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91
After a double betrayal fails to sway Israel, the Biden administration tries extortion
By
Elizabeth Stauffer
May 14, 2024 6:00 am

With friends like President Joe Biden, who needs enemies?

In a report released to Congress on Friday, the Biden administration concluded it was “reasonable to assess” that Israel had violated international humanitarian law using U.S. arms in Gaza. Although the report states that U.S. officials were unable to “link specific U.S. weapons to individual strikes by Israeli forces in Gaza” due to “wartime conditions,” it claims that “there have been sufficient reported incidents to raise serious concerns.”

The following sentence tells you all you need to know: “[T]he State Department has received reporting from multiple credible UN and non-governmental sources on alleged human rights violations by Israeli forces during the reporting period.”

The Washington Post reported that Biden ordered the investigation in February after congressional Democrats, led by Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), proposed legislation to determine whether the Israel Defense Forces had used U.S.-provided arms in an unlawful manner in Gaza.

This report comes just days after Biden paused a shipment of 3,500 bombs to Israel to deter them from invading Rafah, Hamas’s last stronghold in Gaza. Unless and until Israel can eliminate Hamas’s four remaining battalions in Rafah and the group’s leaders who are believed to be hiding there, they cannot defeat Hamas.

more
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/courage-strength-optimism/3001907/after-a-double-betrayal-fails-to-sway-israel-the-biden-administration-tries-extortion/
92
Biden to quadruple tariffs on Chinese EVs as he works to outfox Trump
By
Haisten Willis
May 14, 2024 5:00 am
.

President Joe Biden is upping the ante in his trade war with China — and with former President Donald Trump.

Biden opposed Chinese tariffs during the 2020 election but is now not only matching but exceeding Trump’s tariffs on the world’s second-biggest economy.

“The president is taking important enforcement action to raise tariffs in key sectors under Section 301 of our trade laws that will make sure that historic investments in jobs spurred by President Biden’s actions are not undercut by a flood of unfairly underpriced exports from China,” National Economic Council Director Lael Brainard said Monday.

The Biden administration has announced it will raise tariffs on certain Chinese steel and aluminum products from 7.25% to 25% this year, on electric vehicles from 25% to 100%, and on semiconductors from 25% to 50% next year.

“American workers and businesses can outcompete anyone — as long as they have fair competition,” reads a fact sheet announcing the changes. “But for too long, China’s government has used unfair, non-market practices.”

Those changes, the White House says, have led to Chinese firms controlling up to 90% of global production for some goods. The administration says the tariffs, in addition to legislation like the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill Biden signed in 2021, will succeed where Trump’s tariffs did not.

more
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/white-house/3002358/biden-quadruple-tariffs-chinese-evs-outfox-trump/
93
Inflation rose to 2.2% in producer price index in April in bad news for the Fed
By
Zachary Halaschak
May 14, 2024 8:33 am
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Inflation, as measured by the producer price index, rose to 2.2% for the year ending in April, the Bureau of Economic Analysis reported on Tuesday.

April marks the third straight rise in the headline inflation rate, the opposite of the trend sought by the Federal Reserve and a warning sign for President Joe Biden.

Most economists had forecast annual inflation would tick up by this much, so the reading was in line with expectations.

On a month-to-month basis, the price index increased by 0.5%, more than expected.

The Fed has raised its interest rate target to 5.25% to 5.50%, the highest since the dot-com bubble at the turn of the century.

Recent inflation reports have come in hotter than anticipated, with the consumer price index rising to 3.5% in March. Because of the hotter inflation prints, coupled with the insulation of the strong jobs market, many investors began to expect that the Fed would hold off on cutting rates until after the November election.

The labor market has remained above water despite the interest rate increases.

But the most recent jobs report showed some signs of slowing down.

The economy added 175,000 jobs in April versus 315,000 the month before, and the unemployment rate rose a tenth of a percentage point to 3.9%.

Additionally, the number of new applications for unemployment benefits rose by 22,000 to 231,000 last week, the highest number of jobless claims in about nine months.

The most recent data show job openings fell 3.7% in March to just under 8.5 million, the lowest level of openings since February 2021. The job opening numbers fell below expectations, continuing a trend of slowly declining job openings over the past few years.

more
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/finance-and-economy/3002557/inflation-rose-to-2-2-in-producer-price-index-in-april-in-bad-news-for-the-fed/
94
DAY 17: Michael Cohen's Testifies

 Speaker Johnson to appear at courthouse amid Trump hush money trial
by Mychael Schnell - 05/14/24 8:05 AM ET



Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) will appear at the Manhattan courthouse Tuesday as former President Trump sits for another day of his hush money trial, a source confirmed to The Hill.

Johnson is the latest Republican lawmaker to visit the court amid Trump’s ongoing criminal trial, which has kept him largely off the campaign trail as he vies for another term in the White House.

His expected appearance was first reported by Punchbowl News.

The Speaker’s trip to New York, however, comes less than one week after the House overwhelmingly blocked an attempt by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) to oust him from office, an outcome that some have in-part attributed to the former president’s backing of Johnson.

Trump voiced support for Johnson on a number of occasions amid the ouster threat — including during a joint appearance at Mar-a-Lago — and he urged Republicans to vote to table Greene’s motion to vacate. That Truth Social post, however, published minutes after the vote closed.
95
Space / Re: SpaceX vs Boeing ~ Bill Whittle (Video)
« Last post by Elderberry on Today at 12:45:16 pm »
That was a great video! They nailed both Boeing, NASA and the FAA.
96
Pookie's Toons / Re: Today's Toons 5/14/24
« Last post by pookie18 on Today at 12:38:02 pm »
Thanks, Pookie.

My pleasure, Polly Ticks!
97
Politics/Government / Re: Political Graphics 2024
« Last post by Slide Rule on Today at 12:34:13 pm »
98
Radio Shows / Re: Do you listen to podcasts? Any recommendations?
« Last post by deb on Today at 12:32:51 pm »
The only podcast that I have listened to on occasion is The Verdict with Ted Cruz -- I don't even know if it's airing anymore.

I believe it still is. I’ve enjoyed that one too.
99
Politics/Government / Re: Political Graphics 2024
« Last post by Slide Rule on Today at 12:31:12 pm »
100
No commentary needed.  So many of us miss Tom.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2qvHyFVm20

Stunningly beautiful song. Thanks for posting it.
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