The Federal Reserve unanimously raised its benchmark interest rate by a quarter percentage point Wednesday, rebuffing President Donald Trump&#8217;s calls for lower borrowing costs.
The Federal Open Market Committee lifted the target range for the federal funds rate from 3.5%-3.75% to 3.75%-4.0%. It was the central bank&#8217;s first rate increase in more than three years, going against Trump&#8217;s calls to lower interest rates.
“Lower the interest rates,” Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jobs-report-smashes-expectations-see-the-numbers">said</a>. “Because the U.S.A. is a much stronger credit than it was just a short time ago.” 
Trump says the United States&#8217; strength should translate into lower borrowing costs. The Fed, however, is confronting inflation that has remained above its 2% objective for more than five years. 
Year-over-year inflation held steady at 3.4% during the 12 months ending in August, as monthly price growth accelerated on higher energy costs, according to data the Bureau of Labor Statistics released last week. The higher numbers were driven primarily by higher energy costs as oil prices rose amid rising tensions in the Middle East. 
Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh told Congress in July that policymakers would remain focused on bringing inflation under control.
 “The members of our committee have no tolerance for persistently elevated inflation,&#8221; Warsh said. &#8220;And we share a resolute commitment to restoring price stability.” 
Warsh explained recent inflation is hurting the American people. 
&#8220;It has been a tax on the American people and businesses. We plan on getting rid of that tax,” he said. “That means we need a regime change in policy, and we need new consideration of practices, some of which have been working, some of which haven’t.”
President Trump has previously blamed other Federal Reserve officials rather than Warsh for policy decisions in which he disagreed.
&#8220;They have a board and Kevin’s fantastic, but he’s got a board and the board members are very political, I would say,” Trump said when asked about the central bank in July. “I know what he wants to do, but you need the consent of some people that have, perhaps, bad intentions.&#8221;
Days after Trump’s comments, Warsh praised his colleagues and emphasized unity.
&#8220;I am truly lucky to work with colleagues so capable and mission-focused and so determined like I am, to sharpen the performance of the Federal Reserve,” he said. 
“Not one of my FOMC colleagues is under any illusion. We have begun a new chapter and we understand that the 5+ years of inflation above target cannot be cured in 9 weeks or by a single month of modest price decreases.&#8221;

Screenshot 2026-09-16 at 2.48.27 PM

President Trump Wanted A Rate Cut — The Fed Gave Him A Rate Hike

donald trump

federal reserve

inflation

interest rate

kevin warsh

politics

President Donald Trump said Friday that he reached a deal to increase beef imports into the United States with the goal of driving down prices. 
Trump said up to 300,000 metric tons of beef would be allowed to be imported into the country over a 90-day period without facing tariffs. Beef prices have increased by almost 12% in the last year, according to the most recent data from the Department of Agriculture. 
“Today, I concluded a deal to substantially lower the price of ground beef for working American families. As everyone knows, under President Biden, beef prices soared at their fastest rate and the American beef herd fell to its smallest size in modern history,” the president wrote on Truth Social. 
“As we work to rebuild this herd and help our ranchers, for the next 90 days, the United States will allow up to 300,000 metric tons of product for ground beef to be imported with no out of quota tariff,” he added. “We have a commitment that this beef will be sold at 25 percent below current market prices. This deal will reduce prices for Americans while giving space for our Great American Beef Herd to grow again.”
Research <a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-price-outlook/summary-findings">indicates</a> that the American cattle herd has fallen to its lowest level in 75 years and the Economic Research Service recently noted that “wholesale beef prices remain at all-time highs for this time of year.” In June 2026, beef and veal prices were up 11.8% from June 2025 and prices are predicted to only increase. 
Beef prices have been a persistent problem for Trump throughout his second term. He has taken numerous actions aimed at reducing prices, including signing an <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/02/ensuring-affordable-beef-for-the-american-consumer/">executive order</a> in February 2026 increasing the amount of beef Argentina could export to the United States. 
That executive order noted the declining American cattle herd, the threat of New World screwworm, and persistent wildfires in cattle-producing states. 
Trump <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/releases/2025/11/trump-administration-cracks-down-on-foreign-owned-meat-packing-cartels/">also directed</a> the Justice Department to launch investigations into meat packing companies over alleged collusion to drive up prices. 
“This decisive action targets the foreign-dominated conglomerates that control America’s meat supply and have been accused of artificially inflating prices at the expense of farmers, ranchers, and working families,” Trump said at the time. 
Food prices could play a role in the midterm elections as Democrats across the country are running on the issue of affordability.

US-POLITICS-TRUMP

Trump Just Went After A Grocery Staple That’s Been Hammering Americans

beef prices

tariffs

us department of agriculture

With less than three months until the 2026 midterm elections, the GOP appears to be flailing. Some of this is to be expected: Voter backlash against the party that controls the White House is the norm in the midterms; Donald Trump demonstrated in both 2016 and 2024 that while he can turn out enough votes to win a presidential election, a chunk of voters who back him also sour on him relatively fast once he’s actually in office.
Still, one additional worry is the GOP’s poor approval ratings on the economy, and voters shifting trust to Democrats on this key issue. It has a lot of conservatives, moderate Republicans, and right-libertarians asking what can be done to eke out victories and prevent a DSA-infused Democratic Party from taking the House, and potentially also the Senate, in November. Ultimately, while success will be exceedingly tough to manage, there are a few things Republicans could be doing right now to right the ship — or at least stop the bleeding.
Let’s start with policy. While few voters actually vote on it, they certainly respond to its effects. But what can have an almost immediate impact? The good news is that there are boatloads of executive actions the Trump administration could take right now to curb inflation, especially for everyday items like gas and groceries. The bad news is that several big items will be anathema to Trump because of his core ideology, and getting him to sign on will be almost impossible.
Let’s start with what’s easy…ish.
Trump should immediately order the Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission to shift their attention away from investigations focused on companies whose products are either free or very cheap — in other words, Big Tech — and get very visibly and vocally aggressive with big market players who are legitimately driving prices up across a variety of sectors.
Yes, taking Big Tech out of the firing line will piss off Vice President JD Vance and some of the “edgelord” constituency, and yes, this will be viewed as distasteful and gross by a lot of the Paul Ryan types who still make up much of the GOP donor class and some of the voting base who reflexively oppose antitrust action.
But for my money, it’s pretty hard to argue that <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-accuses-foreign-owned-meat-packers-of-inflating-u-s-beef-prices">big meat conglomerates</a> like Brazilian giant JBS are not driving up beef prices, or that big hospital systems like <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-sues-new-york-presbyterian-hospital-anticompetitive-contracts-increase">New York-Presbyterian</a>, <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-requires-ohiohealth-stop-using-anticompetitive-healthcare-contract-terms">OhioHealth</a> (and countless other smaller systems like, say, UCONN Health in my own state, which was accused of trying to hike rates billed to United Healthcare by <a href="https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/community-health-center-stop-accepting-united-healthcare-insurance/3621939/">45% in just one year</a> and <a href="https://www.ctinsider.com/business/article/hospitals-insurers-uconn-health-cigna-ct-22245432.php">expanding specifically so it could bill higher rates</a>) are not driving up underlying health care prices, which means higher insurance premiums. Big real estate players like <a href="https://redstate.com/redstate-guest-editorial/2026/07/19/the-real-reason-buying-a-home-costs-so-much-n2204487">Zillow</a> have also been accused of pushing property prices higher. Federal probes of at least two of these entities are already underway.
But Trump could get noisier about this and use the bully pulpit more, including against drug companies that are pushing inflation-stoking price hikes. Will he be decried by his opponents for engaging in quasi-mob tactics to force price decreases or tapered future hikes? Sure. But this is one area where his Queens-guy brawler instincts might actually pay off for the American people. And haters gonna hate anyway, right?
There are other things Trump could do, too — though they’ll be tougher for him to get on board with, given his own policy preferences and firmly held beliefs.
First, Trump needs to nix all tariffs he has instituted, and go further, by rolling back inherited tariffs from prior administrations. In tandem with this, action should be taken to maximize the refund of all tariffs paid by consumers that were subsequently found to have been unconstitutionally levied directly to those consumers. It is readily apparent at this point that tariffs have <a href="https://www.fox5vegas.com/2026/04/14/tariffs-drive-up-grocery-prices-squeeze-independent-stores/">driven prices higher</a> and hit grocery prices particularly hard. So while this will be tough for Trump to stomach, it needs to happen.
Second, Trump needs to take a good hard look at Vance’s foreign policy push and consider unilaterally drawing an end to military action targeting Iran. This will sit poorly with a lot of big GOP donors, and some GOP voters (full disclosure: Three or four days out of seven, I’d probably even find myself in their ranks). It might not bring gas prices down, and if it does, there’s only an outside chance that would happen in time for November. But if gas prices are a serious worry (and they make items like <a href="https://www.kold.com/2026/04/10/13-fact-finders-war-tariffs-packaging-drive-up-prices-consumers/">groceries more expensive, too</a>), then it needs to be given serious consideration.
Third, there is something else Trump could do right now to bring gas prices down — it just might piss off chunks of farm country. Higher-than-ever EPA-imposed ethanol blending requirements are currently estimated to be tacking on an extra 20 cents to $1.00 per gallon of gas while reducing efficiency. If this election is going to turn on gas prices, paring those requirements back could be a big political boon — and for the record, limited-government conservatives would love the policy, too.
A fourth item, trickier given President Trump’s hatred of windmills, is getting wind power online quickly to keep electricity bills low-ish as power demand surges. Right now, you cannot buy a gas turbine, with major manufacturers effectively sold out; a new gas plant won’t deliver power for a minimum of five years. A wind project comes online within 12 to 18 months. More wind could meet surging power demands and keep prices – and local taxes – lower in states like Texas, Iowa, Ohio, and Michigan.
But while all of these things are important, it’s also critical not to forget actual political strategy and tactics. If Democrats are trying to make this election about the cost of living, Republicans would do best to make it about something else — and on this front, goodness knows they are trying.
I’m unconvinced that much can detract from worries about inflation (I have maintained since I was a teenager that bad inflation numbers are the ultimate political death sentence, and the year 2024 bore that out well, globally). But it cannot be ignored that one reason why Susan Collins remains in contention in Maine is the voluminous dirt-digging and exposing operation that was stood up targeting Graham Platner, which has weakened Democrats in the state overall.
In Texas, God knows Ken Paxton is trying to make the race about Democrat James Talarico’s very fringe leftist views on cultural issues ranging from abortion to transgender kids. Will it work? Possibly not, because Ken Paxton is, well, Ken Paxton. And again, when every time you fill up your tank of gas or buy groceries, you are silently screaming at the bill, who does and does not believe in a nonbinary Jesus might seem just a tad irrelevant.
But shining a spotlight on Democrats’ own easy-to-understand liabilities (Platner’s alleged rape of an ex, Troy Jackson’s apparent ongoing intimate relationship with a cousin, Talarico’s very socially lefty views) could help on the margins. It might prevent a Democratic-controlled Senate, given how tight both the Maine and Texas races appear. It might help prevent Democrats from winning a huge House majority and make it narrower. That could be useful when Democrats try to impeach Trump again; they might not have the numbers within their own caucus to make it viable (if the John Fetterman types of the world prevail).
Shining a light on the role of the DSA and their arguable or overt antisemitism may also help in spots. For example, as the DSA has risen, Rep. Mike Lawler&#8217;s political fortunes have improved, even as the national environment for Republicans has worsened. The trend won’t be evident everywhere, but this liability could strategically be deployed in some races to improve Republicans’ performance.
Another thing Trump could personally do to try to turn the tide, or at least stem the losses, is spend down some of the very healthy funds currently warehoused in his various committees to aid vulnerable Republicans. In previous midterm cycles, the president has taken flak for being stingy with his own spending. Now in his last term in office, and facing a third, fourth, fifth, or even sixth impeachment — and potentially Democrats controlling the Senate, which would make a full impeachment trial a near-certainty — it might be time to stop hoarding campaign cash and deploy it freely to try to eke out some victories not currently in the cards.
The bottom line is that unfortunately, the result of November’s election is probably almost entirely baked in at this point, and no amount of policy or strategic changes will alter the outcomes. However, the real reason to make these changes is not political; it’s because making them will improve Americans’ lives by effecting better policy now, and — at least potentially — facilitating other, better policy outcomes in the future. That’s supposedly why politicians of all stripes and ideologies step up to serve, so hopefully it can be prioritized to a greater degree over the coming months.
***
Liz Mair is the owner, founder and President of <a href="http://www.mairstrategies.com/">Mair Strategies LLC</a>.

Trump Tries To Curb Birthright Citizenship Anew After Court Loss

Liz Mair: Trump Holds The Power To Republican Victories In November But Does He Have The Will?

2026 midterm election

susan collins

Eating out, entertainment, and vacations are among the first items on the chopping block for Americans looking to save money as prices remain high amid lingering inflation and the ongoing war in Iran.
People are also scrambling for ways to save on household necessities and extracurricular activities. Over <a href="https://www.parealtors.org/blog/75-of-americans-attempt-diy-projects/">75%</a> of Americans are attempting DIY projects instead of relying on expensive professionals. The most popular projects include painting, flooring, landscaping, and bathroom remodeling. The <a href="https://www.rubyhome.com/blog/diy-stats/">majority</a> of Americans say saving money is their number one reason for attempting DIY projects. Others are diving into projects themselves in hopes of boosting their homes&#8217; resale value.
“It absolutely still makes sense to pay for some things, but you just have to be a lot more deliberate,” Lydia Royce, a 38-year-old mother of two in Norman, Oklahoma, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2026/08/12/some-americans-say-theyre-starting-cut-corners-inflation-persists/">told</a> The Washington Post.
Royce said she’s learning how to install a French drain rather than outsourcing to a landscaping team.
Some Americans are putting in extra effort to find cheaper groceries. Sarah Bailey, 43, of Chattanooga, Tennessee, said she switched her family from seafood to pork for a cheaper protein. She’s also planning out her routes to ensure she takes the most fuel-efficient way for work, errands, and picking up her kids. 
“I’m just moving through life a bit differently,” she told the Post.
Some have coined these penny-pinching practices &#8220;revenge saving,&#8221; as Americans who participate go to extreme measures to save and avoid all unnecessary purchases. One of the approaches is a challenge to go 24 hours without spending money. 
&#8220;The beauty of revenge saving is that the minute you start saving, the thrill begins and will continue. The benefits grow as the savings increase through contributions, and, if money is invested well, through powerful compound growth,” said Bobbi Rebell, a personal finance expert at <a href="https://www.cardrates.com">CardRates.com</a>. 
Another trend is “loud budgeting,&#8221; a practice that has become popular among Gen Z in which people tell their friends and families how much they are able to spend on activities for the month to help normalize saving money. 
“Loud budgeting helps take an element of shame away from feeling like you don’t have enough money,” a financial educator <a href="https://www.nerdwallet.com/finance/learn/loud-budgeting">told</a> NerdWallet. 
Emma Edwards, the founder of the Broke Generation, said that loud budgeting goes against current norms. 
“We have this belief that our financial situation shouldn’t have to be an inconvenience to others, or we shouldn’t reveal ourselves as being on a budget,” she said.
Edwards describes loud budgeting as being upfront when something doesn&#8217;t align with a person&#8217;s financial goals, values, or capacity.

Close up on man’s hand holding twenty dollar bill, US currency, cash

All The Ways Americans Are Saving A Buck During Affordability Crisis

affordability crisis

consumer spending

cost of living

personal finance

Every few years, America picks a food to symbolize what&#8217;s wrong with the economy. Today, it&#8217;s the burrito. As a chef and restaurant owner, I can tell you something most people don&#8217;t realize — nobody in this business wants to sell a $20 burrito. We&#8217;d much rather sell you a great $10 burrito and see you twice a week; that’s how we make money (in the hope you buy a soda, too).
The problem is that the burrito has become a victim of inflationary monetary policy. Take one bite, and you’re eating the consequences of years of easy money in addition to higher wages, skyrocketing insurance premiums, expensive rent, credit card processing fees, taxes, and regulations (and hopefully not tainted lettuce).
Then there&#8217;s another reality no one likes to talk about — we&#8217;ve become conditioned to pay a premium for convenience. Many Americans stopped cooking decades ago. Then we stopped picking up takeout. Now we expect someone else to leave their house, wait in line, drive across town, and deliver dinner to our couch. By the time you add delivery fees, service charges, small-order fees, communist taxes, inflated menu prices, and a tip, that $12 burrito becomes a $22 burrito-bomb. Then the restaurant becomes the villain.
The irony is that the local taqueria isn&#8217;t getting rich. The independent restaurant owner is working longer hours for thinner margins than ever before. The customer pays more, the delivery app takes a cut — and if the customer complains for any reason, the restaurant pays the price. The owner typically loses money in this scenario.
That&#8217;s why the burrito has become America&#8217;s inflation index. It&#8217;s one of the simplest, most basic meals ever invented — rice, beans, meat, salsa, and a tortilla. When that starts feeling like a luxury purchase, something else in the system is leaking.
There is a silver lining: burritos are still one of the best values in cooking. Buy a chuck roast or pork shoulder instead of expensive steak. Slow-cook it once, and you&#8217;ll have enough filling for a dozen burritos — heck, just slow roast some chicken leg meat on a lazy Sunday, and you’re set for a few dollars per pound. Stretch the meat with seasoned pinto beans instead of trying to make meat the whole meal. You&#8217;ll save money and probably make a better burrito.
Always skip the pre-shredded cheese. Buy a block of Monterey Jack or mild cheddar and grate it yourself; not only does it lack the powdered cellulose you’ll find in pre-grated cheese, but it also melts better, tastes better, and costs less.
Making your own salsa is a must. It can take 60 seconds in a blender. Just add tomatoes, onion, cilantro, jalapeño, lime, and salt; it costs pennies per serving and beats almost anything from a jar.
Cook a big batch of rice once a week — rice is still one of the cheapest, most versatile ingredients in the grocery store. Mix in some butter, cilantro, and lime zest and juice, and portion it in baggies and freeze for use throughout the week.
Never overlook rotisserie chicken on sale (the cold one is usually cheaper). Pull the meat, crisp it in a skillet with smoked paprika, a dash of honey, and a pat of butter, and you&#8217;ve got restaurant-quality burritos for a fraction of the cost.
This is what cooks have always done: we stretch ingredients, reduce waste, and turn inexpensive cuts into memorable meals.
The answer isn’t to shame people for complaining about an $18 burrito, nor is it to accuse restaurants of greed. Instead, remember that great food always rewards a modicum of effort. Cook when you can and support your local restaurants. If you&#8217;re ordering takeout, consider driving five minutes to pick it up yourself. You&#8217;ll save money, the restaurant keeps more of the sale, and your burrito will probably be hotter when you get home.
***
Andrew Gruel is a chef, restaurateur, and Huntington Beach City Councilmember.

image_769d43e0

Don’t Buy The $20 Burrito Bomb; Make Real Food At Home

food prices

home cooking

opinion

restaurant industry

Grocery prices are too high; we all know it; we all get it.
They&#8217;re up about 35% since 2019 — first because of COVID-19, then because of Joe Biden&#8217;s inflationary policies. Inflation has slowed; grocery prices are up about 2.7% for the year right now.
But let’s set the record straight: Grocery prices are never coming back down to where they were in 2019. The only way for them to do that would be for us to experience a serious, actual deflationary episode, which generally means an economic depression.
Food inflation started to level out in 2023 while Joe Biden was still president, and has continued at a relatively tepid pace since. Yet the impression persists that the Trump administration isn&#8217;t doing enough to address inflation, in part because of the tariffs. Tariffs don&#8217;t target consumer prices; they target fairness in the production process and a level playing field with foreign countries
But there’s a far worse and more serious problem in the United States: Unrealistic, inflated utopian expectations.
Many young people have a completely broken set of expectations about life right now.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ben-shapiro-show-ep-2479?elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowHeadline=Recent+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-981859" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/ben-banner.avif" alt="" width="1024" height="171" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/ben-banner.avif 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/ben-banner-300x50.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/ben-banner-768x128.jpg 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
One student wrote, “A burrito shouldn&#8217;t cost 20 bucks.” Andrew Kolvet of TPUSA commented, “Yeah, a lot of this is a hangover from Covid and Biden-era inflation, but the lived experience is the same: It just feels like basic things cost too much.”
I agree things cost more than they should. But there is only one way in the United States of America in 2026 for a burrito to cost $20: You went to an expensive restaurant.
A burrito at Chipotle probably tops out at about $13. A top-shelf burrito option at Taco Bell runs $5.99 plus tax.
Let’s pretend that you&#8217;re a poor young student, as I once was. Or pretend you&#8217;re a dude who is just starting his work life and wants upward mobility, as I once did.
This is what you do: If you want a burrito, you head to the supermarket. Here are today&#8217;s prices via Instacart: You buy a package of 10 tortillas for roughly $4. You also grab a can of refried beans for $2.50, then grab some cheese, salsa, maybe an avocado, and nuke it in the microwave.
Boom, you&#8217;re talking about a pretty good burrito for less than $2, one-tenth of the price that student was talking about.
So what the hell are we even talking about here?
Unfortunately, this has become the mode for a lot of young people: “Why can&#8217;t I afford what my parents could afford when they were my age?”
Spoiler alert about groceries: You can. And even in areas for housing where deregulation has been the rule, you still can.
In fact, today you have more restaurant options, your food takes up a smaller share of your disposable income, and it is probably significantly better than it was back in 1950, when your grandparents were consuming, on average, about 1,000 fewer calories per day than you do now.
Food expenditure as a share of family disposable income in the United States has been flat at well under 10% since the mid-1990s. If you go back to when your parents were doing this, it was roughly 13% to 15%. But we&#8217;re constantly being told that we can&#8217;t even afford food, which is a wild exaggeration.
We are, if anything, a very overweight country, and all of this is yet another form of black-pilling.
Things can get better. There are things we can do to get government out of this business, and we should. But insane, outsized expectations of reality wreck politics. That’s because if both parties are promising you something that can never be achieved via politics, you will inevitably be annoyed. You will swivel over to the other side, and then they&#8217;ll fail, and you&#8217;ll swivel back to the first side.
Here is the deal: In the United States of America, we are fatter and richer, and we have nicer houses and nicer cars than in the past, and the food we eat is much, much better than it was for our parents, in general.
There are secondary distortions that follow from that. “You know what? We need to go back to the way it was. Our food system is broken. We need to go totally domestic. We&#8217;re talking about chicken coops in the backyard.”
I think our ancestors would have laughed at us trying to cosplay the 1850s, when it turns out that if we had lived in the 1850s, we all would have been miserable and smelly, crapping in a hole in the backyard.
Life was not great back then. In fact, if you take people from poorer countries today and you bring them to the United States, they&#8217;re not complaining about the status of our food supply.
There&#8217;s a woman we know from the Philippines. She&#8217;s wonderful, and she just brought her mom over from there. The family grew up in a shack in the Philippines with no actual floor, along with 10 siblings. When her mom came over, she walked into an American supermarket, and it blew her mind.
Why?
Because for most of the world, the luxury that we experience on a daily basis here in the United States is utterly unthinkable.
Our system is not broken. It is working really, really, really efficiently. We have one of the most efficient food production and delivery systems in the history of the world — and the cheapest.
According to the Foundation for Economic Education, the price of eggs declined 96% between 1919 and 2019. That means an unskilled laborer today can buy 24 times as many eggs as an unskilled laborer could a century ago for the same amount of work.
Does this mean everything is perfectly ideal? No. We could probably reduce food prices by 5% to 10%. All you&#8217;d have to do is eliminate tariffs and ramp up American oil production.
There is so much black-pilling, so much doom-scrolling, so much “America is terrible. Everything&#8217;s awful. No one can afford anything.”
None of this is to claim that everything is ideal.
But there&#8217;s no such thing as ideal. Everything is comparative.
Donald Trump versus Kamala Harris. Trump is far better.
America versus other countries. America is far better.
America&#8217;s living situation now versus your parents’ living situation. Comparatively, America is far better now.
Economics is a study in trade-offs. If you&#8217;re on the Right and you spend all day complaining about the production side — “What if all of our labor was both domestic and unionized and we got rid of technology? And what if all of our food was produced in Iowa and was totally organic?” — then you don&#8217;t get to complain about the prices being too high. All of your inputs just doubled.
If you want prices to go down, end the tariffs, ramp up market-based incentives for innovation, and break up useless unions. Prices will go down.
There&#8217;s one kind of silly critique that I&#8217;ve heard online. “We need to stop being distracted by foreign wars. It&#8217;s the foreign wars that are causing the food inflation.”
No, it isn&#8217;t. The war in Iran has had basically no impact on food prices in the U.S.
Here&#8217;s the food inflation percentage increase between 2016 and 2026: 2023: 2.7; 2024: 2.5; 2025: 3.1; 2026: 3.0.
That is not a gigantic bump based on the war in Iran.
If you actually want the prices to go up, you should leave Iran in charge of the Strait of Hormuz so it can keep throttling up or throttling down our prices at will, based on oil shocks.
Losing wars to failed dictatorships seeking nuclear weapons is not a brilliant trade strategy.
But put all that aside and go back to the larger point: The Right is doom-pilling; it is black-pilling, and right now it is having an impact.
Not everything in America does, in fact, suck. Things are quite good by any historical standard — much better than if Kamala Harris had been president.
That may not be a winning message in 2026, but I can tell you what a losing message looks like: “America totally sucks under Trump, and if you elect more Republicans, it will surely continue to suck. What we need is a Tucker Carlson third party. What we need is a common-good conservatism third party that totally changes everything that&#8217;s been done. Elect Democrats. Split the GOP vote. Then it&#8217;ll get better.”
This demoralization is what the black-pillers are doing right now.
Don’t buy into it.

IMG_5698

The Black Pill Trap

grocery prices

joe biden

Mamdani’s Grocery Plan Takes Shape In Economic Policy Shift

The Hidden Reasons Grocery Prices Are Still Rising

new york city

socialism

zohran mamdani

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is blaming President Donald Trump for a recent surge in homelessness that has left thousands more people living on the streets of the so-called City of Angels.
<a href="https://www.foxla.com/news/los-angeles-homelessness-expected-rise-3-5-sources-say-ahead-lahsa-count">FOX11 reported</a> that homelessness in America&#8217;s second-largest city is expected to rise by about 3.5% when the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority releases new data Friday.
Ahead of Friday&#8217;s official release, FOX11 reported that the city estimates roughly 45,000 people are living on its streets—an 8% increase from last year—underscoring Los Angeles&#8217; ongoing struggles with homelessness and quality-of-life issues.
The looming report also undercuts Bass&#8217; campaign narrative that homelessness has significantly dropped under her rocky tenure. Her signature Inside Safe initiative has spent <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-04-05/under-la-mayors-300-million-homeless-program-40-have-returned-to-street">more than $300 million</a> to move roughly 5,800 people into interim housing, mostly hotels and motels, but about 40% have since returned to the streets, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/could-spencer-pratt-be-l-a-s-outsider-hero">The Daily Wire</a> reported. Just one in four participants has reached permanent housing, at a cost of more than $200,000 per permanent placement.
To explain the recent surge, Bass turned to her party’s favorite political punching bag: President Trump. 
&#8220;For two years straight, we drove down homelessness by historic margins — but as expected, last year our efforts ultimately couldn’t keep up with policies and funding cuts on the federal and state levels,&#8221; Bass said, according to FOX11. &#8220;The Trump administration has driven up the cost of gas, groceries, and rent — pushing more families to the edge — and slashed critical safety net funding.”
The embattled mayor, who is facing a stronger-than-expected challenge from her left flank, also took aim at Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom&#8217;s handling of the state budget.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
WATCH: Inside sources tell me L.A.’s homeless count is expected to rise… ending two straight years of reported declines.
The official numbers won’t be released until Friday, but multiple sources familiar with LAHSA’s latest count say homelessness is trending upward in Los… <a href="https://t.co/sUYPMVcN54">pic.twitter.com/sUYPMVcN54</a>
— Matthew Seedorff (@MattSeedorff) <a href="https://x.com/MattSeedorff/status/2080162994324144515?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 23, 2026</a></blockquote>
“And, last year’s state cut of over $70 million severely impacted our work to keep people housed and get more Angelenos off the streets,” she said in a <a href="https://x.com/MattSeedorff/status/2080161071936221606?s=20">statement</a>. “The lack of adequate services continues to be a real problem and a contributing factor to people cycling in and out of homelessness, and these services are controlled by LA County.” 
The latest figures come as little surprise to many Los Angeles residents, including billionaire real estate developer Rick Caruso, who unsuccessfully challenged Bass in the 2022 mayoral race. “I doubt anyone living in LA is surprised,” he <a href="https://x.com/RickCarusoLA/status/2080334679530758318?s=20">said.</a>  
Some residents questioned the city&#8217;s count, arguing the actual homeless population is far higher than reported.
“I don’t listen to the numbers, my eyes are better than numbers,” one man <a href="https://x.com/RickCarusoLA/status/2080334679530758318?s=20">told FOX11</a>, in a report showing littered streets, vandalized buildings, and open drug use. 
Leftist L.A. City Councilmember Nithya Raman will face off against Bass in the November mayoral election after <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/spencer-pratts-race-has-been-called-see-the-results">troves of late-arriving ballots</a> locked Republican Spencer Pratt out of the race.
Pratt’s viral campaign ads tapped into the reality TV star’s savvy social media background to push a message of change in a city plagued by chronic challenges. His platform captivated nationwide attention but ultimately fell flat in a deep-blue city dominated by leftists. 
His election defeat, however, has not stopped the Palisades wildfire victim from speaking out against the city’s leadership.  
“SHOCKER&#8230;the LA homeless count is going UP!” Pratt <a href="https://x.com/spencerpratt/status/2080284771846918154?s=20">said</a> Thursday. “I warned you guys: the more homeless people, the more money Nithya Raman and Karen Bass can launder through their corrupt NGOs. You will NEVER fix this problem by electing people who profit off it.”

US-HOMELESS-CENSUS-LOSANGELES

L.A. Mayor Blames Trump For City’s Homelessness Surge

california

Democrats

gavin newsom

homelessness

Housing

Housing Crisis

karen bass

los angeles

News

nithya raman

President Trump

Rick Caruso

spencer pratt

Jet fuel prices have fallen 40% since peaking in April, but airlines say strong demand and limited supply are keeping fares elevated despite lower fuel costs.
Fuel is one of an airline&#8217;s largest expenses, and carriers often cite rising fuel prices as a reason for increasing fares. But airline executives say strong demand has kept the fares high even as fuel costs have declined, boosting profit margins.
“I’m actually very bullish that the industry will retain a much higher percentage of the fare increases than would be typical historically,” Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan said in May. 
Delta CEO Ed Bastian echoed that sentiment, saying the airline expects to keep fares high. 
“Fuel recapture is going to be important no matter what we do, and the degree to which we can retain any of the pricing strength that we talked about from industry rationalization, that will certainly help us boost our margins this year and clearly into next year as well.” 
Bastian <a href="https://www.fool.com/earnings/call-transcripts/2026/06/02/delta-dal-q1-2026-earnings-call-transcript">said</a> Delta&#8217;s higher fares are projected to recapture only 40-50% of the roughly $2 billion headwind the airline faced in the second quarter. He argued fares are unlikely to fall until airlines can add more capacity. 
&#8220;Prices will come down when we can fly more, when there’s more supply, it’s a supply and demand. Right now we’re kind of logjammed,” Bastian said.
He attributed part of that bottleneck to congestion in the nation&#8217;s air traffic control system.
“As you open up the skies, and you bring more flow, that&#8217;s going to help bring pricing down and enable us to bring more people to more places.”
The current pricing environment resembles the pattern following the 2022 spike in oil prices, when West Texas Intermediate crude, the U.S. benchmark for oil, traded near $120 per barrel.
After fuel prices began falling in early 2023, Delta President Glen Hauenstein <a href="https://www.fool.com/earnings/call-transcripts/2023/01/13/delta-air-lines-dal-q4-2022-earnings-call-transcri/">told</a> investors the company intended to maintain the fare increases for as long as possible. 
“As we think about how we do fuel recapture on the way up… we are going to keep as much of it as we can.” 
Southwest executives struck a similar tone. During its January 2023 earnings call, Chief Commercial Officer Ryan Green said, &#8220;It&#8217;s a strong fare environment now, and, you know, I expect that to continue.” 
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers have shifted more of their discretionary spending toward the &#8220;experience economy,” which has helped keep demand for travel strong.

Southwest

Jet Fuel Is 40% Cheaper. So Why Aren’t Flights?

Air and Space

air travel

Airlines

business

Travel

President Donald Trump took credit for Walmart cutting prices on summer staples like ground beef and corn on the cob as he continues to pitch his economic message ahead of the midterm elections. 
Trump said Monday that the price cuts were made at his administration’s request and praised the retail giant as a “truly patriotic company.” The cuts come as Trump has battled lingering inflation, including elevated gas prices. 
“Great news! I have just been informed that one of the biggest, best, and smartest Retailers in America, Walmart, will be lowering prices, by a lot, at my Administration&#8217;s request to celebrate our great Country&#8217;s 250th birthday,” the president posted on Truth Social. 
“Walmart will, in particular, be dropping the price for a pound of ground beef by almost 15%, among many other products. This is a huge deal for the many millions of Americans who, smartly, shop at Walmart, which is a truly patriotic Company who loves the U.S.A.,” Trump added. 
Walmart announced after Trump’s statement that the price per pound of beef would be cut by around 12%, from $6.74 to $5.94. The cost of a 2.25 pound bag of red cherries would go to $5.63 from $11.18, and corn on the cob would be $0.25 each instead of $0.68.
Walmart announced that prices on ice cream, potato chips, disposable plates, and soda would also be dropping.
“From backyard barbecues and family vacations to pool days and neighborhood gatherings, the savings are designed to help customers and members make the most of the season while spending less on the products they need, want and love most,” Walmart said. 
Sam’s Club also announced cuts to meat products like chicken wings, hot dogs, ground beef, and pork ribs. 
Trump has pinned inflation on the historic jump in prices during the Biden years. The latest inflation report from May 2026 <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/inflation-passes-unfavorable-mark-for-first-time-since-2023">showed</a> prices rising 4.2% on the year, the largest jump since 2023. Those increases were largely driven by energy price increases driven by the war with Iran. Those prices have started to decline with the average price per gallon now under $4.00 nationally. 
“Just as I promised, Oil Prices are plummeting FAST, and Gas Prices at the pump are dropping too, just like egg and Prescription Drug prices which I am bringing down by historic levels,” Trump said. “Walmart is stepping up in a big and bold way, and other Retailers should follow the lead of these absolute Patriots.”

Trump/Summer cookout

Trump Takes Credit After ‘Truly Patriotic’ Retail Giant Slashes Prices On Summer Items

economy

walmart

Affordability Crisis

The Hidden Reasons Why You Can’t Afford A House

affordability

House Prices

illegal immigration

In 1992, Barenaked Ladies released “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aynCgnbbgbM">If I Had $1,000,000</a>,” a track detailing all the things they’d buy with those stacks of cash. Offering little in the way of social commentary and more in the way of silly fun, the song became a crowd favorite despite never being a single nor having a video made for it. And at the time, it was accurate. One could buy quite a few things with $1,000,000 in 1992. Arguably, $1,000,000 in 1992 would make one rich.
In 2026, not so much. To achieve <a href="https://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm">comparable purchasing power</a> in 2026, one would need $2,361,684.28, a 137% increase. And not everything is <a href="https://www.in2013dollars.com/us/inflation/1992?amount=1000000%23">staying on track</a> with that inflationary level. For example, had Barenaked Ladies bought the house mentioned in the song in 1992, the median price was around $120,000. Since that time, the cost of housing has increased by 158%. Medical care is up 211%. Food and beverage grew by 148%.
One bright spot is that the emu they considered purchasing has gone in the opposite direction. Back in 1992, emu farming was a highly speculative business. To buy one, you’d have to pony up between $18,000 and $25,000. Today, you can get an emu for a mere $800-$2,500, making it one of the few times Homer was correct to ignore Marge’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/LAfxAr-sqto">advice</a>.
If your job at the nuclear power plant forces you to go back to college, though, you’re facing an entirely different animal. In 1992, the average tuition for a state school was $2,349. Today, it’s $10,340, an increase of 340%. On the plus side, though, universities have drastically watered down course difficulty, making it that much easier to earn a degree that doesn’t truly prepare kids for a rapidly changing world.
The problem isn’t really the inflation, though inflation in healthcare and education is an issue. The problem is that we haven’t inflated our definitions of wealth since 1992. Financial reporters and businesses, for example, love to discuss the changing behaviors of affluent shoppers. For example, did you know that people earning over $100,000 annually <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/02/20/how-walmart-won-over-wealthy-shoppers.html">shop at Walmart</a>? Does anyone think $100,000 is really that much money, though?
Because it’s not. The median individual income in the United States is <a href="https://www.fidelity.com/learning-center/smart-money/average-salary-in-us">$62,088</a>. Household income pushes that number up to $<a href="https://www.nerdwallet.com/finance/learn/median-household-income">83,730</a>. The individual number may be farther from $100,000 than the household number, but are we really going to pretend that an additional $17,000-38,000 is the difference between average and affluent?
On the business side, it’s easy to understand why frugal companies want to appeal to all shoppers. Wealthy people don’t experience economic downturns the same way as those working paycheck to paycheck. The wealthy can continue making discretionary purchases when the economy heads south, helping maintain profits, while those with tighter budgets cut back.
When it comes to members of the media who parrot those lines about the price of affluence, it does a disservice to the public, at least the portion of the public that still trusts mainstream media. (Current level: 28%, a decrease of 51.72% from 1992.) As such, it’s time to update the way we talk about these things.
For a while, Barenaked Ladies were just singing songs. We as a people need accurate information, including accurate information about what constitutes true wealth. To retire, you’re going to need at least a million. The median cost of a house isn’t quite half a million, but <a href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/MSPUS">it’s close</a>. We now have the world’s <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/spacex-ipo-elon-musk-trillionaire-net-worth">first trillionaire</a>, which is super impressive, but it is important to keep things in perspective.
Because having $1,000,000 isn’t all it’s cracked up to be in 2026. It’s important that you shouldn’t turn it down if you get the opportunity, but it’s not going to make you wealthy. So instead of mischaracterizing what it means to be a millionaire, let’s aspire to join their ranks, if for no other reason than we want to enjoy our golden years. And while we’re at it, let’s also refrain from using the word “rich” to denote having large amounts of financial resources. Instead, say “wealthy.” I’m Rich and, like Elon the trillionaire, there is only one of me. Unlike the trillionaire, though, I cannot fund interplanetary travel, especially not when gas is so expensive.
***
Rich Cromwell is a writer living in Northwest Arkansas. He produces the Cookin&#8217; Up a Story podcast, which you can listen to <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cookin-up-a-story/id1624969096">here</a>. You can also follow him on X: @rcromwell4

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