Source: Cato Institute
bvy Ryan Bourne & Sophia Bagley
“Over the past year, the Biden administration has furthered its efforts to curb ‘junk fees.’ As we’ve noted, the definition of junk fees is a somewhat moveable feast and could more aptly be described as any fee the administration thinks customers might dislike or find annoying. Nonetheless, regulations against them continue pouring down from government agencies. Some states have followed suit, introducing legislation to ban ‘junk fees,’ with California passing a bill in October 2023. Among those fees that Biden isn’t keen on are telecom companies’ early termination fees, as well as overdraft fees and credit card late payment fees in financial services. … It may come as a surprise then that governments themselves employ similar fees and charges in their own operations.” (04/18/24)
https://www.cato.org/commentary/us-government-hypocrisy-junk-fees
Source: Quillette
by Allan Stratton
“In Francis Ford Coppola’s 1979 classic Apocalypse Now, a US patrol boat heads upriver during the Vietnam War to assassinate Colonel Kurtz, a rogue commander whose followers worship him as a god. In writer-director Alex Garland’s new film Civil War, four journalists take a road trip from New York to Washington DC to interview a rogue president before the collapse of his illegitimate regime. The White House is no less the heart of darkness than Kurtz’s lawless outpost in the Cambodian jungle. Civil War is Garland’s third collaboration with A24, an indie production and distribution outfit primarily known for producing ‘elevated horror’ and small, popular award-winners. With its $50 million budget, Civil War is the company’s first swing at a blockbuster. It arrives three years after the January 6 insurrection as America prepares for what promises to be another bitterly contested presidential election.” (04/18/24)
https://quillette.com/2024/04/18/american-carnage-alex-garland-civil-war-review/
Source: ABC News
“The city of San Francisco is suing the nearby city of Oakland over the latter’s plan to modify its airport name to include ‘San Francisco,’ arguing that the proposed name infringes on its trademark and would ’cause confusion and chaos.’ San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu filed a federal trademark infringement lawsuit on Thursday, a week after the Port of Oakland Board of Commissioners preliminarily approved a plan to rename Metropolitan Oakland International Airport to San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport. The lawsuit alleges that the proposed name would infringe on San Francisco International Airport’s (SFO) trademark.” (04/18/24)
https://abcnews.go.com/US/san-francisco-oakland-airport-name-lawsuit/story?id=109394761
Source: New York Post
“Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar’s daughter, Isra Hirsi, revealed Thursday she has been suspended from Barnard College over her involvement in anti-Israel protests on Columbia University’s campus. ‘I’m an organizer with CU Apartheid Divest @ColumbiaSJP, in my 3 years at @BarnardCollege I have never been reprimanded or received any disciplinary warnings,’ the 21-year-old wrote on X. ‘I just received notice that I am 1 of 3 students suspended for standing in solidarity with Palestinians facing a genocide.’ Hirsi and the two other students – identified as Maryam Iqbal and Soph Dinu — received notice of their suspension from Barnard Dean, Leslie Grinage, first thing Thursday morning, the Apartheid Divest said in a statement.” (04/18/24)
https://nypost.com/2024/04/18/us-news/ilhan-omars-daughter-suspended-from-barnard-college-for-her-involvement-in-anti-israel-protests/
Source: US News & World Report
“A Ukrainian attack on a military airfield in Russian-occupied Crimea on Wednesday seriously damaged four missile launchers, three radar stations and other equipment, Ukraine’s military spy agency said on Thursday. Four launchers for S-400 surface-to-air missiles and an air defense control point stationed at an air base in Dzhankoi were among equipment “destroyed or critically damaged”, the agency said on Telegram. It added that the number of aircraft damaged or destroyed as a result of the attack was being clarified. Several Telegram channels reported powerful blasts in Dzhankoi on Wednesday. Reuters was not able to verify the accounts. There was no official comment from Russia.” (04/18/24)
https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2024-04-18/four-russian-missile-launchers-critically-damaged-in-crimea-ukraine-says
Source: Freedom’s Phoenix
“Mike Winner (co-founder of QORTAL) on decentralized communication, Music & Sky & Freedom, etc.” (04/17/24)
https://www.freedomsphoenix.com/Media/361129-2024-04-17-2024-04-17-ernest-hancock-interviews-mike-winner-qortal.htm
Source: Cato Institute
by Scott Lincicome
“It’s time we retired the millennial misery myth.” (04/17/24)
https://www.cato.org/commentary/cheer-millennials
Source: The Atlantic
by Charles Sykes
“In our digitally chaotic world, relying on the reporting strategies of the past is like bringing the rules of chess to the Thunderdome. There has, of course, been some progress. The major cable networks no longer carry Trump’s rallies live without context, but they still broadcast town-hall meetings and interviews with the former president, which boost ratings. NBC’s abortive decision to hire Ronna McDaniel, a former chair of the Republican National Committee, as a contributor, despite her role in spreading lies about the 2020 election, highlighted the disconnect between this moment and much of the national media. And then there is the internet. It is certainly possible that richer, more insightful media will emerge from the digital revolution, but we’re obviously not there now.” (04/17/24)
https://archive.is/wXLSI
Source: Politico
“Former President Donald Trump is cutting deeper into President Joe Biden’s lead among young voters, according to a new poll. Biden leads Trump, 45 percent to 37 percent, among people ages 18 to 29 in a Harvard Youth Poll released Thursday, with 16 percent undecided. That 8 percentage point margin is much smaller than at this point in the 2020 election. At that time, Biden was leading Trump by 23 percentage points among young people. Biden’s margins widen when the pool is restricted to registered and likely voters. But, still, his 19-point lead over Trump among the voters under 30 who are considered likely to turn out is significantly smaller than his 30-point advantage this time four years ago.” (04/18/24)
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/04/18/poll-trump-cuts-into-bidens-lead-among-young-people-00152970
Source: US News & World Report
“Missouri lawmakers gave final approval Thursday to significantly expand a low-interest loan program for farmers and small businesses, in a move that reflects strong consumer demand for such government aid amid persistently high borrowing costs. … Under so-called linked-deposit programs, states deposit money in banks at below-market interest rates. Banks then leverage those funds to provide short-term, low-interest loans to particular borrowers, often in agriculture or small business. The programs can save borrowers thousands of dollars by reducing their interest rates by an average of 2-3 percentage points.” (04/18/24)
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/missouri/articles/2024-04-18/missouri-lawmakers-back-big-expansion-of-low-interest-loans-amid-growing-demand-for-state-aid
