Chet Collins

Pope Francis Laments War in Ukraine Without Taking Sides - WSJ

On Thursday, in a speech citing Mahatma Gandhi, the famed exponent of nonviolent resistance, the pope denounced as madness the decision by some countries to raise their military spending above 2% of gross domestic product, an apparent reference to North Atlantic Treaty Organization members including Germany who have announced higher military spending in response to the war in Ukraine. “The true response is not more weapons, more sanctions,” the pope said.

As if a sovereign nation doesn’t have a right to self-defense?

Manchin Signals He Wants to Restart Talks on Climate, Tax Package - WSJ

The West Virginia Democrat’s remarks, made in conversations with energy executives and lobbyists, echo his previous public calls for legislation centered on raising taxes, reducing the deficit, lowering drug costs and offering clean- energy incentives.

Inflation is at 8%, the Fed is aggressively raising rates. So yeah, let’s go ahead and guarantee a recession by raising taxes!

What Teenagers Really Learn from Stock-Market Games - WSJ

Zach used about $200,000 in margin borrowing to drive his pretend portfolio up to $583,070. “It’s nice that they let you do that,” he says. “It makes it easier to make money.”

Way to go, teach!

In America’s No. 1 Inflation Hotspot, Democrats Face Restive Voters - WSJ

Economists attribute the surge in inflation to several factors: disruptions to supply chains and shifts in consumption patterns caused by the pandemic, soaring oil prices driven in part by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a decline in the labor force due to early retirements, concerns about Covid and other factors, and strong demand fueled by repeated rounds of fiscal stimulus and the ultralow interest rates maintained by the Federal Reserve.

I’m always irritated when the technocrats bury the most likely explanations at the bottom of a heaping pile of excuses.

Car Buyers Shun Leases as Deals and Vehicles Dwindle - WSJ

The higher lease rates are also adding to concerns about affordability, as leasing has long been a popular option for consumers looking to get into a new vehicle but at a lower monthly payment than if they were to buy the car outright.

Dumb.

Former Boeing Pilot Found Not Guilty in 737 MAX Trial - WSJ

Boeing admitted in its settlement with the Justice Department that former employees deceived the FAA. The deal blamed two employees, although only Mr. Forkner was charged, and said senior management wasn’t involved in the misconduct.

Nice to see the judicial process functioning as designed. This case was outrageous from the first filing.

Student-Loan Freeze Saves Borrowers Nearly $200 Billion as Biden Considers Extension - WSJ

Washington Sen. Patty Murray (D.), who leads the Senate’s education panel, has specifically pushed for a renewed pause into next year to give the administration time to come up with a plan to overhaul the student-loan payment system, including some debt forgiveness, especially for low-income borrowers, as well as changes to income-based repayment plans and altering how student debt affects consumer credit scores.

I think she meant to give the administration time to get past the midterms.

Jesse Wilburn, a 27-year-old electrical engineer in Philadelphia, said that while his $30,000 in student debt is relatively manageable, he is considering forgoing payments in solidarity with those who can’t pay back their loans if the freeze on payments ends in May.

True bravery.

TurboTax Threatens To Tell IRS Customer Cheated On Taxes Unless They Upgrade To Deluxe Version - The Onion

“We’ve got all your information now, and we can easily change a few numbers here or there, maybe add a couple red flags—but of course all that can go away for an additional $99.99,” read the message

Russian Forces Kill Civilians, Loot for Supplies in Occupied Ukraine, Residents Say - WSJ

“The Soviet occupation lasted 70 years, and some people still have a good memory of that time: It was safe, there was something to eat and something to drink,” he said. “But we are a different generation, and all that is not enough for us. What we need is freedom, freedom to live in our own country where nobody else tells us what to do.”