The LuLac Edition #5, 150, August 8th, 2024

 

THE CRAZINESS OF DONALD TRUMP

 

WALZ TO BE SWIFT BOATED

 Look for Tim Walz’; career in the Notational Guard to be questioned. Walz[ served for 24 years and on WILK Wednesday morning a veteran charged that he ended his career because he wanted to dodge service in Afghanistan. He continued his service by running for Congress. The caller also chastised host Jason Barsky for giving his opinion on the military because “unless you wear the uniform, you don’t have the right to say something”. Apparently there were many texts saying the same thing.

I get that there is pride in the military and we as civilians can’t understand the mentality and physical danger. But to shut down any discussion on this is un-American. You fight for freedom….and that is freedom of speech.

But look for the Trump campaign to pull the same stuff they did to John  Kerry in 2004. The guy who organized that is the current campaign manager for Trump.

 

 INSIDE THE PICK

Harris had just 16 days to pick someone she could be linked to forever. She ended up going with one of the options that she — and the rest of the world — knew the least.

Walz was a dark horse from the start, left off early lists of potential running mates. But no one used the 16 days since Biden stepped aside more effectively than Walz, who charmed Harris and national Democrats alike with a Diet Mountain Dew-fueled media tour that labeled the opposition as “weird” and won him a spot in history.

The choice will leave an indelible imprint on the image of Harris that is still forming for many Americans, who know her far less than they do Biden or Trump, raising the stakes of a choice that can be difficult in the best of times, let alone under unprecedented time pressure.

 

 U.S. REP. MATT CARTWRIGHT CALLS FOR SOCIAL SECURITY PROTECTION AND 4.ENHANCEMENTS

U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright Calls for Social Security Protection and Enhancements 2024;.

 

READ CASEY’S LATEST GREEDFLATION SPOTLIGHT “A STEADY STREAM OF PRICE HIKES: HOW STREAMING SERVICES PUT PROFIT OVER CONSUMERS”

 Senator Bob Casey (Photo: LuLac Archives)

U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Subcommittee on Children & Families, released a study into streamflation—streaming platforms increasing the cost of subscriptions while decreasing the amount of content available to stream, implementing streaming restrictions, and introducing advertisements to a previously ad-free platform. “A Steady Stream of Price Hikes: How Streaming Services Put Profit Over Consumers” is a continuation of Senator Casey’s long-running investigation into greedflation and how corporations are using deceptive practices to squeeze working families’ budgets.

“From movies to music, greedy streaming services are ripping off hardworking American families with inflated subscription fees, limited account sharing, and added advertisements. Families sign up for a service, only to have the rug pulled out from under them when they learn they’ll have to pay more to stream less,” said Senator Casey. “I’m calling out greedflation when I see it and I’m fighting back against the corporations that put profits over people.”

Chairman Casey believes that no Pennsylvanian should be blindsided by increased monthly subscription charges or streaming platforms’ broken promises to never introduce advertising or restrict password sharing. While streaming services, executives, and shareholders are reporting millions in profits, American families are paying a hefty bill, only to turn on their TVs and find that their favorite shows are gone. In his report, Senator Casey exposes streaming services including Netflix, Spotify, Disney Plus, Paramount Plus, Hulu, and Max for fleecing Americans into expensive memberships to unreliable platforms. The spotlight also details how streaming services have abandoned their earlier promises to their subscribers, from shrinking content libraries to account restrictions.

Since November 2023, Chairman Casey has been investigating corporate price gouging and other actions by big corporations that have squeezed the budgets of American families and contributed to the increase in inflation. In February, the New York Times featured Senator Casey’s investigation into shrinkflation.

In November, Casey released the first report in his greedflation series, “Greedflation: How Corporations Are Making Record Profits on the Backs of American Families,” detailing how big corporations are using inflation as cover to raise prices and rake in record profits at the expense of middle-class American families and laying out Senator Casey’s vision to hold greedy corporations accountable. Corporate executives claim they’ve “earned the right” to raise prices and that their products “are worth paying a little bit more for.”

Ahead of Thanksgiving, Casey released his second report, “Stuffing Their Pockets: How Big Food and Agriculture Businesses Are Making Your Holiday Meals More Expensive," examining how the agribusiness companies that process Americans’ food have increased prices for everyday staple foods and raising questions about why those price increases are necessary, particularly during the holiday season. Some of these companies have a history of engaging in price-fixing, colluding to raise prices, anti-competitive conduct, and touting their ability to raise prices without limit. Seeking answers, Senator Casey sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission and United States Department of Agriculture requesting that the agencies use all necessary resources to investigate possible unfair pricing practices of major chicken and pork processors in the United States. The Federal Trade Commission, in response, assured Senator Casey that policing potentially anticompetitive conduct in food industries continues to be a top priority for the Commission given the high stakes for American families, farmers, and the Nation’s economy.

In December 2023, Casey released his third report of his greedflation series, “Less Bang for Your Buck: Casey Releases Shrinkflation Report Exposing Big Corporations for Reducing Product Size While Keeping Prices High,” calling out household consumer products, food, and beverage corporations for reducing the size of household consumer goods, from toilet paper to cereals to snacks, while continuing to sell them at the same retail price. To better protect families’ pocketbooks, Senator Casey sent letters to the trade associations representing household consumer products, food, and beverage corporations demanding answers about pricing strategies, package size practices, and how shrinkflation affects customers.

In January 2024, Casey released the fourth report, “Additional Charges May Apply: How Big Corporations Use Hidden Fees to Nickel, Dime, and Deceive American Families” detailing how big corporations are tacking on excessive fees at the tail end of everyday purchases, from internet plans to ATM withdrawals. Senator Casey believes that no Pennsylvanian should be blindsided by a junk fee and that the negative impacts of hidden fees can be mitigated by: fighting deceptive practices that allow corporations to hide the fees they charge consumers; preventing corporations from deceptively passing along their expenses to working families through bogus fees; and protecting businesses that are honest about their pricing structures. In a letter to the Government Accountability Office that same month, Senator Casey pushed the government watchdog to examine the effects of corporate greed on American consumers.

In February 2024, Casey introduced legislation to protect American families from greedflation by banning grossly excessive price increases and crack down on corporate price gouging. The same month, Casey also introduced the Shrinkflation Prevention Act, which empowers the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general to crack down on corporations that deceive consumers by selling smaller sizes of their products without lowering the prices.

Senator Casey sent a letter to Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Director Rohit Chopra in April in support of the CFPB’s proposed rule to crack down on excessive overdraft banking penalties. Similarly, in February, Senator Casey sent a letter to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Lina Khan in support of FTC’s proposal to eliminate junk fees across the market. Chair Khan later joined Casey in Philadelphia to highlight their efforts to combat corporate greed.

In April, Casey released a greedflation spotlight, “The Pink Tax: How Companies Tack Extra Costs on Women in the Age of Greedflation,” which details how corporate greed has disproportionately harmed the budgets of women.

 

RUNNER UP SHAPIRO ON THE TRAIL

 

When Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro bounded onto the stage Tuesday evening, he was energetic, charismatic and clearly at home.

it was a glimpse of what might have been. Before the harsh reality of politics set in.

Shapiro swallowed whatever disappointment he may have felt in losing out on the chance to become Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate and made himself the rousing hype man for the Democratic presidential nominee and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, whom Harris had asked just hours earlier to join her on the ticket.

“I love you, Philly – and you know what else I love? I love being your governor!” Shapiro said to deafening cheers from inside Temple University’s Liacouras Center, where Harris and Walz were making their first joint campaign appearance.

For days, it had appeared that Shapiro would end up as Harris’ vice-presidential running mate. He had interviewed for the job, and the choice came down to him and Walz. Harris’s decision to go with Walz stunned many given Shapiro’s credentials: He’s a popular governor of a battleground state that could determine the winner of the election.

But Shapiro also carried considerable baggage that would have made him a risky choice. Shapiro, who is Jewish, has infuriated the Democratic Party’s progressives as well as Arab Americans and Muslims over his support for Israel in its ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.

And while his positions aren't that different from the other names on Harris's shortlist, it was Shapiro who frequently faced the toughest scrutiny.

Shapiro, 51, has been one of the most steadfast Democratic supporters of Israel, arguing that it has a right to defend itself from Hamas. He has been critical of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling him "one of the worst leaders of all time.” But he has also refrained from calling for an immediate cease-fire, which put him at odds with many of the party’s left-wing voters.

If Shapiro didn’t get the brass ring now, he still has a future.(USA Today, LuLac)

 

 

MEDIA MATTERS

WALN

BOLD GOLD COMMUNITY FORUM

You'll hear the program Sunday at 6 on 94.3 The Talker; 6:30 on 1400 am The Mothership and 7:30 am on 105 The River.

 

BOBBY V’S DOO WOP SUNDAY NIGHT SOCK HOP

 

STEVE CORBETT’S SCRANTON CITY NEWS

Here's the link: News – The Outlaw Steve Corbett (theoutlawcorbett.com)

 

BEATLE EDD’S FAB FOUR MUSIC HOUR

Tune in every week to the Home of Rock and Roll for a jam packed, unpredictable hour starting at 9am Sundays. Host Edd Raineri gives you facts and great music from the immortal Fab Four on ROCK 107.

 

1984

Our 1984 logo

 Harmonica Frank [Floyd], American blues singer, guitarist and harmonica player dies of lung cancer and diabetes complications at 75…… Japan beats US, 6-3 in the final of the Los Angeles Olympic baseball demonstration event…… The US collects its first Olympic gold medal in women's basketball history with a 85-55 win over South Korea in the final at the LA Games….Carl Lewis wins 3rd gold medal of the Los Angeles Olympics joining Kirk Baptiste and Thomas Jefferson in an American sweep of the 200m… Milwaukee 10-game losing streak ends….. Nawal El Moutawakel of Morocco becomes the first female Olympic champion of a Muslim nation, and the first of her country in the 400m hurdles at the Los Angeles Olympics…..Daley Thompson of Great Britain scores 8,797 points to win the Olympic decathlon in Los Angeles; later recognised as a world record….. STS 41-D vehicle again moves out to launch pad……Valerie Brisco-Hooks beats fellow American Florence Griffith to win the 200m gold at the LA Olympics; completes the 200-400m double……Famous Mary Decker-Zola Budd collision during 3,000m at the LA Olympics; Decker falls, Budd finishes 7th; Maricica Puică of Romania… and the number one song in LuLac land and America was “I Can Dream About You” by Dan Hartman.

---

[i] Rved 24 years