'Severe yo-yoing between positions'

Want to Soak the Rich? Tax University Endowments.

Joe Scarborough knows his MSNBC audience. He knows Democrats are depressed at their status in the minority and need some "Up With People" encouragement. His opening of Friday's Morning Joe was one long, self-indulgent spurt of schadenfreude over Republican struggles with liberals at town halls and rocky stock-market rides.  Scarborough opened with an extended clip of Republican Rep. Chuck Edwards being booed and jeered at a townhall meeting in Asheville -- the North Carolina equivalent of Berkeley/Portland. Bet on a lot of MSNBC fans in that crowd. Scarborough delighted in the Edwards distress. He should have praised Edwards for it. The Republican didn't need to hold a town hall in Asheville. Despite the uber-liberal city being in his district, Edwards won his latest election by a comfortable 13+ points. Edwards let the audience know he would be taking and answering their questions as they came out of the box, advising them that they wouldn't like many of his answers. Edwards was even-tempered throughout, never responding in kind to the jeers and taunts. So Scarborough could have hailed Edwards for venturing into the liberal lion's den and maintaining his cool and good manners. But instead, he gloated over Edwards telling the crowd that they will have the right "at the next election to cast your vote based on what you hear coming from me now." "Yes, they will," said a smirking Scarborough [see screencap.] He seemed to be suggesting that Edwards would lose once the libs of Asheville get the chance to vote their wrath in 2026. Wanna bet, Joe?  Scarborough said that Republican town halls have turned contentious "over the Trump administration's sweeping cuts to the federal force, to Elon Musk, to DOGE." Wait a second, Joe. Aren't you the oft self-described "small-government conservative?" Shouldn't you be applauding these efforts? Did you imagine that shrinking the massive deep state would come without pushback from the entrenched forces? Scarborough proceeded to revel over the stock market's woes, saying that Trump's threat of high tariffs on goods from the European Union "sent stocks even lower yesterday." Imagine Joe's joy if the market suffered a 1929-style crash! Finally, Scarborough noted that "Vladimir Putin has said 'no' to a ceasefire proposal from the US and Ukraine." Such a happy day for the Trump-hating Scarborough. You don't have to believe in karma to envision that before long, Scarborough will be obliged to grin out of the other side of his gob. Note: At the end of his spiel, explaining Mika's absence, Scarborough trotted out his tired line about Mika being "in the south of France." As if she's the elitist in the couple. Hang in there, Joe. Before long, you'll recommence your summering on Nantucket. Here's the transcript. MSNBC Morning Joe 3/14/25 6:00 am ET REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN CHUCK EDWARDS: I have supported, even as a state senator, the fact that we should abolish the U.S. Department of Education [audience boos.] The decisions need to be made back on the state level.  And I believe that the president is very supportive of Ukraine [loud boos.] Like him or not, Elon Musk has brought a lot of really smart people to DOGE [boos.] You should also know that those employees and folks that serve with DOGE have gone through the same exact security screens as everyone else [jeers.] The questions are coming out of the box one at a time. I'm answering those for you. You're not going to like a lot of them.  And you, and you certainly will have the right in the next election to cast your vote based off of what you hear coming from me now.  JOE SCARBOROUGH: Yes, they will, and that's how democracy works [grinning] every two years. And right now, fascinating dynamics.  That was another Republican town hall meeting that turned contentious over the Trump administration's sweeping cuts to the federal force, to Elon Musk, to DOGE. This time, it happened in Asheville, North Carolina, where Republican Congressman Chuck Edwards found himself on the receiving end of fury from constituents. It's happening whenever Republicans dare to hold town hall meetings.  Meanwhile, the president continues what's been an erratic trade policy, threatening sky-high tariffs on goods from the European Union, a threat that sent stocks even lower yesterday.  Also, Vladimir Putin has said no to a cease-fire proposal from the U.S. and Ukraine. Now, some Senate Republicans want President Trump to get tougher on the dictator.  Good morning. It's Friday, this Morning Joe. It's March the 14th, we have, of course, Mika, as she often does on weekends. She's in the south of France. I think Willie's windsurfing in Mozambique. 

Here's a question for anyone thinking of buying an EV: How long will the battery last?Short answer: longer than most EV buyers will own their vehicles.While battery degradation is inevitable, there are two important steps you can take to slow it down.Anyone who's kept a cell phone or laptop long enough knows that even the trustiest rechargeable battery gives up the ghost eventually. Over time, battery cells lose the ability to hold as much charge as when they were brand-new. Battery lifeSo exactly how long do electric car batteries last, and what steps can you take to slow the degradation?Much like those in a phone or laptop, electric car batteries are lithium-ion and made of a variety of rare-earth minerals like cobalt, nickel, cadmium, and manganese plus other materials. Every battery, regardless of what vehicle it's in, will experience degradation over time. Even your location's weather can affect the longevity of a battery. Extremely hot and extremely cold environments, as well as those with excess humidity, can shorten a battery's lifespan.Lithium-ion batteries have a high-energy density compared to the lead-acid batteries or nickel-metal hydride batteries found in hybrids. They also charge up quickly and are able to retain their energy density over hundreds of charging cycles. That's why they're the ideal choice for electric vehicles right now. The introduction of solid-state batteries may change that soon, but for now, lithium-ion is the best option for EVs.But every charge and discharge cycle fractionally reduces a battery's overall capacity. Over the course of hundreds or even thousands of charging cycles, a vehicle's range eventually takes a hit. Range declineA 2019 analysis sampled data from 6,300 electric cars and found the average rate of range decline for a battery is about 2.3% per year. In real-world terms, that means that if you have an EV with 300 miles of range, as so many do now, in five years, you can expect to have a maximum range of 267 miles due to battery degradation. Of course, it takes forever to get a 100% charge, so most people charge to 80% to get back on the road.Every manufacturer has different projections for how long its batteries will last, but the U.S. Department of Energy has made its own predictions.According to the DOE, "Predictive modeling by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory indicates that today’s batteries may last 12 to 15 years in moderate climates," while those who live in "extreme climates" can expect those numbers to be in the eight- to 12-year range. As we don't have as much real-world data yet, this is largely speculative. The average vehicle on American roads right now is more than 12 years old.What about your car's EV battery warranty?The federal government mandates that EV manufacturers offer at least an eight-year/100,000-mile warranty on all EV batteries. California ups that to a mandatory 10-year/150,000-mile warranty. Assuming the warranty is transferable, this could be a future concern for the fourth or fifth owner with 100,000 miles on a used vehicle.What you can doWhile battery degradation is inevitable, there are two important steps you can take to slow it down:1. Avoid heavy acceleration and abrupt brakingAsking your battery to discharge energy rapidly over and over again essentially overworks it and causes it to degrade faster — it's a lot like constantly leaving your phone screen on.2. Maintain a charge between 20% and 80% Charge your battery when it reaches 20% and charge it to 80%. Most cars allow you to set the specific parameters and can cut off charging at a certain value. This approach puts far less strain on the battery's internal chemistry.

When the sky’s red at night, we’re in for mild weather. When Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow, we’re in for six more weeks of winter. And when Democrats start losing, we’re in for a lot of fearmongering about health care.Rep. Al Green’s (D-Texas) outburst during President Trump’s address to Congress last week was the latest example of Democratic health care alarmism. The Texas congressman waved his cane and shouted that Trump had “no mandate” to cut Medicaid before the sergeant-at-arms escorted him from the floor. The House later censured him for the disruption. Though Green is known for his dramatic antics, this was part of a well-established tradition.Republicans’ budget resolution is a good step in that direction, but they’ll need to work on their messaging to hold onto their House majority long enough to make a real difference.In 2017, Republicans controlled the House, Senate, and presidency, positioning them to fulfill their 2010 promise to repeal and replace Obamacare. The proposed American Health Care Act aimed to modify key aspects of the law while preserving others, but it ultimately failed in the Senate.The Affordable Care Act, signed by President Obama, barred insurers from denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions or charging them higher premiums. While intended to protect vulnerable patients, the policy led to higher premiums for everyone, including those already struggling to afford health care.Republicans proposed a different solution: letting the states place people with pre-existing conditions into “high-risk pools,” allowing insurers to charge them high premiums, and providing government subsidies to offset those costs. The chronically ill could access the care they needed without driving up costs for everyone. More doom, more gloomThis all sounds fairly tame and technocratic, but if you watched Democrats’ campaign ads leading up to the 2018 midterms, you’d get the impression that Donald Trump and then-House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Ohio) had personally executed every cancer-ridden grandma in the country. About half of the party’s ads that cycle focused on health care, especially the issue of pre-existing conditions.And it worked. Democrats picked up 41 seats, ending Trump’s trifecta.In 2022, Democrats were polling badly in the lead-up to that year’s midterms. Joe Biden was unpopular, the Afghanistan withdrawal had become a national embarrassment, and inflation was out of control. Right on cue, health care hysteria commenced. Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) laid out an 11-point plan for that election cycle, which included a proposal that — in his words — “all federal legislation should sunset in five years” unless Congress repassed it. While this proposal probably wouldn’t have had much effect other than creating more work for Congress, Democrats saw their chance and pounced. Then-Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) claimed Scott’s proposal would “end Medicare and Social Security and Medicaid.” The Democratic National Committee flooded the airwaves with the same alarmism. That November, Democrats managed to hold down their losses in the House and even expanded their Senate majority. While it would be an overstatement to attribute their strong performance to health care alarmism alone, it certainly didn’t hurt.History repeating?Today, the Democrats find themselves in a similarly precarious situation. Republicans, once again, have a trifecta, and Trump is basking in the best approval ratings of his political career. Democrats have so far failed to marshal an effective resistance or even settle on a cohesive message — so they’re breaking out the old playbook. Green’s theatrics about proposed Medicaid cuts attracted plenty of attention, but his fellow Democrats are starting to parrot the same talking points. Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) recently warned that House Republicans’ plan “could take health care away from up to 25 million Americans.”In reality, this is just more fearmongering. Advocates of socialized medicine like Wendell Potter, who quit his job as a Cigna executive to shill for single-payer health care, insist that expanding Medicaid is simply “the right thing to do.” Even though ironically, he also explained elsewhere how insurers turn Medicaid into their own personal piggy bank.Sticking millions of more people on Medicaid — including illegal immigrants, if some Democrats have their way — hurts the very people it’s designed to help. Since Obama raised the eligibility threshold to 138% of the poverty line, the result has been overcrowding, provider shortages, and massive cost overruns. It would be very convenient if lawmakers could fix American health care by throwing more money at it, but that’s simply not the case. Comprehensive reforms are needed to tackle systemic issues of waste, fraud, and inefficiency. Republicans’ budget resolution is a good step in that direction, but they’ll need to work on their messaging to hold onto their House majority long enough to make a real difference. Otherwise, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) will ride a blue wave of health care alarmism straight to the speaker’s chair in 2026.

Bill Maher's Attempt to Get Batya Ungar-Sargon to Admit Regretting Support for Trump Backfired Just a Bit

Hell Hath No Fury: Kyrsten Sinema TORCHES Democrat Politicians and Pundits Over the Filibuster

‘You Can’t Even Get In’: Border Patrol Drops Epic Video Flexing on the Secure Border

I've been waiting for Apple to make a foldable iPhone ever since the first-generation Samsung Galaxy Z Fold, and it's finally happening. Nearly a decade after Samsung made its first foldable, Apple will launch a similar book-style foldable iPhone. That's next year, according to most reports, and we're getting more and more leaks that suggest the device's launch is certain. Recent leaks detailing the foldable iPhone have mentioned exciting specs. The foldable iPhone should be very thin and feature a novel hinge mechanism preventing the display from creasing. According to reports, the disappearance of the crease is a top priority at Apple. The foldable iPhone should also have a different aspect ratio than the Galaxy Z Fold models. The screen sizes that appeared in these reports indicate the foldable would not be as tall as other rivals, resembling an iPad mini when unfolded. Finally, reports say the first-gen foldable iPhone might cost between $2,000 and $2,500. That's more than twice the price I'd pay for an iPhone Pro. It's also more expensive than the usual Fold-type foldable, which retails for under $2,000 before trade-ins and deals. However, the price wouldn't be the main dealbreaker for me. A recent report from Ming-Chi Kuo said the iPhone Fold might replace Face ID with Touch ID. I will have used Face ID for nearly ten years by the time the iPhone Fold launches. It's one of my favorite iPhone features, and I can't imagine an iPhone experience that lacks Face ID. Continue reading... The post Foldable iPhone without Face ID might be a dealbreaker for me appeared first on BGR. Today's Top Deals Today’s deals: $10 Amazon credit, $679 Apple Watch Ultra 2, $149 Bose earbuds, $90 Samsung 1TB microSD, more Amazon gift card deals, offers & coupons 2025: Get $395+ free Best Fire TV Stick deals for March 2025 Today’s deals: $399 iPad mini 7th-Gen, $56 Anker Soundcore ANC headphones, $4.50 iPhone chargers, more