You’ve all seen blurry photos of the solar eclipse by now. So, in case you missed it, here’s a photo of Heart singing “Total Eclipse of the Heart” during the eclipse. It would have sounded better without Jimmy Fallon, but his show made it happen.
What They’re Not Saying About Latest Jobs Report
Heard the good news about the latest jobs report? Not so fast, truth-seeking BRIGHT readers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics released March's employment data showing stronger-than-expected figures with 303K jobs created, surpassing the consensus of 200K. However, The Street explained that part-time jobs surged by 525K, offsetting full-time job losses. While more people are working, downgrading to part-time roles creates a deflationary effect. Despite increased workforce participation, wage growth slowed to 0.3% monthly and 4.1% annually. Unemployment rates dropped for some demographics but soared for Black individuals.
The bottom line?
This economy is by no means doing extraordinarily well, but it is not in crisis nor is it close to being in crisis. It has to be said that it is also impossible to truly measure the impact on labor markets of the massive, unchecked influx of illegal immigrants that have poured into the country. No illegal is contributing to the Household survey and no employer who is hiring illegals is going to honestly contribute to the Establishment survey.
That said, to cut rates in this environment would be entirely political, would be aimed at enabling the federal government at the expense of the public, and would confirm what we have always feared — the loss of central bank independence in the United States.
Biden Attempts Another Student Loan Bribe for Votes
The Daily Caller reported that Fox News legal analyst Gregg Jarrett criticized President Biden’s student debt forgiveness actions, accusing him of disregarding the Constitution to woo young voters. Biden’s latest plan aims to forgive debt for over 30 million Americans, bypassing a Supreme Court ruling against a previous initiative. Jarrett argues Biden's actions violate constitutional principles by shifting debt from borrowers to taxpayers without Congress' authority.
Jarret said, “Joe Biden here is buying votes. So desperate to get young people to reelect him, you know, he is willing to undermine both Congress and the Supreme Court. The new plan, like the old one, is not just illegal. It’s grossly unfair. Forgiving debt helps those that went to college at the expense of those who didn’t.”
Despite Biden's efforts, polling shows his support among younger voters has declined since the 2020 election.
Settlement Reached Between Victims and Norfolk Southern
Norfolk Southern reached a $600 million settlement for a class action lawsuit regarding a February 2023 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. Just the News reported that that pending court approval, claims within a 20-mile radius of the derailment will be resolved, along with personal injury claims within a 10-mile radius. The incident forced temporary evacuations due to fire and hazardous materials. National Transportation Safety Board criticized the handling of toxic chemicals following the derailment, saying, “there was no justification to do a vent and burn” and that other options were available.
Investigations by Congress and the EPA continue, with lawsuits from Ohio and the Justice Department pending. Norfolk Southern also provided $104 million in community aid and made commitments to address local concerns like water quality and healthcare.
Arizona Supreme Court Bans Abortion in Most Cases
The Arizona Republic reported that the Arizona Supreme Court upheld a 160-year-old abortion ban. The ban, existing pre-statehood, mandates prison for aiding abortions, except to save a mother's life. Legal abortions would end, though some clinics might continue temporarily. Democrats aim to oppose enforcement. The justices ruled 4-2 in favor, stating a 2022 law didn't repeal the pre-statehood ban or establish abortion rights.
More from the Arizona Republic:
"Physicians are now on notice that all abortions, except those necessary to save a woman’s life, are illegal ... and that additional criminal and regulatory sanctions may apply to abortions performed after fifteen weeks’ gestation," the ruling reads.
The majority ruled that a law passed in 2022, which prohibited abortions after 15 weeks, did not repeal the pre-statehood law nor create a right to abortion. The justices said the 2022 law was enacted by the Legislature because the prior law was at the time enjoined in court.
“Life is a human right, and today’s decision allows the state to respect that right and fully protect life again—just as the legislature intended,” said Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Jake Warner, who argued the case before the court in favor of the pre-statehood ban.
One immediate effect of the ruling could be more support for a potential ballot measure in the works for this year. Advocates say they've already got more than 500,000 signatures, well above the threshold of 383,923 signatures needed by an early July deadline.
Politico reported on Arizona Republicans’ response:
Former Gov. Doug Ducey, a Republican who signed a 15-week abortion ban into law in 2022, said in a post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, that the ruling was “not the outcome [he] would have preferred” and called on lawmakers to “heed the will of the people and address this issue with a policy that is workable and reflective of our electorate.”
Arizona Republican Senate candidate Kari Lake, in a statement Tuesday, called on Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs and the state’s GOP-controlled legislature to “come up with an immediate common sense solution that Arizonans can support.” She added that ultimately “Arizona voters will make the decision” at the ballot box in November.
Writing Angry Notes Is Calming… Just Don’t Forget to Shred Them
According to The Telegraph, scientists from Nagoya University proved that writing down and destroying grievances on paper reduces anger. In experiments, university students angered by negative feedback found relief when they shredded or threw away their written grievances. Those who kept the feedback experienced less reduction in anger. Everyone received the same negative comment — “I cannot believe an educated person would think like this. I hope this person learns something while at the university.”
Lead researcher Nobuyuki Kawai said, “We expected that our method would suppress anger to some extent. However, we were amazed that anger was eliminated almost entirely.”
Researchers said this technique could aid in managing anger, particularly in stressful business situations. The discovery parallels the Japanese cultural tradition of Hakidashisara, where purging frustrations brings relief.
Read the study on Scientific Reports here. Check out my Amazon Basics Strip Cut Shredder here 🤣
What I’m Reading This Week
Last week week Ethan Suplee interviewed Adam Bornstein on the American Glutton podcast about his book, You Can’t Screw This Up: Why Eating Takeout, Enjoying Dessert, and Taking the Stress out of Dieting Leads to Weight Loss That Lasts. As I move from a lifetime of weight loss to a maintenance phase, I’m trying to adjust my mindset.
From the description:
The diet industry is great at making you follow more diets, not making you leave dieting behind. You don't need another restrictive, unrealistic plan; you need tools that help you enjoy what you eat (including takeout!) and be healthier at the same time.
Adam Bornstein is a bestselling author, and has consulted health icons including Arnold Schwarzenegger, LeBron James, Cindy Crawford, and Lindsey Vonn. He’s one of the most trusted voices in health because of his ability to get results without gimmicks, supplements, or suffering.
In this easy-to-follow book, Bornstein shows how upgrading your health and losing weight for good requires you to turn your back on the typical dieting culture by following successful habits and frameworks not typically seen in nutrition and fitness.
Dinner and a Movie
This week I decided on my recipe before my movie. After Easter dinner, I froze the leftover ham. One of my favorite things to do with leftovers is to make them into a quiche. It has to be a good a recipe because the kicker is… I don’t like eggs unless they’re deviled. This recipe for Creamy Ham and Cheese Quiche looks good because it only has five eggs. For many I reduce the eggs and add more meat and cheese. I also thought this recipe from Magnolia for Ham & Cheese Bread Pudding looked good.
This weekend I’m recommending an underrated late 80s movie I recently watched — Three O’Clock High.