The 2022 midterm elections are less than four months away, and the urgent need for change could not be more clear. We addressed yesterday's dreadful INFLATION report earlier -- with everyday costs and energy prices pounding away at American families' bottom lines, and analysts issuing increasingly dire recession projections. This, for instance, isn't a welcome prediction from a man who got it right on inflation, while the Biden administration got it so very wrong:
*SUMMERS: 'WE'RE NOT OUT OF THIS' WITHOUT 6% UNEMPLOYMENT
— *Walter Bloomberg (@DeItaone) July 13, 2022
It's no wonder that the public's economic is profoundly gloomy, with atrocious right track/wrong track numbers reflecting a national malaise. Economic issues will be the dominant factor this fall, but there are other potent problems in the mix, as well. On IMMIGRATION, the news media avoids covering the border crisis, but it is looking as bad as ever. Julio highlighted this earlier in the week, but we cannot become numb to such mass lawlessness and dangerous dysfunction. It's outrageous -- and it's being actively encouraged by Biden/Democratic policies:
BREAKING: One of the most massive single groups we have ever witnessed cross illegally at the border is crossing into Eagle Pass, TX right now. The line of people went so far into the trees it’s hard to get a count. Hundreds upon hundreds. Coyotes guiding them in water. @FoxNews pic.twitter.com/ZjZIygarAv
— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) July 13, 2022
Not among the tens of thousands of monthly known got-always https://t.co/hOEYBg1mRW
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) July 12, 2022
We will likely get June's border numbers in the next few days. Last month shattered previous records. On the CRIME front, in case you missed Spencer's post, here's my take-away:
Starbucks is shutting down 16 locations, due to "a high volume of challenging incidents that make it unsafe to continue to operate." I can't quite put my finger on what all of these places have in common: https://t.co/tS043ERkCG pic.twitter.com/AJrP3fvSpM
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) July 13, 2022
All deep blue cities, all wracked by serious crime problems. You cannot buy a cup of Starbucks coffee at the major rail hub in our nation's capital because it's too dangerous to operate the store, but if you're a bodega owner who defends yourself against a violent assault in New York City, you get tossed in jail and charged with murder (an appalling decision that I suspect will be reversed). Very healthy society. Superb governance by "compassionate" and "progressive" so-called leadership. Meanwhile, the BABY FORMULA SHORTAGE is still going on, even as the news cycle has largely moved on:
Despite efforts to restart the baby formula plant at the epicenter of the US crisis, and millions of bottles of the product being flown in from aboard by the government, shortages are still raging in many states. Nationwide, the latest in-stock figure for baby formula powder was at 70% for the week ending July 3, down from 77% in the week ending June 5, according to data from IRI Worldwide. The market-research firm tracks inventory of the product across more than 125,000 stores in the US. Rates were hovering at 90% before the February recall and factory shutdown for Abbott Laboratories...The hardest hit states, with inventory levels below 60%, include Utah, Wyoming, Kansas and Colorado. Alaska has the biggest shortfall, with an in-stock rate at 51%, down from 65% a month ago, IRI data show. Shortages have primarily impacted powdered formula, which accounts for more than 80% of the nearly $5 billion market for baby formula, said Krishnakumar Davey, IRI’s president of client engagement. Ready-to-drink formula which is more expensive, comprises a smaller fraction of the market and hasn’t been as heavily affected by the situation.
More details, via the Wall Street Journal today:
U.S. stores are still struggling to stock baby formula despite monthslong efforts by manufacturers and the Biden administration to boost supplies. Availability of powdered formula products in U.S. stores earlier this month dropped to the lowest level so far this year, with about 30% of products out of stock for the week ended July 3, according to the market-research firm IRI. While availability improved slightly last week, out-of-stock levels remain higher than in recent months, and shortages remain acute in states including Alaska, Utah and Wyoming, IRI data showed. At the same time, consumers are finding fewer choices of brands, sizes or formats of formula on grocery-store shelves as the variety of available products shrinks. U.S. supermarkets over the four weeks ended June 26 sold an average of 11 different formula products per store weekly, according to IRI, compared with a weekly average of 24 from 2018 to 2021.
The crisis is "deepening," per this story, even as news coverage has mostly moved on. The White House insisted they were all over the issue many months ago, but appeared to be caught flat-footed, with the president out of the loop. And the issue is getting worse. Part of the formula shortage is driven by burdensome, ridiculous bureaucracy and red tape, which is continuing to needlessly harm Americans' public health:
Absolute insanity: The Biden Admin won't accept 1 million doses of Monkeypox vaccine from Denmark because the FDA failed to do a timely inspection of the plant -- even though EU authorities did inspect the plant and approved its product for use in the EU. https://t.co/quqedbtVHp
— Josh Barro (@jbarro) July 11, 2022
Your government, ladies and gentlemen. Always "helping." I'll leave you with Democrats on Capitol Hill remaining laser focused on their very top priority -- abortion-on-demand through the moment of birth:
Failed Priorities: Democrats to Hold FIVE Hearings on Abortionhttps://t.co/ImGckAwkl8
— Townhall Media (@TownhallMedia) July 13, 2022
Finally, we are approaching the one-year anniversary of the disgraceful crisis that marked the beginning of President Biden's approval and confidence meltdown.
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