Kamala Harris Releases Economic Plan in North Carolina

Vice President Kamala Harris unveiled her economic plan at a campaign rally in North Carolina on Aug. 16. The proposal included various measures to lower prices, bolster affordable housing, and extend a middle-class tax cut as part of her “opportunity economy” agenda. “Together, we will build what I call an opportunity economy,” Harris told a small crowd of supporters. “An economy where everyone can compete and have a real chance to succeed. Everyone, regardless of who they are, where they start, has an opportunity to build wealth for themselves and their children.”

‘100 Times Worse’: Former President Donald Trump lambasted his Democratic opponent’s policy proposals and compared them to a communist agenda. “If you think things are expensive now, they will get 100 times WORSE if Kamala gets four years as President,” he wrote on his social media platform Truth Social. “Under her plan, Kamala will implement SOVIET Style Price Controls. If Kamala is elected and implements her Communist Price Caps, there will be famine, starvation, and poverty, the likes of which we have never seen.” Related: Media’s ‘reintroduction’ of Kamala Harris…

Liberty Nation News: The Beltway and Beyond

‘We’re Not There Yet’: Biden Says Cease-Fire Inching Closer to Reality

President Joe Biden confirmed to reporters on Aug. 16 that the prospects of reaching a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas over the next week are progressing, though he admitted, “We’re not there yet.” Speaking from the Oval Office, the president said to the press, “We’re much, much closer than we were three days ago.”

A Deal Next Week?: Mediators from the US, Israel, Qatar, Egypt, and Hamas finished two days’ worth of deliberations in Doha, Qatar, on Aug. 16. The parties called the discussions constructive and “conducted in a positive atmosphere.” Officials hope to have a deal in place by the end of next week, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken traveling to Israel on Aug. 18 to help finalize details of an agreement. “The conditions are right to do this deal, first and foremost, to get the hostages out . . . and save their lives,” a senior administration official said in a call with reporters. “But also, to bring relief to the people of Gaza. In a way, this deal is now structured, there’s really no risk to Israel’s security. In fact, I think this deal is structured in a way that enhances the security of Israel. So, the elements are really there, and we think it is time to move forward.” Related: Anticipated Iranian attack on Israel – What can Biden do?

Supreme Court Rejects White House’s Bid to Reinstate New Title IX Rule

In a 5-4 decision on Aug. 16, the Supreme Court rejected the Biden administration’s emergency request to partially reinstate its new Title IX rule. The White House updated Title IX, which protects against sex discrimination in schools, by introducing gender identity and sexual orientation. However, Republican state attorneys general pushed judges to prevent the implementation in many jurisdictions nationwide. The sweeping adjustments were poised to go into effect on Aug. 1. Conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch sided with three liberal justices, including Sonia Sotomayor, who agreed with the administration that the lower court rulings were “overboard.”

Notable Quote: “By blocking the Government from enforcing scores of regulations that respondents never challenged and that bear no apparent relationship to respondents’ alleged injuries, the lower courts went beyond their authority to remedy the discrete harms alleged here,” Sotomayor wrote. Related: Biden going woke on Title IX…

UAW Head Slams Stellantis CEO Over Job Cuts, Alleges Price Gouging

United Auto Workers (UAW) union president Shawn Fain slammed Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares in an Aug. 16 video message, accusing him of price gouging and criticizing him for eliminating jobs. “Something is rotten at Stellantis,” he said. “Sales are down, profits are down, and CEO pay is way, way up. The problem isn’t the market at GM and Ford, auto sales are up, and the problem isn’t the auto workers. The problem is this man, Carlos Tavares.”

Job Cuts: Earlier this month, the automaker warned the union that it would lay off roughly 2,500 workers employed at a Michigan truck plant. The job cuts would affect the Stellantis Warren Truck Plant, which manufactures the older version of the Ram 1500 pickup and employs 3,700 union workers. At the time of the news, Fain slammed the company, saying in a statement: “The American taxpayer has invested in Stellantis. Workers have invested in Stellantis. Consumers have invested in Stellantis. It’s time for Stellantis to invest in us.” Related: Political pandering for the union vote kicks into high gear…

US Consumer Sentiment Ticks Up in August: University of Michigan

The University of Michigan’s Consumer Sentiment Index ticked up in August and came in better than expected. While current conditions tumbled, consumers’ future expectations strengthened. The one- and five-year inflation outlooks were unchanged at 2.9% and 3%, respectively. It represented the first increase in five months.

Politics Dominate Survey: Trump’s advantage on the economy might be diminishing, says Joanne Hsu, the surveys of consumers director. “With election developments dominating headlines this month, sentiment for Democrats climbed 6% in the wake of Harris replacing Biden as the Democratic nominee for president. For Republicans, sentiment moved in the opposite direction, falling 5% this month. Sentiment of Independents, who remain in the middle, rose 3%,” she said. “The survey shows that 41% of consumers believe that Harris is the better candidate for the economy, while 38% chose Trump.” Related: It’s still the economy, stupid…