Free Republic

A new poll suggests Medicare for All could benefit Republicans in some of the country's most competitive House races, especially as progressive Democrats increasingly embrace the idea. The survey, conducted by Republican polling firm FabrizioWard on behalf of Seniors Matter for America, found that voters in battleground congressional districts would favor a Republican candidate by a 50 percent to 38 percent margin if the Democratic candidate supported replacing existing health coverage with a government-run system. The poll surveyed 1,000 likely voters across 37 House districts rated Toss Up, Lean Republican, or Lean Democrat by the Cook Political Report between August...

Investors on Wall Street and observers of the Federal Reserve in Washington largely expect the central bank to raise interest rates when it meets this week, but some prominent economists are warning that such a move could prove to be a mistake. They see the economy as more vulnerable to a steep slowdown in growth than commonly believed. The Fed’s job is to keep employment steady and inflation under control. If central bank officials raise rates on Wednesday, the goal will be to cool inflation. But these economists worry that a rate hike could cause a sharp cut in economic...

President Donald Trump is promising a $5,000 payment to every adult American citizen if Republicans retain control of both chambers of Congress in November. The proposal could cost roughly $1.2 trillion, require congressional approval and inject a massive new variable into the outlook for inflation, interest rates and federal borrowing. Trump Ties $5,000 Payments to the Midterm ElectionsTrump unveiled what he called the “Trump Dividend” during the Republican Party’s midterm convention in Dallas on Wednesday night.“Here is my promise: if the Republicans win the House of Representatives and the United States Senate, both of them… because of our tremendous strength...

Voters going to the polls in Sweden...latest set of polls showing a tighter race... Today's US inflation report showing the Consumer Price Index remained at 3.4... More than 3300 deaths now reported from the Ebola outbreak... 44 people hurt...train derailment in northwestern France... On the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States family members called on President Trump to hold Saudi Arabia to account... In Brazil...Supreme Court and Federal Police opening a corruption probe...leading opposition candidate Flavio Bolsonaro... North Korea launching a projectile eastwards... In the British House of Commons assisted death legislation failing... "BRICS" leaders...

Prices increases remained stubbornly high in August with little relief in sight for weary American consumers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that consumer prices rose by 0.4 percent in August month over month, leaving the annual CPI inflation rate at 3.4 percent, flat with the 3.4 percent figure in June. 'Apart from the hot core inflation, today’s data doesn’t even cover the most recent oil price spike above $100,' Nic Puckrin, markets expert and former Goldman Sachs analyst, told the Daily Mail. The August inflation numbers are the last impactful data report to come out before the Federal...

Diesel prices have climbed above an average of $6 a gallon in Arizona, putting pressure on truck drivers, business owners and consumers.

President Donald Trump used the Republican Party’s first midterm convention to justify the Iran war rather than trying to put it behind him, as escalating violence and spiking oil prices loomed over the elaborate Trump-centered showcase in Dallas. In a speech billed as an opening argument for the peak campaign season, he defended his record and encouraged supporters to vote as if he were on the ballot. He also debuted a new enticement, promising to reward Republican congressional majorities by giving every American a $5,000 dividend to spend within the country.

President Trump on Wednesday floated the idea of issuing every American adult a $5,000 “dividend” check if his party kept control of the House and Senate in November — an extraordinary offer that would cost more than $1 trillion and likely would require congressional approval. “It will be called the Trump dividend,” he said at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas. He added a caveat: The money must be spent in the United States, though he did not say how the government could track where private citizens used the funds. He offered few additional details about the idea. How could...

President Trump’s pledge to distribute $5,000 to every U.S. adult if Republicans win the midterms is drawing backlash from Republicans and Democrats as the president’s allies are forced to explain and defend the proposition. Fiscal hawks, including Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), openly questioned how the government would be able to afford to pay 270 million Americans that much money, while others have likened Trump’s proposal to bribery. “Maybe some of us think dependency is evil & soul-sucking in all its forms,” Roy wrote in a post on the social platform X, referring to Trump’s idea. Former Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.),...

President Donald Trump pledged that he will send a $5,000 dividend to all American adults if Republicans hold their majorities in Congress in November. Trump made the promise in what he called maybe “the best part” of his keynote address at the Republican National Convention in Dallas, Texas, on Wednesday before a packed crowd at the American Airlines Center. “If the Republicans win the House of Representatives and the United States Senate, both of them, because of our… tremendous economic success—like in history we’ve never had anything like what’s happening—but because of our tremendous strength and success economically, I will...

President Trump pledged a $5,000 payout to U.S. adults on Wednesday, but only if Republicans hold onto their majority in Congress come November. “Here is my promise: if the Republicans win the House of Representatives and the United States Senate, both of them … because of our tremendous strength and success economically, I will issue a dividend to every adult citizen in the United States of America for $5,000,” he said at the GOP’s midterm convention in Dallas, Texas. The legality of this disbursal is unclear. There are about 270 million adults in the U.S. Trump told attendees Wednesday that...

President Donald Trump pledged Wednesday to send every American adult $5,000 if Republicans retain control of the House and Senate in the midterm elections, an extraordinary gambit to reverse his party’s sagging fortunes in November. The dubious promise would likely cost more than $1 trillion and require congressional approval, and would further exacerbate the country’s nearly $1.8 trillion annual budget deficit and concerns about inflation. “If the Republicans win, you win with us and you get $5,000,” Trump said during the GOP’s midterm convention in Dallas. “It will be called the Trump Dividend.”

Crude oil prices jumped 3% on Wednesday as fighting between the U.S. and Iran escalates in the Persian Gulf, raising investors fears that energy exports through the Strait of Hormuz will fall. Brent futures were up 3% at $100.86 a barrel by 8:29 a.m. ET. It is the first time the international benchmark has crossed the $100 threshold since July. U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures traded 3% higher to $95.84. The U.S. military destroyed five Iranian crude oil tankers Tuesday in retaliation for attempted attacks on an American warship. The U.S. warship successfully evaded Iranian attack and no American personnel...

Inflation can make an investment account look far healthier than it really is. Once taxes are added, investors may discover that a significant portion of their apparent profit never increased their purchasing power at all.The Hidden Tax Inside a Long-Term GainConsider an investor who puts $10,000 into a stock, earns 10% annually and sells after 20 years.The investment grows to approximately $67,275, producing a taxable capital gain of $57,275.That sounds like an exceptional result. Yet if inflation averaged 3% during those two decades, nearly half of the gain would reflect rising prices rather than a true increase in purchasing power.Compounding...

Retaliatory tariffs issued by Canada are set to hit some imports from the United States soon after midnight on Tuesday, intensifying a trade war between the longtime allies and risking an escalation from President Donald Trump.Levies as high as 50% will be applied to hundreds of U.S. products, ranging from aluminum foil to raincoats to cheese. U.S. elected officials in states bordering Canada, including Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, have warned the trade dispute will hurt local businesses and consumers.

The U.S. economy added 162,000 jobs in August, more than triple Wall Street’s forecast, giving the Federal Reserve more room to raise interest rates despite President Donald Trump’s escalating demands for cuts. Hiring Rebounds After a Weak SummerNonfarm payrolls increased by 162,000 in August, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones had expected just 53,000 new jobs. The unemployment rate held steady at 4.1%, even as the labor force expanded by 683,000 people and the participation rate rose to 61.6%. Previous months also looked stronger after revisions. June payroll growth was raised from 20,000 to...

President Donald Trump on Friday doubled down on his threat to cut off trade with countries that have surpluses with the U.S. unless the Federal Reserve cuts interest rates. “What I’m saying, very simply, is that we should be paying the lowest interest rate in the world,” Trump said in the Oval Office Friday afternoon. He had been asked about his Truth Social post earlier in the day declaring, “LOWER THE RATE OR I’LL STOP TRADING WITH COUNTRIES WITH WHICH WE HAVE A DEFICIT.” Trump issued that sweeping ultimatum after urging the Fed and its chairman, Kevin Warsh, to “get...

President Donald Trump on Friday demanded that the Federal Reserve slash interest rates or else he will cut off trade with countries with which the U.S. maintains trade deficits. Trump issued the sweeping ultimatum in a Truth Social post reacting to a much-stronger-than-expected monthly jobs report by urging the central bank and its chairman, Kevin Warsh, to “get smart” and cut rates. Read Trump’s full post: Great jobs number just announced, breaking all estimates (except mine!) by double and triple - And you haven’t seen anything yet! EMPLOYERS ADDED 162,000 JOB IN AUGUST. Lower the interest rates because the U.S.A....

DALLAS — Motorists are expected to encounter the highest average Labor Day gasoline price on record in nominal terms, according to a forecast released Tuesday by fuel-savings platform GasBuddy. The company projects the national average will reach $4.03 per gallon during the holiday weekend, 87 cents higher than the $3.16 average recorded in 2025. The forecast would surpass the previous nominal Labor Day record of $3.83 per gallon, set in 2012.

Thank God, no, we aren't going bust as a nation, despite our gargantuan $40 trillion national debt. The rapid pileup of debt under Republicans and Democrats alike is certainly a disgrace and worrisome. When I came to Washington in the mid-1980s, our debt hit $1 trillion for the first time. It seemed like a tidal wave of red ink. Forty years later, we're at $40 trillion. That's a big and scary number. But our national wealth is roughly $180 trillion. So our debt-to-asset ratio, which has been rising, is still less than 25%, and much lower than at the end...