Joe Biden’s economy, much like Joe Biden, continues to show confusion about where it wants to go. On the surface, the economy seems to be doing great. Unemployment is relatively low at 4%, the S&P 500 and NASDAQ have recently set new records, and the growth of the inflation rate seems to have slowed, given the May Consumer Price Index coming in at 3.3% year-over-year. However, scratch below the surface, and the economy is on very shaky footing. The May jobs report was an unmitigated disaster. The U.S. economy added 272,000 jobs in May 2024. That seems like good news. But it isn’t, once you get below the headline numbers. The overall number of people in the workforce shrank by 250,000 in May and the overall labor force participation rate fell to 62.5%, meaning fewer people are actively looking for work. The largest employment gains came from government jobs and low-paying jobs in the healthcare system. The government sector has been one of the major contributors to job growth under President Biden. This is not a good sign for the private economy, as the government should be shrinking, not growing. What is worse is that full-time workers declined by 625,000, while those holding part-time positions increased by 286,000. In addition, in May, 414,000 immigrants, both legal and illegal, gained jobs, while 663,000 native-born Americans lost jobs. This may be why wage growth continues to be low, with immigrants taking low-paying jobs, suppressing the overall wage rate. The Consumer Price Index, the measure of inflation in the United States rose 3.3% in May 2024, slightly less than April’s increase of 3.4%, driven primarily by the cost of housing. While the slowing of the rate price increases is welcome, prices are still up more than 7.5% over the past two years and, overall, prices are up nearly 20% since Joe Biden took office in January 2021. The cumulative impact of inflation, combined with high interest rates, is putting the dream of home ownership further out of reach for most young and working-class Americans. Not only are homes at record high prices, with the median home price over $400,000, the cost of maintaining a home has risen dramatically. A recent study by Bankrate aggregated the average costs of property taxes, insurance, home maintenance costs, and utilities, finding that maintaining the typical home costs more than $18,000 per year, for a typical home valued at $436,000. This is an additional $1,510 per month on top of the monthly mortgage payment, up 26% over the past four years. Homeowners’ insurance rates are up nearly 40% since 2019. Add this to the fact that mortgage rates are hovering around 7%, for a thirty-year fixed-rate mortgage. It is no wonder that the demographics of those living at home with their parents has changed. Mom and Dad’s basement is no longer reserved for the unemployed slacker who spends his days playing video games, eating frozen pizza, and drinking energy drinks. Today, it is college graduates who are moving home, with 32% of college graduates returning to their childhood bedrooms in an effort to save money for an apartment or a house. It isn’t just home insurance. Auto insurance rates are also up nearly 23% over the past twelve months. In addition, the interest rates needed to finance the purchase of a car continue to be extremely high, ranging from 7 – 15%, depending on one’s credit score, and they are not expected to decrease in 2024. While the headlines sound great — low unemployment, a booming stock market, and a declining rate of inflation growth — the economy is, quite frankly, simply limping along. More importantly, working Americans are struggling to make ends meet. Real spending, which excludes inflation, fell in April 2024, with the American consumer spending less on cars, dining out, and recreational activities. The Federal Reserve Bank’s decision on June 12 to leave interest rates at their current levels shows that the Fed is more concerned with the return of high inflation than about a slowing economy. The Fed will be under tremendous pressure to decrease interest rates after their September meeting, in order to help Joe Biden’s reelection campaign. Will Jerome Powell and the rest of the Fed’s Board of Governors have the courage to remain neutral or will they bow to the power of political pressure? * * * Jim Nelles is a Navy veteran and supply chain consultant based in Chicago. His articles have appeared in the Washington Examiner, Newsweek, Foxnews.com, and the Daily Wire. He has served as a chief procurement officer, chief supply chain officer, and chief operations officer for multiple companies. The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) slammed judicial activists who continually strike down Florida laws that they don’t like only for their rulings to get continuously overturned by higher courts. DeSantis made the remarks on Wednesday after federal Judge Robert Hinkle in Tallahassee, who is one of the left-wing judges who routinely strikes down bills that DeSantis signs into law, batted down Florida’s new law to protect minors from transgender procedures and treatments. “It is wrong to perform a sex change on a 16 year old, you’re not allowed to get a tattoo, but somehow you can have your privates cut off? Give me a break,” DeSantis said. “This is wrong. And I would also say, this has already been decided by the 11th circuit court of appeals, they upheld Alabama’s law, which was almost identical to Florida’s law, this will be reversed. There’s no question it’ll be reversed.” “Think about it, when the founding fathers were creating the Constitution, and when the first Congress passed the Bill of Rights or even when they passed the Reconstruction Amendments in the 1860s, do you think a single person involved in that thought that there was a constitutional right to do this genital mutilation? It’s ridiculous,” he continued. “Of course, a state can protect children against this. And we have very powerful testimony how this is irreversible.” DeSantis said that leftist judges “veto the policy of the state of Florida” constantly and “we lose almost every time and then we win on appeal almost every time. That’s what happens.” “So if you’re not willing to defend Florida’s duly enacted statutes against liberal jurisprudence, then you’re basically saying the people of Florida shouldn’t govern themselves,” he said. “And that we should just turn over our destiny to some trial judge somewhere. That I refuse to do, we are going to stand up for duly enacted statutes, we’re going to stand up for protecting the innocence of these kids. But I would say it goes beyond that. Because what this is doing, when they’re doing a sex change on a teenager, there’s a lot of people that want to make money off that, consequences be damned, they’re lying in their pockets and they could care less about what’s going to happen to that teenager when they become 25 — which many regret and have big time problems as a result of that.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “But it’s also just a fact of, you use the term ‘gender affirming care’, which is what media uses and what the left uses,” he continued. “You’re not affirming that, you’re trying to change their basic biology, which you cannot do. You cannot do that. You know, how you’re born is what you are. And so I think it’s about are we going to be rooted in truth as a society or not? And if we’re rooted in truth, then you would say, of course, you can’t do the surgeries, because it’s not going to take and transform somebody that’s a male into a female. So we’ll win that appeal.” WATCH: Reporter question from today’s press conference: “Your office told us that you plan to appeal the gender-affirming ruling from yesterday. So my question today, since we’re talking about the budget of taxpayer dollars, why should taxpayer dollars go to this case for the appeal?”… pic.twitter.com/e7WuCdD1bM — Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) June 12, 2024

Billionaire Tom Dundon, who owns the Carolina Hurricanes, said that major donors are backing former President Donald Trump over President Joe Biden because of Biden’s “nonsense.” Dundon made the remarks during a Fox News interview on Wednesday ahead of this fall’s rematch between the two candidates. “Historically, some of the way Trump treats people doesn’t sit well with them when you have choices, but there’s really not many choices anymore,” he said. He added that many people are backing Trump because Biden’s term in office has been disastrous, from his foreign policy, open borders, and surging inflation rates. “Some of the things have gotten to where it’s hard to support nonsense,” he said. Left-leaning POLITICO highlighted the shift among many Wall Street power players, stating that “many high-dollar donors at banks, hedge funds and other financial firms” had “turned their backs on Trump” over his criticism of the 2020 election and the judicial system, but now they are “looking past qualms about his personality” to focus “on issues closer to the heart: how he might ease regulations, cut their taxes or flex U.S. power on the global stage.” Some who are coming back to Trump include Point Bridge Capital founder Hal Lambert, hedge fund executive Nelson Peltz, and hotel mogul Robert Bigelow. Trump “is a much better choice than what we have now. Just check out the four years that Trump was in office versus the three years that President Biden was in office,” said billionaire New York radio station owner and real estate investor John Catsimatidis. “It’s horrible what’s going on.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman is reportedly leaning toward backing Trump because of Biden’s response to the rise in anti-Semitism that has erupted on his watch. Steve Schwarzman, the CEO and co-founder of Blackstone, a private equity and real estate firm, is also coming back to support Trump. Schwarzman said that the “dramatic rise of anti-Semitism has led me to focus on the consequences of upcoming elections with greater urgency.” The 77-year-old businessman added that the Biden administration’s policies on the economy, immigration, and foreign affairs “are taking the country in the wrong direction.” “For these reasons, I am planning to vote for change and support Donald Trump for president,” he said. “In addition, I will be supporting Republican Senate candidates and other Republicans up and down the ticket.”

President Joe Biden is set to sign a deal with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday that would lock the U.S. in a 10-year agreement supplying the European country with military assistance. The decade-long U.S.-Ukraine agreement was first discussed by Zelensky in April, who said at the time that the countries were working to ensure “specific levels of support for this year and for the next ten years, including armed support, financial, political, and joint arms production.” U.S. officials said the new agreement guarantees that the U.S. would continue supporting Ukraine even if Donald Trump wins the 2024 election and gets sworn in for a second term in the White House, The Washington Post reported. “We want to demonstrate that the U.S. supports the people of Ukraine, that we stand with them, and that we’ll continue to help address their security needs not just tomorrow but out into the future,” National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters on Wednesday. The agreement does not specify an exact dollar amount the U.S. must send to Ukraine and doesn’t require American troops to be deployed to defend the country, according to the Post. Officials did say, however, that the deal promises that the U.S. would hold high-level consultations with Kyiv within 24 hours if Ukraine is attacked again. “If [Russian President] Vladimir Putin thinks that he can outlast the coalition supporting Ukraine, he’s wrong,” Sullivan added. Sullivan made those comments on Air Force One as President Joe Biden flew to Italy for a meeting with Group of Seven leaders. The U.S. sends far more military support to Ukraine than any other country in the world. In April, Congress passed another bipartisan foreign aid package that included another $61 billion for Kyiv as its war against Russia continues. Fifteen other countries, including the U.K., France, Germany, and Italy, have signed bilateral agreements with Ukraine. During the G7 meeting on Thursday, world leaders agreed to loan Ukraine $50 billion this year, which will be backed by frozen Russian assets, ABC News reported. Officials said those funds would be used to support Ukraine’s military, budget, humanitarian needs, and reconstruction. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “Ukraine is still going to have a large financial need next year and beyond and this summit is our best chance to act collectively to close the gap. … This agreement is a signal from the leading democracies of the world that we’re not going to fatigue and defend Ukraine’s freedom and that Putin is not going to outlast us,” a senior Biden administration official said, adding that Russia is ultimately the country paying for the loan. “Russia pays…the income comes from the interest stream on the immobilized asset,” the official said. “The principal is untouched for now, but we have full optionality to seize the principal later if the political will is there.”

Actress Goldie Hawn weighed in on the pervasiveness of crime in Los Angeles, revealing that her own home has been burglarized twice in four months. The 48-year-old made the comments during an appearance on the SiriusXM podcast “Let’s Talk Off Camera with Kelly Ripa.” “What if we couldn’t live in L.A, where would we live? We both decided, I think it’s Palm Desert (California). … It’s so safe,” Hawn told Ripa of herself and Kurt Russell, her longtime boyfriend of four decades. “It’s just because L.A. is terrible. I mean, we were robbed once,” she added.  Hawn went on to describe what happened the first time her home was burglarized. She said she and Russell were out of the house for just two hours before coming back home to discover what happened. “We came back and went in the house. I went up to the stairs and I walked into my closet. I just lost it,” Hawn said. “They had broken in from the balcony to our bedroom, our closets.” She continued, “And they completely knocked down my door, which is a safe door, so they’re very, very sophisticated, and they got a lot of my goodies, if you know what I mean.” The Academy Award-winning actress said she assumed it was something she would only experience once, but that wasn’t the case. “So, I’m thinking, ‘Oh, my God, so the chances are, I guess that’s it,'” Hawn told Ripa. “It’s gotta be. The odds are that’s not gonna happen again.” But then, four months later, that’s exactly what happened. The actress said she was home alone with her dog when she heard a noise. “I hear this big thump upstairs — and I was alone; Kurt wasn’t there — and I went, ‘What the hell was that?'” she explained. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “It was just like, was that a sonic boom? Did somebody jump somewhere? And as it turned out, the next day, we discovered that they were trying to get in my bedroom while I was in the house.” “That’s terrifying,” Ripa replied.  “I couldn’t believe it. What is happening here?” Hawn said, adding that she has had additional protection since the incidents. “I’ve had a guard, especially when I’m alone now,” Hawn said. “I’m never without a guard. We have a nice relationship with our guard.”

French National Rally Party leader Marine Le Pen gave her first speech since her party trounced French President Emanuel Macron’s party in the French EU Parliament elections, declaring to thunderous applause that “bi-nationals connected to Islamist ideology must be stripped of their nationality and expelled.” Last week, the National Rally party won 31.4% of the vote in the EU Parliament elections; Macron’s Renaissance Party coalition only garnered 14.6%, with Eric Ciotti’s Republicans receiving 7.25%. Ciotti then endorsed an alliance with the National Rally party, whose 28-year-old president, Jordan Bardella, is the first president of the party not to be named Le Pen. Macron then dissolved the French National Assembly and called for snap legislative elections, hoping the French people would prevent the National Rally party from taking power. For the National Rally Party, which currently has 88 seats in the National Assembly, to take over, it would need to expand to 289 seats. That would allow Bardella to be named prime minister. “I appeal to the wisdom and good sense of the French: Give me one reason, only one, to keep on our territory foreigners who collaborate with a totalitarian ideology that wants the death of the French,” Marine Le Pen said in her speech. “Bi-nationals connected to Islamist ideology must be stripped of their nationality and expelled. The French who adopt the ideology of the enemy must be brought before justice and punished. The laws exist; they just need to be applied.” As president, she asserted, “these laws will be applied without weakening.” That elicited chants of “Marine President.” Macron has a presidential mandate until 2027 and has vowed not to step down. “In a few weeks, I promise you, France will have taken all the necessary steps to be sheltered from the ‘S-files,” and that in total compliance with our law. Radical mosques will be shut down, hate preachers expelled,” she said. “The associations connected with Salafism and the Muslim Brotherhood will be dissolved. With me, be assured that the rights of women, today challenged by the Islamist obscurantism, will be granted to all the women of France. With me, the security will not go against liberty, in any case, not against the liberty of honest people.” “S-Files” refers to state security files indicating a person might pose a threat to national security. Marine Le Pen, whose party just won the most seats in the French EU election: "Give me ONE reason, only one, to keep on our territory foreigners who collaborate with a totalitarian ideology that wants the death of the French." Should Europe expect to see more of this kind of… pic.twitter.com/dmITGkw0nX — Wide Awake Media (@wideawake_media) June 12, 2024 On Thursday, in response to a note on social media marking the eighth anniversary of the brutal murder of two police officers who were husband and wife in front of their three-year-old son by a Muslim terrorist, Le Pen responded, “No one should forget their faces, they remind us every day that Islamist barbarity is a permanent danger, and that those on the far left who come into agreement with this fanatical ideology or who plead, like rebellious France, to disarm the police, are a real threat to our country.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP The terrorist slit the wife’s throat in front of her son and then waited for the husband to come home, stabbing him to death when he arrived. Nul ne doit oublier leurs visages, ils nous rappellent chaque jour que la barbarie islamiste est un péril permanent, et que ceux qui à l’extrême gauche pactisent avec cette idéologie fanatique ou qui plaident, comme la France insoumise, pour désarmer la police, sont une vraie… https://t.co/20cyGyiHUs — Marine Le Pen (@MLP_officiel) June 13, 2024

The latest edition of the Congressional Pig Book, published by Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW), has revealed a significant increase in earmark spending by U.S. lawmakers. This year’s report highlights $26.1 billion in pork-barrel projects for fiscal year 2024, marking a substantial rise from the previous year​​. Earmarks, often referred to as "pork," are funds allocated by Congress for specific projects, typically benefiting a legislator's local constituency. Happening now: 2024 Pig Book Press Conference! pic.twitter.com/rGXS1l3SNh — Citizens Against Government Waste (@GovWaste) June 12, 2024 This practice has been criticized for fostering wasteful spending and for being a tool for political favoritism. The report notes that the number of earmarks has surged by 43.9% compared to the previous fiscal year, reflecting a broader trend of increasing earmark allocations​. The 2024 Pig Book emphasizes that a small group of powerful legislators on the House and Senate Appropriations Committees are responsible for a disproportionate share of these earmarks. The 2024 Congressional Pig Book exposes 8,222 earmarks costing $22.7 billion. Earmarks are the most costly, corrupt, and inequitable practice in the history of Congress.https://t.co/fpDlLhjoqR — Citizens Against Government Waste (@GovWaste) June 12, 2024 For instance, Senate Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Susan Collins (R-Maine) tops the list with 231 earmarks totaling $575.6 million. Other top recipients include Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Angus King (I-Maine), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who collectively received over $2.3 billion in earmarks​. This year's Pig Book also underscores the lack of transparency in the earmark process. More than one-third of the earmark spending, amounting to $8.2 billion, was approved without any attribution, meaning no specific lawmakers were named as sponsors of these projects. This opaque practice complicates efforts to hold legislators accountable for their spending decisions​. Critics argue that earmarks contribute to government waste and corruption, recalling past scandals that led to a moratorium on earmarks from 2011 to 2021. Despite the moratorium, earmark spending has made a robust comeback, with the current total being the largest since fiscal year 2010​. CAGW President Tom Schatz emphasized that the continued growth in earmark spending highlights the need for a permanent ban to prevent the recurrence of wasteful and corrupt practices in Congress. The report serves as a call to action for fiscal responsibility and transparency in government spending​. The post Congressional Pig Book Exposes Billions in Pork Spending appeared first on The Conservative Brief.

As President Joe Biden gears up for his 2024 re-election campaign, questions loom large over the impact of Vice President Kamala Harris on his prospects. Concerns are mounting within the Democratic Party regarding Harris' influence and public perception as Biden’s running mate. Critics argue that Harris has not established herself as a strong vice president, with low approval ratings and frequent public missteps that undermine her credibility. Some pundits, like those at The Week, have labeled her as "one of the least consequential vice presidents in modern history," pointing to her incoherent responses and inappropriate laughter during serious discussions. This reputation could be detrimental in a high-stakes election. Joe will be replaced soon. President Harris. Lol https://t.co/mT72XGVL1o — Poopdog (@Poopdog24) June 11, 2024 However, replacing Harris could ignite a political firestorm, with accusations of gender and ethnic bias potentially dividing the Democratic base. Despite these risks, some believe that a change might be necessary to bolster Biden's chances. The concern is that Harris' perceived weaknesses might be more damaging than the controversy of replacing her. Historically, attacks on vice presidential candidates have not significantly swayed elections. Yet, the unique dynamics of this election, with Biden’s age being a constant point of contention, might make Harris a more significant factor. Politico reports that Republicans are likely to continue targeting Harris, framing her as a weaker alternative to Biden. This strategy hinges on the notion that Biden, at 81, might not complete a second term, thereby elevating Harris to the presidency. Fucking pundit says “voters may have trepidation” that Biden may not make it through his second term, so they’d have a problem with Kamala Harris being president because racism. So Katy Tur floats the idea of Biden being replaced as candidate. She is VILE. pic.twitter.com/nP8XXHK1S9 — Scary Larry (@aintscarylarry) June 1, 2024 Within the Democratic ranks, there is palpable anxiety. Major donors and party leaders have expressed concerns about the current trajectory of the Biden-Harris ticket. Fundraising efforts, although substantial, have not quelled these fears. Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey has urged supporters to rally behind the ticket with greater urgency, emphasizing the critical stakes of the upcoming election. Supporters of Harris argue that her tenure has been more productive than critics acknowledge. She has played a key role in international diplomacy, addressing migration issues, and pushing for significant domestic policies like voting rights and child tax credits. Her defenders assert that Harris’ role has been undervalued and that she possesses the necessary qualities to step up if needed. Despite these efforts, Biden’s campaign faces an uphill battle. A significant portion of the Democratic base remains unconvinced of Harris’ ability to lead, should the need arise. Political strategists within the party are divided on the best course of action, with some advocating for a more robust defense of Harris' record and capabilities. As the 2024 election approaches, the Biden campaign must navigate these internal conflicts while fending off Republican attacks. The outcome may hinge on their ability to present a united front and effectively communicate the strengths of their leadership team to the American public. The question remains whether Harris will be a liability or an asset in the fight to retain the White House. The post Harris’ Impact on Biden’s 2024 Chances Under Scrutiny appeared first on The Conservative Brief.

If you ever visit Palo Alto in California, you may just run into a celebrity. But you’ll have to go to an unexpected location — Barron Park Donkeys. Here, you’ll find Perry. You may not recognize him, but you’ve most certainly seen him before… just not in the way you think. Perry was used as inspiration for the character of Donkey in the DreamWorks film Shrek. To ensure that the character looked and moved realistically, they wanted to use a real donkey as a model. This is where Perry comes in. Earning only $75, his likeness has been cemented in film, guaranteed to be remembered for generations. He may not get the credit he deserves, but Perry is more than happy with his life in California. He and his fellow donkey friends, April and Buddy, are frequently visited by locals. In fact, visiting these adorable animals has been a local tradition long before Shrek was even an idea. YouTube “We have grandparents who remember playing with the donkeys as little kids [who are] bringing their grandchildren now, so this is not new,” Mike Holland, a volunteer handler says. “This is going back at least 70 years, 75 years, so it’s a neighborhood tradition.” But in order to keep this neighborhood tradition alive, Perry and his friends need help. Now that Perry is getting into his 30s, his medical bills continue to increase. YouTube “They’re getting older, they’ve got what the vet refers to as old man problems,” Mike explains. “The increasing medical demands — it’s pushing up to $25,000 for the three of them, and $15k for the additional unexpected medical demands that they’ve all three of them have had. We’re at a critical junction.” Thankfully, city officials recognize the worth in keeping this animal park going. To ensure they’re able to take care of the donkeys, they’re offering to match community donations of up to $10,000. So far, they’ve matched $4,000! YouTube According to Mayor Greer Stone, the decision to help was made because they believe it “is a small investment with a big return realized in the form of smiles on children’s faces, outdoor education opportunities, and increased wellbeing for our entire community.” Perry, the Donkey Who Inspired the Iconic Character in Shrek, Feels Love From His Community YouTube Between the fantastic merchandise and compost they offer, these donkeys are well on their way to getting the funds they need. In fact, you can even donate online. That said, they only have until June 23 to reach the city’s match offer! In any case, Mike is hopeful that they’ll be okay. “I can’t imagine this not happening. I’m not the first person to volunteer here and, I certainly won’t be the last,” Mike says. “It’s a lot of fun and we have dozens of people come visit here every day. It’s a real tradition — funny neighborhood tradition that we’re keeping going.” You can find the source of this story’s featured image here! The post Community Comes Together For Elderly Donkey Who Inspired Beloved “Shrek” Character appeared first on InspireMore.