Had enough yet

[Lee Chowaniec]

Seven million men have left the job market.

According to Mike Rowe 7 million American men are 'done' looking for work and have 'punched out' — here's why that's a serious problem.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/mark...07b32efbf4bc58

Men have been steadily clocking out of the American workforce since pre-pandemic times — even now despite there being millions of job openings and an uncertain economic climate.

While the U.S. labor market remains incredibly tight — with the economy adding another 517,000 jobs in December — around 7 million “prime age” men between the ages of 25 and 54 are reportedly sitting it out.

“They are affirmatively not looking for work. They've punched out. They're done,” TV host Mike Rowe said on The Brian Kilmeade Show, citing research from economist Nick Eberstadt.

Eberstadt first noted the decline in the number of men with jobs in his 2016 book, Men Without Work — a trend he says was exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. While plenty of workers were laid off or left due to illness, not all of them returned to the labor force — even after job openings picked up.
The Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank also found that 25% of prime age Americans aren’t currently working — and while some say they’re looking for jobs, but can’t find any, others are actively choosing not to join the job hunt. The report points to reasons like caregiving for an elderly parent or child, health-related concerns, retiring early, going to school or joining the military.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce surveyed Americans who lost their jobs during the pandemic and about a quarter said federal aid incentivized them to not actively look for work, while about half aren’t willing to take jobs that don’t offer the option of remote work. Over a third of younger respondents said they were focusing on learning new skills and prioritizing their personal growth before re-entering the labor force.

[Lee Chowaniec]

Is this who we are becoming?

I have always believed our government’s number job was to protect its citizens safety. In today’s world there are too numerous examples that indicate that concept is under attack for reasons that preempt logic / virtue.

Democrats can't decide if addressing crime is necessary or racist

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/polit...57733f158bb09d

Democrats are still trying to figure out if crime is something that must be addressed or if doing so is racist, and Washington, D.C., has become the latest arena for this struggle session. Washington’s City Council voted to relax criminal penalties for violent crimes, preparing to embolden criminals at a time when the city cannot get homicides and carjackings under control. Given its unique status as the nation’s capital, Congress has decided to get involved, and Democrats are left with a choice.

In the House of Representatives, 31 Democrats joined Republicans to reject the city’s proposed pro-criminal reforms. The vote came after Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN) was assaulted in an elevator in her apartment building. D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson bemoaned that because it was a congresswoman who was assaulted instead of a normal resident, that made it difficult for some Democrats to continue to ignore crime.

The vote is now going to go to the Senate, which is controlled by Democrats likely to protect the district's bad decisions. Ah, but members of Congress wanting the nation’s capital, where they conduct the affairs of the country, to not be a crime-ridden dump is racist, at least according to the city’s nonvoting congressional delegate, Eleanor Holmes Norton.

Maher Stunned When Audience Doesn’t Applaud Call for Dems To Admit ‘Some People Belong In Jail’

https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/news/ma...0bbb5f765b8348

Bill Maher was stunned by his studio audience after they responded with silence when a guest called for Democrats to declare that “some people belong in jail.”

During Friday’s Real Time with Bill Maher, the comedian discussed a recent Los Angeles Times report on increased crime rates in Portland, Oregon. “Shootings, theft, and other crime test city’s progressive strain,” the headline for the story reads, highlighting soft-on-crime policies that have led to a massive increase in crimes like homicide.

“This is a big Achilles heel for the Democrats, is it not?” Maher asked.

CNN contributor Paul Begala agreed. “Oh, they need to get out in front of it. They need — I want a Democrat to stand up and say, ‘you know something? Some people belong in jail.’ The rapists, the murderers —” he said before Maher jumped in and noted only one person clapped in response to Begala’s call.

“One clap for that! I think that’s very interesting,” he said as more in the audience applauded. “Let’s just pause there. One person is like, yes, some people in jail and everybody else is going, no, they don’t, nobody belongs in jail.”

If his audience really did believe rapists and murderers don’t belong in jail, Maher wanted no part of it. “I’m going to go out on a limb,” he said, “some people do belong in jail.”

[Lee Chowaniec]

Fool me once, shame on you; twice, shame on me!

President Biden and his lackeys keep telling us of his accomplishments, his political savvy in outwitting the Republicans, and of his economic achievements / policies that are bringing inflation down. Just can’t buy it when we shop, eat out, spend on energy and gas.

The Labor Department reported today that the CPI, a broad measure of the price of everyday goods that includes gasoline, groceries, and rents, rose 0.5% the month in January after a surprise decline of 0.1% in December. Annually prices remain above 6% but are down sharply from the 9.1% surge in June, which marked the highest inflation rate in almost 41 years.

What am I missing when I look at the annual month-to-month rate hike and voice concern that this 6.1% is based on an inflation rate that was somewhere in the 7’s last year. Credit interest and mortgage rates up, rents, the debt limit, etc., as Biden lives in an alternate world.

Stop spitting in our faces and telling us it’s raining out!

[Lee Chowaniec]

Biden and Harris and Buttigieg, oh my!

Inept Washington administrators illustrating how long it sometimes take for the ‘Peter Principle’ to take effect. Biden, Harris, and Buttigieg clearly do not possess the skill sets required in the positions they hold.

The one skill they share is to blame Trump, the Republicans, cable news for their failures and shortcomings - even stooping so low to call parents domestic terrorists and Republican voters deplorables and a threat to America’s democracy.

Biden is now being lauded in Washington and the mainstream media for his accomplishments, recognized as being a ‘Great Communicator’ and ‘Unifier’. Seriously? Accomplishments, when inflation is still raging, the economy sucks, the country is on the brink of bankruptcy, world war is likely, and where 62% of voters want the old man absent in the 2024 presidential race. He has become the proverbial ‘legend in his own mind’.

Buttigieg continues to face backlash after he was slow to discuss the train derailment causing toxic chemicals to pollute the East Palestine and the surrounding region. He finally addressed the disaster on Monday night, 10 days after the train crashed – and poorly at that saying there are over 1,000 train wrecks a year and this one was getting high attention. Buttigieg has faced intense scrutiny for his performance in this role from both sides of politics.

Buttigieg had already been criticized over chaos at airlines over the Holiday Season, as thousands of flights were canceled due to systemic malfunctions, leaving people stranded far from home. Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee chairwoman Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., declared at a recent hearing, "This sector needs a more effective policeman on the beat. They need someone over at the Department of Transportation who is going to get the job done."

As for Harris, much cannot be said about her performance when she has failed to accomplish anything undertaken.

It has recently been reported that one-third of today’s teenagers are experiencing severe depression or anxiety, and many have thought of committing suicide. The suicide rate for all Americans is on the rise, as is fear for America’s future. Yet Biden and his cronies are whistling a happy tune, telling us Biden’s policies are working and that he is deserving of another four years in office.

[Lee Chowaniec]

Rick Scott: Inconvenient truths for Joe Biden, Democrats, and the Washington establishment

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/polit...74e369df227cf7

Joe Biden, Democrats, and some leaders of the Washington establishment have made a lot of claims about me over the last few weeks.

Here’s the truth about my Rescue America plan: I proposed that we sunset federal programs every five years so that Congress is forced to review ridiculous spending programs, analyze whether they’re working or not, and reauthorize the ones that are. It’s common sense to every single person in the country except the politicians, bureaucrats, and lobbyists who get rich off the government gravy train that’s led to $32 trillion in debt.

That plank of my Rescue America plan was obviously not intended to include entitlement programs such as Medicare and Social Security — programs that hard-working people have paid into their entire lives — or the funds dedicated to our national security.

I have never supported cutting Social Security or Medicare, ever. To say otherwise is a disingenuous Democrat lie from a very confused president. And Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is also well aware of that. It’s shallow gotcha politics, which is what Washington does.

These are leaders of the Washington status quo who are more than happy to watch the country fall deeper and deeper into debt and further and further into the Democrats’ woke, liberal nightmare if they can maintain their hold on power.

I believe that all federal legislation should sunset in five years, with specific exceptions for Social Security, Medicare, national security, veterans’ benefits, and other essential services. If a law is worth keeping, Congress can pass it again.

Now that we’ve cleared that up, here are a few inconvenient truths for Joe Biden, Democrats, and the Washington establishment.

While I’ve never supported cutting Medicare and Social Security, Joe Biden has.

In 1975, Joe Biden proposed sunsetting all federal programs every four years.

In 1984, Joe Biden proposed freezing all federal spending, including Medicare and Social Security benefits.

In 1985, Biden suggested freezing all federal spending for two years.

In 1995, Biden said, “When I argued that we should freeze federal spending, I meant Social Security as well. I meant Medicare and Medicaid. I meant veterans' benefits. I meant every single solitary thing in the government.”

The media is doing what they do — covering for Joe Biden and the Democrats and lying about Republicans. But the facts are the facts. Joe Biden has a long history of trying to cut Medicare and Social Security benefits for seniors.

What’s Joe Biden’s plan to prevent either a massive cut in Medicare and Social Security benefits for America’s seniors or the largest tax increase in American history? Since he’s been in elected office, the national debt has increased from $458 billion in 1973 to almost $32 trillion. For those doing the math at home, that’s about a 7,000% increase. Medicare and Social Security are on the verge of insolvency while inflation is skyrocketing, wages are stagnant, seniors are foregoing retirement to pay for the rising costs of everyday goods, and Joe Biden brags about his record.

One more inconvenient truth: Washington Republicans are as responsible for the massive increase in our national debt as Joe Biden and the Democrats. Too many Republicans have caved to the Democrats too many times, and the result is a $32 trillion bill that’s about to come due.

Comment

U.S. Debt since Obama took office:

$10.03 trillion – 2008
$11.91 trillion – 2009
$13.56 trillion – 2010
$14.79 trillion – 2011
$16.07 trillion – 2012
$16.75 trillion – 2013
$17.82 trillion – 2014
$18.15 trillion – 2015
$19.57 trillion – 2016
$20,25 trillion – 2017
$21.53 trillion – 2018
$22.72 trillion – 2019
$27.75 trillion – 2020
$29.62 trillion – 2021
$30.82 trillion – 2022
$31.90 trillion - current

Under Obama’s 8-year administration U.S. debt increased by $9.54 trillion.
Under Trump’s 4-year administration U.S. debt increased by $7.5 trillion.
So far in Biden’s administration debt has increased by $4.15 trillion.

Runway spending has taken place under both, Democrats and Republicans. Biden says increasing the debt limit is not negotiable. Yeah, it is. Washington is being run by a ship of fools!

[Lee Chowaniec]

Pete Buttigieg: Smartest man in the swamp?

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is being considered by some as the ‘smartest man’ in the Washington swamp and presidential material? Seriously! Are they grooming Hunter Biden to be vice-president.

Trump is toast, ant that’s a good thing. There are several Republican candidates that are worthy of consideration. On the Democrat side, if Biden, Harris, Buttigieg are their frontrunners, we are so screwed. Biden and his cohorts are selling a glowing narrative of his accomplishments and the State of the Union. The public is not buying it. Are we better off today than we were two years ago? I’m not!

Pete Buttigieg fails the Woody Allen test.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/polit...4bd641d5d90c38

He’s been called the future of the Democratic Party, and the smartest man in the swamp. Pete Buttigieg serves as transportation secretary in the Biden Administration. And one could argue that, outside of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, there isn’t anyone in the administration who has performed as poorly as the former mayor of South Bend, Ind.

This perspective comes after Buttigieg was once again several days late and many dollars short in his response to a 50-car trainderailment on Feb. 3 in East Palestine, Ohio, that resulted in four kinds of cancer-causing chemicals being released into the area’s air and water. Fish and poultry have died as a result, while frightened residents are complaining of nausea, headaches and respiratory issues.

There seem to be more questions than answers right now. One of the most pressing is why it took Buttigieg 10 days to make a public statement on the matter. And why, when he did, it was only to express his concern on Twitter.

Now on the defensive, Buttigieg has resorted to blaming (you guessed it) former President Trump for what is happening in Ohio. “We’re constrained by law on some areas of rail regulation (like the braking rule withdrawn by the Trump administration in 2018 because of a law passed by Congress in 2015), but we are using the powers we do have to keep people safe,” Buttigieg tweeted. “And of course, I’m always ready to work with Congress on furthering (or in some cases, restoring) our capacity to address rail safety issues.”

So, despite Democrats having controlled the House, Senate and White House for two years, Buttigieg claims his hands are tied because of the administration that has been gone for 25 months.

The situation in East Palestine isn’t Buttigieg’s only problem. He took two months of paternity leave at the start of his tenure and didn’t inform the public. During the pandemic induced supply chain crisis, Buttigieg didn’t visit a U.S. port until many months after the crisis began.

And then there was the meltdown of commercial aviation in the summer of 2022, which Buttigieg kept assuring us would improve but never did. In fact, things got worse over the holidays, with millions of travelers stranded and some even spending Christmas Eve sleeping on the floor of airports across the country.

Woody Allen said that 90 percent of success in life is just showing up. On that front, Pete Buttigieg continues to fail.

Other

President Joe Biden, who was outspoken about using the SPR to lower gasoline prices, unloaded more than 200 million barrels of oil from the reserve last year as Russia's war on Ukraine jolted energy markets. The SPR, the largest emergency oil stockpile in the world, is now at its lowest level since 1983.

It will be further tapped in April with a congressionally mandated sale of 26 million barrels, bringing the level to 346 million barrels — nearly half of what it was when Biden took office. While that's still more than last year's release, it may be less in reality.

Americans who are now being considered witless for not recognizing bipartisan (LOL) accomplishments just keep letting those petty issues that affect their lives get in the way - like inflation, energy costs (now and in the future), crime, government spending and unsustainable debt, suicides, etc.

[Lee Chowaniec]

Ukraine: At what cost?

President Biden, what’s your plan for Ukraine? Ukrainians are still dying or suffering horrific hardships, the world is suffering hardships as well, it has been one year with no end in sight, we are depleting our resources and China is becoming a serious threat as is the threat of nuclear war.

While Ukraine vows that their tanks will take Red Square, Biden hands them another $500,000, the United States' support for Ukraine in its war against Russia has drawn increased criticism in recent months, with both conservatives and progressives growing increasingly wary of continued military aid to the embattled nation. Former President Trump has called for an end to the war, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis also cautioned against a "blank-check" policy on aid to Ukraine.

“President Biden, I hate to bother you, we need to end this war in Ukraine. We need to push through negotiations!" a protester recently shouted. "I hate to bother you, but people are dying," she continued.

In Congress, around a dozen house Republicans introduced legislation calling on an end to continued U.S. support for Ukraine. On the political Left, Sen. Bernie Sanders has long cautioned against too much involvement in the war on behalf of the United States. Additionally, late last year 30 House Democrats penned a letter advocating for the Biden administration to pursue diplomatic solutions to bring the war to a close.

Many on both sides of the aisle have expressed concerns that continued American involvement can lead to escalation between the U.S. and Russia, two nuclear superpowers. Like what is your Ukraine policy anyway? What are your goals in Ukraine, what is your plan to achieve them, and what are you willing to risk to reach them? Does anyone have a clue exactly what Joe Biden's end goal is for giving Ukraine billions of dollars more in military aid? It appears he doesn’t have one.

Has Joe Biden ever articulated exactly how he wants to see the war in Ukraine come to an end? For example, will Biden press Moscow and Kyiv to start negotiating once say Ukraine pushed Russia out of all lands it took beginning one year ago? How long will America keep taking ammo and weapons out of its own stocks to help Ukraine fight? You can't answer that until you get some sort of idea about the administration's end goals and what the strategy is to get there. This isn't a war we can keep supporting forever and ever - no nation can or would.

Is Biden's war goals in Ukraine something more extensive? Does Washington truly want to see Ukraine take Crimea, another land grab by Putin nearly ten years ago that could be a real Russian redline that could push Moscow into actually thinking about tactical nuclear weapons or something even worse? And what are we willing to risk to get that goal achieved?

[Lee Chowaniec]

Soaring food prices weigh on savings / health / social ties for seniors and low income families

Rising costs of buying groceries and eating out is being felt disproportionately by the elderly and the poor. Not having the money the money to spend on vacations, entertainment, luxury items, etc., an occasional night out to socialize and get a burger is becoming a rare occasion for many individuals, leading to further isolation related issues like depression, anxiety, and further health issues.

When shopping for groceries one not only finds products increasing in cost by double-digits, but product size shrinkage and quality decline. Eating out one finds like skyrocketing costs and diminishment in food portions and/or quality.

The New York Times reports the following:

For the better part of the past year, Marilynn Miller stretched her food budget.

With a monthly Social Security check as her only income, Miller, 89, shops for her groceries at Walmart. Occasional dinners out with friends have become too expensive. She no longer buys any prepared meals because of the cost and eats cheese and beans instead of meat.

"I've probably eliminated 90% of buying any meat because it's so expensive," said Miller, who lives in a senior community in Crest Hill, Ill.

All across the country, rising prices at grocery stores and restaurants have altered how many Americans – including a good number older than 65 – shop and eat out. After climbing nearly 10% last year, food prices are expected to rise another 7% in 2023, according to the Department of Agriculture.

The cost of dairy, cereals and baked goods continues to rise. Eggs, once a low-cost meal staple, jumped to a national average of $4.25 a dozen in December from $1.78 a year earlier, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.

Combined with higher transportation and housing prices, the rising cost of food is being felt disproportionately by lower-income households, meaning those with $50,000 or less in annual income, according to a study released in January by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. And in 2021, about 6 million Americans over 65 –more than 10% of their population –were living below the poverty line, according to data from the Census Bureau. And while Social Security benefits increased 8.7% this year, their biggest inflation adjustment in decades, it is still not enough for many retirees.

As prices climb, experts worry that older individuals who are in poor physical or mental health or who have lower incomes are at greater risk for not having enough food or for eating less healthy foods. The squeeze also has the potential to isolate them socially, if they back away from activities like eating out with friends.

While some seniors say they are nervous about making ends meet, they are even more frightened about cutting themselves off from others.

"The lack of access to food can make older Americans more socially isolated," said Colleen Heflin, a professor of public administration and international affairs at Syracuse University who is cowriting a book on food insecurity and older Americans. "For some, it can mean the end of Sunday dinners at their house because they can no longer afford to feed their families."

Some who had avoided restaurants and crowds for much of the pandemic were eager to step out with friends for dinners, but those nights out became expensive.

"I started going out for lunches once or twice a week, but then the lunches turned into $20, and that's a lot of money," said Sharon Cohen, 73, who owned a communications business for decades. Instead, Cohen and her friends now go on walks, or have friends over for book club gatherings. Occasionally, she meets people at a local hub for an egg and bagel sandwich.

Other

While Trump continues to be savaged for his ‘big lie’, Biden is being called out for his lies on the economy. President Biden has a well-documented history of exaggerating his accomplishments while downplaying his failures. But in recent months, the president has taken this dishonest strategy to a whole new level, routinely misleading the American people to score political points, especially on topics related to economic growth:

Lie 1: America’s inflation problem is improving.

Lie 2: Biden "created 12.7 million new jobs."

Lie 3: Biden "cut the deficit by more than $1.7 trillion."

Lie 4: Biden said he wouldn’t and hasn’t raised taxes on any American family earning less than $400,000 per year.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/mark...8f2761ce4a2126

[Lee Chowaniec]

The real existential threat to mankind and too few are tuned in

The Democrats’ determination to impose one-party rule in the U.S. has become glaring and total. They no longer even try to hide it. Their progressive agenda has infused every aspect of our society, from corporate America to public school classrooms to the military. Over the weekend, for example, the Department of Defense claimed prioritizing diversity in the branches is "a strategic imperative critical to mission readiness and accomplishment." Twitter CEO Elon Musk was quick to remind them that, actually, their ”strategic imperative is defending the United States.”

It’s nice that Biden has vowed his unyielding devotion to the Ukrainian people and the world. But he should save his rhetoric for the people he was elected to serve. It is time he focused on the nuclear threat he has brought into the world and downplays.

As a child of the U.S. – Russian cold war and nuclear age, I am baffled by the lack of concern given to the alliances being formed and nuclear proliferation. Not a fan of Glenn Beck, a friend sent me a link to his recent show where he was spot on what the threat meant to people of my generation and how little today’s generation understands of today’s threat and its consequences.

When less than 10% understand the meaning of ‘nuclear winter’ and devastation to those surviving, the report is worth the time and effort – if only absorbed in segments. A more worthy and existential video than why Johnny wants to become Sally.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfU5KQlMNSc

[Lee Chowaniec]

Biden to announce 2024 presidential run soon

An announcement that hopefully will be met even more unfavorably than Trump’s was – and hopefully met with as much resistance as Trump’s was by his own party and supporters.

We are a country now more divided and filled with hate than ever before, fearful of our country blundering us into WWIII, burdened with inflation, escalating crime, one crisis after another, all while Washington and the mainstream media mock as hysterics any opposing rhetoric.

While viewing the following two reports Americans have to be asking themselves ‘what the hell are we missing’ when Biden tells us not to worry, that his policies are working.

Biden's debt-ridden economy

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/mark...48f173c8&ei=57

New economic data show the economy is not working and that America is drowning in debt.

A new Congressional Budget Office report projects soaring federal deficits over the next 10 years and an increasingly stagnant economy. The CBO projects that economic growth will "come to a halt" in 2023, with real GDP growth slowing to just 0.1% this year and averaging just 1.9% over the decade. Federal budget deficits are now expected to be $3 trillion higher due to higher spending and interest costs and slower growth. Both spending and taxes will average well above historical levels over the next 10 years. The federal debt will increase to $46 trillion, 128% of GDP, by 2033.

Biden’s economy has also decimated the budgets of millions of families, pushing them deeper into debt as their incomes have dropped. Real disposable income fell more than $1 trillion in 2022, the largest drop since 1932.

According to a report from the New York Federal Reserve, total household debt increased by $1.3 trillion in 2022, up nearly $400 billion in the fourth quarter, the largest increase in 20 years. Household debt is now a staggering $2.4 trillion higher than it was when Biden took office. Struggling to stay afloat, savings fell from $2.2 trillion in 2021 to $600 billion in 2022.

The Biden economy is not working for working people, which is why polls show that the public is so pessimistic about the economy and the future. But the president just keeps promising more of the same, calling for higher taxes and more spending. He doesn't get it.

Is the US walking into WWIII?

https://www.foxnews.com/video/6321245387112

This is the Cold War on steroids! Scared? Yeah, me too!

[Lee Chowaniec]

Censure this!

Interesting and spot on report! The ‘woke’ crowd is at it again. We do live in a real world, not in a fairyland where people must be coddled so they can see and hear no evil.

Finally, a reason for conservatives to applaud Whoopi Goldberg

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/fi...1574bd20&ei=15

In the wake of a publisher drawing a major backlash for removing supposedly “offensive” language, such as the word “fat,” from the books of children’s author Roald Dahl, (Whoopi) Goldberg noted that a reissue of Ian Fleming’s James Bond books also is being “re-edited to remove any racist content.”

Goldberg, who often is outspokenly contemptuous of conservative people and ideas, this time adopted the profoundly traditionalist view that unpleasant attitudes of the past should be addressed rather than erased.

“Y’all gotta stop this,” Goldberg said. “Just put a disclaimer on it that says, ‘Listen, this book was written at this time.’ Or put out the original and what y’all have done because kids should have the right to read how people thought so that they know how to make the change.”

And: “They tried to do this with Mark Twain as well because they were so concerned that the N-word was in the book. Well, that’s how they did it. That’s what it was. We don’t want people doing it today, and you don’t see it as much. That’s how people learn.”

Goldberg is right. There should exist a reasonable middle ground. One need not censor everything unpleasant in order to condemn its unpleasantness. Moreover, context matters: Twain’s use of the N-word, for example, was not published in acceptance of racism but in a novel brilliantly designed to skewer it. Ditto with uncomfortable depictions of racist whites’ views of blacks in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, another book that the overly sensitive censors have tried to remove from school libraries.

[Lee Chowaniec]

FOX News under fire continues to sweep other cable news networks

Despite being attacked relentlessly by other cable news networks, the mainstream media, the left and Dominion Voting Systems, FOX News’ ratings remained relatively stable as the same dynamic between the top three networks played out yet again: Fox News far out front, MSNBC in second and CNN a distant third in total viewers, but beating MSNBC in the key 25-54 age demographic.

February marked Fox News topping CNN and MSNBC for two straight years, having come in third place in the ratings in January 2021 – when 2020 election coverage and the Jan. 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol dominated coverage.

Fox News scored the top 13 shows for the month and aired 94 of the top 100 cable news telecasts for the month.

The Five remained the top-rated show on cable news for the 11th straight month, although Tucker Carlson Tonight came in a very close second and won in the demo.

Jesse Watters, Sean Hannity, and Bret Baier rounded out the top five shows on cable news – in that order.

February saw CNN hit lows in the demo not seen in over ten years. CNN prime time demo average of 122,000 viewers, while still above MSNBC’s 119,000, marked the network’s smallest audience since 2013. Additionally, CNN’s 89,000 total day demo viewers was its worst showing since 2012. CNN saw a 41 percent drop in total day demo viewers from January, while Fox News dropped 35 percent and MSNBC was down 6 percent.

February 2023 Ratings: CNN Hits a New Low Not Seen in a Decade as Fox News Marks Two Year Sweep of Cable News

https://www.msn.com/en-us/entertainm...ab774e44&ei=31

Other

Perhaps too many of the left’s frequent ‘conspiracy’ charges against FOX and the right have proven to be wrong, whereas too many of the left’s charges have been misinformation and false flags.

Another 'right-wing conspiracy theory' proven true

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opini...ab774e44&ei=18


And all we have to do is determine who is spitting in our face and telling us it's raining.

[Lee Chowaniec]

Hate in America

What’s wrong with today’s youth? The ‘everyone gets a trophy’ generation? Those of us of age never thought this day would come!

Why does so much of Gen-Z hate America? Here's why we can't give up on them

https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/why-...t-give-up-them

In previous generations, the rebellious youth were always a topic of consternation for the old folks. They don’t listen! They drive too fast and talk too loud. They wear funny clothes and don’t respect their teachers. But something has changed in the last few years that should have the older generations far more worried than they would have been in the past.

A recent Morning Consult poll found that only 16 percent of Gen Z’ers are proud to live in the United States. Millennials were only somewhat saner at 36 percent.

These numbers should set off alarm bells. In the last ten years, there has been a sharp decline in national pride. It is not an accident. It’s a deliberate attempt by the left to destroy American patriotism and replace it with their ideology. In 2013, 85 percent of Americans said "extremely or very" proud to be American. Today that number is 63 percent. It wasn’t until 2016 that that number ever dipped below 80 percent, sometimes being in the high 80s and 90s. That’s a collapse.

This is not an accident. The indoctrination happening in our schools have resulted in this kind of opinion among the young.

The numbers show a complete lack of knowledge of the rest of the world. What the kids are learning in school in the U.S. is that the freest country in the history of humanity, the country that has set the example for democracy and for freedom and has been a beacon of hope to people all over the world is meh, not that great.

The kind of privilege that it takes to hold that opinion is mind-boggling. It means this person was taught to believe that the immense advantages that they have through the sheer luck of being American are not that important. They do not know the struggle people across the world still go through to be free or how desperately people want to be Americans. The haters were taught to take for granted the freedom and liberty that is their birthright.

In the last few years the left has successfully taken over curriculums in public schools across the country. They push the idea that America is just not that great. They force the 1619 Project onto curriculums. They remove discussion of the founding fathers or of American history in general. All education is geared at the idea that America is a terrible place.

Aside from being wrong, it’s deeply myopic. The people who push this idea think they are worldly. But worldliness involves knowing something about other countries and not being so shortsighted about your own. These are people born on third base and thinking they’ve hit a triple.

Deep down, Americans are a very patriotic people. Yes, even the young people. But they’ve gotten to where admitting it is not permitted. Millennials and Generation Z are the first generations raised with "cancel culture," and with that a forced conformity of thought. To break with the pack, with your teachers, and say that America isn’t just great but the greatest, is simply not allowed. Wrongthink can lead to bad grades or harassment by their peers. It will take some bravery for the young people to overcome what is happening to them. And it will take standing up for ideas they know to be true but have been told so long that they are not.

More than that, it will take the older generations doing more than just tsk-tsking these kinds of numbers. They have to educate the young people in their homes or in their lives about the miracle that is the American experiment. The miracle needs maintaining, and it needs a continued effort to ensure its success. Cancel culture and the push of leftist conformity will be destroyed eventually. The older generations have to be in the fight, and can’t just give up on the youth to make that happen.

[Lee Chowaniec]

Poll finds Western New York opposition to energy shift, but statewide support

https://buffalonews.com/news/local/p...home-top-story

A majority of Western New York residents oppose the state's plan to phase out the use of natural gas in homes and buildings, according to a poll conducted by the Siena College Research Institute. But the same poll found a majority of residents across the state supported the shift toward electricity over fossil fuels, with especially strong backing among New York City residents.

The poll was commissioned by New Yorkers for Affordable Energy, a coalition of utilities, business groups and labor unions. The poll focused on elements of the state's energy roadmap, which calls for transforming energy use in homes and buildings.

One question asked whether respondents supported or opposed moving buildings from using fossil fuels including natural gas to provide heat and hot water to using electricity instead. Sixty three percent of Western New York respondents – from Erie and Niagara counties – opposed the switch, while 53% of statewide respondents supported the change, including 66% of New York City respondents.

There was a similar difference of opinion over a plan to prohibit installing new natural gas-powered appliances in existing homes starting in 2030. Sixty five percent of Western New York respondents said they opposed the idea, while 56% statewide said they supported it.

Poll participants were asked about banning natural gas furnaces and appliances in newly constructed buildings, starting in 2025. Sixty-eight percent of Western New York respondents were opposed, while 57% statewide were in favor.

Environmental groups needled the coalition over the poll's findings, hailing the results as evidence that New York State residents support moving away from fossil fuels.

"Siena’s research findings show that voters are largely aligned with the points (New Yorkers for Affordable Energy) has been making for years: while they do support doing what they can to help the environment, voters are concerned about cost, and not only want to keep natural gas as an option for heating and powering their homes, but also believe that natural gas can help New York achieve its climate goals," the coalition said in a statement.

The scoping plan approved last year by the Climate Action Council has spurred debate. Proponents say the state needs to shift away from fossil fuels, to combat climate change and protect public health. Critics say the plan goes too far, too fast, and will drive up costs for customers, without assurances there will be enough electricity to meet the goals.

Participants were presented with the statement, "The rest of the country isn't going to ban natural gas and other fossil fuels to electrify on this aggressive timeline, I don't see why New York has to be first." Seventy-one percent of Western New York respondents said they agreed, as did 60% of overall respondents.

Seventy-four percent of Western New York respondents – and 65% of overall respondents – said they didn't believe the state could generate enough electricity to heat buildings and hot water on the plan's timeline.

And 87% of Western New York respondents – and 79% of total respondents – agreed the state should create an energy mix that uses both natural gas and low- or no-carbon fuels.

[Lee Chowaniec]

Russell Brand Completely Went Off On An MSNBC Analyst For Their Programming, While Defending Fox News And Getting Praise For It

LOL! This guy is a dufus, but spot on here.

Russell Brand Told an MSNBC Rep That Their Network Is No Better Than Fox News When It Comes to Propaganda

https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/news/ru...e517913e&ei=48