Biden boosters, MacGyver moments, and a 3.5 trillion dollar idea!
Hey Friends,
What do a physician, candy-coated chocolates, and a dog have in common?
I don’t know, but we’ll find out at the Super Bowl when Dr. Dre, Snoop Dog, and Eminem perform the halftime show. It was announced yesterday evening.
If you’re a government employee and reading this right now on your work computer, congratulations! You did not get shut down (although it was a close one). I talk about the government shutting down traditions in this week’s article, which I’ll get back to in a moment.
But first, the news.
Hot Takes
Week 39 of 2021
Here’s the week’s most important news. I’ll link you to more information from a “reputable” news source if you don’t trust me.
- The Government did NOT shut down, but they made a big deal about it. Fortunately for “slow news December” I’ll be able to revisit this topic before the end of the year since the funding bill that passed last night was only a short-term snooze button.
- Aaaand… the debt ceiling issue is still looming with an October 18 deadline. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is “Yellen” at Congress that missing this deadline is catastrophic in late payments and collection calls. That sounds bad, but I feel like this is the end of a MacGyver episode where it seems like we’re toast but after the commercial, they’ll have a breakthrough and everything will be fine. (more)
- President Biden received his Covid booster shot on Monday. I know because he added a sticker about it to his profile picture on Facebook. (more)
- Oops, the Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Did It Again. Brittany Spears’ father Jamie has been removed as conservator of her estate. In August Jamie said his daughter is craaa-zy, but the judge said he’s not that innocent. The honorable Brenda Penny ruled the current arrangement is toxic. If the #FreeBritney movement is successful, a plan to end the conservatorship will be approved in November. (more)
- Employees are playing chicken with their bosses as vaccine mandates have become the new TPS Report Cover Sheet. Some holdouts have caved, boosting overall vaccine rates, while others like teachers in New York are going to the national HR manager, the Supreme Court. (more)
- R Kelly has been convicted of sex trafficking, and his song ‘Trapped in the Closet’ is no longer a joke, but the rest of his career is. He is currently facing the potential of life in prison, minus a few months because sentencing is set for next spring. (more)
That’s it for the news. Here’s The Gist
What $hould we do with all our money!?
The Gist
In 2020 we had a 30% increase in murders, a sharp climb above 2019 numbers. What happened?
Well, we had a painful increase in poverty due to the coronavirus pandemic. According to the Census Bureau, poverty had increased for the first time following a five-year decline.
As an aside, the wealthy have gotten wealthier. Billionaires in particular, have increased their net worth by 60%.
Maybe we need to help a brother out.
Studies and common sense point out to us that poverty and crime are bedfellows. Although it is an oversimplification that poverty causes crime, an increase in poverty means an increase in crime.
I should note that gun sales are up big time. Ignoring the fact that gun sales increased by 40% last year would be silly. That’s because the US has the most guns in the world and for some reason, we also rank among the highest for gun violence per capita compared to other nations.
But the gun debate and regulations to fight crime are complicated. So how do we solve this murder problem? And in honor of congress talking about spending bills: What do we do with all our money? Studies indicate that reducing poverty reduces crime. So should we be fighting crime or poverty?