Free Republic

On Friday’s broadcast of Bloomberg’s “Balance of Power,” White House Council of Economic Advisers member Heather Boushey responded to a question on whether the higher corporate taxes pushed by President Joe Biden will harm hiring by saying that “We need to make sure that the federal government has the resources that it needs to be able to do the things that it needs to do.” And that”businesses have a lot of resources, we’ve also given them a lot of subsidies and supports to go out there and invest.” Co-host Joe Mathieu asked, [relevant exchange begins around 7:15] “[H]e talked about...

A measure of wholesale prices rose more than expected in July, countering recent trends showing that inflation pressures are easing. The producer price index, which gauges the costs that goods and services producers receive for their products as opposed to those that consumers pay, rose 0.3% for the month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday. Excluding food and energy, core PPI also increased 0.3%. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones had been expecting an increase of 0.2% for both readings. Excluding food, energy and trade services, PPI increased 0.2%.

ActBlue, the main fundraising platform for Democratic candidates and organizations, said it raised nearly 25 percent more money in the first quarter of 2023 than it did during the same period four years ago, when the party was ramping up to defeat then-President Trump. The total amount of money raised in the last three months was 24.7 percent higher than the same period in 2019, the organization said in a release. ActBlue said there were 1.4 million unique donors, totaling $218 million with an average contribution of $36.75. The strong fundraising numbers for the platform, which also said the number...

Californians are expecting skyrocketing natural gas bills this month, but this can’t all be blamed on the weather, according to industry insiders. Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas), which serves about 5.9 million households and businesses, warned customers to expect “shockingly high” January bills that could be 128 percent higher compared to December. Those who typically paid around $65 a month last winter are likely to pay about $160 this year, SoCalGas said in a statement Dec. 29. Those with bills around $130 a month could see charges jump to $315. Last December, wholesale natural gas prices already cost five times...

When you’re an adult and look back on the places that you spent time in as a kid, chances are, they feel remarkably smaller than you remember. But 12 years later, that’s not the case with the San Francisco Art Institute, the gray monolith that now sits alone and empty in Russian Hill. The school, once famous for its maximalist Halloween parties and illustrious faculty, which included the likes of Ansel Adams, Dorothea Lange and Mark Rothko, recently made headlines after it graduated its final class — marking the end of a 151-year saga as one of the oldest art...

Endorsement record is 178-15 (92%) Here are the losses, 40% of which were in now corrupt Georgia, 33% were state legislators GA - Governor - Win - Kemp , Loss - Perdue GA - Sec of State - Win - Raffensperger , Loss - Hice GA - Attorney General - Win - Carr , Loss - Jordan GA - Insurance Commissioner - Win - King , Loss - Witt GA - House - Win - Collins , Loss - Jones GA - House - Win - McCormick , Loss - Evans ID - Governor - Win - Little , Loss...

As the US marks Memorial Day weekend and the unofficial start of summer, the seven-day average for COVID-19 cases in the U.S. are more than six times what they were a year ago. The Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center showed a seven-day average of 119,725 cases as of Saturday. That figure held at 17,887 cases on May 28 of last year. Despite the rising infection rate, COVID-related deaths were down from last year, a sign of increased immunity through vaccines and prior infections, along with wider availability of treatments.

Oil prices rose above $81 a barrel on Tuesday morning after the Biden administration announced the U.S. and other nations would release tens of millions of barrels of oil from reserves in a ploy to lower prices. The price of Brent, the global benchmark, rose by more than two percent following the announcement that the U.S. would be releasing 50 million barrels from the Strategic Petroleum Reserves. China, India, South Korea, Japan, and Britain are also planning to release reserves, the White House said.

Prices received by U.S. businesses for goods and services rose by much more than expected in June, the Labor Department reported Tuesday. The Producer Price Index rose 7.3 percent in June from 12 months earlier, the largest demand since 12-month data were first introduced in 2010. Compared with May, the index rose one percent. On average, this index rose by around 0.2 percent per month in the pre-pandemic Trump administration.

DENVER — Xcel Energy customers could see higher bills in 2022. The company submitted a proposal to raise rates to the Colorado Public Utilities Commission. They say the increase will help fund “next-generation technology investments that expand and strengthen the reliability of the electric grid for customers, advance Colorado’s clean energy policies, and increase capacity to meet growing customer needs and expectations.” Xcel said that since 2019 and through 2022, it will spend for $4 billion on the investments. How much will my bill increase? Residential customers would see their bills increase by an average of $9.46 a month, or...

President Joe Biden said Monday he was “not at all” worried about higher tax rates on corporations pushing American companies out of the United States. Reporters questioned Biden about his proposed corporate tax increase from 21 percent to 28 percent to pay for his massive $2.5 trillion infrastructure proposal as he returned to the White House on Monday.

The US topped 15 million cases of COVID-19 this week but that number is likely exponentially higher — by as much as seven times, a top Centers for Disease Control and Prevention official said on Thursday. Aron Hall, co-lead of the agency’s epidemiology task force, offered the startling statistic during a virtual hearing over Pfizer/BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine.

President Trump’s job approval ratings has not been noticeably damaged by the Ukraine Hoax and is still higher than Barack Obama’s. While it’s true that Trump’s approval rating was climbing, and climbed to 45 percent in the Real Clear Politics poll of polls prior to the media and Democrats launching their coordinated impeachment blitzkrieg, as of now it sits at 43.4 percent, not even two points lower. What’s more, Trump disapproval rating has barely increased, from 52 percent to 53.6 percent.

The billionaire Republican front-runner starts getting specific about economic policy proposals. Republican front-runner Donald Trump began to flesh out his economic vision for America, and it includes raising taxes on the wealthy. Trump said during a Wednesday interview on Bloomberg’s With All Due Respect that he would like to change the tax code. “I would change it. I would simplify it,” Trump told hosts Mark Halperin and John Heilemann from the lobby of Trump Tower on New York‘s 5th Ave. Specifically, Trump targeted hedge fund profits, which are currently taxed at a lower rate than regular income. “You’ve seen my...

I have given you My Children My access to the Kingdom of ZION(Heavenlies) and the Fullness thereof but many see this as a distant place but truly My Kingdom is more than near you for "I AM THE KINGDOM" and I reside "IN YOU" ( (( ZION ALIVE )) ) and so how can two walk together unless they agree as Enoch does even now ?! For I AM FOR YOU not against you and My Love is your Pathway to the Highway Of Holiness for I Command Love and I AM COMMANDER of You "MY ARMY". So Come Up...

(CNSNews.com) - After President Obama unilaterally changed his health care law on Thursday, the insurance industry issued a warning."Changing the rules after health plans have already met the requirements of the law could destabilize the market and result in higher premiums for consumers," said Karen Ignagni, president and CEO of America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP). Here's Ignagni's full statement:

President Obama will deliver a second inaugural address later this month. He’ll no doubt reflect on what he’s done during his first four years in office — and on his signature healthcare law in particular. Let’s reflect with him. During his first campaign for the presidency in 2008, the president promised that his health reform plan would “bring down premiums by $2,500 for the typical family” by the end of his first term. Well, that first term is just about up. And health insurance isn’t any cheaper. In fact, it’s more expensive. Premiums have increased by an average of $3,065....

NEW YORK (AP) — Pump prices kept marching toward $4 a gallon Thursday and signs of a stronger U.S. economy helped push the price of benchmark oil past $108 per barrel. Retail gasoline prices haven't fallen in 35 days, rising Thursday to a national average of $3.74 per gallon. Over the five weeks prices have increased 37 cents per gallon or 11 percent. Prices are being driven by the price of oil. They have never been so high at this time of the year. Wholesale gasoline futures rose nearly 2 percent to $3.32 per gallon, suggesting that retail prices will...

SmartMoney.com THE TAX GUY MAY 25, 2011 Just What You Needed: Higher Taxes The often-overlooked Social Security tax is expected to start rising again next year. ByBILL BISCHOFF While you hear a lot about the federal income tax, you don't hear much about the Social Security tax. That's odd because for many folks especially the self-employed Social Security tax can be the bigger hit. Here are some little-known truths about how the Social Security tax works and how much it can amount to. As an employee, your wages are hit with the 12.4% Social Security tax up to the annual...

RUSH: As we pointed out yesterday, 15 stories, negative stories blaming Bush for the gasoline price rise in 2007 and 2008. One story on Obama for every 15 Bush stories. So the question becomes: Will the media ignoring the rise in gas prices be able to keep that from becoming a major factor in people's minds over the economy and Obama's role in it? Remember, now, everything is focused on the reelection in 2012. The regime is looking at 8% unemployment. That's what they're going to get if they could do it. If they can get there by manipulation they...