Never Enough Government, Says the SEC - WSJ Opinion

Americans get so much government, they find it nearly impossible to get the government they need or want. It’s an American paradox. Taxpayers spent billions over decades to build up the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and yet Washington’s only really useful contribution to the national pandemic—perhaps accounting for 99% of the medical value of all government interventions—was the Trump vaccine program, run out of the White House hip pocket.

Slavery, Civil War, Segregation, Abortion.

America’s capacity to self-correct, to turn away from degradations of the human person without external intervention, is an exception in the history of government.

What a privilege it is to be part of this durable democracy. 🇺🇸

Now the real work begins.

Journalism style guide for covering SCOTUS:

5-4 for Obergefell: “A, historic landmark decision!”

5-4 for Dobbs: “A deeply divided Court.”

Fertility Doctors Move Embryos to Other States in Case of Roe v. Wade Impact - WSJ

Many embryos created through IVF aren’t viable, fertility specialists said, and those that aren’t ultimately transferred into a uterus may be discarded. Some fertility and legal experts said the loss or discarding of embryos could be criminalized by statutes that ban abortion from the moment of fertilization or that grant personhood rights to embryos.

If you’ve ever wondered how the greatest evils in human history have taken root and spread, look no further than the extreme sanitization of language used in this article.

An embryo is a fertilized egg, a unique human life, with its own distinct set of DNA, at its very earliest stage. Frozen in space, not permitted to live or die, with no one advocating for their rights and defense.

They are created, not out of love, but out of a kamikaze drive to achieve pregnancy at any cost. All of this is motivated by the disastoruous belief that parents have a right to a child, a right to another life. IVF, in the statistically rare times that it succeeds in its aims, creates a single life at the cost of dozens. Dozens of created lives, simply thrown away; they are a means to an end, a scientific machination, of no worth or value.

The base, callous treatment of these human lives speaks to the heart of the societal problems we face today. If we can’t recognize the fundamental right to life, dignity, and respect of new human life, how will we ever get over our divisions between sexes, races, religions, or nationalities?

This fatal flaw in our view of the human person infects our entire worldview. It’s the evil upon which all other evils are built.

Big Changes to 401(k) Retirement Plans Get Closer With Senate Vote - WSJ

Paul Richman, chief government and political affairs officer at the Insured Retirement Institute, which represents the insurance industry and supports the bill

First red flag.

Reminder: If You Read Half The Bible Today You Can Catch Up On Your Year-Long Reading Plan - The Babylon Bee

Of course, you don’t have to put too much pressure on yourself. You could easily start it tomorrow. Just add a couple of pages and you’re good to go.

Luckily I’m still on track!

A little present waiting at my desk this morning.

Trump Pick Wins Alabama GOP Senate Primary - WSJ

Republican voters in Alabama selected Katie Britt as their nominee for Senate in a runoff primary election, after receiving the endorsement of former President Donald Trump

I use the same strategy in my sports betting portfolio. I bet on all of the teams, and then declare my genius by accurately announcing that I bet on the winner and conveniently forgetting to mention that I bet on the rest of the field, too.

I don’t support the political theatre of the Jan. 6 Committee, but that day proved that Trump is not qualified to lead. Especially when the GOP has a deep bench of so many interesting picks.

Biden to Call for Three-Month Federal Gasoline Tax Suspension - WSJ

A suspension of the 18.4-cents-a-gallon federal gasoline tax and 24.4-cents-a-gallon diesel tax through September would require congressional approval, so a move by Mr. Biden to throw his support behind the effort would be largely symbolic.

We’d be doing a whole lot better if he’d just stayed in the basement.

Before doing the Bible in a Year podcast, I always thought of myself as a New Testament Catholic. But now that I’m deep into this study, and seeing that the Bible is 90% Old Testament, I really appreciate how foundational to my faith the Old Testament is.

Nation’s Dads Participate In Ancient Ritual Of One Yearly Guilt-Free Nap - The Babylon Bee

“Dads spend all year looking forward to Father’s Day when we are given permission to lie down on the couch or in our recliner without our wives standing over us and reminding us of all the things they need us to do around the house,” said Dan Danners, a local dad. “It’s a sacred tradition.”

Pixar’s ‘Lightyear’ Generates Lackluster Buzz at the Movie Theater - WSJ

Fewer families than expected went this weekend to see “Lightyear,” underscoring the challenge of winning big audiences in a summer crowded with movie blockbusters.

Or maybe families didn’t want Pixar and Buzz Lightyear to teach their kids a disordered view of human sexuality?

Cold Brew O’Clock

Gasoline Tax Holiday ‘Worth Considering,’ Yellen Says - WSJ

But in the U.S. Congress, Democratic-led efforts to temporarily stop collecting the federal gasoline tax of 18.4 cents a gallon have yet to gain traction.

Gas is up $2 in the past 12 months, and Congress’ solution is cut $0.184 off the price?

This is a multi-faceted problem; eighteen cents isn’t a solution.

The Crypto Party Is Over - WSJ

At times, crypto has looked like a combination of Beanie Babies, dot-com stocks and the Velvet Underground: It is manic, it is money, and all the cool people are into it. It has also shared characteristics with other bubbles throughout history, marked by speculation bordering on delusion, disregard and disrespect for risk, and greed.

Cauliflower, you’ve never looked so good!

Man Starting To Wonder If He Shouldn’t Have Invested His Life Savings In An Imaginary Token Saying He Owns A Digital Painting Of A Cartoon Monkey - The Babylon Bee

This week, local man Don Johnson told friends and family he had been struck with a revelation: his “Bored Ape” NFT may not have been a bulletproof investment vehicle, and perhaps he should have diversified his investments a bit.

Hang in there, Don!

Study: Inflation Forcing More Americans To Choose Between Buying Groceries, Aston Martin DBS - The Onion

“With the prices of supermarket staples like milk and bread at all-time highs, we’re seeing more families faced with making the difficult decision between eating dinner and going 0 to 62 miles per hour in 3.2 seconds,” said study author Celina Goodman, whose report found that 45% of all Americans had adjusted their grocery budgets in order to afford the $330,600 sports car.

Fed Raises Rates by 0.75 Percentage Point, Largest Increase Since 1994 - WSJ

…and signaled it would continue lifting rates this year at the most rapid pace in decades as it races to slow the economy and combat inflation that is running at a 40-year high.

Good morning! 👋🏻

Nice to have you awake and with us.

Climate-Change Censorship: Phase Two - WSJ Opinion

Now progressives are moving to censorship phase two, which is shutting down debate over climate “solutions.” “Now it’s not so much denying the problem,” Ms. McCarthy said in an Axios interview last Thursday. “What the industry is now doing is seeding doubt about the costs associated with [green energy] and whether they work or not.”

We must pay for the energy transformation in order to find out how much it costs.

Crypto Legislation Could Undermine Market Regulations, Gensler Says - WSJ

Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Gary Gensler expressed concern Tuesday that efforts in Congress to write legislation for the cryptocurrency industry could compromise regulations that govern the broader capital markets.

It appears Mr. Gensler has forgotten his place.

Apple, Major League Soccer Strike 10-Year Streaming Deal for All MLS Games - WSJ

The agreement will make the Apple TV app the home of all MLS matches, available to fans through a variety of programming options. Financial terms for the deal weren’t disclosed.

Waste of money.