Stagflation arrives a bit early

(My new American Thinker post)

Like the relatives on their way to visit you, stagflation surprised by showing up a bit early.   As you may remember, stagflation was due in the summer or later this year.   Well, here it is, according to the latest news reports:   

Real gross domestic product (GDP) decreased at an annual rate of 1.4 percent in the first quarter of 2022 (table 1), according to the "advance" estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. In the fourth quarter, real GDP increased 6.9 percent.

The GDP estimate released today is based on source data that are incomplete or subject to further revision by the source agency (refer to "Source Data for the Advance Estimate" on page 3). The "second" estimate for the first quarter, based on more complete data, will be released on May 26, 2022.

Okay, so the final report will be here in a month. Maybe they will "revise" the number and put us back in the black or go deeper in the red.  I guess that we will learn soon enough, but going from plus 6.9% to minus 1.4% is bad news for voters paying more for gasoline and lettuce than ever.

Politically speaking, this report is terrible news for a White House desperately trying to put a happy face on things, from the economic consequences of the war in Ukraine to  the Federal Reserve Bank raising rates.   

Some of us are old enough to remember the last time that stagflation was around and it was not pretty.  I guess that I'll get a chance to see the 2022 remake of the 1982 movie.   I don't think I'll like the new one more than the old one.

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We will discuss Article 42 and "Remain in Mexico" with George Rodriguez

Guest: George Rodriguez, South Texas conservative........We will discuss the latest about Article 42 and 'Remain in Mexico' in the courts...

and other stories......click to listen:

https://www.blogtalkradio.com/cantotalk/2022/04/29/we-will-discuss-article-42-and-remain-in-mexico-with-george-rodriguez

Thursday's video: We will discuss Article 42 and "Remain in Mexico" with George Rodriguez

Thursday's video: 

We will discuss Article 42 and "Remain in Mexico" with George Rodriguez...

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Title 42: Saved by the judge?

 

(My new American Thinker post)

It looks like Title 42 will be around a bit longer.   

According to news reports, the Democrats running for reelection can thank a federal judge.   

Here it goes:    

President Biden's administration will comply with an upcoming order from a federal judge in Louisiana that is expected to block the removal of COVID-19 border restrictions.

The restrictions, known as Title 42, are a Trump-era health measure that has been used to deport more than 1 million migrants. The Biden administration had previously planned to end Title 42 on May 23, a move that would have resulted in a surge in illegal immigration. 

A Louisiana district court judge has announced plans to block such a move until Biden negotiates a deal with Republican border states. A senior administration official said the White House plans to comply with that order Tuesday, according to Politico.

"If and when the court issues the TRO [temporary restraining order] the department is planning to comply with that order," the official said, going on to complain about the decision. "It really makes no sense to us that the plaintiffs would demand, and the court would order, that [Department of Homeland Security] be stopped in its use in expedited removal, which is going to prevent us from adequately preparing for the aggressive applications for immigration law when public health expires."

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a plan on how to deal with post-Title 42 surges in migration on Tuesday. 

Listen closely.   

All of that cheering that you are hearing is coming from New Mexico and Arizona where a couple of Democrat incumbents are in trouble because of the border.

On Title 42, as well as the mask mandates or "Remain in Mexico," the Biden administration is just plain tone deaf.  

At this moment, the problem on the border is that the staff is overwhelmed and criminal elements are using the chaos to bring drugs into the country.   In other words, most fair-minded Americans are focusing on the lawlessness of an open border brought to all of us by an administration that won't even visit the area.

Let's hope that the courts save Title 42 for now and force the Biden administration to go to Congress for a resolution.  And please stop all of the talk about immigration reform or the other cliche about "our broken immigration system."  The only thing broken here is the administration's backbone or their inability to fulfill their responsibilities on the border.

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Biden vs courts plus student loans and more Twitter madness

The Biden border policies are in the courts....The Twitter story goes hysterical....Biden has a lot of problems.....Student need to pay back their student loans......Baseball said goodbye to Babe Ruth 1947....

and other stories.....click to listen:

https://www.blogtalkradio.com/cantotalk/2022/04/27/biden-vs-courts-plus-student-loans-and-more-twitter-madness

Wednesday's video: The Biden border policies are in the courts..

 

Wednesday's video:   

The Biden border policies are in the courts...

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Did Macron tell his staff to blow off Biden?

 

(My new American Thinker post)

Back in 2004, President George W. Bush was reelected and started getting the routine congratulatory phone calls.  I'm sure that he spoke with a lot of leaders, but he did not take a call from Spanish Prime Minister Rodriguez-Zapatero, because of what Zapatero had done in Iraq. Good for W.

It took me a while to believe this next story.  How does the reelected president of France not take a congratulatory phone call from the president of the U.S.?  It can't be true.  It must be one of those too-good-to-check stories that pop up in the internet. Unfortunately, it is true, according to the New York Post:   

President Biden said Monday that French President Emmanuel Macron didn’t come to the phone when he called to congratulate him on his landslide reelection.

Biden said he spoke with Macron’s staff instead on Sunday night as the French president partied at the Eiffel Tower -- requiring the US president to call back Monday.

“I feel good about the French election,” Biden said as he returned to DC from a weekend trip home to Delaware. 

“I tried to talk to him last night. I spoke to his staff and he was at the Eiffel Tower having a good time. And I’m going to be talking to him today.”

Okay, so they spoke the next day.  I think that they finally spoke after Biden called the NHL Commissioner "Gary Batman."  It's amazing what can happen when this President gets off script.

Of course, this is not the first time that a world leader did not take President Biden's call.  You may remember that Saudi and Emirati leaders declined calls not long ago.

Something is going on here with important allies "too busy" to talk to our president.  We understand that Mr. Macron was in the middle of a big party, but that's a bad excuse for not taking a phone call from the leader of the free world.  I don't care who you are but you always tell your staff to put the call through if the Oval Office calls.

We often talk about President Biden and how his public appearances may affect world leaders, friend and foe.  I think that President Macron is sending a message here that our President is not relevant or does not add prestige to his brand.

Sad, but what else do you conclude?  Again, we are talking about refusing a call from the President of the U.S.

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It's all about Twitter and President of France did not take call & more

It's all about Twitter and President of France did not take call & more 04/26 by Silvio Canto Jr | Politics: 

It's all about Twitter these days...President of France did not take call from President Biden...AG Garland needs to appoint a special prosecutor to look into the Biden family........and other stories.....click to listen:

Tuesday's video: It's all about Twitter and President of France did not take call & more

Tuesday's video: 

 It's all about Twitter and President of France did not take call & more

P.S.  You can listen to my show.  If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.

 

I guess it depends what the meaning of the word 'meeting' is

 (My new American Thinker post)

For as long as I can remember, people in positions of authority have had to deal with family members who want to exploit the name for gain. It's a huge problem in Latin America where a son or brother usually ends up with a mansion or large bank account.  

The latest such public figure is President Biden, who apparently never had the courage to tell his son Hunter to get a real job, or the common sense to tell him that appearances matter, i.e. don't introduce me to your business partners on public property.

We just learned that the dad-son connection may have been more active that we were told. This is from the Daily Mail: 

Hunter Biden's top business partner had met with then-vice president Joe Biden in one of 19 visits he made to the White House between 2009 and 2015, according to visitor logs from the Obama administration. 

Eric Schwerin, former president of Hunter's now-dissolved firm Rosemont Seneca, met with Biden on November 17, 2010, just as Hunter was striking multi-million dollar deals abroad, the New York Post reported.

The logs revealed that Schwerin made a total of 19 visits to the White House during Biden's vice presidency, with nine of those visits including meetings with Biden, members of his staff and members of Jill Biden's staff. 

Jill had a staff?  I thought that she was married to the vice president.  I did not know that the second spouse had a staff too.  Didn't Mrs. Biden understand that all these meetings smelled bad?

Why does all this matter?   

First, President Biden denied knowing what his son was doing. Second, voters can forgive you for having a crazy offspring but allowing him to get rich on your name or position is another matter. Third, it is indeed possible that President Biden does not remember details given his public performances over the last few weeks.

Maybe a special counsel is the only way to persuade voters that the whole thing was clean.   Attorney General Merrick Garland needs to appoint one or this cloud will only get darker over the Biden family.

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The week in review with Bill Katz the editor of Urgent Agenda

Guest: Bill Katz the editor of Urgent Agenda.........Crime in the city........Dr Crime in the city....Fauci vs courts......Disney vs Florida.....Are corporations avoiding woke?.....Woke medical schools?...Democrats worried about 2022.....NATO and new members....Bye bye CNN-plus....

and other stories.....click to listen:

https://www.blogtalkradio.com/cantotalk/2022/04/25/the-week-in-review-with-bill-katz-the-editor-of-urgent-agenda

Monday's video: Woke and businesses plus Joe & Hunter

Monday's video: 

Woke and businesses plus Joe & Hunter.....

P.S.  You can listen to my show.  If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.

         
                               

It's time to DFA Fauci

 

(My new American Thinker post)

As in the case of a pitcher who can't throw strikes, it's time for the manager to walk to the mound, take the ball, and send Dr. Fauci to the showers.  After the game, the team should DFA the good doctor, or Designate for Assignment.  In baseball, DFA means that it's over. It's time for Fauci to hang the uniform and go home to watch the news on TV.  We won't object if he throws a pitch at a Nationals' game.

A few days ago, a federal judge killed the airplane mandate.  Within seconds,  Fauci had to challenge the call and the Biden White House had to issue a statement:

The White House has contradicted Dr. Anthony Fauci on mask mandate decisions, saying that the judiciary plays an "important role" and simply made an "incorrect decision." 

"Obviously, the judiciary has an important role to play," White House COVID Coordinator Ashish Jha said on Sunday’s "State of the Union." "What you heard out of the administration, out of the Department of Justice, is the assessment that this is an incorrect decision and the DOJ is now appealing this decision."

A U.S. district court judge in Florida this week struck down the travel mask mandate for mass transit, leading to the Transportation Security Administration to announce it would no longer enforce mask requirements. 

What amazes me here is Fauci's arrogance.  How dare a federal judge, appointed by President Trump by no less, issue such an opinion on wearing masks?   How did that federal judge even issue that opinion without clearing with Fauci?

Your time is up, Dr. Fauci.  Leave gracefully and enjoy your retirement.  

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Maybe she likes being first lady too much

(My new American Thinker post)

It's nice to see that I am not the only one in the country who is talking about First Lady Jill Biden and elder abuse.  It's hard for me to see the president of the U.S., and that's what he is, without wondering what his wife must think about all this.  Then I found this post by Stephen Kruiser:

During the campaign, I kept mentioning that Biden must not have anyone who really loves him. I was mostly talking about his wife, of course. The United States is being subjected to this misery because Jill Biden is power-hungry and wasn't in a position to grab any herself. She doesn't care how history remembers her husband's presidency.

She has no qualms whatsoever about seeing her husband humiliate himself in public as he did when his old buddy Barack came back to the White House and left him wandering around looking for a friend.

DOCTOR Jill is perfectly content to let Joe finish his long career falling apart on television just so she can have everyone in Washington suck up to her while she's keeping the evil teachers' unions in bed with the president of the United States.

Does Dr. Jill enjoy watching this?  I guess Air Force One must be really nice.

A normal lady would have said something to the Democrats who focused on Joe after the early debates proved that President Trump would easily defeat the likes of Beto, Warren, and Kamala.

Yes, she would have reminded them that Joe is not up to it, that he is old, not a man up to the pressures of the office.

She would have opposed the whole thing because she loved her husband too much to see the humiliating scenes we are watching on TV.

Maybe I'm just being unfair, another partisan who voted against Biden.  Honestly, I don't think so.  All I can tell you is that most wives would not enjoy their husbands being kept from the media by some bunny or listen to the press secretary correct everything he says into an open microphone, such as confusing Title 42 and the mask mandates.

Come on, Dr. Jill.  Is this worth it?

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Friday's video: CNN plus and woke Disney hit the fan and other stories

Friday's video:   

CNN plus and woke Disney hit the fan and other stories

P.S.  You can listen to my show.  If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.

Killing Mickey by going woke

 (My new American Thinker post)

Are you surprised at the latest bad news for Disney?  I am not.  

First, you declare war on parents by pushing the woke agenda in movies and parks.  Second, the parents react by spending their money somewhere else.    

Then Mickey loses his stock value:  

Disney’s freefall comes as the company has embraced woke, far-left politics, specifically the exposure of young children to radical LGBTQ ideology. In so doing, the entertainment giant has alienated millions of customers and picked a fight with Florida GOP leaders.

Disney shares were down more than 5 percent Wednesday as investors remained skittish on streaming entertainment companies following Netflix’s disastrous first quarter results. Disney+ subscription results recently disappointed Wall Street when the company reported quarterly results in November, causing the stock to tumble.

The Mouse House also faces difficulties in Florida, where the state senate voted on Wednesday to pass a measure that would deprive Disney World in Orlando of its self-governing status.

Poor Mickey.  The crazy left killed you.  

I thought that the left got the message when parents delivered a blow to Democrats in Virginia in the last special election. Apparently, the "wokes" thought that Virginia was an aberration and the future belonged to them.  They learned nothing from Virginia, or all of those school board elections from coast to coast that left leftists in fewer positions than they started with earlier.

Now, they face the consequences of explaining their woke philosophies to the bean counters and the people who look at balance sheets for a living.   It's not going well as we can see in business news reports.

What a shame.  Disney entertained generations with wholesome humor and films like "Old Yeller" that we grew up watching.  Honestly, didn't you cry when Travis had to shoot Yeller?   Or "Swiss Family Robinson" surviving in some island and living in that home?

The stock or company had no trouble when they were making those films.   Now they've destroyed their brand name and decades of customer goodwill. Who told the geniuses running Disney that the public wanted to see LGBT-whatever values?   

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Disney down & Piers Morgan and President Trump & Recession next? plus more

Disney down....Piers Morgan and President Trump......Recession next?....CNN plus out of business.....Rome 753 BC....and other stories.....click to listen:

https://www.blogtalkradio.com/cantotalk/2022/04/22/disney-down-piers-morgan-and-president-trump-recession-next-plus-more

Thursday's video: Disney down....Piers Morgan and President Trump......Recession next?.

Thursday's video:   Disney down....Piers Morgan and President Trump......Recession next?

P.S.  You can listen to my show.  If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.

Making Mickey Mickey again

 (My new American Thinker post)

Down in Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis is pushing back against Woke Disney.  He is also getting a lot help from parents, as we see in this AMAC post:   

Disney – once “motherhood and apple pie” – now seems in league with those advancing profoundly inappropriate questions for little children, causing them to question political and sexual identities, in effect grooming, cultivating, and indoctrinating the young.

Disney slammed parents and the governor for preserving parental rights in areas as important to child development as it gets, that being security, identity, and proper timing for understanding sexuality.

The real question is why? Why did Disney decide to advocate for child confusion, moral depredation, misinformation, and miseducation, using their longtime positive image to drag children into Mordor, a place of worry, fear, confusion, and questioning of their parents?

How did a paragon of virtue, a place of relief and entertainment, a company known for supplanting worry with hope, fear with joy, anxiety with jubilation – become the reverse, a source of an attack on families, parents, childhood security, and a place of anxiety, worry, and political correctness?

Disney has lost its way. The time is now for those who think this way to stop. Parents have the right to raise their children, protect them, and guide their education in personal and sexual matters. In no world – not even J.R.R. Tolkien’s darkest Mordor – are little children used as social experiments. Parents across America are right – Disney’s new identity is wrong.

Disney lost its way?  It's more like it was hijacked by the left when we were too busy to pay attention!  

And why did that happen?  It happened because the left is more committed to winning than we realize.  They will push and push until they fill the school or corporate boards with their disciples.  

Along the way they intimidate weak people by calling them racist and homophobic.   

And then they make their move and the parents or Disney customers find that out that Mickey and Minnie are talking about Pluto's preferred pronouns.  Close your eyes and Mickey is flirting with Minnie.  Open your eyes and Donald Duck is telling Huey, Dewey, and Louie that they can choose their gender. 

Yes, the bad news is that the left does not quit.  The good news is that the parents woke up in time and will defend their children from this depravity dressed up as diversity.  It will be an ugly battle but the parents are the ones paying the subscriptions.

Hooray for the parents and for people like Gov. DeSantis who are not afraid to take on the left.

P.S.  You can listen to my show.  If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.