Vice President Kamala Harris is preparing to announce a controversial federal ban on corporate "price-gouging" in the food and grocery industries, a policy that critics are already labeling as a Soviet-style intervention in the free market. Harris is expected to reveal this economic proposal during a campaign rally in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Friday, marking her first major policy speech since becoming the Democratic presidential nominee. Harris's plan, which aims to address rising food prices by imposing strict price controls, has been compared by some analysts to the command economies of the former Soviet Union. This policy is intended to target what her campaign describes as "egregious" price-fixing practices by large corporations, particularly in the highly consolidated meat industry. The Vice President has made it clear that cracking down on these corporations will be a priority in her administration, with enforcement carried out by the Federal Trade Commission and other regulatory bodies. Let’s check in on how that Biden-Kamala economy is treating her home city of San Francisco: “SF FACING $800M BUDGET DEFICIT” “SF budget sets up drastic future cuts” “It could take San Francisco 18 years to recover from flood of empty office space after tenants fled the city” https://t.co/vj9JPRKM6x pic.twitter.com/QYUaIksfbJ — Prodigal (@ProdigalThe3rd) August 11, 2024 The announcement comes at a time when the American public is increasingly frustrated with high grocery prices, a key issue that has persisted under President Joe Biden's administration. Harris's campaign is attempting to distance itself from the economic challenges faced during Biden's presidency, focusing on consumer protection and addressing concerns about corporate mergers that could further inflate prices. Harris's proposal is part of a broader economic platform that includes measures to lower the costs of prescription drugs and housing. However, the centerpiece of her plan is the ban on food price gouging, which would be enforced within her first 100 days in office if elected. The proposal has already sparked significant debate, with opponents warning that such heavy-handed regulation could lead to shortages, reduced competition, and long-term damage to the economy. President Trump in Asheville, North Carolina: "Everything Kamala Harris touches turns bad. San Francisco was a great city. Now, it’s unlivable. California was a great state, now it’s unlivable. She breaks everything— just like she broke the border and broke our economy." pic.twitter.com/NJMC9FgPOl — AJ Huber (@Huberton) August 14, 2024 Supporters of the plan argue that it is necessary to protect consumers from unfair pricing practices that have disproportionately impacted lower-income families. They point to the recent surge in food prices, particularly in the meat industry, where a few large corporations control a significant portion of the market. Harris's campaign has emphasized that these price controls are aimed at ensuring fair competition and preventing exploitation by monopolistic practices. Harris's focus on price controls reflects a shift in her campaign strategy, as she seeks to appeal to progressive voters who have been critical of the Biden administration's handling of the economy. This approach also appears to be an effort to counter Republican attacks on her economic policies, which they claim will lead to greater government overreach and stifle economic growth. As the 2024 election approaches, Harris's proposal will likely become a central issue in the debate over the future direction of the U.S. economy. With inflation and high consumer prices continuing to dominate voter concerns, the success or failure of Harris's plan could play a crucial role in determining the outcome of the election. The Vice President has yet to clarify whether she will address the media after her speech, but the announcement has already ignited a firestorm of reactions from both sides of the political spectrum, setting the stage for what promises to be a contentious and closely watched campaign. The post Kamala Harris Set to Unveil ‘Soviet-Style’ Price Controls on Food in Economic Plan appeared first on The Conservative Brief.

Maryland lawmakers are preparing legislation to protect farms from being seized under eminent domain as the state looks to upgrade its power grid to support AI data centers. Delegate Nino Mangione is set to propose the "Protect Maryland Farm Act," which mandates a 350% premium over the highest land appraisals to compensate small farms along the 70-mile transmission line route in Baltimore, Carroll, and Frederick counties. The project, led by the Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG), seeks to build new high-voltage power lines as part of the Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project. These lines would supply energy to AI data centers being developed in Frederick County. The project, however, has sparked considerable opposition from local farmers and residents who fear losing their property and livelihood to corporate interests. Maryland Bill Aims To Protect Farms From Eminent Domain Threat For New AI Data Center Power Lineshttps://t.co/Qv9JRyDmto#freedomsphoenix pic.twitter.com/djRlyJJvAe — FreedomsPhoenix (@FreedomsPhoenix) September 10, 2024 Mangione's proposed bill would be retroactive to 2024, ensuring that any farms already impacted by land seizure plans could receive the enhanced compensation. "Many of these farmers depend on this land for their way of life," Mangione emphasized, stressing the need for fair compensation given the potential disruption to rural Maryland. Baltimore County Delegate Michele Guyton has voiced her support for the legislation, criticizing the use of eminent domain to advance corporate projects. She has already submitted a bill to the General Assembly aiming to protect landowners' rights in such scenarios. Meanwhile, Delegate Christopher Tomlinson, representing Carroll and Frederick counties, highlighted the growing concern over Maryland's energy policies, predicting that energy infrastructure will be a dominant issue in the 2025 legislative session. PowerInfer – a high-speed inference engine for deploying LLMs locally. Just came across this super interesting project on speeding up inference. It's not MoE but it's a simple approach that exploits the high locality in LLM inference to design a GPU-CPU hybrid inference engine.… pic.twitter.com/hPD03oug3Y — elvis (@omarsar0) December 19, 2023 The proposed power lines are part of a broader push to modernize America’s electrical grid to meet the demands of AI data centers, onshore manufacturing, and electric vehicles. But with thousands of miles of new transmission lines planned nationwide, critics argue that rural communities are being unfairly targeted for land seizures to support these large-scale projects. Local opposition has been fierce, with over 10,000 Maryland residents forming a Facebook group to protest what they describe as the state’s "failed green energy policies." They argue that Maryland is heading towards an energy crisis, and residents will be the ones footing the bill as power costs rise due to grid upgrades. Legal experts have also weighed in, warning that Maryland's energy policies, driven by environmentalism, may lead to unintended consequences. As the debate over the project escalates, local lawmakers continue to feel the pressure from constituents. Many are calling for more balanced approaches to energy development that do not come at the expense of rural landowners. The upcoming 2025 session is expected to see a wave of energy-related bills introduced, as Maryland grapples with the dual challenge of advancing its energy infrastructure while protecting the rights of its citizens. The battle over eminent domain and land rights in Maryland underscores the growing tension between modernizing infrastructure and preserving local communities. How the state balances these interests will have significant implications for both its economic future and rural way of life. The post Maryland Bill Aims to Shield Farms from Eminent Domain for AI Power Lines appeared first on The Conservative Brief.

'Back into their own pockets'

'Virginia will immediately petition'

'Difficult for her to win'

An image shared on X claims to show a passenger aircraft flying as Beirut, Lebanon burns in the background. A Middle East Airline plane landing at Hariri Int Airport in #Beirut in the middle of Israeli strikes. Only in #Lebanon ? …@MEAAIRLIBAN @BEYAirport https://t.co/dAonh12JY3 pic.twitter.com/IZvhoWy3eT — Dr. David I. Ramadan (@DavidIRamadan) October 20, 2024 Verdict: False […]

The last Republican to win the popular vote was George W. Bush almost 20 years ago. In recent years, Republicans have all but written off their chances repeating Bush’s victory. But what happens if they do? As things stand now, it’s by no means likely that Donald Trump walks away with a decisive lead in […]

'I thought it was Israel. My bad.'

A video shared on X claims to show a Bucks County, Pennsylvania election worker ripping up ballots of voters who voted for former President Donald Trump. ??? “F**k Donald Trump again” Mail in ballots voting for Trump appear to be destroyed by this election registrar employee in Bucks County, Pennsylvania a major battleground State. They were […]

Included in the broad scientific consensus on climate change is the notion that it’s unlikely humans can prevent the worst events of 2°C of warming without removing excess carbon that’s already in the atmosphere. To that end, student inventors at UC Berkeley have created this yellow powder, half a pound of which can absorb the […] The post Eight Ounces of This Powder Removes as Much CO2 from the Air as a Tree appeared first on Good News Network.