Federal Court Temporarily Halts Biden’s Student Debt Plan

By William Teach October 22, 2022 – 10:30 am

You had to know this was coming. Biden, or, more realistically, Biden’s advisors, knew this was coming, because Joe has no clue, as there’s no way the Executive Branch has the authority to “forgive” up to $20k in legally accrued debt

Court temporarily blocks Biden’s student loan forgiveness

A federal appeals court late Friday issued an administrative stay temporarily blocking President Joe Biden’s plan to cancel billions of dollars in federal student loans, throwing the program into limbo just days after people began applying for loan forgiveness.

The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals issued the stay while it considers a motion from six Republican-led states to block the program. The stay ordered the Biden administration not to act on the program while it considers the appeal.

It’s unclear what the decision means for the 22 million borrowers who already applied for the relief. The Biden administration had promised not to clear any debt before Oct. 23 as it battled the legal challenges, but the soonest it was expected to begin erasing debt was mid-November. (big snip)

The six states sued in September. Lawyers for the administration countered that the Department of Education has “broad authority to manage the federal student financial aid programs.” A court filing stated that the 2003 Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students Act, or HEROES Act, allows the secretary of education to waive or modify terms of federal student loans in times of war or national emergency.

“COVID-19 is such an emergency,” the filing stated.

Remember when Biden said in September that the pandemic was over? Of course, he then extended the Chinese coronavirus emergency for 90 days, because authoritarians gotta authoritarian. It would be one thing if repayment pause was continued, or, say, interest was reduced, but, wiping out up to $20k in debt? No.

Regardless if you agree or disagree with the debt forgiveness being just, this move doesn’t address the root cause of skyrocketing college costs. Fast forward a decade or two, and a whole new group of people are going to be dealing with the same predicament. The college system is primarily run by Democrats, and they keep the price of college high. As long as it is super easy to get a loan it will continue to rise. Especially when those loans are forgiven.

Read: Federal Court Temporarily Halts Biden’s Student Debt Plan »

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A GOP Congress Could Restrain Brandon’s Climate Scam Ambitions

By William Teach October 22, 2022 – 7:15 am

Of course, those ambitions are meant to restrain your life, not Biden’s. By my count, this is the 25th weekend Biden has spent in Delaware this year, and, he took a helicopter to Joint Base Andrews, then he took Air Force 1, a jumbo jet, to fly to Dover, Delaware, first, is going to “give a speech”, followed by a trip in a fossil fueled limo, with all the other vehicles, to his beach house. It’s 93 miles from DC to Dover. He couldn’t have driven? Or just taken the helicopter?

Biden’s climate change measures could take a hit if Republicans regain control of Congress

With a razor-thin majority in Congress, Democrats and President Biden were able to pass the most significant legislation to address climate change in U.S. history, but if Republicans gain control of Congress in the upcoming midterm elections, those gains could be partially reversed.

The Inflation Reduction Act, which was signed into law in August, allocates $369 billion over 10 years to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by the end of the decade, thanks to subsidies for clean energy, electric cars and other more efficient technologies. Biden is meanwhile pursuing further reductions, through regulations such as forthcoming rules limiting carbon emissions from power plants.

Environmental activists and their opponents on the right don’t agree about much, but they do agree on two things: If Republicans win control of the House of Representatives, as statistical models show is fairly likely, they will have some power to constrain Biden’s environmental policies through spending cuts. And if they win a majority in the Senate as well, their leverage over spending will increase.

But, will they? That’s always the question with the elected Republicans. Do they have the fortitude to stand strong and say “we aren’t funding this?” There are still too many GOP establishment types. Can they fight Biden on it? They often capitulated to Obama. Will they even try to defund this idiocy?

Congressional Republican leaders have argued that the federal government should loosen regulation of fossil fuel extraction in order to reduce oil and gas prices and lessen U.S. dependence on foreign sources of energy, such as Saudi Arabia. But apart from calling for more domestic oil drilling, congressional Republicans have yet to unveil a climate change or energy policy platform during the campaign. National Republican Senatorial Committee chair Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., released a 12-part plan to “Rescue America” that did not have a climate, environment or energy component. As part of its economic plank, Scott’s plan pledged to “expedite all federal permit applications to be granted or denied within 30 days,” which presumably would reduce the time and cost of energy projects. Scott has introduced a bill to that effect, and co-sponsored bills with Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., that would prohibit importation of oil and gas from Iran and Venezuela or exportation of oil and gas to China.

They should pass legislation to increase drilling, and, just as import, create the situation where we will have more refining capacity. More oil means nothing if you cannot refine it. Force Biden to either sign it or veto it, showing he cares nothing for the plight of the working and middle class.

Read: A GOP Congress Could Restrain Brandon’s Climate Scam Ambitions »

Posted in Global Warming, GOP, Joe Biden | 4 Comments | Trackback URL

Good News: Pfizer To Charge Up To $130 Per Chinese Coronavirus Vaccine

By William Teach October 22, 2022 – 7:00 am

Not sure how well this will work out when Government and COVIDnags are screeching about getting vaxxed and boosted

Pfizer says it’s eyeing a $110 to $130 list price for COVID-19 vaccine in U.S.

Pfizer Inc. has revealed the price it is eyeing in the U.S. for its adult COVID-19 vaccine on the commercial market.

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine would potentially cost between $110 and $130 for a single-dose vial in the U.S., Pfizer’s Angela Lukin said in an analyst and investor call.

That cost will reflect its “cost-effectiveness,” including “increased costs” associated with transitioning from a multi-dose vial to a single-dose and to commercial distribution as well as the value it has “brought to society,” according to Lukin.

In late June, the federal government reached a deal with Pfizer and BioNTech SE to provide 105 million COVID-19 vaccine doses for $3.2 billion, the equivalent of the U.S. paying roughly $30 per dose.

The Department of Health and Human Services has since indicated it has plans to move away from its vaccine purchasing program and to transition the shots to the commercial market, the Wall Street Journal reported.

I’m not a big government type guy, but, come on, I would have zero problem with congress limiting the cost, considering how much money We The Taxpayers dumped into their coffers to develop, produce, and distribute their vaccine. Seems rather a slap in the face, eh? What will probably happen will be that it will be covered by insurance, you’ll just pay a small deductible, which means an increase in insurance premiums

“Based on our current understanding, when we enter a traditional commercial model, anyone with commercial or government insurance who is eligible to be vaccinated should be able to access the vaccine without any out-of-pocket payments,” she said.

They want to keep the gravy train going, and you know they will be out there trying to scaremonger so people get it. Despite it pretty much not stopping anyone from getting COVID.

Read: Good News: Pfizer To Charge Up To $130 Per Chinese Coronavirus Vaccine »

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Climate Cult Coming For “Big Ag”

By William Teach October 21, 2022 – 3:00 pm

Do these climate cultists realize this is where their food comes from? That prices will spike, like we’ve seen in European countries? Seriously, what could possibly go wrong?

Big Ag has misled the public when it comes to fighting climate change

climate cowFor the last several years Big Agriculture has tried, with some degree of success, to bamboozle the public into believing it’s all in when it comes to combating climate change when in fact it ain’t.

It’s nothing new. Big corporations have been playing the misinformation game for a long time.

Big Tobacco spent billions of dollars to saturate the public with propaganda that denied, deflected, and obfuscated the health risks of smoking. It wasn’t until 2017 that a court order required Big Tobacco to air television spots proclaiming smoking kills. But even then Big Tobacco wiggled off the U.S. Justice Department hook by winning concessions. Among them included not having to admit the industry deliberately lied to the public in promotional and advertising campaigns or show lurid pictures of what smoking does to people’s lungs and body.

Big Oil took the Big Tobacco playbook and ran with it, efforting to deny the impact of burning fossil fuels on the environment. In 1998, the American Petroleum Institute created the Global Climate Science Communications Team. The plan called for a coordinated effort from Big Oil and pro oil activists to single out the media, demanding in the name of balance they report on uncertainties in climate science. Big Oil provided their own contrarian scientists as expert media sources so that the public would learn the “truth” that climate change was nothing more than a left wing hoax.

In short, by demanding journalistic balance Big Oil turned climate change into a partisan issue.

Yes, being reporters and not biased advocates is a Bad Thing for the climate cult.

But what Big Ag is desperate to keep secret from Congress and the rest of us is just how invested the nation’s food producers are in green technologies. The Security and Exchange Commission is floating rules that would require large publicly-traded companies – including Big Ag – to reveal the impacts of climate change on their businesses.

Do you run the company? No? Then it’s none of your f’ing business.

One proposed rule would require Big Ag to report to the SEC all Scope 3 greenhouse gasses they emit directly from their operations. Scope 3 emissions include energy purchased and energy from their supply chains. Scope 3 emissions account for roughly 90 percent of all Big Ag greenhouse gas emissions but it largely goes unreported to the federal government.

In order to comply with the SEC rule Big Ag would need to provide an accurate assessment of the energy consumption of the farmers they work with. For Big Ag, that’s a bridge too far. Since at least March, the American Farm Bureau Federation, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the National Pork Producers Council have been twisting SEC staff and lawmakers’ arms to get Scope 3 reporting requirements tossed on the trash heap.

This would cause the cost of food to rise. All for a scam.

So it’s fair to say Big Ag is in an all out blitz to prevent transparency when it comes to its energy consumption as it relates to climate change. The why is unclear.

Congress needs to ask.

No, it doesn’t. They don’t need to be meddling ninnies. But, if they do, I would love to see what of the Big Ag leaders say “Have you given up your own use of fossil fuels?”

Read: Climate Cult Coming For “Big Ag” »

Posted in Food and Drink, Global Warming | 4 Comments | Trackback URL

If All You See…

By William Teach October 21, 2022 – 1:00 pm

…are horrible fossil fueled vehicles causing heat snow, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is Diogenes’ Middle Finger, with a post wonder what the MSM is hiding this election cycle.

Read: If All You See… »

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NY Times: UK Prime Minister’s Downfall A Warning To Leaders Who Fail To Address Inflation

By William Teach October 21, 2022 – 10:30 am

Interestingly, the article never mentions the word Biden, nor Democrats, despite raging inflation eroding the standard of living

As Inflation Stalks Europe, Leaders Shudder
The downfall of Britain’s prime minister served as a warning to all of the political peril that awaits those who fail to address the erosion of living standards, no matter the cause.

The retired women wheeled their canvas shopping carts to the fresh pasta counter of an outdoor market in Rome this week and commiserated about how the price of tagliatelle, oranges, napkins, utility bills — you name it — had gone through the roof.

“Prices have gone up on everything,” said Simonetta Belardi, 69, a self-described leftist who argued that while inflation whittled away her savings, it also wore down her support for Ukraine in the war that many across Europe blame for the astronomical costs. She was no fan of Russia, she said, but the time had long passed for an end to military support for Ukraine and a shift to diplomatic negotiations for peace. She said more and more people she knew, in need of economic relief, were losing their patience, too.

“All they want is arms, arms, arms,” she said of Ukraine. “I’m sick and tired of them.”

It is a sentiment — impatience, even inchoate anger, at the inflation fueled by the war — that transcends the shoppers in Rome’s piazzas and can be found among the weekly protests in Germany or in the swelling ranks of French strikers. And it has leaders nervous.

A bit of gaslighting, since the primary cause of inflation was China’s coronavirus. Then you get into issues like printing too much money, spending too much as the economies were re-opening, passing bills that do nothing to address inflation but put more money into economies, overheating them. And then Biden baiting Putin into invading Ukraine

While Britain’s economic tailspin was largely self-inflicted by unfunded tax proposals, the resignation on Thursday of Prime Minister Liz Truss sent perhaps the clearest signal yet that political peril awaits those who fail to address inflation and the erosion of living standards, no matter the cause.

The situation is arguably even more dire on continental Europe. The annual inflation rate in the European Union is now at its highest in decades — 10.9 percent in September, up from 3.6 a year earlier.

A big driver is their lack of energy, mostly fossil fuels, which drives up prices.

That is worse even than in the United States or Britain, and it is being driven largely by the bloc’s unique and anguishing withdrawal pains as it tries to punish Russia’s president, Vladimir V. Putin, for his invasion of Ukraine by quitting its long dependence on cheap Russian gas.

Remember when they laughed at Trump for saying they were too reliant on Russia for natural gas?

Mario Draghi, the departing prime minister of Italy and an architect of the continent’s united line against Russia, warned as much would happen if Europe failed to reach a deal to cap prices on the alternative gas imports.

Spiraling energy costs, he said in a speech at the United Nations in September, would be something that “puts at risk the economic recovery, limits the buying power of families and damages the production capabilities of businesses.”

That’s what happens when you legislate away fossil fuels, coal, and nuclear power, ones that are reliable, dependable, and affordable. But, the Elites really do not care, because it doesn’t affect them, they’re rich. But, it does harm the working and middle class

That moment, it seems, is arriving as strikes and protests over the rising cost of living proliferate, ushering in a period of social and labor unrest not seen since at least the 1970s.

But, are the politicians and Elites listening? Most aren’t. They look like this

https://twitter.com/JoeT888/status/1583073944428388352

It’s no wonder the Times doesn’t want to discuss Biden and the Democrats, because they are beyond out of touch, and just do not care.

Read: NY Times: UK Prime Minister’s Downfall A Warning To Leaders Who Fail To Address Inflation »

Posted in Economy, Energy | 9 Comments | Trackback URL

Climate Cultists Glue Themselves At VW Plant In Germany

By William Teach October 21, 2022 – 7:15 am

The best part is their complaints

Germany: Climate activists glue themselves to Volkswagen visitor facility floor, criticise company for not providing bowls to urinate and defecate while being glued

On Wednesday, nine environmental activists belonging to a Scientist Rebellion group that works for climate revolution in Germany glued themselves to the Porsche pavilion floor at Volkswagen’s Autostadt to raise awareness about the climate emergency. The activists also declared a hunger strike demanding the authorities and the government decarbonize the German transport sector. Autostadt is a facility for visitors adjacent to the Volkswagen factory in Wolfsburg, Germany.

According to the reports, the Autostadt at the Volkswagen plant is the facility where consumers and fans go to connect with the company’s brands or experience some car-related pleasure. A total of 15 members of the ‘Scientist Rebellion’ group who claim to be science researchers marched in Autostadt to protest against Volkswagen which is the second largest car producer in the world. Nine out of 15 researcher members of the protesting organization glued their palms on the floor as a part of the protest and also decided to go on a hunger strike.

The researchers said that Volkswagen should do its part in slowing down climate change and that it plays a big role in the fight against pollution. They also pointed out that the company has the means to lobby decision-makers into doing the right thing. (snip)

Protesters want the German government to reinstate the €9 public transportation pass and to impose a speed restriction of 100 kph (62 mph) on all of the country’s roadways. They are well-known for being an essential component of the Autobahn system, which lets cars go as fast as they want on some sections with no speed restriction.

Say, I wonder how they got there. It’s not exactly an easy walk or bike. Did they take a fossil fueled vehicle or bus? Here’s the fun

Grimalda in the series of tweets further mentioned that the company supported the group’s right to protest but refused to provide them with a bowl to urinate and defecate in a decent manner while they are glued. He also said that the people who supported the protest were not allowed to go out of the building and if allowed, they couldn’t get back in. “We can’t order our food, we must use the one provided by Volkswagen. Lights off. Random unannounced checks by security guards with bright torches. Police just came in”, he tweeted.

VW should have surrounded them with some partition walls, to boot. If the protesters aren’t willing to put it all on the line, that’s on them. Let them stay there, no food, no bathrooms, no new clothes. Deal with it. Looks like VW is just trying to protect the environment by cutting lights, heating, and water.

https://twitter.com/GGrimalda/status/1582818342506987521

Read: Climate Cultists Glue Themselves At VW Plant In Germany »

Posted in AGW Idiocy, Global Warming | 12 Comments | Trackback URL

Pelosi Says Democrats Need To Get Better At Talking About Inflation Or Something

By William Teach October 21, 2022 – 7:00 am

Even if Democrats had an actual positive record to talk about, it’s pretty much too late, what with early voting having started in quite a few states and election day less than 20 days away

Nancy Pelosi says Democrats need to get better at talking about inflation — but Republicans ‘ain’t got nothing’

With the midterms looming, soaring inflation is bringing down voters’ moods — and potentially tipping them towards Republicans. Speaker Nancy Pelosi seems well aware of that.

Polling consistently shows that the economy and inflation are top of mind as Democrats and Republicans duke it out for the House and Senate. Right now, Democrats are barely clinging to razor-thin majorities in both chambers, and economic concerns could push voters to the right.

In an interview with Punchbowl News, Pelosi — who’s previously expressed confidence that Democrats will pick up seats in the House — said Democrats need to make their message on inflation better.

“Inflation’s an issue, but it’s global,” Pelosi told Punchbowl. She asked what Republicans’ plan to address it is: “They ain’t got nothing.”

Of course, nowhere in that interview did Pelosi offer any ideas or explain what the Democrats have done to address inflation. She did yammer about turning out the vote, because that’s all they have

She noted that inflation tends to go up when unemployment comes down, and that’s certainly been the case in the Biden administration’s pandemic recovery efforts. In September, unemployment fell even lower than economists had anticipated, as the country added a robust 263,000 payrolls. Ironically, that’s bad news for the broader economy, since it means the Federal Reserve may have to step in even more to try and bring inflation down.

Employment, huh?

Inflation is pushing half of Americans to consider second jobs

Stubbornly high inflation is pushing more than half of American workers to consider taking a second job, according to a new study from technology company Qualtrics.

The survey of more than 1,000 adults with full-time jobs found that 38% have looked for a second job, while another 14% plan to do so, the company said. That means “more than half of working Americans have considered holding multiple jobs to pay for their living expenses,” the company said in a statement.

Of course, elites like Pelosi, who make money off high inflation, do not have these worries.

The typical U.S. household is spending $445 more a month due to inflation. Here’s how to reduce the bite

Inflation is causing American households to spend $445 more per month buying the same items they did a year ago, according to an estimate from Moody’s Analytics.

Consumer prices jumped by 8.2% in September versus the same month in 2021, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said Thursday. That rate is down from 9.1% in June, which marked the recent peak, but is still near the highest levels since the early 1980s.

Wages for many workers haven’t kept pace with inflation, meaning they’ve lost purchasing power. Hourly earnings fell 3%, on average, in the year to September after accounting for inflation, according to the bureau.

None of the ideas they offer are things elites like Nancy have to engage in, especially when government pays for her travel.

Read: Pelosi Says Democrats Need To Get Better At Talking About Inflation Or Something »

Posted in Democrats, Economy | 9 Comments | Trackback URL

Bummer: Concern Over Climate Doom Shrinks Globally

By William Teach October 20, 2022 – 3:00 pm

People are worried about their economies. They’re worried about feeding their families, being able to heat their homes. Worrying about the climate crisis scam is popular in theory, not practice, so, when real world things happen, it becomes less concerning

Concern about climate change shrinks globally as threat grows – study

Concerns about climate change shrank across the world last year, a survey shows, with fewer than half those questioned believing it posed a “very serious threat” to their countries in the next 20 years.

Only 20% of people in China, the world’s biggest polluter, said they believed that climate change was a very serious threat, down 3 percentage points from the previous poll in 2019, the survey by Gallup World Risk Poll showed on Wednesday.

Globally, the figure fell by 1.5 percentage points to 48.7% in 2021, it said.

The COVID-19 pandemic and concerns about more immediate issues such as health and livelihoods may partly explain the drop, the survey, based on over 125,000 interviews in 121 countries, showed.

Of course, even those who take it seriously do little about it in their own lives. Kinda like sports: so many of us are Very Concerned over how our sports team is doing, but, we aren’t out their playing, right? Most Warmists do little to nothing in their own lives. They just advocate for Governments to pass laws, and, now that those laws are damaging the energy supply, they’re a bit concerned. When those laws mess with food production, they’re concerned. When those laws mess with housing, they’re concerned. But, not concerned with the climate crisis scam.

Here’s an interesting comment from the article

It’s the extremism that is turning people off. When every weather event becomes climate change and foolish laws, like banning straws become the norm, people stop believing it is serious. Especially when a lot of Europeans are going to die this winter because of lack of fuel.

Perhaps if they weren’t as batshit insane, we could do some stuff. If this wasn’t all about authoritarian politics, we could do something. They are nuts

And this

(MyNorthwest) If a Seattle police officer sees someone snorting cocaine with a plastic straw, they will take the straw but will leave the cocaine, right?

They’re not busting people for possessing small amounts of drugs. The straw has got to go, but the cocaine — you can keep that. Snohomish County has said that it won’t charge you for possessing less than 2 grams of drugs, and Seattle has a de facto legalization of possession.

We are truly the bizarro city. We’re going to have the heroin death site ice cream trucks going up and down the street, and now you can snort cocaine, but not with a plastic straw. It’s really, really an interesting place these days.

Seattle — you can shoot up heroin, you can snort cocaine, but if you use a non-compostable fork — you’re off to the jailhouse.

But, banning the straws saves us from ‘climate change’, right?

Read: Bummer: Concern Over Climate Doom Shrinks Globally »

Posted in Barking Moonbats, Global Warming | 12 Comments | Trackback URL

If All You See…

By William Teach October 20, 2022 – 1:00 pm

…is a horrible, concrete intensive pool, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is Da Techguy’s Blog, with a post on potential rolling blackouts in the New England states.

Read: If All You See… »

Posted in If All You See | 4 Comments | Trackback URL
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