed her to attempt to shift blame for the dire economy. During an Aug. 16 CNN appearance, Washington Post columnist Catherine Rampell harshly condemned Harris for proposing price controls as an answer to rising prices. Under the Biden-Harris administration, prices have risen nearly three times faster in 42 months than they did for the entirety of the Trump administration. Rampell referred to an existing proposal by Senate Democrats to institute price controls as “especially bad,” before warning that these would lead to black markets, uncertainty and corporate collusion.  “It's really hard for me to imagine any form of legislation that preserves the spirit of what she's proposing that would … at best, do nothing, at worst, cause a lot of harm,” Rampell told the anchors of CNN News Central. Rampell explained that if price controls went into effect “some bureaucrat in DC” rather than markets would micromanage grocery store prices. She added that it was “totally unworkable, first of all, for the [Federal Trade Commission] to be deciding like how much Kroger charges for eggs in Michigan. But it also would be very bad for markets. We've seen this kind of thing tried in lots of other countries before: Venezuela Argentina, the Soviet Union et cetera, it leads to shortages, it leads to black markets, plenty of uncertainty.” After presiding over a 19.4% rise in prices, Harris tried to duck responsibility for high grocery costs by proposing price controls as a fix in an Aug. 14 news release. Notably, Harris would tout one of the most expensive and inflationary pieces of legislation produced by the Biden-Harris administration, the bafflingly named “Inflation Reduction Act” only two days after trying to shift blame. In total, the federal government spent $6.1 trillion in 2023, $6.3 trillion in 2022 and $6.8 trillion in 2021 according to the Congressional Budget Office. The Congressional Budget Office also projects $6.8 trillion in spending for 2024. During these years, Americans struggled through an average of 5.3% monthly inflation. The Post columnist did not blame Biden and Harris for inflation on CNN or in her earlier Aug. 15 op-ed headlined, “When your opponent calls you ‘communist,’ maybe don’t propose price controls?” However, Rampell did admit that Harris tried  (albeit unsuccessfully) to shift blame: “It’s not hard to figure out where this proposal came from. Voters want to blame someone for high grocery bills, and the presidential candidates have apparently decided the choices are either the Biden administration or corporate greed. Harris has chosen the latter.” On the other hand, Heritage Foundation economist E. J. Antoni ripped Harris for trying to absolve the Biden-Harris administration in an Aug. 16 Fox News op-ed. “Not only did she cheerlead for trillions of dollars in inflationary deficit spending, she cast the tiebreaking vote on two of the three largest spending bills of this administration, he wrote. “Her fingerprints are all over the murder weapon that killed Americans’ finances.” Conservatives are under attack! Contact ABC News at (818) 460-7477, CBS News at (212) 975-3247 and NBC News at (212) 664-6192 and demand they tell the truth about the Bidenomics disaster.

Elon Musk’s X platform shut down its office in Brazil as the government attempted to coerce censorship. Brazil’s Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes and Musk had spent months battling over online free speech, with Musk refusing the justice’s aggressive and extensive censorship demands. On Saturday, X’s Global Government Affairs announced its decision to close the Brazil office due to De Moraes’s shocking threats to X staff over alleged “disinformation” on the platform. X is still available to Brazilians, however. “The decision to close the ? office in Brazil was difficult, but, if we had agreed to @alexandre’s (illegal) secret censorship and private information handover demands, there was no way we could explain our actions without being ashamed,” Musk commented on X. As shown in several MRC Free Speech America studies, X has suppressed some free speech, but not on the scale and harshness required by De Moraes. X’s Global Government Affairs added more details. “Last night, Alexandre de Moraes threatened our legal representative in Brazil with arrest if we do not comply with his censorship orders. He did so in a secret order, which we share here to expose his actions,” X Global Government Affairs stated in an X post. It continued that numerous appeals to the Supreme Court went unheard despite Brazilian staff having no responsibility or control over content moderation. Instead, Moraes chose to “threaten” X’s staff in Brazil “rather than respect the law or due process.” This, the Global Government Affairs X account lamented, led the platform to shut down the Brazilian operation “effective immediately.”  The X Global Government Affairs account added that the justice’s actions are “incompatible with democratic government,” and concluded that the people of Brazil “have a choice to make - democracy, or Alexandre de Moraes.” Musk had previously reposted an assertion that “? is the #1 news app in Brazil on the AppStore” and “Alexandre de Moraes is demanding censorship of the only source of truth in Brazil.” Related: UPDATE: Are You Paying Attention? Brazil Escalates Major Free Speech Assault Conservatives are under attack. Contact your representatives and demand that Big Tech be held to account to mirror the First Amendment and provide an equal platform for conservatives. If you have been censored, contact us using MRC Free Speech America’s contact form, and help us hold Big Tech accountable.

Axios.com founders Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen were dishing before Joe Biden's big speech that "Biden's friends tell us that as the president heads to his Democratic National Convention sendoff in Chicago tonight, he's somewhat relieved and pretty nostalgic — but also still stunned and pissed about the way he was pushed out of his re-election race." So he's relieved, and then he's pissed -- does it depend on which mental state he's in?  For media-watchers, this sentence is hilarious: "Some Biden stalwarts blame the press for forcing him out, and now seethe at what they see as fawning coverage of Harris." What they see as fawning? We just proved that since Biden was forced out, her network news coverage is 84 percent positive! She's all momentum and joy!  Axios added: "They know that the best thing for Biden's place in history is for her to win. But after four years of doubts about her governing chops and reliability as a politician, they see the party's instant embrace of her as an even more brutal rejection of Biden." They also pointed to the dramatic staff turnover under Kamala as a sign she's not the best candidate. But here's the beginning of the item:  President Biden hasn't had much to smile about lately. But we hear he got a huge laugh on a recent call when he was told about this encounter at Fenway Park in Boston: A former top White House official under President Obama ran into Mike Barnicle — the Morning Joe regular, and close friend and ardent defender of Biden — and said: "Isn't it great that f--king guy finally figured out he had to quit?" Barnicle was tired, and wasn't having it. "What guy?!" he replied. "Joe Biden!" the West Wing alumnus replied. "You know something? F--k you!" Barnicle replied. "And f--k all your friends with their anonymous quotes in the papers. Put your name on it next time!" And kept walking. A source familiar with Biden's reaction to the story told us: "He might still be laughing."

The chair of a DNC caucus introduced Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz as a "command sergeant major" during a DNC event, the New York Post reported, reigniting discussions about stolen valor.On Monday morning, members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander Caucus gathered for a meeting as part of the 2024 Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago.Technically, Walz was promoted to command sergeant major ... . However, that promotion was conditional, and he never fulfilled the training and coursework requirements to keep it.Walz, the far-left governor of Minnesota, made an appearance at the meeting, and when AAPI Caucus chair Bel Leong-Hong introduced him to the stage, she referred to him as a "command sergeant major." "I'm going to start with the title that's very important to me: the command sergeant major, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota," Leong-Hong said stiltedly. She also garbled another line and seemingly began to call Walz a "command master sergeant," a rank which does not exist but could be an accidental portmanteau of "command sergeant major" and "master sergeant," the rank at which Walz officially retired.According to the Post, Walz never clarified to AAPI Caucus meeting attendees that he retired as a master sergeant, not command sergeant major.After Kamala Harris tapped Walz to be her running mate earlier this month, Walz faced a barrage of accusations, including from members of his former unit in the Minnesota Army National Guard, that he has engaged in stolen valor on a number of fronts.For one thing, he allegedly retired early after receiving word that his unit would be deployed to Iraq. Then, during his political career, he has also apparently repeatedly used the title command sergeant major, which could be misleading. Technically, Walz was promoted to command sergeant major in April 2005, a month before he retired. However, that promotion was conditional, and he never fulfilled the training and coursework requirements to keep it, as Blaze News previously reported.His discharge documents were later amended to say that he retired with the rank of master sergeant, not command sergeant major. National Guard leaders in Minnesota have previously stated that Walz may continue to use the title of command sergeant major but cannot say he retired with it.Leong-Hong's awkward introduction has now rekindled discussions about Walz's alleged stolen valor, especially on social media.The Trump War Room account labeled the video of Leong-Hong's introduction a "stolen valor alert.""The Democrats are DOUBLING DOWN on his stolen valor, and Walz STILL refuses to correct it," wrote independent journalist Nick Sortor."The stolen valor continues," added Libs of TikTok.During her introduction, Leong-Hong also referred to Walz as a "state championship football coach," even though he was an assistant coach and not the head coach, as well as a "joyful warrior," even though he never served in a combat zone.Walz has been caught on video falsely claiming he "carried" weapons "in war." Lauren Hitt, a spokesperson for the Harris-Walz campaign, later claimed he "misspoke."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A tearful George Santos told reporters that he was remorseful for actions that led to a guilty plea related to fraud charges on Monday. The former U.S. representative from New York admitted to lying about how he was going to use campaign donations and also charging credit cards without authorization. 'It is my recognition of the lies I told myself over these past years.' The charges carry a minimum sentence of two years in prison but he could face up to seven years. “Today, for what may seem like the first time since he started his campaign for Congress, Mr. Santos told the truth about his criminal schemes. He admitted to lying, stealing and conning people,” read a statement from U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. Santos had an impromptu media briefing outside of the U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York Long Island Courthouse in Islip, New York. He apologized to his former constituents in the New York's 3rd Congressional District. "It's clear to me now that I allowed ambition to cloud my judgement, leading me to make decisions that were unethical and guilty," said Santos to reporters. "Pleading guilty is a step I never imagined I'd take, but it is a necessary one because it is the right thing to do. It's not only a recognition of my misrepresentations to others, but more profoundly, it is my recognition of the lies I told myself over these past years," he added. He was expelled from Congress in 2023 and became only the sixth member to be expelled in U.S. history. He also owes at least $370,000 in restitution and agreed to forfeiting more than $200,000. Santos, who is 36 years old, is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 7. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Large X Account Asks What's Preventing You From Moving to London and Hilarity Ensues

Least Surprising News EVER! Borrowers With Forgiven Student Loans Replaced Them With Other Forms of Debt

President Biden Reportedly Taking a Week-Long Vacation After His 'Hero's Goodbye'

Turning Down the Temperature! Thanks to Biden-Harris, Iran Could Be a Nuclear State by Year's End

DC Councilmember Known for Antisemitic Conspiracy Theories Arrested on Bribery Charges