Americans are sinking deeper into financial struggles with a whopping $1.1 trillion in credit card debt‚ and a record number also cannot afford their rent. Credit card debt jumped by $50 billion in just the last quarter of the year‚ 4.6% more than the previous quarter‚ according to data released Tuesday by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Credit card debt first hit a trillion dollars in August. Missed credit card payments are also rising among all age groups‚ especially people in their 30s‚ the data shows. “In the case of credit cards‚ it looks like things have reverted to a level that is worse than pre-pandemic‚” New York Federal Reserve researchers told reporters on a call Tuesday. Inflation and spiking rents are driving credit card debt. The total household debt also jumped $212 billion up to $17.5 trillion in the last quarter of the year. Another factor of debt is rising car prices — used cars and new cars are much more expensive than before the pandemic. Car loans rose by $12 billion in the last quarter of the year‚ hitting $1.61 trillion. Delinquencies on those loans also increased. Meanwhile‚ more Americans than ever are spending a significant portion of their income on rent. A record 22.4 million renters‚ about half the country’s renters‚ were spending more than 30% of their income on rent and utilities in 2022‚ according to a report released earlier this month by Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies. The rental market is now cooling‚ but rent prices are still much higher than pre-pandemic‚ and wage growth has not kept up. Median weekly wages grew only 1.7% between 2019 and 2023‚ government figures show. People earning between $45‚000 and just under $75‚000 a year saw the most significant increase in newly “cost-burdened” renters‚ according to the report. “So you can certainly imagine the kinds of tradeoffs that have to happen‚” Whitney Airgood-Obrycki‚ a senior research associate at the Harvard center‚ told ABC News. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “Cost-burden renters are spending less on things like food and health care and retirement. So‚ there are significant implications for the long-term well-being of these households‚” Airgood-Obrycki said. At the same time‚ homelessness is also on the rise. About 653‚000 people reported being homeless in January of last year‚ the Harvard report found. That’s up about 12% from the same time the previous year in 2022‚ the largest single-year increase ever recorded‚ the report says. About 71‚000 more people were homeless last year than the year before. Even more striking‚ last year’s number was about 48% higher than the homeless population in 2015.

Country star Jelly Roll talked about why he’s been speaking out about the dangers of Fetanyl and said it scares him for “this next generation‚” especially his own children. The 39-year-old country singer — born Jason Bradley DeFord — said our country has “seen crack‚” cocaine and opioids‚ but said “we’ve never seen something that is so deadly in such small amounts that’s being mixed in so many different things‚” People magazine reported. “My daughter will never experience the safety of experimenting with drugs‚” the father of two told the outlet. “I know that sounds crazy to say‚ but when I was a kid‚ my mother would be like‚ ‘You’re going to try everything once. Just be safe.’ It’s not safe for any kid to be doing anything.” “How many more people does [fentanyl] have to kill a day before we start to care‚ if the number right now is close to 200‚” he added. “I just think it’s time to speak about it. It scares me for my daughter. It scares me for my son. It scares me for this next generation. We’ve never seen nothing like fentanyl.” Jelly Roll on Capitol Hill for Senate hearing on fentanyl https://t.co/M1r9lErctT #politics — 8News WRIC Richmond (@8NEWS) January 12‚ 2024 “I think opening conversations about some of this stuff is the beginning of healing‚ right?” Ford continued. “A lot of problems we have in America is that we just don’t openly talk about the s*** that’s really happening the way we should. It’s kind of like once you break the ice and put them on the table‚ then can’t ignore it much longer after that.” The country singer previously talked about the fentanyl epidemic during a hearing on Capitol Hill in January where he made a plea to lawmakers to shut down the distribution of the synthetic opioid. “I’ve attended more funerals than I care to share with you all [on] this committee‚” Ford said about his own experiences with drugs. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “I could sit here and cry for days about the caskets I’ve carried of people I loved dearly‚ deeply in my soul — good people‚ not just drug addicts‚” he added. “Uncles‚ friends‚ cousins‚ normal people‚ some people that just got in a car wreck and started taking a pain pill to manage it.” “One thing led to the other and how fast it spirals out of control — I don’t think people truly‚ truly understand‚” Ford continued. According to the CDC‚ “more than 150 people die every day from overdoses related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl.” The “Son of a Sinner” hitmaker turned his life around after spending some 40 times behind bars for various drug-related charges‚ starting as young as 14‚ People noted. The singer’s career has been exploding lately‚ scoring two Grammy nominations after managing to get three number 1 country hits and winning New Artist of the Year at the CMA Awards.

Special Counsel Robert Hur’s criminal investigation into President Joe Biden documented numerous instances of Biden having serious memory problems‚ a top issue of concern for voters heading into the 2024 presidential election. The report said that even though Biden “willfully retained and disclosed classified materials after his vice presidency when he was a private citizen‚” prosecutors concluded that “no criminal charges are warranted in this matter.” Although the administration and Biden’s re-election campaign did not anticipate that Biden would be charged in the investigation‚ they were concerned that the report would be damaging to his re-election efforts. The report’s summation of Biden’s mental fitness will likely be highly damaging to an electorate that overwhelmingly — 76% — has concerns about the 81-year-old’s mental and physical health. “Mr. Biden’s memory was significantly limited‚ both during his recorded interviews with the ghostwriter in 2017 [with whom he shared classified materials]‚ and in his interview with our office in 2023‚” the report said in its executive summary. “We have also considered that‚ at trial‚ Mr. Biden would likely present himself to a jury‚ as he did during our interview of him‚ as a sympathetic‚ well-meaning‚ elderly man with a poor memory.” Prosecutors said that based on the way that Biden presents‚ jurors will “want to identify reasonable doubt” and that it would be “difficult to convince a jury that they should convict him — by then a former president well into his eighties — of a serious felony that requires a mental state of willfulness.” Recordings from when Biden was interviewed by the ghostwriter in 2017 showed that even then‚ he was “struggling to remember events and straining at times to read and relay his own notebook entries‚” the special counsel said‚ adding that even back then he was showing signs of “diminished faculties and faulty memory.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “In his interview with our office‚ Mr. Biden’s memory was worse‚” Hur said. “He did not remember when he was vice president‚ forgetting on the first day of the interview when his term ended (“if it was 2013 – when did I stop being Vice President?”)‚ and forgetting on the second day of the interview when his term began (“in 2009‚ am I still Vice President?”).” “He did not remember‚ even within several years‚ when his son Beau died‚” the report continued. “And his memory appeared hazy when describing the Afghanistan debate that was once so important to him. Among other things‚ he mistakenly said he ‘had a real difference’ of opinion with General Karl Eikenberry‚ when‚ in fact‚ Eikenberry was an ally whom Mr. Biden cited approvingly in his Thanksgiving memo to President Obama.”

At least one Ivy League school is bringing back its standardized testing admissions requirement after scrapping it temporarily. Dartmouth College announced Monday that it is ending the pandemic era pause that allowed hopeful applicants to skip the dreaded SAT and ACT. “Beginning with the Class of 2029‚ Dartmouth will once again require applicants from high schools within the United States to submit results of either the SAT or ACT‚ with no Dartmouth preference for either test‚” the school said in a release published to the school’s website. The selective New Hampshire school originally got rid of its standardized testing requirement back in June‚ 2020 while in-person testing was on hold during the pandemic. “Nearly four years later‚ having studied the role of testing in our admissions process as well as its value as a predictor of student success at Dartmouth‚ we are removing the extended pause and reactivating the standardized testing requirement for undergraduate admission‚ effective with the Class of 2029‚” Dartmouth said. The school said it always meant the original “pragmatic pause” on standardized testing to be a “short-term practice.” Dartmouth researchers recently conducted a study that showed standardized testing is an especially valuable tool for identifying high-achieving applicants from low-income backgrounds‚ the school added. “Contrary to what some have perceived‚ standardized testing allows us to admit a broader and more diverse range of students‚” the school said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP A string of elite institutions have moved away from standardized testing after the argument that such tests harm minority students picked up steam. Previously‚ a low SAT or ACT score meant automatic elimination at many top-tier schools. Back in March‚ Columbia University became the first Ivy League school to permanently nix its standardized test requirement. Harvard University and Princeton University also indefinitely suspended their standardized test admission requirements during the pandemic‚ and neither has brought back the requirement. In 2020‚ the entire 10-school University of California system voted to permanently get rid of standardized tests. The move came after a lawsuit from students claiming the tests are racist and biased against disabled students. New York University‚ Cornell College‚ George Washington University‚ and University of Chicago have also joined the ranks of those that allow students to skip the tests. The move away from standardized testing also came as the Supreme Court was preparing to rule against affirmative action. In June‚ the Supreme Court ruled against Harvard and the University of North Carolina’s affirmative action policies in a decision that had a profound effect on the admissions processes at universities across the country.

  In a startling revelation that has sent shockwaves through the political landscape‚ a Republican congressman has accused the Secret Service of intentionally deleting text messages from January 6th and subsequently destroying their phones. This serious allegation comes despite explicit instructions from Congress to preserve all such communications. The Department of Homeland Security’s Inspector General previously opened a criminal investigation into the matter‚ scrutinizing the Secret Service’s actions regarding the missing texts. The agency was ordered to halt its internal forensic investigation as a result. Despite the gravity of the situation‚ the Secret Service has denied any wrongdoing‚ maintaining that all requested messages were preserved and that there was no malicious intent behind any deletions. This footage has been banned nearly everywhere. This is why Tucker Carlson is the best journalist in the world. He is clearly hated by the Biden Regime and Western MSM for exposing the Jan 6th Insurrection as Disinformation. pic.twitter.com/CyXnlL9ECs — Herd Immunity News (@HerdImmunity12) February 8‚ 2024 The congressman in question has pointed fingers directly at DHS Chief Alejandro Mayorkas‚ suggesting his involvement in what is being termed an obstruction of Congress scandal. The implication is that under Mayorkas’s oversight‚ the Secret Service engaged in activities that could be construed as hindering the legislative branch’s ability to conduct a thorough investigation into the events of January 6th. Adding to the controversy‚ the congressman also questioned the chair of the January 6th committee about whether a proper investigation was conducted into a suspicious device‚ allegedly placed near Vice President Harris on the eve of the Capitol riot. The lack of response to this query has only fueled further speculation and concern over the thoroughness of the committee’s probe. NEVER FORGET FBI/DOJ/ PELOSI SET-UP JAN 6TH FJB-81 Million Votes My Ass Corrupt CriminalsMAGA pic.twitter.com/TQJh1m4sbs — AMargaretAp1 (@AnnaMargaretAp1) February 7‚ 2024 This series of events raises significant questions about transparency and accountability within federal law enforcement agencies. The congressman’s allegations suggest a potential cover-up‚ which‚ if true‚ could have far-reaching implications for trust in government institutions. The House of Representatives is set to cast a historic vote on a resolution related to these matters‚ further underscoring the severity of the accusations. As the nation watches closely‚ the outcome of this vote could have a profound impact on the political dynamics in Washington. In light of these developments‚ it is imperative that a full and transparent investigation is conducted to ascertain the truth behind the alleged deletion of texts and destruction of phones by the Secret Service. The American public deserves to know whether their government agencies are operating with integrity and upholding the principles of democracy. As the story unfolds‚ it remains to be seen how the implicated parties will respond to these serious charges. What is clear‚ however‚ is that the integrity of the investigation into January 6th is of paramount importance‚ and any actions that might compromise that integrity must be scrutinized with the utmost rigor.   The post GOP Representative Raises Alarm Over Secret Service appeared first on The Conservative Brief.

'no criminal charges are warranted in this matter'

'Why does a single state get to decide?'

A fresh generation of male‚ Hispanic golf fans...

McMorris Rodgers chairs the Energy and Commerce Committee

'Perfectly glacial'