ALF

So how much more do you want us to be paying so these businesses are not charities ?

Not irrelevant , just stating the US position wanting Taiwan to remain free. If China takes Taiwan relations with the US will be poor but no war with the US.

How much more would you like us to be paying for gas to give the energy companies a better profit margin then now ?

China will eventually take Taiwan just like Hong Kong. No way the US goes to war with China. Political posturing at this point when you have no leverage against China , see tariffs. I just don't want to see Taiwan destroyed by a war they can't win with China. I'm more concerned with Putin, he does have leverage with nat gas over Europe.

Sen. Pat Toomey, a Pennsylvania Republican, has been pushing for an amendment focused on the funding for the bill for several weeks, placing a hold on the legislation before the July 4 recess. He wants to change it so the funding of the bill is handled through the annual appropriations process instead of being mandatory spending as the Democrats have structured it in the bill. https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/28/politics/chuck-schumer-burn-pits-vote-republican-frustration/index.html Toomey being a jerk , bill should pass next week.

$2,245.62 a second: ExxonMobil scores enormous profit on record gas prices Exxon's profit, excluding special items, came to $17.6 billion in the second quarter, nearly double what it made in its very profitable first quarter as oil and gas prices started to soar in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Second-quarter profit was up 273% from the same period a year ago. Chevron earned $11.4 billion excluding special items, up 74% from the first quarter and 247% from a year ago. https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/29/energy/exxonmobil-chevron-earnings/index.html

Trump defends hosting Saudi golf tournament: ‘Nobody’s gotten to the bottom of 9/11 Families of victims who died in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks condemned Trump for hosting the tournament, slated for this weekend at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster, due to Saudi ties to the attack’s plotters. The tournament will take place about an hour’s drive from Ground Zero. https://thehill.com/homenews/3578256-trump-defends-hosting-saudi-golf-tournament-nobodys-gotten-to-the-bottom-of-9-11/ Sounds like the orange man also checked out

China has vowed to annex Taiwan by force if necessary, and has advertised that threat by flying warplanes near Taiwanese airspace and holding military exercises based on invasion scenarios. It says those actions are aimed at deterring advocates of the island’s formal independence and foreign allies — principally the U.S. — from coming to its aid, more than 70 years after the sides split amid civil war. A visit by Pelosi would “severely undermine China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, gravely impact the foundation of China-U.S. relations and send a seriously wrong signal to Taiwan independence forces,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijiang said at a daily briefing. https://www.cnbc.com/2022/07/20/china-threatens-strong-measures-if-pelosi-visits-taiwan.html I don't think the US and its allies can stop the military takeover of Taiwan by China . The world is too dependent on Chinese exports and chips from Taiwan. The US is trying everything short of war to keep Taiwan free.

At least trying to send China a message to let Taiwan remain a independent country.

It's well worth it to give China the middle finger.

Part of Bill for Electric Vehicle tax credit Federal tax credits for electric and hydrogen-fueled vehicles will be set at $7,500 for new vehicles and $4,000 for used ones, with new income limits for buyers. The income cutoffs for receiving the credit for new vehicle purchases are $150,000 for individuals and $300,000 for married couples; for used vehicle purchases the cutoffs are $75,000 for individuals and $150,000 for married couples. The bill also eliminates the 200,000-unit phase-out of credits for manufacturers — a threshold Tesla and General Motors had already hit — a key concern for automakers and EV buyers. https://www.utilitydive.com/news/electric-vehicle-ev-credit-extension-Manchin-Schumer/628354/

As China gains footholds in America, Congress is ‘sleeping at the wheel,' former Pentagon official says Former top Pentagon staffer accuses Defense Department officials of downplaying Chinese threat to cover for 'incompetence,' 'complacency' Congress must be "sleeping at the wheel" for allowing China to purchase nearly 200,000 acres of agricultural land on U.S. soil, a former top Air Force official told Fox News. A Chinese food manufacturer, the Fufeng Group, recently purchased 370 acres of farmland 16 miles from the Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota, which houses a highly sensitive drone program. Military officials and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle raised concerns after the purchase, but Nicolas Chaillan, who was previously the Air Force's chief software officer, said he has not seen Congress take action to stop such acquisitions. https://www.foxnews.com/us/china-gains-footholds-america-congress-is-sleeping-at-the-wheel-former-pentagon-official-says

US aircraft carrier, strike group move into South China Sea as Pelosi plans possible Taiwan visit Pelosi has not yet officially announced a visit to Taiwan https://www.foxnews.com/politics/us-aircraft-carrier-strike-group-move-south-china-sea-pelosi-plans-possible-taiwan-visit

"a period of temporary economic decline during which trade and industrial activity are reduced, generally identified by a fall in GDP in two successive quarters."

Recession normally means high unemployment . Covid caused record high retirements . Stagflation is typically marked by slow economic growth combined with relatively high unemployment and rising prices Fed raises policy rate to 2.25%-2.50% range July 27 The Federal Reserve board led by Volcker raised the federal funds rate, which had averaged 11.2% in 1979, to a peak of 20% in June 1981 The inflation rate actually was declining by December 1981, after peaking at 14.8% in 1980. Covid , retirements and unfocused stimulus created a different economic problem then the past.

Paul Whelan is a questionable character , so far jmo Marc Fogel and Griner should be freed before Whelan. I would not free the Russian arms dealer even for all 3 , Putin is being Putin KGB

Marc Fogel was convicted of smuggling drugs into Russia and sentenced to 14 years in prison in a high-security penal colony last month. His family and lawyers have said he was carrying cannabis for medical reasons to treat chronic back pain. “He made a terrible mistake by taking medical marijuana into Russia,” Anne Fogel said. “But 14 years in a hard labor camp is essentially a death sentence for him. He’s 61 years old and he has a very long history of spinal injury.” The last moment of freedom for Fogel was caught on surveillance video at a Russian airport. He was heading back to Moscow last August for his 10th year of teaching the children of U.S. diplomats. https://www.nbc15.com/2022/07/26/us-teacher-sentenced-14-years-traveling-russia-with-cannabis/#:~:text=Marc Fogel was convicted of,to treat chronic back pain.

Go , screw China . What covid did to the world they don't even apologize

Could the Great Lakes solve US shipping woes? With major ports along the US east and west coasts struggling with cargo backlogs due to knock-on effects from supply chain issues caused by everything from China's Covid lockdowns to Russia's war in Ukraine, shippers are looking to long-ignored ports as a way to get supplies into and out of America. One ship even sailed all the way from Shanghai to Cleveland last November - a forty-day journey that bypassed major ports in southern California, Virginia and New Jersey - to avoid the backlogs plaguing those locations. The Port of Cleveland is working with a Texas-based company trucking cargo from the Gulf of Mexico up to Lake Erie - a 1,000-mile journey - to get its products shipped out to Europe. "They can't get vessel or container capacity down there (in Texas)," said Mr Gutheil. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-62157479

Someone moderate and not too old. Voters will not be happy in 22 and 24 . The damage to the world from covid , China , Russia will not be reversed.

US officials say 'biggest fear' has come true as Russia cuts gas supplies to Europe On Monday, Russia's state-owned gas company Gazprom said it would cut flows through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to Germany in half, to just 20% of its capacity. A US official said the move was retaliation for western sanctions, and that it put the West in "unchartered territory" when it comes to whether Europe will have enough gas to get through the winter. https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/26/politics/us-russia-europe-gas/index.html

With millions of low pay jobs open time to make some illegals , legal to work.

The Times paid $550 million to acquire the sports subscription site earlier this year. May 4, 2022

The rising cost of energy and limited access to housing with A/C is creating a dangerous summer for low-income Texans Miranda says she pays about $350 a month for electricity when the city sees triple-digit temperatures. The three window air-conditioning units in her 789-square-feet apartment are only able to cool the rooms to about 80-85 degrees. "We have tenants that are choosing to not turn on the A/C so that they can still pay their rent and not be homeless. Or they're choosing take their medicine over having air conditioning and that should never be the case," Miranda added. https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/23/us/heat-wave-low-income-communities-reaj/index.html Texas does not have a state income tax to help pay for a better power grid and hurricane damage so not surprising.

If only more republican politicians were like Liz and Kinzinger we would have a better country 🙂