Claim: Trump’s Anti-Science Climate Denial Threatens the Foundations of Prosperity
18 hours ago Eric Worrall 

According to a review of a book by Kings College Professor Daniel Susskind, President Trump is the harbinger of a new age of superstition and prejudice, which threatens to derail science driven economic growth.

Long-term growth is more vulnerable than it looks

A new book argues the belief that economies should always expand is relatively new, and threats to the future of growth are as large now as any time in the post-Industrial Revolution era.

Guy Debelle Former Central Banker
May 23, 2024 – 5.00am

…

We have taken economic growth for granted for much of the past century. When the economy isn’t growing it dominates the news cycle, because those periods of decline have very much been the exception, not the rule. Even the slightest prospect of a recession can generate reams of tomorrow’s fish and chip wrappers.

…

Daniel Susskind provides a timely and thought-provoking book on the history of economic growth in Growth: A Reckoning. Timely, because a number of the critical factors that Susskind argues underpin growth are currently under threat. This is most apparent in the US in the form of Donald Trump, where science is being supplanted by superstition, reason by assertion, experience by prejudice.

https://wattsupwiththat.com/2024/05/24/claim-trumps-anti-science-climate-denial-threatens-the-foundations-of-prosperity/

Wonder how many of these bird cage bottom fodders would sell, if Hotels didn't drop them off every morning at the door?

I dunno, but Gannett's current business model involves them buying up struggling or failing small town newspapers, firing the staffs and gutting the local content, turning them into "shells" with the previous branding, and then filling them with "National" news or whatever else Gannett wants.  That's happened to both my hometown newspaper and my current local one.  And of course Gannett is woker than the Washington Post.

Biden Games Gasoline Prices (election ahead?)
By Allen Brooks -- May 23, 2024

“The hypocrisy of the Biden administration taking credit for lower gasoline prices as the summer driving season begins by fulfilling a Congressional mandate is unsurprising.”

“We now have the amazing scenario where days before the start of the hurricane season, Democrats in Congress and Biden are willing to empty the gasoline reserve.”

The Department of Energy announced Tuesday that it would begin selling the one million barrels of gasoline in the Northeast Gasoline Supply Reserve.  Bids for the supply are due May 28th with delivery expected by June 30th.  Bids will be accepted for lots of 100,000 barrels.  The supply represents 42 million gallons of gasoline and is held in commercial storage tanks in Maine and New Jersey.

The sale was mandated by the omnibus Congressional spending bill (HR 2882) approved in late March with procedural hijinks by Senate Leader Chuck Schumer.  If you remember, it was during the final hours of the Friday before the week-long Congress’ Easter Recess that the House passed the legislation 286-134 providing funding to keep the government operating through its September 30 fiscal year-end.  The bill was passed over to the Senate which passed it in the early morning hours of Saturday and forwarded it to the White House for President Joe Biden’s signature that evening.  Importantly, more Democrats than Republicans in the House voted for the bill as more than 100 Republicans voted against it.

We now have the amazing scenario where days before the start of the hurricane season, Democrats in Congress and Biden are willing to empty the gasoline reserve.  Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said in a statement, “By strategically releasing this reserve in between Memorial Day and July 4th, we are ensuring sufficient supply flows to the tri-state and northeast at a time hardworking Americans need it the most.”  How funny that the Biden administration is taking credit for helping consumers by following through on a Congressionally mandated action.

https://www.masterresource.org/strategic-petroleum-reserve/biden-games-gasoline-prices-election-ahead/

Bill payers to fund £60bn Net Zero overhaul of National Grid
3 hours ago Guest Blogger

From NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT

By Paul Homewood
 

This confirms what we learnt a few weeks ago:


Bill payers are to fund a £30bn overhaul of the electricity network as the National Grid “rewires the nation” to hit net zero.

National Grid unveiled the investment as it prepares to build thousands of miles of new cables by 2030, to carry electricity from wind farms in Scotland or offshore to power-hungry cities mainly in England.

This overhaul will eventually cut greenhouse gas emissions – but will lead to thousands more pylons being built across Britain and extra charges on customers’ bills.

The announcement, planned for weeks, comes as net zero is expected to play a major role in the forthcoming general election campaign. Labour is seeking to decarbonise by 2030, but Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, has argued that this is too fast.

https://wattsupwiththat.com/2024/05/25/bill-payers-to-fund-60bn-net-zero-overhaul-of-national-grid/

But they pay more attention to what the candidates themselves have to say after Labor Day.

I think that's less true than it used to be generally, but particularly with these two guys.   Normally, the unknown is the challenger, because people already know the incumbent.  Or in some elections, there is no incumbent so there are two unknowns.

But these guys and what they would do/have done as President is already familiar.  Their words on the campaign trail are going to matter much less than normal, they'll instead be judged on their records.  And the closer we get to the election, the less time there will be for things in the real world to change enough to make a difference.

So while I think the polls will still move between now and November, the magnitude of that movement will be less than in prior elections.