Standard Blog Whole Post | People's Pundit Daily

A Near-Supermajority Supports Medicaid Work Requirements

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, right, sitting with Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin, left, discusses the American Health Care Act during a meeting with local business leaders at the Harshaw-Trane Parts and Distribution Center in Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. on March 11, 2017. (Photo: Reuters)

Republican governors and lawmakers have long-proposed there should be work requirements in order for able-bodied individuals to receive Medicaid and other benefits of social safety net programs. Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin is the latest is a long list of GOP gubernatorial candidates who promised and proposed such a program, only to be met with fierce opposition from Democrats.

There’s even a petition effort by liberals to impeach Governor Bevin.

But a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 64% of Americans support childless, able-bodied adults being required to work as a condition for receiving Medicaid. That includes a significant 58% of black Americans, whom Democrats claim to defend and represent.

Sixty-four (64%) of white Americans and 68% of other minority groups agree. Men and women (64%) are equally likely to support Medicaid work requirements, and Americans ages 18-39 (70%) are the most likely.

Meanwhile, just 22% disagree and 14% are not sure.

Forty-five percent (45%) of adults think current government programs increase the level of poverty in America, a finding that is in line with previous surveys. Only 19% feel these programs decrease poverty, while 20% say they have no impact on the level of poverty. Sixteen percent (16%) are undecided.

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on January 14-15, 2018 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.

January 17, 2018

A near-supermajority (64%) of Americans support Medicaid

Economy

Builder Confidence Starts New Year Strong, Remains Near 18-Year High

Roofers work on new homes at a residential construction site in the west side of the Las Vegas Valley in Las Vegas, Nevada April 5, 2013. (Photo: Reuters)

Builder confidence is starting the new year strong, as the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) remains near an 18-year high. Builder confidence in the market for newly-built single-family homes dropped just 2 points to 72 in January after soaring to the highest level since July 1999 in December.

“Builders are confident that changes to the tax code will promote the small business sector and boost broader economic growth,” NAHB Chairman Randy Noel, a custom home builder from LaPlace, La., said. “Our members are excited about the year ahead, even as they continue to face building material price increases and shortages of labor and lots.”

The HMI is derived from monthly survey data the NAHB has been collecting for 30 years, and it gauges homebuilder sentiment, or builders’ perceptions of current single-family home sales and sales expectations for the next six months. They are rated as either “good,” “fair” or “poor.”

The three components in the HMI posted only minor losses in January, as the index gauging current sales conditions ticked down just one point to 79. The component gauging sales expectations in the next six months also only lost a single point to 78, while the index measuring buyer traffic fell 4 points to 54.

“The HMI gauge of future sales expectations has remained in the 70s, a sign that housing demand should continue to grow in 2018,” said NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz. “As the overall economy strengthens, owner-occupied household formation increases and the supply of existing home inventory tightens, we can expect the single-family housing market to make further gains this year.”

The survey also asks builders to rate traffic of prospective buyers as “high to very high,” “average” or “low to very low.” Scores for each component are then used to calculate a seasonally adjusted index where any number over 50 indicates that more builders view conditions as good than poor.

Looking at the three-month moving averages for regional HMI scores, the West increased 2 points to 81 and the South was up 1 point to 73. The Midwest also inched up a single point to 70 while the Northeast climbed 5 points to 59.

January 17, 2018

Builder confidence is starting the new year

Economy

U.S. Industrial Production Heats Up December

Manufacturing workers at the LCI Industries glass components plant in Elkhart, Indiana. (Photo: AP)

U.S. industrial production came in at a strong 0.9% in December juxtaposed to the consensus forecast of 0.4%, while the Federal Reserve revised November down to -0.1%. The resurgence of the U.S. mining industry has been the story in this report for all of 2017.

It’s up 11.5% for the year and has been growing in significant jumps on a monthly basis, including a 1.6% surge in December.

However, manufacturing has notably slowed down, adding a modest 2.4% gain all year. Still, manufacturing production rose at a 7.0% rate in the fourth quarter (4Q).

Utilities production increased by a solid 5.6% last month after falling 3.1% in November and motor vehicle and parts production gained 2.0%.

With last month, capacity utilization — which is a measure of how fully industries are deploying their resources — increased to 77.9% in December from 77.2% in November.

January 17, 2018

U.S. industrial production came in at a

Polls

Tennessee Senate Poll: Marsha Blackburn Crushing Bob Corker, Stephen Fincher

In this file photo from Tuesday, July 19, 2016, Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., arrives on stage at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo: AP, file)

Tennessee Senate Poll: Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., is crushing incumbent Senator Bob Corker and Representative Stephen Fincher in the race for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate. The 10-year incumbent and notable critic of President Donald Trump was forced into retirement due to being unelectable.

Polling repeatedly shows his inability to get re-elected in his home state and, a new poll conducted by WPA Intelligence continues to demonstrate it.

The conservative not only expanded her already commanding lead over Rep. Fincher to an astonishing 53 points, but also leads Senator Corker by 38 points. If he were to join the race, he could not rely on the power of the incumbency or name recognition to save him.

In a head-to-head, Rep. Blackburn leads Rep. Fincher 66% to 13%, with 21% undecided. Against Sen. Corker, she garners 63% of the vote juxtaposed to 25% who chose the incumbent and 12% who were undecided.

Senator Bob Corker, R-Tenn., arrives for a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., October 24, 2017. (Photo: Reuters)

A whopping 64% of Republican primary voters hold a favorable view of Rep. Blackburn, while only 12% hold an unfavorable view and another 12% don’t have an opinion. Sen. Corker’s image is upside down in his home state, with 44% holding a favorable view of him and 50% holding an unfavorable view.

Sen. Corker reversed his support for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which has already resulted in more than 2 million American workers receiving bonuses, increased wages and other benefits.

The survey was conducted for Club for Growth by WPA Intelligence on January 14-15, 2018. It interviewed 502 likely Republican primary voters in Tennessee and has a margin of error ±4.4% with the 95% confidence level.

January 16, 2018

Tennessee Senate Poll: Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn.,

Politics

Steve Bannon Served Subpoena During House Intelligence Committee

Steve Bannon, assistant to the president and chief strategist, speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference, Feb. 23, 2017. (Photo: AP)

Steve Bannon was served with a subpoena immediately after he informed the House Intelligence Committee in a closed-door hearing the White House instructed him not to testify about the transition and his tenure in the Trump Administration.

Whether his claim is true or not, People’s Pundit Daily (PPD) has not yet confirmed. However, sources say Mr. Bannon did not invoke “executive privilege.”

The former White House chief strategist is on the outs with President Donald Trump after he was quoted by author Michael Wolff as saying a meeting held between Don Trump Jr., Paul Manafort, Jared Kushner, and a Russian lawyer connected to Fusion GPS at Trump Tower in July 2016 was “unpatriotic” and “treasonous.”

Mr. Bannon, who stepped down as Executive Chairman at Breitbart News amid the controversy, recently apologized to the First Family, expressing “regret” to President Donald Trump and praising his son Donald Trump Jr. as “a patriot and a good man.”

In Wolff’s new book “Fire and Fury,” which has been called into question by numerous journalists, Mr. Bannon is quoted as saying Special Counsel Robert Mueller III was “going to crack Don Junior like an egg on national TV.”

While many people in the book have said the author straight fabricated their remarks, which he has a very long history of doing at a level on par with famed phonies Stephen Glass and Jayson Blair, Mr. Bannon did not dispute the comments.

The questions posed by the House Intelligence Committee concerned his remarks in the book.

President Trump returned fire in a scathing statement that in part said “he [Bannon] not only lost his job, he lost his mind.” In a recent interview with The Wall Street Journal, the President seemed to leave the door open for a potential reconciliation with his former White House strategist.

Nevertheless, Mr. Bannon subpoenaed last week by the Mr. Mueller. He could be forced to testify before a grand jury, though it’s likely he can just conduct a sit-down interview.

January 16, 2018

Steve Bannon was served with a subpoena immediately

Markets

Dow Hits 26000 for the First Time, Sets New Record for 1000-Point Rally

Trader Greg Rowe reacts after the closing bell on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, New York, U.S., October 27, 2017. (Photo: Reuters)

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEXDJX: .DJI) breached 26,000 for the first time ever and set another record for the fastest 1,000-point rally in history. The Blue Chip index hit a high of 26,086.12 on Tuesday after closing above 25,000 for the first time in history only minutes into the third trading day of 2018.

The rally from 24,000 to 25,000 took just 23 trading days, breaking the previous 24-day record for a 1,000-point rally set in 1999 that took the index to 11,000. That record was matched in March 2017 when it hit 21,000.

But the rally to 26,000 took just 8 trading days, shattering all previous records.

In 2017, the Dow Jones notched 71 record closes and soared slightly more than 25.08%. The Nasdaq Composite (INDEXNASDAQ: .IXIC) rallied 28.24% on the year and the S&P 500 Index (INDEXCBOE: .INX) ended the year up 19.42%.

UPDATED: As of 12:16 PM EST, the Nasdaq was 26.22 points (0.36%) to 7,287.28, while the S&P was trading at 2,791.45, up 5.21 points (0.19%).

“Today’s market move is momentum from further positive comments by corporate executives on the implications of tax reform,” TJM Investments analyst Tim Anderson said. “The previous retail sales report raised the likelihood that the U.S. economy will finish 2017 with 3 consecutive quarters of 3%-plus GDP growth.”

Forecast models are now calling for U.S. economic growth as measured by gross domestic product (GDP) to grow by at least 3% on an annual basis in the 4Q.

In 2016, the U.S. economy grew at just 1.6% on an annual basis, it’s worst performance since 2011. But if the 4Q forecasts are matches or exceeded, it’ll mark the third straight quarter of economic growth at or above 3% since 2004.

Further, if the 4Q for 2017 comes in at the lower end of the regional Federal Reserve forecasts, roughly 3.2%, economic growth during the first year under President Trump will easily exceed the strongest year under Barack Obama.

The PPD GDP Forecast-of-Forecasts, which averages regional and comparable models, currently shows 4Q GDP standing at 3.56%.

January 16, 2018

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEXDJX: .DJI)

Children “Shackled to Beds” in “Dark and Foul-Smelling” House of Horrors

David and Louise Turpin are pictured with their 13 children in April 2016. (Photo: Facebook)

A California couple is in custody after authorities found “several children shackled to their beds with chains and padlocks in dark and foul-smelling surroundings” inside their home in Perris.

David Turpin and his wife Louise were booked for violations of California Penal Code Section 206–Torture and Section 273a(A)–Child Endangerment. Bail was set at $9,000,000.00 each. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said they discovered the children after one of them — a 17 year-old girl — managed to escape on Sunday and call 911.

“The teenager claimed her 12 brothers and sisters were being held captive inside the residence by her parents and further claimed some of her siblings were bound with chains and padlocks,” the Riverside County Sheriff said in a statement. “When Police Officers from the Perris Police Department and Deputies from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department met with the juvenile, she appeared to be only 10 years old and slightly emaciated.”

When deputies arrived they believed they had found 12 other children, who “appeared to be malnourished and very dirty.” However, 7 of the 13 were legally adults ranging in age from 18 to 29. All 13 victims, ranging from the age of 2 to 29, were transported to the Perris Station and interviewed.

While the 6 children were later transported and admitted to the Riverside University Hospital System (RUHS), the 7 legal adults were transported and admitted to Corona Regional Medical Center.

Mr. Turpin’s parents told ABC News that they last saw the children five years ago and, while they were looking “thin,” they appeared to a “happy family.” The grandparents said when they would speak to either David or his wife, the children were never available. A neighbor said they were unaware children even lived at the house, while another said they noticed the children late at night laying sod in the front yard.

Authorities will hold a press conference at 10:00 AM PST.

January 16, 2018

A California couple is in custody after

Economy

NY Fed Empire State Manufacturing Survey Cools Somewhat in January

A factory worker at a New York manufacturing plant. (Photo: Reuters)

The New York Federal Reserve’s Empire State Manufacturing Survey cooled somewhat in January, dipping from 18 in December to 17.7 and missing the consensus 19.0 forecast. Still, manufacturing firms in New York State reported that business activity continued to expand strongly, as 32% of respondents reported that conditions had improved over the month and 15% reported that conditions had worsened.

The Future Is Bright

The index for future business conditions edged up two points to 48.6. The index for future inventories rose to 20.3, a record high, indicating that firms expect to build up inventories significantly in the months ahead. The index for future number of employees rose three points to 26.9, a multiyear high. The capital expenditures index edged up to 34.8, also a multiyear high, suggesting capital spending plans were solid.

The Empire State Manufacturing Survey is the first regional survey of the month, which showed significant strength throughout 2017. It precedes regional manufacturing surveys by the Philadelphia Federal Reserve and Dallas Federal Reserve.

January 16, 2018

The New York Federal Reserve's Empire State

Politics

Critics Slamming Trump for Alleged “S—hole” Remark Forget Themselves

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., flanked by Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., talks about legislation for so-called “dreamer” immigrant children during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, July 20, 2017. (Photo: Reuters)

Senator Dick Durbin, D-Ill., set off a political firestorm when he claimed President Donald Trump said the U.S. shouldn’t allow immigration from “s—hole” nations like Haiti. Ironically, fellow amnesty supporter Senator Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., raced to half-confirm and fully condemn President Trump for his choice of words.

“He said these hate-filled things, and he said them repeatedly,” Mr. Durbin, the Minority Whip in the U.S. Senate told reporters, calling the words “vile and racist.”

The White House and the President denied that specific language was used, though in a tweet he admitted to using “strong language.”

While Big Media and Democrats praise Senator Graham, which he no doubt craves, we were digging up his old statements. The amnesty-pushing senator from The Palmetto State once called Mexico and other nations South of the border “hellholes.”

“The people coming across the southern border live in hellholes,” Senator Graham said during debate in the Judiciary Committee on an immigration bill he co-authored in 2013. “Our problem is we can’t have everybody in the world who lives in a hellhole come to America.”

He went on to offer more insight into whether his support for a wall is credible.

“There are 11 million people coming through the southern border ‘cause they come from countries where they can’t find work, and life is miserable,” he added. “So, it seems to me that if you can control who gets a job you’ve gone a long way in controlling illegal immigration. Because as long as the jobs are available in America you can’t build a fence high enough to stop people.”

Worth noting, it was Attorney General Jeff Sessions — then a senator from Alabama who has also been smeared by accusations of racism — who corrected Mr. Graham and threw him a lifeline.

“It’s not a hellhole,” then-Senator Sessions, R-Ala., said in response. “It has great things going on in Mexico, we’re proud of the people in Mexico.”

Similarly, Barack Obama blamed former British Prime Minister David Cameron for turning Libya into a “s—show,” an accusation meant to assign blame for the state of the nation after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi. In truth, Hillary Clinton convinced Mr. Obama to topple the former Libyan dictator when then-Defense Secretary Bob Gates, then-Vice President Joe Biden, Valerie Jarrett and the entire National Security Council opposed it.

Now, two senators are disputing the allegations and choice of words.

“I didn’t here it, and I was sitting no further away from Donald Trump than Dick Durbin was,” Senator Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said Sunday. “And I know what Dick Durbin has said in the past about the President’s comments, repeatedly, are incorrect.”

“Senator Durbin has misrepresented comments in the Oval Office before.”

Mr. Cotton is referring to a 2013 Facebook post by Senator Durbin, which claimed a House Republican told then-President Obama, “I cannot even stand to look at you,” during a meeting.

It was at best unsubstantiated and, at worst, flatly untrue.

Senator David Perdue, R-Ga., right, and Senator Dick Durbin, D-Il., left. (Photos: AP)

Speaking to ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos on “This Week,” Senator David Perdue, R-Ga., slammed the allegation the word “s—hole” was used to reference Haiti and Africa.

“I’m telling you he did not use that word, George,” Senator Perdue said. “And I’m telling you it’s a gross misrepresentation. There were six of us in the room. I haven’t heard any of those six sources other than Senator Durbin talk about what was said.”

January 15, 2018

Critics slamming President Donald Trump for using

Polls

Views On Race Relations Slightly Improve, But Dr. King’s “Dream” Is Far Away

President Donald J. Trump hands a pen to Isaac Newton Farris Jr., a nephew of slain Civil Rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., after signing a proclamation in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr., Day. (Photo: White House)

On Monday, America celebrates the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the famed non-violent civil rights leader who was assassinated at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968. He was rushed to St. Joseph’s Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 7:05 p.m. CST.

While most say his dream has not yet been realized, Americans’ views on race relations have improved marginally, according to a new poll. A Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that just 25% of American (adults) think the country has achieved the objectives in Dr. King’s famous “I Have A Dream” speech more than 50 years ago.

Sixty-two percent (62%) disagree and feel the United States (US) has not reached a time when men and women of all races have equal opportunity, the highest level of pessimism measured yet. In 2016, 61% felt King’s dream hadn’t been reached yet, which eclipsed the previous high of 59% in August 2013. In 2012, it began to rise and hit 49%.

Thirty-seven percent (37%) of adults identifying as Republicans believe all races have equal opportunity, but just 13% of Democrats and 26% of adults not affiliated with either political party agree.

Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. (C) leads other civil rights leaders and marchers during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in this August 28, 1963 file photo shot by U.S. Information Agency photographer Rowland Scherman and provided to Reuters by the U.S. National Archives in Washington on August 21, 2013. (Photo: Reuters)

But while only 22% of Americans rate race relations in the U.S. today as good or excellent, that’s up slightly from previous surveys and 4 points higher than the all-time low of 18%. Further, 28% now rate race relations in this country as poor, but that’s down from 38% in June.

Forty-five percent (45%) now say race relations are getting worse, also down from 52% in the previous survey, which was nearly identical to a Selzer & Co. Poll conducted for Bloomberg in 2014.

These results, while not indicative of a particularly united nation, compare to the steady decline since 2012 under Barack Obama and are surprising given the media coverage of the candidacy of Donald Trump and later the Trump Administration.

Six years ago, 38% felt race relations were getting better, a steady decline from decent numbers measured during the Bush years. Worth noting, black Americans (26%) and other minorities (26%) are more likely to say race relations are getting better than white (21%) Americans.

Today, 28% think they’re staying about the same. Most Americans (80%) believe the term “racism” refers to any discrimination by people of one race against another. Just 11% think racism is specifically discrimination by white people against minorities. This is generally unchanged from surveys over the past five years.

Seventy-three percent (73%) of black adults think MLK Day is one of the nation’s most important holidays, which is a view shared by only 19% of white Americans and 30% of other minorities.

The survey of 1,000 American Adults was conducted on January 10-11, 2018 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.

January 15, 2018

While most Americans say Martin Luther King

Follow PPD Social Media

The Future Is Bright

Editorial Guidelines

About

Subscribe