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Cardi B sounds off on inflation in Twitter rant gone viral: ‘What the f— is going on?’

January 5, 2023 Published by

Latest & Breaking News on Fox News

Rapper Cardi B went on a 60-second inflation rant on Twitter, drawing support from conservative activists, celebrities and influencers.

The highly viral post, which racked up over 63,000 likes on Twitter, featured a “PSA” from the rapper on grocery prices “tripling up.”

‘What the f— is going on?” she asked.

Cardi B said that she receives a “summary of the money that’s being spent” in her household every week, but explained that recently life has become far more expensive.

FARMER PREDICTS WORSE FOOD SHORTAGES, HIGHER PRICES IN 2023 AMID INFLATION, DROUGHT, INTERESTS RATE HIKES

“Lettuce was like $2 a couple months ago and now it’s like f—— $7, of course I’m [going to] say something. The f—?” she said.

The rapper and music star, born Belcalis Almanzar, continued: “Cause if I think that s— is crazy, I could only imagine what middle class people or people in the hood [are] motherf—— thinking.”

Cardi B added that she had every right to use her global platform of over 27.5 million followers on Twitter alone to speak out on food inflation even though she is wealthy.

“I want to see for myself” why prices are so high, she said.

SMALL BUSINESSES BATTLING INFLATION AS PRICES SOAR

The rapper ended her video by calling for “anybody that’s responsible [for] these f—— prices to put that s— the f— down.”

A number of commenters voiced support for Cardi B on Twitter.

“I agree,” conservative activist Scott Presler tweeted. “This is why we need to elect a Republican president in 2024.”

Influencers Kevin and Keith Hodge, better known as the Hodgetwins, told Cardi B that she should put her words into action. “Stop voting for politicians that only care about getting $$$.”

Sisters and conservative influencers Lynette “Diamond” Hardaway and Rochelle “Silk” Richardson reminded Cardi B about the economy under former President Donald Trump. “Can you honestly admit that none of this happened under Trump?”

Cardi B also told fans that even if they become successful, they’re “gonna go broke soon” because they aren’t careful enough on “budgeting.”

Actress Caroline Williams applauded Cardi B for her attention to personal finance. “I should budget more responsibly, too!”

WASHINGTON’S MONETARY POLICY DRIVING RED-HOT INFLATION: REP. BRYAN STEIL

This is not the first time that the rapper, who made it big with her 2018 song “Bodak Yellow,” has sounded off on the economy.

In Dec. 2022 she tweeted: “We going through a recession…..Merry Christmas,” along with a Christmas tree emoji.

Cardi B also pushed back on one fan who called attention to her net worth, again emphasizing the importance of budgeting. “If I don’t save, work and budget I could lose it too! What makes you think that no matter how much money you got you can’t lose it all if you don’t manage your money correctly. I too have bills, responsibilities and people I have to help.”

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US inflation hasn’t ‘turned the corner yet’ so the Fed should stick with interest-rate hikes, a top IMF official says

January 5, 2023 Published by [email protected] (Zahra Tayeb)

Business Insider

The IMF’s second-in-command Gita Gopinath.

ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images

US inflation still hasn’t “turned the corner yet” despite a recent cooling, a top IMF official said.
That means the Federal Reserve should stick with its interest-rate hikes, Gita Gopinath told the FT.
Her comments come after Fed minutes released Wednesday signaled rates could stay higher for longer.

Inflation is still a problem for the US economy despite recent signs of cooling, and that means the Federal Reserve has more work to do, according to a top official at the International Monetary Fund.

Speaking to the Financial Times, Gita Gopinath, deputy managing director at the fund, urged the Fed to continue hiking interest rates this year until there was a “very definite, durable decline in inflation” in wages as opposed to food or energy costs.

“If you see the indicators in the labor market, and if you look at very sticky components of inflation like services inflation, I think it’s clear that we haven’t turned the corner yet on inflation,” Gopinath said in the interview published Thursday.

The IMF’s second-in-command said the fund’s advice is for the Fed to “stay the course” on its restrictive monetary policy.

Her comments follow Wednesday’s release of minutes from the Fed’s December meeting, which suggested interest rates could stay elevated for longer. In the meeting, policymakers “stressed that it would take substantially more evidence of progress to be confident that inflation was on a sustained downward path.”

The most recent data showed the rate of inflation in the US cooled again in November to 7.1%, its slowest pace in a year and below economists’ expectations for 7.3%. In June, it hit a 40-year high of 9.1%.

The Fed has been raising interest rates at the fastest pace in its history to pull inflation down to its 2% target. It lifted the benchmark rate by 75 basis points at four consecutive meetings last year and ended 2022 with a 50 basis point hike.

The pace of the Fed’s rate hikes have sparked concern that its actions will tip the US economy into recession. Gopinath told the FT there’s a very narrow path for the US to avoid an economic downturn.

“It’s another challenging year for monetary policy, but it’s a different kind of challenge,” she said.

“The last year was about quickly tightening monetary policy and how far to go. Now, for lots of countries, the question is how long to stay on hold.”

Read the original article on Business Insider

Survey: 3.3 million US adults displaced by natural disasters

January 5, 2023 Published by MIKE SCHNEIDER

Top News: US & International Top News Stories Today | AP News

Bruce Hickey, 70, walks along the waterfront, now littered with debris including shrimp boats, in the mobile home park where he and his wife, Kathy, have a winter home on San Carlos Island, Fort Myers Beach, Fla., on Oct. 5, 2022, one week after the passage of Hurricane Ian. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

More than 1.3% of the adult population in the U.S. was displaced by natural disasters in the past year, with hurricanes responsible for more than half of the forced relocations, according to first-of-its-kind survey results from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Household Pulse Survey results said that 3.3 million U.S. adults were displaced by either hurricanes, floods, fires, tornados or other disasters. The two-year-old online survey asked for the first time about displacement from natural disasters in results released Thursday.

Some states were impacted more than others. In Florida, nearly 1 million people, or about 1 in 17 adult residents, were displaced in a state that was ravaged by Hurricanes Ian and Nicole in the fall. More than 409,000 people — or almost 1 in 8 residents — were displaced in Louisiana, which had a comparatively calm hurricane season in 2022 even though residents still were dealing with the devastating impacts from Hurricane Ida the previous year.

Among the states with lowest rates of the adult population being displaced by disasters were Indiana, Maine, North Dakota, Ohio and Oklahoma.

Of the 3.3 million displaced adults, more than a third were out of their homes for less than a week. About 1 in 6 residents never returned to their homes, according to the survey.

Hub peek embed (Indiana) – Compressed layout (automatic embed)

The demographic makeup of the displaced didn’t deviate much from the overall race and ethnic background of the U.S. population, but they tended to be poorer. About 22% of the displaced adults reported having a household income of less than $25,000 a year, compared to 17.4% for the overall U.S. population.

The Census Bureau sent invitations to more than 1 million households to participate in the experimental survey and collected a total of 70,685 responses in mid-December.

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Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter: @MikeSchneiderAP

Colts’ Rodney Thomas II drove over 100 miles to be with friend Damar Hamlin, talked to him in ICU

January 5, 2023 Published by

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Indianapolis Colts defensive back Rodney Thomas II played with Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin at Pittsburgh Central Catholic High School, and when he heard about his former teammate’s medical emergency Monday night, he jumped into action.

Thomas talked to reporters on Wednesday and detailed his own reaction to the entire ordeal. He said he did not realize what happened to Hamlin until his dad called him on FaceTime. He said he caught emergency personnel loading Hamlin into the back of an ambulance while Bills and Bengals players wept on the field. He got into his car and made the 111-mile trek to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

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“I had a goal,” Thomas said, via the team’s website. “I knew where I was going, so I just got on the road and I just went. Laser-focused.”

Thomas and Hamlin are really close friends and talked right before the Bills played the Bengals. When he got to the ICU, Thomas said he held Hamlin’s hand and just talked to his friend again while he was sedated.

“I know he could hear me,” he said. “Even if he couldn’t hear me, it didn’t matter. I said what I had to say.”

NFL HAS DONE ‘BEST JOB THEY POSSIBLY CAN’ TO PROTECT PLAYERS AMID DAMAR HAMLIN INCIDENT, FORMER STAR SAYS

Thomas said the quick interaction set him straight and allowed him to breathe easier. He said it made the trip back home a lot better. He lauded Hamlin’s character and work ethic and believed Hamlin would eventually walk out of the hospital.

“No doubt in my mind,” Thomas said. “He’s a fighter. No other thought in my mind of him walking out under his own power.”

The Bills provided an update on Hamlin earlier Wednesday.

“Damar remains in the ICU in critical condition with signs of improvement noted yesterday and overnight,” the team said

“He is expected to remain under intensive care as his health care team continues to monitor and treat him.”

Biden’s expected nicotine rule brings failed 1920s Prohibition to 2023

January 5, 2023 Published by Richard Marianos, Opinion Contributor

Just In | The Hill

When it comes to public health, we should follow the facts and science, as opposed to political posturing. If history has taught us anything, it’s that prohibition is rarely the answer when addressing a public health problem. Outright bans of products tend to produce the opposite result of their intent, spurring more product consumption and fueling unregulated black markets. Unfortunately, this is the approach the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is taking when it comes to adults over 21 consuming tobacco products.

Just look at the early 1920s, when the average annual per capita consumption of hard liquor shot up 11.64 percent during the national prohibition of alcohol. Not only were people consuming more, but the product they were consuming was more potent. It’s estimated that the potency of Prohibition-era products distributed by underground markets was more than 150 percent of the potency of products produced either before or after Prohibition.

So, when President Biden recently announced a plan to publish a proposed rule in May 2023 that could eliminate nearly 98 percent of the nicotine found in cigarettes, it’s difficult not to see this as a 21st-century “Prohibition.” We know it didn’t work for alcohol, so why does this administration think banning nicotine in cigarettes will be different?

No one wants kids smoking, but the most recent National Youth Tobacco Survey by the FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows combustion cigarette use among adolescents is trending even further downward, with only 1.5 percent of students now reporting consumption of traditional cigarettes since Congress passed a law raising the smoking age to 21 in 2019. Instead of addressing the core concern of youth e-cigarette use, this proposed rule only stands to pull the rug out from under more than 30 million adults, forcing them to essentially quit smoking cold turkey or — much like during Prohibition — get their fix through illicit markets.

In response to cigarette tax hikes in New York City alone, over half the cigarettes smoked are now smuggled. Can you imagine the impact Biden’s federal proposal would have nationwide? Surging black-market sales lead to more funding for organized crime and less for “mom-and-pop” corner stores. In addition, the illicit tobacco market has been found to fund terrorist organizations overseas — so it wouldn’t be surprising to see a cigarette ban directly correlated to more funding for terrorist groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah.

Instead of pushing for prohibition, the administration should implement harm-reduction tactics for cigarettes, similar to how they’ve addressed marijuana and opioid use. Harm reduction is proven to work. For example, when it comes to combating the HIV crisis, cities that have needle and syringe programs have an average annual decrease in HIV prevalence of 18.6 percent, compared with an annual average increase of 8.1 percent in cities without these programs.

The Biden administration could use the $712 million annually given to the Center for Tobacco Products to educate adults on alternatives to cigarettes. Countries such as Japan, Britain and Sweden have done so and have seen significant drops in cigarette consumption as adults have transitioned. Or, if Biden wants to really get serious about reducing nicotine usage, he should encourage the FDA to exercise the authority given to it by Congress to better regulate synthetic nicotine, the main ingredient in e-cigarette products such as youth-favorite Puff Bar.

Prohibition will not lead to smoking cessation, but it could spur more illicit cigarette consumption and even raise national security concerns. It’s time to enforce the laws we have on the books and apply harm reduction approaches universally.

Richard Marianos, an adjunct professor at Georgetown University, is a senior law enforcement consultant, having served more than 27 years with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). He was assistant director in the Office of Public and Governmental Affairs and Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Washington Field Division.

Healthcare, Opinion Read More

Buy these broadband operators after valuations took a hit, Truist says

January 5, 2023 Published by Samantha Subin

US Top News and Analysis

Oversold conditions make now an opportune time to bet on shares of Comcast and Charter Communications , Truist said. Analyst Greg Miller upgraded shares of both Comcast and Charter to buy from hold, with respective $50 and $550 price targets. The recent investor flight from both stocks has created a valuation reset, he said. “These two were the worst performing large-cap stocks in our coverage universe in 2022 as investors recognized broadband flow share trends fundamentally changed, but we believe efforts to stem the erosion are proving successful and should once again cause the stocks to trade at traditional premiums to telecom stocks,” he wrote in a note published Thursday. Miller also said that investor concerns of increased competition have now been accounted for in both stocks, which should support limited downside going forward. “Unlike a year ago when investors believed the only issues facing the cable industry was the pandemic “pull-forward” of demand and the lack of residential moving in the US, most investors have now come to terms with the fact that new variables (fixed wireless and fiber) are also responsible for the lack-luster [high speed data] growth,” he wrote. Comcast and Charter sold off sharply in 2022, falling about 30% and 48%, respectively. Truist’s fresh price targets imply 37% and 55% upside from Wednesday’s close, respectively. Comcast shares gained more than 1% premarket, while Charter added 1% on light volume. “With relatively attractive valuation (both CMCSA and CHTR share are now trading at a discount to AT & T, Verizon and T-Mobile), combined with the prospects for positive broadband net subscriber additions again in 2023 (both CMCSA and CHTR), we find the stocks to be oversold,” Miller wrote. — CNBC’s Michael Bloom contributed reporting Disclosure: CNBC is owned by Comcast’s NBCUniversal.

Sony and Honda launch Afeela electric car brand. Here’s what the name means

January 5, 2023 Published by

Latest & Breaking News on Fox News

Sony and Honda hope you’re feeling their new car company’s name.

The tech and auto giants created Sony Honda Mobility last year to develop an electric vehicle brand and announced at CES on Wednesday that it will be called Afeela.

“Afeela expresses an interactive relationship where people “feel” mobility as an intelligent entity, and mobility “feels” people and society using sensing and network IT technologies,” the company said.

The name was rolled out on a prototype of the brand’s first vehicle, which will be built in the United States starting in 2026.

HONDA LAUNCHING $7,400 VAN

The four-door sedan features simple styling that is equipped with a massive suite of electronics.

It includes 45 sensors made by Sony inside and out that include cameras, radar and lidar to enable its safety, semi-autonomous driving and interactive systems.

The interior features digital displays spanning the dashboard, two more for the rear passengers and video camera sideview mirrors, which are legal in some countries, but not yet in the United States.

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The electronics are run by the powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon Digital Chassis and use infotainment software developed by Epic Games.

Powertrain specifications, driving range and pricing were not announced, nor was the exact location where it will be produced.

Honda will be launching the all-electric Prologue SUV next year in partnership with General Motors, but it is also building its own electric vehicle and battery manufacturing facilities in Ohio, which are scheduled to begin operating in 2026.

Vietnamese boy trapped in concrete pile on New Year's Eve dies

January 5, 2023 Published by CNN

A 10-year-old Vietnamese boy who fell into the narrow open shaft of a concrete pile at a construction site on New Year’s Eve has been confirmed dead, state media said Wednesday.

Rescuers spent nearly 100 hours trying to free Ly Hao Nam from the 35-meter long support pillar driven into the ground, but without success, online newspaper VnExpress cited a local government official as saying.

“The authorities have determined that the victim has died and are trying to recover his body for the funeral,” deputy chairman of the southern province of Dong Thap, Doan Tan Buu, was quoted as saying.

Nam was heard crying for help shortly after he fell into the hollow concrete pile, which has a diameter of 25 cm, on Saturday at a bridge construction site in the Mekong delta province where he had been searching with friends for scrap iron.

Earlier on Wednesday, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh had urged the rescuers and local authorities to mobilize all equipment and forces needed, the government said.

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Elon Musk tweets support for Kevin McCarthy, as speaker vote heads into third day

January 5, 2023 Published by

Latest & Breaking News on Fox News

Twitter owner and CEO Elon Musk is backing House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy in his bid to become Speaker of the House, tweeting his support as McCarthy enters his third day of trying to garner enough votes to get the job.

Since Tuesday, the House has been holding votes to elect a new speaker, but after six ballots there remains no end in sight.

“Kevin McCarthy should be Speaker,” Musk tweeted early Thursday morning.

Despite Republicans holding a majority in the House, McCarthy has struggled due to a group of less than two dozen GOP representatives-elect who claim he does not adequately represent their conservative positions. McCarthy needs 218 members to vote for him, but with 20 voting against him and one voting present, he was stuck at 201 on Wednesday. On Tuesday, he had 203.

THE VOTE FOR HOUSE SPEAKER: LIVE UPDATES

The group of Republicans who have broken off includes House Freedom Caucus members Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., and Byron Donalds, R-Fla. Donalds backed McCarthy on Tuesday, but on Wednesday he flipped as he was the one nominated by his colleagues to oppose McCarthy.

“The reality is Rep. Kevin McCarthy doesn’t have the votes. I committed my support to him publicly and for two votes on the House Floor. 218 is the number, and currently, no one is there,” Donalds tweeted Tuesday. “Our conference needs to recess and huddle and find someone or work out the next steps but these continuous votes aren’t working for anyone.”

MCCARTHY, HOUSE FREEDOM CAUCUS DISCUSSING CONCESSIONS IN EFFORT TO SWAY 20 REPUBLICAN VOTERS

One notable Republican who is backing McCarthy is former President Trump. After Tuesday’s failed votes, Trump posted a message on his Truth Social online platform calling for the GOP to unite behind McCarthy.

“Some really good conversations took place last night, and it’s now time for all of our GREAT Republican House Members to VOTE FOR KEVIN,” Trump wrote.

Gaetz, a known supporter of Trump, was not swayed.

“Sad!” Gaetz said in a Wednesday statement. “This changes neither my view of McCarthy, nor Trump, nor my vote.”

The House will reconvene at noon on Thursday to hold a seventh round of voting, and possibly more if necessary.

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A GOP aide confirmed to Fox News that McCarthy is considering giving more power to HFC members as he tries to gain the 218 votes needed to be elected to the position.

The ideas being discussed include adding more HFC members to top committees, more representation on the steering committee, and commitments for votes on major bill items the HFC wants votes on.

Fox News’ Houston Keene and Elizabeth Pritchett contributed to this report.

Aska A5 Is An Electric VTOL Flying Car With A Gas Range Extender

January 5, 2023 Published by Brad Anderson

Carscoops

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) never fails to disappoint and one of the more intriguing vehicles presented at this year’s event is the Aska A5, an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicle.

The Aska A5 is roughly the size of a typical SUV and has been described as the first four-seater electric vehicle that can travel by road and up to 250 miles (402 km) by air on a single charge. While more of an airplane/helicopter than a traditional car, the A5 has wings and propellors that can fold away whenever it needs to be used as a car.

The company behind the eVTOL says it is powered by a proprietary power system combining lithium-ion battery packs with a petrol engine acting as an onboard range extender. It is unclear how much power the A5 has but Aska notes that it has four in-wheel electric motors to produce all-wheel drive traction while also improving aerodynamics and maximizing interior space.

Read: Stellantis To Build Archer’s Midnight Electric Flying Taxi In Georgia

While the A5 can take off like a helicopter, it can also take off along a runway like a traditional airplane. When flying, the wings and six rotors unfold. Aska notes that the wing has been optimized for “gliding, smooth landings, and efficient energy consumption.”

“Our unveil at CES represents something that has never been accomplished in the world, but which humans have dreamed of for decades: a fully functional, full-scale prototype of a Drive & Fly electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing, a real flying car,” co-founder and chief executive Guy Kaplinsky described. “We’re making history with ASKA and defining the next 100 years of transportation. ASKA is positioned as a new generation vehicle that combines the convenience of an automobile with the ease and efficiency of VTOL and STOL flight. ASKA is a vehicle that addresses not only consumers, there is also significant business potential in emergency response use, military use, as well as on-demand ride-sharing mobility services.”

In addition to selling the A5 privately, Aska plans to launch an on-demand ride service in 2026 with a fleet of its eVTOLs.