U.S. Politics

[Rick Plant]

This propaganda reminds me of Bagdad Bob and his proclamations of victory during the Iraq war.  Biden's polls numbers have cratered to Watergate-like numbers.  Even the leftist media has conceded that he is a disaster.  The Dems closed the country down in 2020 bringing it to ruin.  When it is reopened (ironically with even more virus cases than when this started - thanks Joe!) and the people go back to work, they proclaim economic success.  HA HA HA.  It's a miracle!  You can't make that up.  Imagine the economy improving after being closed down for a pandemic?   Amazing Joe!  Another record to add to inflation, crime, illegal immigration, and possibly WWIII due to his blundering.   As Cool Hand Luke said, "Wish you'd stop being so good to me Captain."

Hilarious how people like Richard Smith continue to deny reality. Criminal Donald was a disaster and President Biden saved America in one year. Dems can't "close a country down".   

U.S. economy grew by 5.7 percent last year, fastest pace since 1984
The nation’s gross domestic product has bounced back from the 2020 coronavirus recession

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/us-economy-grew-57-2021-rebounding-2020-recession-rcna13771#:~:text=The%20U.S.%20economy%20grew%20last,the%20Commerce%20Department%20reported%20Thursday.

[Rick Plant]

President Biden went to Pittsburgh, PA today to speak about his historical economic success and his historical Infrastructure Bill. Tragedy happened as a bridge collapsed injuring 10 people. This is why the passing of President Biden's Infrastructure Bill was so important, because we have structurally deficient bridges all across America in desperate need of repairs. Only a few Republicans voted for this Bill while the rest attacked the Bill and voted against it.

How can anybody be against a Bill that revitalizes American cities, keeps Americans safe, and provides millions of new good paying jobs which will give us an economic boom? That just goes to show you how partisan and anti American these right wingers are. There's a few frauds in the GOP who are trying to falsley take credit for all the new infrastructure projects starting up in their states when they voted against this Bill. All these right wing frauds are being called out and we won't allow them to take credit for this Bill they opposed and voted against.       

Pittsburgh bridge collapses, injuring 10 people
Several vehicles were on the Forbes Avenue bridge over Fern Hollow Creek in Pittsburgh's Frick Park when the span collapsed

PITTSBURGH —The Forbes Avenue bridge over Fern Hollow Creek in Pittsburgh's Frick Park collapsed Friday morning, with several vehicles, including a Port Authority bus, on the span at the time.

Ten injuries were reported in the collapse, which happened in the area of Forbes and South Braddock avenues near the city's Point Breeze neighborhood. Four people were taken to area hospitals.

The bridge that collapsed is known as the Fern Hollow Bridge, used by an estimated 14,500 vehicles daily. Video above shows the collapse.

President Joe Biden visited the site of the bridge collapse, just after he arrived in the city for a previously scheduled speech on infrastructure.

"You realize, I’ve been coming to Pittsburgh a long time and as a former Pennsylvanian, but I didn’t realize there are literally more bridges in Pittsburgh than any other city in the world. More than Venice. I knew there were a lot of bridges – I had no idea of that. And we’re gonna fix them all. It’s not a joke. This is going to be a gigantic change. There’s 43,000 nationwide and we’re sending them money," Biden said.

City officials said the bridge came down at 6:39 a.m. Witnesses said the loud noise from the collapse was followed by a hissing sound and the smell of natural gas.

A major gas leak caused a strong odor in the area. Some homes were evacuated due to the leak, but all residents have been able to return to their homes.

Rescuers had to rappel nearly 150 feet and form a human chain to reach the people in the articulated bus that fell with the bridge into the ravine.

Port Authority officials said a driver and two passengers were on the 61B bus, which was headed outbound from downtown Pittsburgh to Braddock when the collapse happened. Pittsburgh Public Safety officials said the passengers were taken to the hospital for treatment.

According to officials, there were a total of ten injuries. Four people were taken to hospitals, with UPMC reporting that the patients were in fair condition. One of the patients was treated and released Friday afternoon.

There were no life-threatening injuries, officials said.

Authorities flew drones to make sure no one was under any collapsed sections of the bridge, and a spokesman for Mayor Ed Gainey said a search-and-rescue team combed the area for any other possible victims.

Investigators have not yet determined the cause of the collapse.

Owned by the city, the bridge is an important artery that leads to Pittsburgh's Squirrel Hill and Oakland neighborhoods. Public Safety officials say the span was most recently inspected in September.

The bridge was in "poor" overall condition, according to a statewide listing of bridge conditions on the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation website. The report listed the deck condition as poor and said the substructure was satisfactory.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

https://www.wtae.com/article/pittsburgh-bridge-collapse/38926079

[Rick Plant]

Economic growth so strong, the GOP is literally at a loss for words
Economic growth was so good in President Joe Biden's first year that Republicans literally found themselves at a loss for words

"The public learned that economic growth in 2021 reached its highest level in nearly four decades, on the heels of news that the economy created 6.4 million jobs last year and saw the sharpest one-year improvement in the unemployment rate on record."

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/economic-growth-so-strong-gop-literally-loss-words-n1288163


'This is no accident’: Biden takes credit for soaring economic growth

Jared Bernstein, one of President Biden’s economic advisors, tells Lawrence O’Donnell that in addition to fast economic growth, unemployment dropped at a record rate in 2021. “Those statistics make the connection between a strong growing economy on the GDP side and with that growth reaching working families through an extremely tight labor market.” - Jan. 27, 2022

https://www.msnbc.com/the-last-word/watch/-this-is-no-accident-biden-takes-credit-for-soaring-economic-growth-131884101889

[Rick Plant]

The Biden Boom: Economic Recovery in 2021
President Joe Biden took office one year ago amid one of the worst economies in generations, but the U.S. economy has since made tremendous progress toward recovery, and workers are benefiting.

January 20 marks one year since President Joe Biden took office: It’s time to take stock of the historic economic boom under his leadership.

Though the United States faces serious economic challenges amid the ongoing global pandemic, 2021 was an extraordinary year of economic growth and recovery. The country saw record job gains and an unprecedented drop in unemployment. The economy likely grew faster than in any year since 1984, as measured by real gross domestic product (GDP). In 2021, the economy not only regained all pandemic-related GDP losses—it also surpassed pre-pandemic levels. Despite elevated inflation, Americans’ disposable incomes were higher in 2021 in real (inflation-adjusted) terms than they were in 2019 and 2020. Additionally, by many important measures such as savings and bank balances, Americans are more financially secure. The United States also made dramatic progress in lowering its exceptionally high rate of child poverty.

None of this was inevitable. Rather, it was the result of bold policies that bolstered the recovery and provided direct aid to households, most importantly the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and the COVID-19 vaccine program. Much of this aid was disbursed to families hit hardest by the devastating economic impact of the pandemic: the unemployed, the poor, and families struggling with the high costs of raising children. Bold federal action helped families make ends meet through additional stimulus checks; expanded unemployment insurance benefits; expanded monthly child tax credit payments; and other policies. These policies addressed weaknesses in the social safety net that became more acute during the pandemic but existed well beforehand. And many of these interventions were temporary. Much work remains to not only ensure a strong recovery but also to extend progress beyond the pre-pandemic status quo toward an economy that works for all.

While the challenges are urgent and real, the fact is that, by so many key measures, the economy today is booming. This Biden Boom has been particularly strong for workers—who have access to better-paying jobs—and are seeing their wages growing after decades of seeing economic benefits accrue to the wealthy and corporations.

More jobs were added, and unemployment fell faster than ever before

The U.S. economy has added jobs in record numbers since President Biden took office, gaining an average of 565,000 per month, and 6.2 million in total from January 2021 through December 2021. (see Figure 1)

Under Biden, we have seen the most jobs created on record
Change in U.S. nonfarm payroll employment from January to December, in thousands, 1939–2021

https://beta.bls.gov/dataViewer/view/timeseries/CES0000000001



The unemployment rate fell at a record pace (see Figure 2)—and much faster than economic experts projected before the passage of ARPA. (see Figure 3) Last February, the Congressional Budget Office forecasted that the U.S. unemployment rate would not reach 3.9 percent until 2026. Thanks to ARPA, that benchmark was reached four years earlier.

Under Biden, we have seen the fastest decline in the unemployment rate on record
Percentage-point change in the U.S. unemployment rate from January to December, 1948–2021

https://beta.bls.gov/dataViewer/view/timeseries/LNS13000000



Since the passage of the American Rescue Plan, unemployment has fallen much faster than expected
Actual U.S. unemployment rate vs. Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projection, by month, January to December 2021

https://www.cbo.gov/publication/56970


Strong growth brought output above its pre-pandemic level

In the second quarter of 2021, the United States surpassed its pre-pandemic level of economic output. The United States was the first country in the G-7—the seven leading advanced economies—to recover all real GDP lost during the pandemic. (see Figure 5) Real GDP growth is estimated to be 5.5 percent for 2021, which would be the highest rate of GDP growth in nearly four decades.

Real disposable incomes were up and poverty fell despite inflation

Severe pandemic-related disruptions to supply chains amid the global recovery, coupled with changing consumer buying patterns, led to increased levels of inflation in 2021. Prices were substantially higher for many goods and services. But even with inflation taken into account, Americans still had more disposable income—that is, money available to spend or save as one wishes—in 2021 than in either 2020 or 2019. (see Figure 6) This is the result of several factors, including employment gains, wage growth—particularly amongst low-wage workers—and the direct aid to families provided by ARPA, including the $1,400-per-person economic impact payments and the major expansion of the child tax credit.

Though rising prices led to a sense of unease, by a host of measures, Americans’ financial security was generally stronger than in prior years. Propelled by gains in home values and retirement savings, the net wealth of the bottom 80 percent of Americans by income increased by $4 trillion during the first three quarters of 2021. Retirement security was greatly enhanced for many Americans, with the stock market seeing large gains in 2021: The S&P 500 went up 27 percent and notched 70 all-time highs in 2021, a record that is second only to 1995. Americans also had more money in their checking accounts, particularly low-income families.

One of the most important parts of ARPA was a substantial expansion of the child tax credit. ARPA increased the credit from $2,000 per child to $3,000—and $3,600 for children under age 6. Crucially, ARPA extended the full benefit of the child tax credit to the families of 27 million low-income children who had previously been fully or partially excluded. And, for the first time, the child tax credit was paid out on a monthly basis, with families receiving up to $250 or $300 per child beginning in July 2021. The child tax credit had an immediate and dramatic impact when monthly payments started in July. The child poverty rate was nearly 30 percent lower than it would have been without the expanded child tax credit and fell 38 percent over the course of the year. (see Figure 7) And the number of families with children reporting that they were experiencing food insufficiency dropped by 37 percent.

Poverty among children fell by 38 percent from 2020 to 2021
Poverty rate among U.S. children, November 2020 to November 2021

Workers were empowered to take better jobs

In 2021, workers, particularly low-wage workers, regained power in the labor market and used that power to demand better quality jobs and higher wages. Contrary to what headlines heralding a “Great Resignation” may suggest, workers are not quitting jobs to sit on the sidelines. (see Figure 9) Instead, they are switching jobs for higher pay and better benefits and working conditions. Low-wage workers in particular experienced strong wage growth. Americans also applied to start new businesses in record numbers in 2021. (see Figure 10)

https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-biden-boom-economic-recovery-in-2021/

[Rick Plant]

Thanks President Biden for this historic success!

[Rick Plant]

Biden cites 40-day timeline for Supreme Court confirmation



WASHINGTON — The chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Dick Durbin, and the panel’s top Republican, Chuck Grassley, met with the president Tuesday afternoon to discuss a 40-day confirmation timeline for a new Supreme Court pick.
“The Constitution says, ‘advise and consent, advice and consent,’ and I’m serious when I say that I want the advice of the Senate as well as the consent to arrive on who the nominee should be,” President Joe Biden told reporters, according to pool reports.

Biden said that once he announces a nominee to replace Justice Stephen Breyer by the end of the month, he’s hoping for a 40-day confirmation process, a similar timeline to other nominees. That would put the final Senate vote sometime this spring, since Biden has said he will make an announcement by the end of February.

Biden has vowed to pick the first Black woman to serve on the court.

“He’s looking at the nominees and going to report to us,” Durbin, an Illinois Democrat, said to reporters after he returned from the White House.

Breyer, 83, was nominated by President Bill Clinton in 1994. He will retire at the end of the 2022 term.

“I had the chance to tell him that I want somebody that’s going to interpret the law, not make law,” Grassley, an Iowa Republican, said after the White House meeting.

The last Supreme Court nominee, Justice Amy Coney Barrett, took 27 days to confirm in a Senate controlled by Republicans in 2020.

During a Tuesday press briefing, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that Biden has been looking at potential Supreme Court nominations for about a year.

“The president’s view is that after 230 years of the Supreme Court being in existence, the fact that not a single Black woman has served on the Supreme Court is a failure in the process, not a failure or a lack of qualified Black women to serve as Supreme Court justices,” she said.

Senate leaders of both parties had little to say about a prospective Supreme Court pick following their weekly caucus lunches, reserving most of their remarks for the economy and tensions with Russia.

Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said Biden’s pledge to select a Black woman would help make the Supreme Court more reflective of the U.S. population.

Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, the No. 4 Senate Democrat, noted that Tuesday was the first day of Black History Month and said the prospect of confirming a Black nominee was “very exciting.”

Republicans, including Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Minority Whip John Thune of South Dakota, pledged to treat Biden’s nominee with respect during a “thoughtful process.”

“It’s pretty hard to comment on a nominee until you get one,” McConnell told reporters.

“The Republican minority will treat the nominee with respect and go through the process in a serious, thoughtful way,” he said.

Biden’s pledge to choose a Black woman to serve on the court would allow him to fulfill a campaign promise from 2020.

So far, Justices Thurgood Marshall and Clarence Thomas have been the only Black members of the court. One woman of color, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, has served.

Some top contenders include 51-year-old Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, who currently serves on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. She was previously vetted by the Obama administration in 2016 as a possible nominee to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia.

House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn of South Carolina is also pushing for the nomination of 55-year-old Michelle Childs, a federal judge in South Carolina who has been nominated to serve on the federal appeals court in Washington.

Childs also has the approval of South Carolina Republican Lindsey Graham, who praised her as a “highly qualified” candidate during an interview on “Face the Nation.” Graham is a top member of Senate Judiciary.

Another possible front-runner is 45-year-old California Supreme Court Justice Leondra Kruger and 47-year-old Georgia U.S. District Court Judge Leslie Abrams Gardner, the sister of Stacey Abrams, who is currently running for governor in Georgia.

Virginia Mercury is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Virginia Mercury maintains editorial independence.

https://www.virginiamercury.com/2022/02/01/biden-cites-40-day-timeline-for-supreme-court-confirmation/

[Rick Plant]

What a total disaster failed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is. He let 1 million COVID tests expire in a warehouse. 1 million people who desperately needed covid tests couldn't get them because of DeSantis' negligence. He allowed a covid test shortage to occur in Florida. What is absolutely disgusting is that DeSantis lied and said President Biden didn't send the COVID tests. DeSantis let them expire and he tried to cover it up. He pathetically lied falsely accusing the President when it was his own negligence and the lying right wing media pushed DeSantis' same lie. Despicable!

DeSantis admits to finding 1 million expired COVID-19 tests stockpiled in warehouse

In a press conference Thursday morning, Governor DeSantis admitted state officials found 1 million unused COVID-19 tests in a warehouse. The admission came as DeSantis unveiled a plan to get 1 million COVID-19 tests to Florida’s seniors.

Kevin Guthrie joined DeSantis at today’s press conference. Guthrie, the head of Florida’s Department of Emergency Management said, “We had between 800k and a million Abbott test kits in our warehouse that did expire.”

Today’s revelation follows allegations by Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried that the governor was stockpiling tests which were soon expiring. On Wednesday, the Governor’s office called that allegation “bizarre.”

The governor said he’s asking the federal government to extend the expiration date on these newly-discovered tests. They are awaiting an answer.

“We actually wanted to send a bunch of those [tests] to long-term care facilities at the beginning when we got them,” DeSantis said.

He went on to claim facilities didn’t have adequate staff on hand to accept them.

“So while families all over the state of Florida were waiting in line 4, 5 hours taken away from their vacation, families holidays and while the governor was sitting on these tests,” Fried said on Thursday.

“A million tests that should have gone out to nursing homes, state run facilities that have not been opened up. There are no testing sites statewide run testing sites in our state,” said Fried.

“The question is was this intentional or a complete derelict of his responsibilities? People of our state and people should be outraged,” Fried stated.

“I’m sorry he’s the governor of the state of Florida. The buck stops with you” Fried concluded.

April Masa was frustrated when she heard the state had expired tests. She said she had been trying for days to get tested after she became ill. Masa, like many people waiting in line, wanted an investigation to find out what happened.

“Someone needs to be held accountable to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” she said.

https://nbc-2.com/news/state/2022/01/07/nikki-fried-claims-nearly-1-million-covid-19-tests-are-being-stockpiled-by-the-state/

ORIGINAL REPORT, January 5:

LEE COUNTY, Fla. – Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried announced Wednesday in Lee County that she believes nearly one million COVID-19 tests have been stockpiled by the state’s executive branch of government.

The explosive allegation comes as thousands of people wait hours in long lines to receive a COVID-19 test. Fried visited a plant farm in Alva to announce a clean water initiative and plans to randomly test for nutrients being used around Florida.

“This is definitely something we have concrete information coming from inside the governor’s office,” Fried said. “It may not be his executive suite but certainly the different agencies he oversees but there is a stockpile of these tests either to expire Dec. 31 or soon thereafter.”

NBC2’s Dave Elias spoke with Fried after announcement in Lee County:

Dave Elias: What proof do you have to prove this?

Nikki Fried: I believe my staff this morning sent a public records request asking for this information.

Dave Elias: I reached out to the governor’s office. Press secretary Christina Pushaw said this is a very bizarre allegation and that they don’t have a stockpile. Your reaction?

Nikki Fried: It’s not a bizarre allegation when I know it’s to be true. We’ve not alleged that the governor’s office has them. It’s the agencies he controls.

Governor Ron DeSantis was in Collier County on Tuesday downplaying vaccines and testing while pushing more monoclonal treatment.

Dave Elias: Your thoughts on the way the governor is handling this?

Nikki Fried: His leadership on this is void.

Dave Elias: The governor believes people are hysterically running out to get tested. Do you believe that?

Nikki Fried: I don’t know a single person that would sit in four or five hours over hysteria.

Dave Elias: Finally, there are a lot of people who do support the way the governor is handling this and concerned about their freedoms, who some argue are making the situation worse?

Nikki Fried: I do say to those individuals this of course is your choice at this point. There of course is no mandate. Nor should there ever be a mandate, and I’ve said that very publicly. I do not agree with mandates or bans. I think they’re two extremes, one from the governor’s office and one from the president’s office. It needs to be in the middle. 

The governor’s press secretary did pass along the claims to the Department of Health. So far they have not responded.