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Economy watch: Inflation Is Killing Vacations

For the past two years many Americans skipped their family vacations because of COVID restrictions or concerns, observes Salena Zito at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. This year, with inflation at 8.6%, prohibitive costs are preventing many from restarting the tradition. Want to fly domestically? That will cost you 34% more than it did in 2019, the last summer of normal. Lodging costs are up 13%, rental cars more than 70% since the beginning of 2020. In fact, everything costs more. Eating out? Thats 7.2% more than last year. Filling up? We all know thats through the roof: the average is $5 a gallon if youre lucky. No wonder nearly 43% of Americans say that economic concerns are prompting them to reduce travel or cut their vacation budget.

Our country is awakening to an infuriating possibility, argues The New York Suns editorial board: that the idea that theres a right to an abortion in the Constitution is a lie. The Supreme Court was never going to outlaw abortion, but Justice Clarence Thomas did argue that the substantive due process theory Roe was based on underlay the courts constitutionally unmoored policy judgments. And in the major abortion cases, it intervene[d] in a policy question that was in the process of being sorted out in the legislatures of the states. Our own hope is that as America returns to the legislative process . . . it will be possible to leach the anger that has convulsed our country for 50 years.

If there were any lingering doubt that climate-change policy is empty virtue-signaling, President Joe Biden dispelled it by asking Congress to lift the federal gasoline tax, rails City Journals Heather Mac Donald. The desperate move in the White Houses increasingly panicked campaign to lower the cost of tanking up is clearly a betrayal of Bidens climate goals. After waging a war on US oil, he seems to regard cheap gas as an American entitlement that other countries must fulfill. Last year, he whined that Russia and Saudi Arabia and other major producers are not going to pump more oil so people can have gasoline to get to and from work. Biden mouths climate-change platitudes until the moment reality threatens to put those platitudes into practice with all of their real-world costs.

Ex-US Attorney General Bill Barr is warning of a fateful crisis in Western civilization, reports The Federalists Joy Pullmann. At a Christian conference in Chicago Saturday, Barr told the audience that public schools have become hostile to traditional religion, even as they block parents control over their kids while in school. Public schools have gone from essentially Christian to essentially anti-Christian, creating a moral vacuum thats been filled with political leftism. Yet the variety of American beliefs now makes a monopoly on education untenable, Barr argued. The solution: End the government monopoly over education via school choice. Allowing parents to take their childrens public education dollars to institutions that match their beliefs will end such culture wars, he said, as well as help families more effectively pass their republic-sustaining faith on to their children.

The left has been tempting fate, contends Victor David Hanson at American Greatness: It believed the US could afford 120 days in 2020 of mass rioting with $2 billion in damage and some 35 killed. That we can easily survive complete military humiliation in Afghanistan, a push to restructure all our universities [and] eliminate free expression and speech and the fueling of Maoist cultural revolutionary fervor. Meanwhile, trash, vermin, flotsam, jetsam, and human excrement fill unsafe streets, while Joe Biden took a strong economy and ruined it, likely triggering a recession. This generation in its arrogance tested fate, and now, like a stunned adolescent whose reckless incompetence totaled the family car, the Left seems shocked that America proved so fragile after all.

Compiled by The Post Editorial Board

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Inflation is killing vacations and other commentary - New York Post

Despite Boris Johnsons best efforts to pretend they arent happening, conversations about his potential replacements continue to bubble along.

By playing a leading role in the recent effort to oust the Prime Minister, Jeremy Hunt has done a decent job of putting himself back on the map. But a gossip from his constituency this week told me that his local party is unimpressed with him over a rather more prosaic issue than partygate or Brexit: the rights of cyclists.

Ive written before about the mania of the cycling culture wars between cyclists and drivers and pedestrians. Nowhere is this more intense, it seems, than in south-west Surrey. Pedestrians are infuriated by cyclists use of pavements, drivers are infuriated by the ever-expanding space bikes are taking up on the road, and cyclists are infuriated by the lack of safe cycle lanes.

The worst of it, I was told, is not that Mr Hunt has taken one side or another, but that he hasnt taken a clear side at all. He is, apparently, playing all sides.

In search of evidence to back up this claim, I was trawling Godalmings village Facebook group. Cycling is clearly a hot-button local issue, but this isnt without upsides. It has inspired an entertaining exchange of doggerels.

Cycle lanes having priority getting longer and wider, catering only for the smug pushbike rider/ writes Kim Hicks. And then we have the serious biker,/ who show off their bits whilst squeezed into Lycra.

Another local, Stephen Bradbury, was quick to respond: I know that some people on bikes like to break the rules,/ But not all of us cyclists are complete fools.

But it was left to Phil Bro to have the last word: Its [sic] been a long day/ To be writing ditties/ Youll bounce off my bonnet if you get on my titties.

My feeling is that Mr Hunt should at least enter the poetry contest if he wont take a clear stance on the policy question.

Last week, I wrote an essay for this newspaper on the creeping power of human resources departments and how they have become unwitting enforcers of radical Left-wing norms in the workplace. In the worst cases, they have started trying to fire employees for Right-wing or pro-Brexit social media posts.

I was somewhat amused, therefore, to come across this description of how a proper, authoritarian Left-wing outfit does it. In Putins People, Catherine Belton describes the career of Putin aide Viktor Ivanov, who worked his way up through the KGBs human resources department: His job was to keep a close eye on everyone, she writes. The job of human resources, said [an ex-KGB officer], was to collect damaging information on colleagues and use it to destroy their careers.

In a smaller, pettier way, I am sure many of us know the type.

My extensive research for last weeks essay has had an unfortunate knock-on effect on all of the algorithms generating my search results and personalised adverts. LinkedIn is now spamming me with an apparently bottomless list of great jobs available in HR, while YouTube serves up an unending diet of ads for products to improve the efficiency of your team and videos on what does an HR girl do all day??? or How to get into HR.

A hot tip in the latter category is to always be networking. With 13 conferences in the next year listed just by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, the official HR industry body, it would be almost impossible to ignore such advice. I feel as if I am trapped in some sort of devilish, HR-amplifying algorithmic ratchet.

Forget the anti-vaxxers and Islamists. We must cleanse the internet of these incessant HR groomers.

More here:
The cycling culture wars have come to Surrey, with some bizarre consequences - The Telegraph

Almost immediately after Republican-appointed justices on the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, former Vice President Mike Pence issued a celebratory statement. This surprised no one: The Indiana Republican has long been a far-right crusader in the culture wars, so it stood to reason that hed cheer the ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization.

But as The New York Times noted, the former vice president and likely national contender in the coming years didnt just applaud the developments. Pence also looked ahead to the next goal.

Mr. Pence ... called on abortion opponents to continue their work to ban abortion access in all states. Having been given this second chance for Life, we must not rest and must not relent until the sanctity of life is restored to the center of American law in every state in the land, he said.

At a Capitol Hill press conference on Friday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi declared, Republicans are plotting a nationwide abortion ban. This wasnt hyperbole.

It was early last month when The Washington Post reported coincidentally, the same day that Politico published its scoop on Justice Samuel Alitos draft ruling, which ended up overshadowing the Posts article that conservative groups hoping to ban abortion have already met with their congressional allies about a possible nationwide ban on the procedure if Republicans retake power in Washington.

The discussions have reportedly advanced to such a stage that specific GOP senators have already sketched out policy details theyre eyeing a six-week abortion ban and wholl be involved in drafting the legislative restrictions.

All of this, of course, was contingent on Republican-appointed justices playing their role and overturning Roe, which is precisely whats happened.

Its not as if conservatives will simply pat themselves on the back, pop the champagne, and exit the arena with a sense of contentment. The Dobbs ruling has emboldened the right and begun a new conversation about how best to build on a regressive foundation.

A HuffPost report added, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), for one, allowed that a national abortion ban was possible after the initial leak of the Supreme Courts draft decision. Last week, Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) said he would back a federal ban because any of us that believe this is wrong, its wrong, period.

Also on Friday afternoon, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy told CNN hes prepared to support a national 15-week abortion ban, which Republican Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey is helping write. (Smith has previously worked on a 20-week ban, but hes now moving his legislation even further to the right, now that hes effectively received a green light from the high court.)

To be sure, other GOP officials will advocate for different policy details, but therein lies the point: For many Republicans, the question isnt whether to pursue a federal ban on abortion, but rather, how.

The result is an election season question candidates arent accustomed to answering: If a national abortion ban reaches the floor, how will you vote?

There was some talk on Friday about the nation effectively dividing in two: In half the country, reproductive health care will remain largely intact, while in the other half, rights will disappear. For many Republicans, such a landscape simply isnt good enough.

Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MSNBC political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "The Impostors: How Republicans Quit Governing and Seized American Politics."

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For many in GOP, returning abortion to the states isnt enough - MSNBC

On the day my state introduced a bill that would limit conversation around gender and sexual orientation in the classroom, I reposted the news to Twitter and cried myself to sleep.

Later that night, my phone buzzed. I squinted my eyes, trying to make sense of the words on the screen.

Im sorry that I couldnt be there for you back then.

The message was from my middle school counselor. I felt my heart sink as memories of growing up queer in the South came back to me hearing classmates use gay as a pejorative, feeling them reject the identity I hadnt yet had the space to embody.

I wondered how different it would have been if Id had a teacher or counselor in my corner someone I could trust and talk to about who I was and wanted to be.

Someone who truly made me feel like it was okay to be myself.

Ten years ago, there were no conversations around identity in my middle or high school. Without resources and support, even well-meaning educators like my counselor avoided discussing topics long considered off limits.

Now I fear a return to that, or worse, as anti-LGBTQ+ and Dont Say Gay bills like Floridas sweep the country. At least 15 states have passed or considered legislation that would affect how educators discuss gender identity and interact with LGBTQ+ students.

Related: OPINION: Why educations culture wars are only about some parents rights

I worry that this legislation, and the moral panic surrounding it, will have a chilling effect on conversations between students and teachers, making it harder for students to form the kind of supportive relationships with adults that can make a huge difference in their lives.

Much of the problem lies in the ambiguity of the laws and the charged rhetoric surrounding them. In addition to prohibiting instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in younger grades, Floridas Dont Say Gay law and similar bills include vague language about age-appropriate instruction at any grade level.

Within this climate of intense scrutiny and undefined boundaries, many educators will simply avoid any subject they fear could land them in hot water or elicit false accusations of grooming, a denigrating and inaccurate term used against those who oppose Florida-style legislation.

I wondered how different it would have been if Id had a teacher or counselor in my corner someone I could trust and talk to about who I was and wanted to be.

Even staff who personally agree with these laws may fear getting caught up in an overzealous lawsuit by litigious parents.

This is a recipe for disaster, given what we know about the importance of positive, healthy relationships in addressing the growing youth mental health crisis. As a queer student in the South, having a trusting relationship with an adult at school would have made me feel safer and more welcome.

Students who feel connected at school are significantly less likely to experience a host of negative mental health outcomes, including feelings of hopelessness and thoughts of suicide. The presence of a caring, supportive adult is particularly important for LGBTQ+ youth. Those with an accepting adult in their lives are 40 percent less likely to attempt suicide.

Related: Column: A lesson in hypocrisy whats really behind the parental rights movement

When conversations between educators and students feel like navigating a minefield, these supportive and trusting relationships cant develop. Even if many of these legislative proposals dont pass, they have already created fear and anxiety in schools for students and teachers.

We cant leave kids to face this alone. There is a pressing need for those of us outside of schools to find ways to provide support to LGBTQ+ youth.

One step that adults can take is to become a mentor to LGBTQ+ youth. Mentors can provide emotional support, help their mentees navigate challenges to their identities and help them envision a more hopeful and positive future.

Mentors can also be a source of affirmation at a time when many young people are internalizing the anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric some politicians are using.

Mentoring advocates are joining educators across the country in speaking out against these discriminatory bills and finding ways to help LGBTQ+ students thrive. In Minneapolis, a new nonprofit called QUEERSPACE matches LGBTQ+ youth with LGBTQ+ mentors and works with community partners and families to reduce LGBTQ+ youth isolation, suicide and homelessness.

When my former school counselor reached out to me, I realized how daunting it can be for educators, too, to navigate these issues alone. Organizations like QUEERSPACE serve as a lifeline to students, families and educators alike.

Mentoring wont solve the youth mental health crisis alone, nor is it a sufficient singular response to the wave of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. But its imperative that each of us find ways to combat or circumvent this legislation so that it doesnt further isolate and marginalize young people and limit educators ability to help them.

We must try to be there for students and educators with the kind of affirming support and connection that can make all the difference.

Amaris Ramey is a graduate student pursuing a masters in social innovation. They work as a grassroots organizing manager at MENTOR, a national nonprofit working to expand the quality and quantity of mentoring relationships for Americas young people.

This piece about Dont Say Gay legislation was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for Hechingers newsletter.

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STUDENT VOICE: 'Don't Say Gay' bills will make it harder for teachers to support students like me - The Hechinger Report

Around the world, and against all scientific evidence, a segment of the population believes that Earths round shape is either an unproven theory or an elaborate hoax. Polls by YouGov America in 2018 and FDU in 2022 found that as many as 11% of Americans believe the Earth might be flat.

While it is tempting to dismiss flat Earthers as mildly amusing, we ignore their arguments at our peril. Polling shows that there is an overlap between conspiracy theories, some of which can act as gateways for radicalisation. QAnon and the great replacement theory, for example, have proved deadly more than once.

By studying how flat Earthers talk about their beliefs, we can learn how they make their arguments engaging to their audience, and in turn, learn what makes disinformation spread online.

In a recent study, my colleague Tomas Nilsson at Linnaeus University and I analysed hundreds of YouTube videos in which people argue that the Earth is flat. We paid attention to their debating techniques to understand the structure of their arguments and how they make them appear rational.

One strategy they use is to take sides in existing debates. People who are deeply attached to one side of a culture war are likely to wield any and all arguments (including truths, half-truths and opinions), if it helps them win. People invest their identity into the group and are more willing to believe fellow allies rather than perceived opponents a phenomenon that sociologists call neo-tribalism.

The problem arises when people internalise disinformation as part of their identity. While news articles can be fact-checked, personal beliefs cannot. When conspiracy theories are part of someones value system or worldview, it is difficult to challenge them.

In analysing these videos, we observed that flat Earthers take advantage of ongoing culture wars by inserting their own arguments into the logic of, primarily, three main debates. These debates are longstanding and can be very personal for participants on either side.

First is the debate about the existence of God, which goes back to antiquity, and is built on reason, rather than observation. People already debate atheism v faith, evolution v creationism, and Big Bang v intelligent design. What flat Earthers do is set up their argument within the longstanding struggle of the Christian right, by arguing that atheists use pseudoscience evolution, the Big Bang and round Earth to sway people away from God.

A common flat Earther refrain that taps into religious beliefs is that God can inhabit the heavens above us physically only in a flat plane, not a sphere. As one flat Earther put it:

They invented the Big Bang to deny that God created everything, and they invented evolution to convince you that He cares more about monkeys than about you they invented the round Earth because God cannot be above you if He is also below you, and they invented an infinite universe, to make you believe that God is far away from you.

The second theme is a conspiracy theory that sees ordinary people stand against a ruling elite of corrupt politicians and celebrities. Knowledge is power, and this theory argues that those in power conspire to keep knowledge for themselves by distorting the basic nature of reality. The message is that people are easily controlled if they believe what they are told rather than their own eyes. Indeed, the Earth does appear flat to the naked eye. Flat Earthers see themselves as part of a community of unsung heroes, fighting against the tyranny of an elite who make the public disbelieve what they see.

The third theme is based on the freethinking argument, which dates back to the spirited debate about the presence or absence of God in the text of the US constitution. This secularist view argues that rational people should not believe authority or dogma instead, they should trust only their own reason and experience. Freethinkers distrust experts who use book knowledge or nonsense math that laypeople cannot replicate. Flat Earthers often use personal observations to test whether the Earth is round, especially through homemade experiments. They see themselves as the visionaries and scientists of yesteryear, like a modern-day Galileo.

Countering disinformation on social media is difficult when people internalise it as a personal belief. Fact-checking can be ineffective and backfire, because disinformation becomes a personal opinion or value.

Responding to flat Earthers (or other conspiracy theorists) requires understanding the logic that makes their arguments persuasive. For example, if you know that they find arguments from authority unconvincing, then selecting a government scientist as a spokesperson for a counterargument may be ineffective. Instead, it may be more appealing to propose a homemade experiment that anyone can replicate.

If you can identify the rationality behind their specific beliefs, then a counterargument can engage that logic. Insiders of the group are often key to this only a spokesperson with impeccable credentials as a devout Christian can say that you do not need the flat-Earth beliefs to remain true to your faith.

Overall, beliefs like flat-Earth theory, QAnon and the great replacement theory grow because they appeal to a sense of group identity under attack. Even far-fetched misinformation and conspiracies can seem rational if they fit into existing grievances. Since debates on social media require only posting content, participants create a feedback loop that solidifies disinformation as points of view that cannot be fact-checked.

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I watched hundreds of flat-Earth videos to learn how conspiracy theories spread and what it could mean for fighting disinformation - The Conversation