Among the foremost threats to individual freedom in America is the abusive and oftentimes lawless behavior…
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More Legal Shenanigans from the Biden Administration’s Department of Education

Among the foremost threats to individual freedom in America is the abusive and oftentimes lawless behavior of federal administrative agencies, whose vast armies of overpaid bureaucrats remain unaccountable for their excesses.

Among the most familiar examples of that bureaucratic abuse is the Department of Education (DOE).  Recall, for instance, the United States Supreme Court’s humiliating rebuke last year of the Biden DOE’s effort to shift hundreds of billions of dollars of student debt from the people who actually owed them onto the backs of American taxpayers.

Even now, despite that rebuke, the Biden DOE launched an alternative scheme last month in an end-around effort to achieve that same result.

Well, the Biden DOE is now attempting to shift tens of millions of dollars of…[more]

March 19, 2024 • 08:35 AM

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Notable Quotes
 
On the World's Largest EV Charging Station Being Powered By Diesel-Powered Generators:
 
 

"The Harris Ranch Tesla Supercharger station is an impressive beast. With 98 charging bays, the facility in Coalinga, California, is the largest charging station in the world. ...

"Superchargers charge vehicles up to the 80% sweet spot in as little as 20 minutes, but to provide that kind of power for nearly 100 bays takes something solar can't provide -- diesel generators.

"Investigative journalist Edward Niedermeyer discovered that the station was powered by diesel generators hidden behind a Shell station. Reporters at SF Gate tried to find out how much of the station's electricity was from the generators, but couldn't get a response from Tesla.

"The station isn't connected to any dedicated solar farms, which means that absent the diesel generators, the station is powered by California's grid."

Read the entire article here.

 
 
— Kevin Killough, State Energy Reporter for Cowboy State Daily
— Kevin Killough, State Energy Reporter for Cowboy State Daily
Posted October 09, 2023 • 11:32 AM
 
 
On the Impacts of Raising the Minimum Wage and Government Price Setting:
 
 

"California is raising the minimum wage for fast-food workers from $15 an hour to $20. Wouldn't it be nice if we could all get 33% raises?

"But we can't. Not even California's fast-food workers will all get them. Despite the Left Coast's magical thinking, it is impossible to wave a magical legislative gavel and increase everyone's pay. Twenty dollars an hour will price some workers out of the market, and being unemployed, they will earn the real minimum wage, which is zero. Fast-food chains will replace them with machines to take customers' orders.

"Democrats seem never to understand that raising the price of everything doesn't increase the value of anything. Burgers and fries won't be worth more just because Sacramento decrees it. Prices will go up, people will buy less, fewer staff will be needed, jobs will be lost.

"As Thomas Sowell wisely wrote in his latest book, Social Justice Fallacies, which came out last month, 'People tend to buy less at a higher price. If so, then employers -- not being inert chess pieces [to be moved around at the whim of government] -- tend to hire less labor at a higher price, imposed by minimum wage laws, than they would hire at a lower price, based on supply and demand.'"

Read the entire article here.

 
 
— Hugo Gurdon, Editor-in-Chief of the Washington Examiner
— Hugo Gurdon, Editor-in-Chief of the Washington Examiner
Posted October 06, 2023 • 07:56 AM
 
 
Reporting on the Biden Administration's Decision to Build a New Section of Border Wall:
 
 

"US President Joe Biden's administration is to build a section of border wall in southern Texas in an effort to stop rising levels of immigration.

"Around 20 miles (32km) will be built in Starr County along its border with Mexico, where officials report high numbers of crossings.

"Building a border wall was a signature policy of Donald Trump as president and fiercely opposed by Democrats.

"In 2020, Mr Biden promised he would not build another foot of wall if elected.

"His administration passed a proclamation soon after taking office that said building a wall across the southern border 'is not a serious policy solution'."

Read the entire article here.

 
 
— Kathryn Armstrong, BBC News
— Kathryn Armstrong, BBC News
Posted October 05, 2023 • 09:02 AM
 
 
On Public Perception of the Democratic and Republican Parties:
 
 

"The two major political parties remain unpopular in the U.S., with 56% of Americans viewing the Republican Party unfavorably and 58% saying the same of the Democratic Party.

"Although both parties are about equally disliked, the public chooses the Republican Party over the Democratic Party by healthy margins when asked which will better safeguard the nation's prosperity and security.

"Fifty-three percent of Americans believe the Republican Party will do a better job of keeping the country prosperous over the next few years, whereas 39% choose the Democratic Party.

"A slightly larger majority, 57%, have greater faith in the Republican Party to protect the country from international terrorism and military threats, while 35% favor the Democrats.

"The latest results are from a Sept. 1-23 Gallup poll in which more than eight in 10 Americans disapprove of the job the politically divided Congress is doing, close to six in 10 disapprove of President Joe Biden's job performance, and nearly three-quarters feel pessimistic about the direction of the economy."

Read the entire article here.

 
 
— Lydia Saad, Director of U.S. Social Research at Gallup
— Lydia Saad, Director of U.S. Social Research at Gallup
Posted October 04, 2023 • 07:23 AM
 
 
On Rising Stagflation Fears:
 
 

"In the three months since President Joe Biden decided to campaign on the glories of 'Bidenomics,' inflation started creeping back up, the unemployment rate rose, and his approval ratings on the economy have steadily dropped. Now, stagflation is back in the news. All of it is leading Democrats to urge Biden to ... shift his messaging.

"Stagflation -- the combination of rising inflation, high unemployment, and a stagnant economy not seen since the disastrous Jimmy Carter years -- is suddenly in the headlines.

"On Friday, for example, CNBC ran a story: 'Stagflation is 'the big bogeyman out there' -- and many increasingly fear its return.'

"The story pointed out that climbing oil prices and 'the specter of higher-for-longer inflation have reignited concern about stagflation risks.'"

Read the entire article here.

 
 
— Issues & Insights Editorial Board
— Issues & Insights Editorial Board
Posted October 03, 2023 • 07:42 AM
 
 
Reporting on the U.S. Supreme Court's Upcoming Term:
 
 

"The Supreme Court justices will take the bench Monday for the first argument of the new term, a year filled with battles over guns, social media and the administrative state.

"The court so far has agreed to hear roughly 35 cases this term, though the justices are all but certain to add more throughout the fall. Decisions are expected by next summer. ...

"Here are the major cases on the Supreme Court's docket this term..."

Read the entire article here.

 
 
— Zach Schonfeld, The Hill
— Zach Schonfeld, The Hill
Posted October 02, 2023 • 07:55 AM
 
 
On the Biden Administration's Latest Immigration Action:
 
 

"The Biden administration recently issued yet another outlandish immigration action, but most Americans likely did not realize it. I'm talking about the Department of Homeland Security's decision to extend and 'redesignate' Temporary Protected Status for more than 700,000 illegal aliens from Venezuela that the Biden administration has already allowed into the U.S. For many Americans, this may sound like a niche policy decision that only immigration policy experts care to discuss. That's what the Biden Administration is counting on. Don't be fooled, this is the epitome of an America Last policy.

"To understand why I am sounding the alarm, it is important to understand the historical misuse of Temporary Protected Status by various administrations since Congress created it in 1990. Under the law, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security may designate a country for Temporary Protected Status if there is an ongoing armed conflict, an environmental disaster, or there are 'extraordinary and temporary conditions.' Importantly, such conditions must prevent nationals of that country from safely returning home. Despite the name and congressional intention, there is nothing temporary about Temporary Protected Status.

"Here's why. Once the secretary designates a country, nearly every illegal alien in the U.S. from that country receives a work permit, an exemption from deportation, a Social Security number, and the ability to obtain a driver's license. Prior to President Trump, administrations of both political parties would continuously extend the designation, and the benefits that come with it, using increasingly absurd justifications such as the existence of 'coffee rust' for one country. The 'redesignation,' meaning advancing the cutoff date for eligibility, is blatantly unlawful and functions to benefit the illegal aliens who made it into the U.S. after the initial designation."

Read the entire article here.

 
 
— Chad Wolf, Former Acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security and Executive Director of the Center for Homeland Security & Immigration at the America First Policy Institute
— Chad Wolf, Former Acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security and Executive Director of the Center for Homeland Security & Immigration at the America First Policy Institute
Posted September 28, 2023 • 02:00 PM
 
 
On President Joe Biden:
 
 

"Well, at least he didn't fall. Or call a black adult man 'boy,' shake hands with an invisible person or lapse into gibberish.

"Joe Biden's visit to a striking United Auto Workers picket line was a success simply because it wasn't overshadowed by one of his headline-grabbing pratfalls that call attention to his age and mental decline.

"Then again, it was hardly the political slam dunk he needs.

"The symbolism of being the first president to join a picket line -- for all of 12 minutes -- only goes so far, even if pictures of him holding a bull horn and wearing a UAW hat and sweatshirt temporarily cheer the union movement.

"More revealing is the panic that led the White House to arrange the event in the first place."

Read the entire article here.

 
 
— Michael Goodwin, New York Post Columnist
— Michael Goodwin, New York Post Columnist
Posted September 27, 2023 • 07:03 AM
 
 
On a Disturbing General Accountability Office Report on U.S. Military Housing:
 
 

"A disturbing report on the quality of living conditions at military barracks, released by the General Accountability Office (GAO), reflects a failure of America's military leaders, who are supposed to look out for and care for the well-being of their people.

"While inspecting 10 barracks, GAO investigators observed numerous potentially serious health and safety risks: mold and mildew, bug infestations, dysfunctional plumbing, no heating or air conditioning, inoperable fire systems, and broken windows. In one case, enlisted troops living in a barracks were told to clean up the biological waste following a suicide in one of the rooms.

"The appalling report comes at a time when our nation's armed services are struggling to meet their recruiting goals. One of the factors attributed to the challenging recruiting environment is the fewer influencers -- individuals who are apt to encourage young people to join the military. These may include parents, relatives, teachers or coaches. However, what parent or other influencer would want their son/daughter/loved one to enlist in the military when they hear about living conditions that you might expect in a third-world country?"

Read the entire article here.

 
 
— Rear Adm. (Ret.) Tom Jurkowsky, Author and Board Member for the Military Officers Association of America
— Rear Adm. (Ret.) Tom Jurkowsky, Author and Board Member for the Military Officers Association of America
Posted September 26, 2023 • 08:21 AM
 
 
On the Indictment of Senator Robert Menendez:
 
 

"The massive indictment of Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) and his wife has shaken Washington.

"As Senate Foreign Relations chairman, Menendez is one of the most powerful Democratic members of Congress, and someone who has long been a kingmaker in the party. He has also long been accused of open and insatiable corruption.

"What made Menendez a standout in Washington was not his corrupt inclinations, but his utter audacity in following them. I was able to witness that signature conduct personally on the floor of the Senate."

Read the entire article here.

 
 
— Jonathan Turley, Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University
— Jonathan Turley, Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University
Posted September 25, 2023 • 08:01 AM
 
Notable Quote   
 
Happy Easter!…[more]
 
 
— From All of Us at CFIF
 
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