'General, you're not going to obey me?'

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'Rich people don’t feel inflation'

'Free speech is welcome on our campus. Violating laws or rules is not'

Our economic leadership often is discussed by way of dollars, but it’s about much more than that. It’s about the well-being of the American people. The economy has one purpose—to organize our labors to produce the goods and services that households need and desire. After all, the root word of economics refers to the household, which is the foundation of society. Though much of the conversation here will be about competition, there is another way to frame it: freedom. The freedom to build, to innovate, and to decide what your family needs to thrive. It is through economic freedom that a healthy competitive market arises. The economy isn’t a singular thing. It’s the collection of the work we all do in service to each other. That’s what gross domestic product is, not a dollar figure but rather a measure of some of the work we do for those around us. This process produces the products that enrich and extend the length and quality of our lives while preserving the resource that is truly most scarce—our time. Perhaps the greatest blessing of a dynamic economy is that it frees our time to be spent with our families and in our communities. Economic freedom allows us to use price signals to properly coordinate our work across billions of people the world over. It fosters the delicate process of experimentation and innovation required to improve quality of life and save time. With our families and communities on our minds, people are naturally risk-averse. The economic structures produced by free peoples in free markets lean toward stability and resilience all on their own. Risk aversion is itself something of value. However, these organic, prosperity-producing systems share the road with another entity, an entity that has the power to steamroll over road and sidewalk alike: the government. The work of Greg Werden, a Mercatus scholar and former chief policy economist of the Justice Department‘s Antitrust Division, highlights a stark example. Federal antitrust policy of the 1960s sought to make virtually all vertical contractual restraints and vertical mergers illegal. This policy had a disastrous impact on the ability to coordinate and produce resilient and innovative production chains, leaving our industry famously vulnerable in the decades that followed. This policy created chaos masquerading as competition. Taking on the most powerful monopoly that harms Americans – the uniparty government!pic.twitter.com/6XZmdlX1Ju— Richard A. Stern (@RichAStern) June 6, 2024 Perhaps counterintuitively to some, large market share does not make you immune to competition. My own tenure as a Hill staffer was long enough to see efforts to regulate Walmart morph into efforts to protect companies such as Walmart from Amazon. Blockbuster, of course, once had an impressive hold over the videotape rental market, and its one remaining store probably still does. However, most consumers have moved on to newer forms of content. The common denominator here isn’t government action coming to the rescue. It’s the constant march of technological progress that freed American families from the limitations of the past. We must be humble with how we wield the power of government. As a force monopolist, government isn’t checked by the limits we place on each other in a free market. Government isn’t accountable to the delicate process of coordination and innovation that improves quality of life. Americans’ increasing sense of economic malaise may be traced back to the reckless use of government. Until the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, our tax system had been among the most punitive of investment and complex on the planet. Meanwhile, federal spending has driven the dollar’s value down by 45% over the last generation. The government’s crowding out has added $350,000 in interest costs to a new, median-price home mortgage and denied many the dream of owning their own business. Our regulatory state has strangled growth to the tune of perhaps $53,000 per household per year of lost quality of life. These barriers to entry are especially acute for small and innovative businesses. In-house corporate lawyers and accountants offer benefits that no corner diner has access to. Many subsidies and regulations favor particular businesses over those of their competitors. As a nation, we have properly romanticized the role of an innovator tinkering in their garage, from Henry Ford to Steve Jobs. With these government barriers, are we truly surprised that we’ve lost our economic resiliency and leadership? If our efforts today are to be successful, we must carefully examine the most anti-competitive and most well-entrenched monopoly that exists: the government. This is a lightly edited version of Stern’s June 5 testimony before the Senate Judiciary subcommittee on competition policy, antitrust, and consumer rights. The post Wrecking the American Dream: The Problem With Today’s Economy appeared first on The Daily Signal.

A cat moved between neighbors' gardens. His whole world brightened when he was held lovingly in a safe home. YuriTheStrayCatClubA long-haired brown tabby found himself without a home after his family faced unfortunate circumstances. Left to fend for himself, he began wandering into neighbors' gardens, searching for food and a place to call home.The kind neighbors began feeding him and looking after him. Even though Nicola, one of the neighbors, had two cats who wouldn't accept a newcomer, she went above and beyond to ensure he was safe and fed."This cat had me in tears most nights. Not only did he want food, but he also wanted a nice, warm home," Nicola shared on Facebook. Yuri wandered between neighbors' yards for food after he was left to fend for himselfTheStrayCatClubThe sweet, gentle tabby lingered in the garden, waiting for the door to open. With a longing gaze, he approached the neighbor, seeking food and attention.Hoping to get him into a safe home, the neighbors contacted their local cat rescue, The Stray Cat Club, for help. Rescuers sprang into action, and one of their foster volunteers stepped up to welcome him into their home. He waited outside until the door openedTheStrayCatClubAfter wandering from garden to garden, the cat named Yuri was finally safe in the capable hands of his rescuers, no longer roaming the outdoors.Estimated to be three years old, Yuri arrived with a weary face, showing signs of having weathered the elements. While he was at the vet's office, they discovered he had severely fractured teeth, causing him significant discomfort. He had likely been living with pain for a long time. Yuri was rescued and quickly adjusted to indoor lifeTheStrayCatClubThanks to the tireless efforts of the veterinary team and the community's support, Yuri received the dental treatment he desperately needed. Soon after his bad teeth were removed, he bounced back resiliently, feeling like a brand new cat.He quickly adjusted to indoor life and lay down under a chair with his front paws tucked in as if he knew he was finally safe. He is cuddly and affectionateTheStrayCatClubWith a heart of gold, Yuri was immediately receptive to touch, turning on his purr motor whenever he received chin scratches. He melted into his foster carer's arms, eyes closed, as if trying to make up for lost time."Yuri has recovered well from his dental treatment. He is a sweet and affectionate cat who enjoys lots of fuss and attention, but on his own terms," The Stray Cat Club shared. He quickly claimed a spot on the bedTheStrayCatClub"He loves his cuddles but also appreciates some alone time to snooze and relax."Before long, he claimed a spot on the bed in the bedroom, lying on top of the comforter in a loafing position. He also rediscovered his penchant for watching little critters and neighbors through the window while basking in the warm rays. He rediscovered his love for sunbathing and watching critters and neighbors through the windowTheStrayCatClubYuri is a gentle soul who adores people and enjoys lounging on their laps, watching the day go by in good company.His world has brightened ever since he moved back indoors. He stretches out on a couch next to his people, drifting off to sleep as they watch TV. He keeps his people company when they watch TVTheStrayCatClubYuri loves looking into the garden and spending his leisure time savoring the little things in life. He's ready for his next chapter, where he can live peacefully and never run out of cuddles. Happy and lovedTheStrayCatClubShare this story with your friends. More on Yuri and The Stray Cat Club on Instagram and Facebook.Related story: Cat Left at a Walmart Seeks Help from Mechanics Nearby, Shortly After Being Found She Has Kittens

Portland Tagger's Home is Raided After He Appears in YouTube Documentary

Ukraine Pokes the Bear, Starts Talks to Join EU

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's dogs are featured in a fundraising ploy to solicit donations to the "Fight like Hell PAC."The bizarre plea for donations, which does not appear on the timeline of tweets on her @gretchenwhitmer X account, reads, "hello! Frends!! we are. KEVIN!!! and. Doug!!! Our HUMAN!!! is the GOVERNOR of Michigan!! our HUMAN works.. hard for job! none. of this would be paw-sible!! without your... support! will YOU throw us a bone!! (or TWO) before.. the big DEADLINE?" The post then adds, "–the goodest boys!! of michigan!!!"'When they write the textbook on cringe, this will be in chapter one.'A graphic features a photo of Whitmer with her dogs and includes comments such as "HUMAN! seems. worried about FIGHT!! like hell pac.. end of quarter... fundraising deadline. HUMAN! doesn't know. if team will reach. fundraising goal... we dont like... HUMAN to worry.. so PLEASE!! help HUMAN reach. goal by DONATING!! to FIGHT like hell pac TODAY!!"The graphic links to a page where people can donate to the "Fight Like Hell PAC.""When they write the textbook on cringe, this will be in chapter one," Michele Blood quipped."If I was actually funny I'd say 'Michigan has gone to the dogs' But instead I'm just wondering who approved this ad campaign for the Governor. Holy Moly," Daniel Burke wrote.Whitmer apparently has an X profile for her dogs. A "Star Wars" themed tweet on May 4th reads, "seeing this. post. you are.." The post adds, "giving us… TREATS!!!!! you will."The governor responded to the tweet, writing, "The force is strong with this one. Treats you will get, my little Padawans."Whitmer has been serving as Michigan's governor since 2019.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A donut shop owner said that he fought back against a tip jar thief because he was fed up with criminals taking away his livelihood. Niko Chea told KNBC-TV that he has operated Niko's Donuts in Redondo Beach for more than three years and has been robbed five times already. The latest episode was a man trying to steal from his tip jar, but Chea said he refused to back down. 'Niko just kicked his butt out and took the money back.' “If someone was in need, I always give them a donut or two. I don't mind that at all. But when you come and steal, that's a whole different story,” Chea said. Chea was fixing a sandwich when he saw the man grabbing money from the jar on his surveillance video. He rushed out to confront him. The video that was obtained and published by KNBC on its YouTube channel shows him grab the money back from the man and shove him out of the shop as stunned bystanders watch. “My first reaction was just to kind of lunge and get everything back from him,” he said. "Get out of here, bro!" he yells on the video. Chea said it was only a couple of dollars, but he took action to protect the business he had built up by working 11-hour days. “I love this community,” he added. “Everybody that comes in here is almost like family.” He says he has been robbed five times at the shop, including one time when people tried to break into his shop at 5:30 a.m. while he was still inside prepping the donuts on Dec. 30. “If I didn’t yell, they would’ve come in,” he explained. The robbers ran off with the cash register and a few hundred dollars in that incident. Customers found out about the incident and have come in to the shop to tip Chea and show their support. “When one person's trying to make a business go, a small business, it just breaks my heart to see anybody try to take that away from them,” said Pam Sunder, a donut customer. “It also scares me that we've got so many crazy people running around doing this kind of stuff, so I was really pleased to see that Niko just kicked his butt out and took the money back," she added. Niko's Donuts can be found on 190th Street and on Instagram. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!