'This is a clear and blatant effort to evade the FCC's Equal Time rule'

Brutal, just brutal

'We aren't sure of anything right now'

More than half of Americans polled believe the American economy is in recession, which partly explains why former President Donald Trump’s closing line that “Harris broke it. Trump will fix it,” works so well. Whether it’s jobs for Americans, the southern border invasion, or men competing against women as transgender athletes, Biden-Harris definitely broke it. […]

“Few symbols in art are as layered and evocative as the rose—its petals unfolding to reveal stories of love, loss, resilience, and beauty. In song, ‘rose’ takes on an even richer meaning, touching everything from romance to defiance, making it the perfect muse for some of rock and folk’s most memorable lyrics. This list celebrates the best songs that use the word ‘rose’ to carry emotional depth and unforgettable melodies across decades. Dan Fogelberg’s ‘Run for the Roses’ captures the spirit of ambition, beautifully capturing life’s journey through a Kentucky Derby metaphor. Blackmore’s Night delivers an ethereal tale of love The post 10 Best Songs With The Word ‘Rose’ In The Title appeared first on ClassicRockHistory.com.

Make no mistake, the recent scourge of inflation and high interest rates has been a heist buried beneath economic jargon. It has transferred a tremendous amount of wealth from hardworking Americans to the federal government. The root cause of this disaster—reckless government spending and money-printing—should serve as a reminder that the federal deficit is the bank robber, the Fed is the getaway car driver, and you are the bank. The past few years have seen consumer goods prices increase more than they had in the prior 30 years, while staggering price increases for construction materials have helped push homeownership out of reach for tens of millions of Americans. This whirlwind of economic horrors comes from the combination of dramatically expanding government spending and a Federal Reserve willing to print enough money to paper over deficits with inflation.   Since the beginning of COVID-19, the annual level of federal spending has increased 45%, while the Fed has increased the money supply by 37%. Spending newly printed dollars in this way doesn’t magically create new goods and services. Instead, it has created the classic recipe for inflation; namely, more dollars chasing fewer goods and services. This policy has inflated away nearly 20% of the purchasing power of the dollars in your paycheck and bank account. Consumer goods price increases from October 1990 through January 2021 ran about the same as the increase from January 2021 through June 2022—roughly 14.3%. In other words, about 30 years of price increases thrown at households in less than a year and a half. To make matters worse, the increase in construction materials prices has been even larger, 26.4% since President Joe Biden took office. No wonder house prices have soared over the past few years. While this does increase the equity of current homeowners, it also tends to lock people into their current homes and box young families out of owning a home altogether. When the government runs a large deficit—as it is now with over $2 trillion in annual deficits—the Fed has a choice: It can print money to accommodate and soak up the new debt, creating a ticking time bomb of inflation, or it can leave the money supply unchanged and allow federal deficits to crowd out private access to funding, sending interest rates through the roof as money becomes scarcer. That leaves prospective homeowners without financing to buy a home and leaves businesses without investment capital to expand operations and create more jobs and goods and services. With inflation rapidly climbing early in 2022, the Fed chose the latter. By pushing interest rates higher, the Fed didn’t alleviate the burden of high levels of government spending. It simply shifted the pain of the burden from runaway inflation to runaway interest rates, exacerbating the worsening financial picture for American families. Mortgage rates soared from around 2.8% in January 2021, when Biden took office, to over 7.5% by October 2023. The Fed, on its own, couldn’t remove the burden from American families, it could only choose the type of burden. That has left homeownership less affordable than it has been for generations. In January 2021, first-year interest costs on a typical new mortgage were around $8,200, or 16% of a full-time median worker’s annual pay when President Donald Trump left office. Today, it’s around $21,900, consuming more than 36% of a full-time median worker’s annual pay. This bludgeoning will, tragically, have lingering effects as well. Today, a new mortgage on a median home will cost $320,000 more in just interest costs over 30 years than that of a mortgage from the end of 2020—a tremendous 257% increase in total mortgage interest costs. If a new homeowner were able to, instead, keep this money and invest it over the same 30-year period, he or she could easily have more than $1 million more saved up for retirement. The cost of the inflation and interest rate surges have levied a truly crushing burden on the backs of hardworking American families that will likely echo through generations to come. The post 30 Years of Inflation Crammed Into Less Than 18 Months appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Butternut squash puree is delicious, nutritious, and easy to make. There are so many ways to use it: as a side dish, in baked goods, soups, sauces and more! Plus, homemade is significantly more sweet and flavorful than store-bought. So read along to learn how to make the best creamy homemade butternut squash puree in this simple step-by-step guide.Since this is one of my favorite ways to preserve fresh butternut squash from the garden, we’ll also explore how to freeze butternut squash puree, along with some of the best recipes and ways to use it. Honestly, we love and use butternut puree even more than homemade pumpkin puree!Disclosure: Homestead and Chill is reader-supported. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. RELATED: Want to make it homegrown? Learn how to grow butternut squash (and other winter squash) along with tips on exactly when to harvest butternut squash. Also don’t miss our delicious butternut squash pie recipe!What is Butternut Squash Puree?Butternut squash puree is exactly what it sounds like: butternut squash that has been cooked and turned into a thick and creamy puree. It strikes the perfect balance between sweet caramelized notes and savory earthy flavors. To me, it tastes like fall! Butternut squash puree is also very nutritious and versatile. This concentrated winter squash puree can be served as a side dish on its own, or incorporated into a wide variety of other recipes including baked goods, soups, chili, pasta, sauces, pie filling, baby food, beverages and more – very much like pumpkin puree.In fact, you can use butternut squash puree as a substitute for pumpkin puree in any recipe. Spoiler alert: most canned “pumpkin” isn’t even real pumpkin, but pureed butternut or other similar squash! Seriously, read the ingredients label next time you’re at the grocery store.See a complete list of ways to use butternut squash puree at the end of this article. Roasting vs Steaming Butternut Squash for PureeThere are few different ways you can soften and cook squash before turning it into homemade butternut squash puree. Some recipes call for steaming butternut in a big pot on the stovetop, while others toss it into a crock pot or Instant Pot. All those methods work! Yet we prefer to roast our butternut squash in the oven instead. Why?When butternut squash is roasted at 400°F or higher, it starts to lightly brown and caramelize – which transforms vegetal, earthy, or even slightly bitter flavors into increasingly sweet, nutty, and toasted caramel notes instead. The result is a wonderfully naturally-sweetened homemade butternut squash puree! It’s also how we start our delicious roasted butternut squash soup. On the other hand, steaming butternut squash can make it more bland and watery.Supplies NeededFresh ripe butternut squash Oven Baking sheets Parchment paper or foil Blender or food processor Freezer-safe storage containers (if freezing the butternut squash puree) such as our favorite BPA-free reusable freezer containersInstructions1) Cut and CleanDuring prep, preheat the oven to 400°F.Wash the butternut squash and carefully cut them in half. Use a large metal spoon or other firm utensil to scrape out the stringy guts and seeds from the center cavity. Finally, sprinkle a light pinch of salt over the exposed butternut flesh.Remember, you could also save the seeds to roast later for a delicious, healthy snack. Check out our Crunchy Roasted Pumpkin Seeds recipe. Butternut squash seeds are edible too!Our homegrown ‘Autumn Frost’ butternut squash look like little pumpkins, and are exceptionally sweet!2) Pan and PokeYou can roast butternut squash in the oven either flesh side up or face down. However, we’ve found that keeping them face down (skin side up) helps trap in steam and therefore makes the butternut retain more moisture, cook faster, and peel more easily. We also use a sharp knife to carefully poke the back skin side of each squash in a few places. The small slits allows the steam to get in between the flesh and skin, and makes peeling them after roasting an absolute breeze! Line the baking sheet with parchment paper or foil for easier clean up.3) Oven RoastNext, roast the butternut squash in the oven on 400°F for approximately 45 to 60 minutes, until the flesh is very soft and tender when poked with a fork or knife. Rotate trays halfway through to promote even cooking. Remember, a little browning is actually a good thing!Once the flesh is soft and the skins are wrinkled, remove the butternut squash from the oven. If time allows, let them sit to cool for at least 10 minutes so you can safely handle them before proceeding to the next step.4) Puree or MashNow it’s time to separate the squash flesh from the skins. By this time, the skin should peel right off the flesh! If needed, use a spoon to scoop the cooked squash out. Next, you’ll need to decide how you want to prepare or season your butternut squash puree, along with your preferred texture. For instance, we typically leave our butternut squash puree plain (unseasoned) and blend it into a very smooth puree using a Vitamix or food processor, similar to canned pumpkin puree. That way, it’s ready to use in a wide variety of both sweet or savory recipes.On the other hand, to enjoy butternut squash puree as a side dish, you may prefer it with a little more texture – especially if you like chunky mashed potatoes like I do! In that case, I simply scoop out the flesh and mash it with a fork or spoon instead of blending it completely smooth. See tips on how to season it as a side dish below.Butternut Squash Puree Side DishAfter mashing or pureeing it to your preferred texture, the best way to eat butternut squash puree as a side dish is to season it in a similar manner as mashed potatoes: mix in a pad of butter and/or a splash of heavy cream, plus salt to taste. Sweeten it up with a drizzle of maple syrup, brown sugar, and sprinkle of cinnamon if you’d like! Or, make a savory butternut puree with the addition of chopped rosemary, thyme, parsley, or sage along with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Tip: Go light on the seasonings at first, then do a taste test and adjust as needed. You can always add more!Storage and Shelf LifeStore homemade butternut squash puree in an air-tight container with a lid and refrigerate at all times. Butternut puree will stay good in the fridge for about one week. Discard if mold or off flavors develop. Or, freeze the puree to preserve it for up to a year. Freezing Butternut Squash PureeTo preserve and freeze butternut squash puree, begin by putting it inside air tight freezer-safe containers – such as ziplock bags or these durable, reusable BPA-free freezer containers. We like to divvy ours up into easy-to-use portions, such as in 2 cup or 16-ounce containers.You can also freeze butternut puree in wide mouth glass jars, such as half-pint or pint jars. Regular mouth glass jars with curved “shoulders” are not freezer safe and are prone to cracking.Fill your chosen containers fairly full. The less empty air space, the less likelihood of freezer burn! However, be sure to leave at least a half-inch empty head room on top to allow for expansion as it freezes.Butternut squash puree stays good for up to a year in the freezer, though the texture and quality will be best if used within a few months.Defrost in the fridge a day or two before you want to use it, or place in a bowl of warm water for a couple hours immediately prior to use. Ways to Use Homemade Butternut Squash PureeHomemade butternut squash puree can add a welcome boost of nutrients, rich earthy sweet flavors, and color to a number of meals.Butternut squash puree is amazing in baked goods, including as pie filling for butternut squash pie with a sourdough pie crust. It can be used as a substitute for pumpkin puree in recipes for sweet breads, muffins, or cookies – like our healthy sourdough pumpkin spice bread recipe. It can also be used in waffles, pancakes, ice cream or other frozen desserts. Serve butternut squash puree on it’s own as a side dish, similar to mashed sweet potatoes! Sweet breads aside, add butternut puree to regular loaf of rustic homemade sourdough bread. (I add about a cup of puree and reduce the water by 1/2 cup to compensate.) Dollop some into your morning oatmeal or plain yogurt and granola with a dash of cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar.  Don’t forget savory dishes! Add butternut squash puree to soup, stew, sauces, lentils, curry, and more! Check out our Roasted Pumpkin 3-Bean Chili recipe for example. You could even use it as ravioli filling, or mixed with ricotta cheese and fresh herbs in butternut lasagna.  Use butternut squash puree in homemade baby food recipes. Butternut squash puree is also a safe and healthy treat for many pets, including dogs and backyard chickens. Offer it plain, or added to a homemade pet treat recipe. This fall, we’ve been using ours to make rich and creamy homemade “pumpkin spice lattes” with coffee or black tea. It’s divine!Is butternut squash puree healthy (good for you)? Yes, it sure is! Butternut squash puree is low in fat and calories, but is loaded with health-promoting nutrients including fiber, vitamins, minerals, and ample antioxidants. Butternut squash is especially high in Vitamin A and C, along with notable levels of vitamin E, vitamin K, and many B vitamins. It’s high levels of beta carotene offer protection against cancer, heart disease and degenerative diseases! Butternut squash also contains a plethora of essential minerals including potassium, magnesium, manganese, calcium, iron and phosphorus.And that’s the scoop.All in all, I hope you enjoy this easy recipe – and all the tasty ways to use homegrown butternut squash puree too! Please feel free to ask any questions in the comments below, and leave a review once you give it a try. You may also like:How to Make Pumpkin Shaped Sourdough Bread Loaf 28 Best Winter Squash and Pumpkin Varieties to Grow How to Make Pressed Flower Pumpkins: No-Carve Pumpkin Decorating Idea 13 Must-Try Zucchini Recipes: Clever Ways to Use Zucchini Print Homemade Butternut Squash Puree + Freezing Tips Learn how to make easy homemade butternut squash puree from fresh oven-roasted butternut, plus tips on how to preserve and freeze it! Course Holiday Dish, Preserved Food, Sauce, Side Dish, SoupKeyword butternut squash puree, preserve butternut squash Prep Time 15 minutes minutesCook Time 45 minutes minutes EquipmentOvenBaking sheetParchment PaperBlender, or food processorFreezer safe containers (if preserving) Ingredientsfresh whole butternut squash InstructionsPreheat the oven to 400FWash the butternut squash and carefully cut them in half. Scoop out the stringy guts and seeds from the center cavity.Lightly sprinkle a small pinch of salt over the exposed squash flesh.Place the butternut squash halves face down (skin side up) on a baking sheet. We line ours with parchment paper for easy clean-up.Use a sharp knife to carefully poke the back skin side of each squash in a few places. The small slits allow steam to get in between the flesh and skin, and makes peeling them after roasting an absolute breeze! Roast the squash on 400F for approximately 45-60 minutes, until the skins wrinkle and the flesh is very tender when poked with a fork. Rotate trays halfway through to promote even cooking. Once the roasted butternut squash are cool enough to safely handle (at least 10 minutes), peel off the skin and/or scoop out the flesh. Place peeled squash flesh in a blender or food processor, and blend until smooth. OR for a more chunky puree, simply mash the squash with a fork or spoon (especially to enjoy as a side dish).Either use, refrigerate, or freeze your homemade butternut squash puree. Use within one week when stored in the fridge. To enjoy as a side dish, season similar to mashed potatoes: add butter and/or a splash of heavy cream, plus salt to taste. Sweeten it up with maple syrup, brown sugar, and sprinkle of cinnamon. Or, make it savory with chopped rosemary, thyme, parsley, sage or parmesan cheese. To freeze, divvy up homemade butternut squash puree into usable portions in freezer-safe containers and leave at least a half inch of head space. Butternut squash puree is good for up to a year in the freezer, though the texture and quality will be best if used within a few months. Defrost in the fridge a day or two before you want to use it. The post How to Make Butternut Squash Puree (Recipe and Freezing Tips) appeared first on Homestead and Chill.

Sunday Smiles: Win It For Peanut and Fred

On Friday evening’s Washington Week with The Atlantic on tax-funded PBS, show host and Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg set a “foreboding” scene, just a few days before Election Day. He threw in all the anti-Trump buzzwords, including "convicted felon," a triumph of Democratic lawfare in New York City being predictably weaponized politically, though few could tell you now what "felonies" Trump was actually convicted of. Host Jeffrey Goldberg: This is the closest race in memory, and one of the strangest and most foreboding as well….imagine this, a woman of black and Asian descent, who was a failed candidate for the Democratic nomination in 2020, and who was a semi-marginalized vice president in a fairly unpopular administration, may beat a former president of the United States in the race for the White House. This is completely improbable. But what is also completely improbable is that the former president she`s trying to beat is a convicted felon who encouraged a violent insurrection against the constitutional order and who has promised to be a dictator on his first day back in office. But it was Politico’s Eugene Daniels who made the most ridiculous observation of the evening, arguing that the Democrats are centrist. Eugene Daniels, Politico: And what it reminds us is that the Democratic Party continues to be a more centrist party, right? When you look at Obama, who despite what people thought kind of operated as a centrist, Biden, centrist, Kamala Harris, a centrist, the base of the Democratic Party continues to be black voters. They are still more centrist and more pragmatic as opposed to ideological. And so the takeover of the Democratic Party as a Republican Party has found out it hasn`t happened on the Democratic Party, to say it with the left. The "centrist" label defies both common sense and the actual legislative voting records by those three Democrats, as tracked by the American Conservative Union (conveniently, all three formerly served as U.S. senators). Former president Barack Obama, who represented Illinois for three-plus years, earned a lifetime score of 7.56 out of a possible 100 on the ACU's conservative scale. President Joe Biden, who represented Delaware for 36 years, earned a 12.57. Vice President Kamala Harris, who represented California for almost 4 years, earned a mere 4.45. Some “centrism”! To portray the Democratic Party as “centrist,” Daniels had to forget a lot of recent history: the 2020 “defund the police” movement and the accompanying violent BLM protests, identity politics on college campuses and DEI corporations, radical transgenderism, COVID policies that denied adults work and children education, and the list goes on.

At the core of the argument against Donald Trump lies a persistent claim that he threatens national and international norms. But breaking norms isn’t inherently bad; not all norms are good. So even if Trump challenges America’s political norms, that alone isn’t enough to disqualify his candidacy. The crucial questions are these: Which norms does he break? Are they truly norms, or are they just someone’s preferences? And if they are norms, are they good or bad?These days, the American left complains the loudest about threats to “precious” norms. But this concern is largely performative — a superficial display of reverence. The left fundamentally hates norms. Leftists don’t reject only traditional American norms (although they do); they reject norms altogether. For them, defining anything as “normal” is a form of coercive bigotry that stifles individual autonomy, cultural diversity, and tolerance of “difference” writ large. Any serious analysis of threats to norms must acknowledge that the left has spent the past century working to demolish them.For the sake of the nation — and for the sake of any genuine norms that remain — don’t let the normongers win.This reveals an odd reality: Those most agitated about norm-breaking are the ones who break norms the most.The left arrogantly assumes the right to decide which norms deserve respect. Leftists seem to believe that all the norms they disregard are bad, while the ones Trump allegedly violates are good. Curiously, their commitment to norms only appears when Trump challenges them. This selective concern for norms, paired with their hostility to traditional social standards, exposes their true motive. The left’s hand-wringing over norms is simply a rhetorical strategy to justify breaking long-standing protocols for treating current and former presidents, as well as presidential candidates.‘Defending’ norms or destroying them?The phenomenon of people who despise the very idea of norms lamenting that our norms are under attack has become so common in public discourse that it deserves its own term. I propose we call it “normongering.”Pronounced aloud, normongering closely resembles “warmongering,” an adjacent concept. While a warmonger eagerly promotes war and conflict, a normonger despises norms yet stirs up political warfare and rhetorical conflict by falsely claiming that norms are under threat and in need of defense. The normonger frames his political aggression as a reluctant, defensive response to an unexpected assault, creating the misleading impression that he escalates hostilities only with regret.The left has achieved major victories in weakening or destroying norms related to citizenship, pronoun usage, apparel, marriage, drugs, law enforcement, fitness, personal finances, elections, etiquette at meals, the workplace, sex, faith, diet, energy consumption, education, art, employment, parenting, and every other sphere of life. This unrelenting opposition to norms and normality remains a defining trait of left-wing politics. Perpetual conflict against norms and the “status quo” is its central activity.Normongering serves as a powerful strategy for the left because it allows progressives to portray themselves as something they are not: normal people committed to defending the status quo.Most Americans — and people in general — like norms. They seek to uphold existing norms and expect others to do the same, as norms provide a framework for public interaction, governance, and social situations. Unsurprisingly, the party that constantly calls for “fundamental transformations,” “comprehensive reforms,” and vague “change” also wages continuous war on norms. Meanwhile, leftists posture as the defenders of these norms, using this stance as a form of misdirection — an attempt to distract the public from the extensive list of norms they have already dismantled.Trump is the exceptionDo they really use appeals to the value of norms as a strategy for attacking them? Certainly. This is the defining trait of normongering, and it almost always appears as a hysterical reaction to Trump or his policies.For instance, a long-standing norm has been to afford the president a degree of respect from both the press and citizens in positions of power. However, our media and celebrities have shattered that norm, routinely comparing Trump to Hitler. What has he done that compares to attempting world domination and the murder of 6 million Jews? In reality, nothing of the sort — except, they argue, that he threatens “our norms.”Traditionally, impeaching a president was a last-resort measure for addressing executive misconduct. Elected officials were generally reluctant to pursue impeachment, understanding that it could lead to civil strife and divert resources from pressing governmental issues. Yet Democrats promised to impeach Trump even before his inauguration, absent any high crimes or misdemeanors. They made good on that promise, impeaching him twice. Why not? He was a threat to our norms!The outrageous lawfare directed against Trump also reflects this norm-breaking approach. Armed agents descended on Trump’s personal residence over a dispute regarding the storage of presidential records. “No one is above the law!” declared Democrats. Yet these same individuals dismissed egregious records violations by Hillary Clinton (whom “no reasonable prosecutor” would indict) and Joe Biden (who, they argue, simply made honest mistakes due to age and forgetfulness).This selective application of justice also extends to efforts aimed at keeping Trump’s name off the ballots in 2024. Meanwhile, a show trial in New York convicted Trump of 34 felonies, during which standard precedents and evidentiary procedures were ignored.Americans have grown accustomed to the left’s pervasive disdain for norms, but we may now be approaching a Herculean level of normongering that could alter the nation’s future. Progressives have spent the past four years claiming, without evidence, that if Trump wins, he will become an “authoritarian dictator” who will “end our democracy” and that 2024 will be “our last election.” This rhetoric alone defies all norms of public discourse, but it could also signal a willingness to breach the most crucial norm in American politics: the peaceful and orderly transition of executive power.‘Comprehensive reform’ means trashing normsIf Trump secures a clear and decisive win in November, will Democrats respect the choice of the American people? Recall that in 2020, during a scenario exercise called the Transition Integrity Project, prominent Democrats discussed plans to contest the presidency — even in the event of a “clear Trump win.” After the events of recent years, we can expect they will be even more committed to opposing the outcome of a fair and free election that doesn’t align with their preferred candidate.If Trump wins, the normongers will refuse to seat the choice of the people. If they truly believe someone they call “literally Hitler” is taking office, they won’t simply congratulate him, hold an inauguration, and wait for another election in four years. Instead, they may employ every available procedural and judicial tactic to defy the result, justifying their actions by claiming Trump’s presidency poses such a severe threat to “our democracy” that they cannot honor the outcome. Should they succeed, they would have undermined our nation’s most fundamental norm — a peaceful transition of power — by invoking an imagined veto over the will of the people.If they get away with it, the normongers may turn out to be correct: 2024 could very well be America’s last free election. Harris and her comrades have a long list of norms they are eager to violate when they take power: expanding the Supreme Court, ending the Electoral College, granting (more) benefits to people who enter the nation illegally, defying parents’ primary right to make decisions about their children’s health and education, paying reparations, and so much more.Of course, all of these “comprehensive reforms” (read: “violated norms”) will be framed as attempts to protect the hallowed norms of “our democracy.”For the sake of the nation — and for the sake of any genuine norms that remain — don’t let the normongers win.