Chet Collins

Canada to Ban Purchase, Sale of Handguns in New Gun Control Measures - WSJ

Canada will compel owners of banned semiautomatic firearms to sell their weapons to the government, starting at the end of this year.

The nation’s criminals are queuing up now.

“Other than using firearms for sport shooting and hunting, there is no reason anyone in Canada should need guns in their everyday lives,” Mr. Trudeau said

Ukraine?

A Federal Budget Warning for Joe Manchin - WSJ Opinion

Alas, higher spending will more than offset all of the revenue windfall. Recall how Members of Congress claimed their $1 trillion infrastructure bill would be “fully paid for”? CBO now says the bill will cost $678 billion more in outlays than its estimate last summer, as higher spending on public works over the next few years will be baked into the budget baseline.

That didn’t take long.

Treasury Releases Pandemic Funding for Small Businesses as They Face New Risks - WSJ

The program was approved as part of a $1.9 trillion coronavirus aid package passed by Congress along party lines in March 2021. Since then, unemployment has fallen and the economy surpassed its prepandemic size

It’s heart-warming to see our government riding in to save us a mere 27 months after the start of the pandemic, and only 15 months after Congress authorized the spending. Efficiency!

LeBron Confused By Hockey Players Who Get Back Up After Getting Knocked Down - The Babylon Bee

Much to LeBron’s astonishment, he then witnessed a fistfight break out as two players repeatedly punched each other in the teeth. “Foul! Foul!” cried LeBron, tears streaming down his face.

There’s something magical about a Friday night at the airport in summer.

Things may be rough out there: gas prices, food prices, inflation, mortgage rates, no baby formula, empty shelves, Ukraine, it’s a long list.

But at least the president doesn’t say mean things on Twitter!

SEC Proposes More Disclosure Requirements for ESG Funds - WSJ

“A fund’s name is often one of the most important pieces of information that investors use in selecting a fund,” Mr. Gensler said.

Terrifying to think that the SEC believes this to be true, and their solution is to… change naming rules?

Last day of school!

👨🏻‍🏫

As Biden Zeroes In on Student-Loan Forgiveness Decision, Voter Anxiety Grows - WSJ

“They dangled it over our heads to get us to vote for Biden and then did nothing,” said recent UNC graduate Brandon Overbeek, a 23-year-old liberal who estimated he has almost $100,000 in student loans.

Welcome to the adult world, Brandon.

Ms. Dulin, a Democrat who has about $20,000 in student loans, didn’t vote in 2020 and said she hasn’t decided whether she will vote in the midterms. She said she would be more likely to vote if Mr. Biden put forward a substantial loan- forgiveness plan.

I look forward to buying Ms. Dulin’s education, and her vote, for the president with my tax dollars this fall.

I love the smell of hazelnut and coffee.

Beer and grilled chicken after a hard Saturday of work and projects.

Women Eagerly Buying Stocks Now That There’s A Big Sale - The Babylon Bee

“Now that I own a piece of Target, every time I go shopping there I’m basically paying myself!” Missy explained to reporters.

People Who Haven’t Had Covid Explain How They’ve Avoided It For 2 Years - The Onion

Hank Stanford (Airline Pilot): “I belong to the skies. I am impervious to your pitiful groundling diseases.”

Here Are Some Fascinating Stories That Were Left Out Of The Bible - The Babylon Bee

Since Adam was the first man, he had to invent a ton of stuff but he had no patent office to protect his ideas and they were all stolen: Sad! 

The Electric-Vehicle Unicorn Crash - WSJ Opinion

Most EVs today can’t go more than 250 miles on a charge (and less in cold weather). Drivers worry for good reason that they’ll run out of juice on the road. President Biden hopes to alleviate this so-called range anxiety by subsidizing a nationwide network of charging stations. This won’t solve the problem. Public charging stations are nowhere more ubiquitous than in California’s Bay Area. But a recent study found that less than three-quarters of charging stations worked. In many cases the plugs, screens or payment systems were broken, or connector cables weren’t long enough to reach the car’s port. Imagine if 25% of the nation’s gasoline stations weren’t working and drivers didn’t know until they got out of the car whether they’d be able to fill up.

POLL: 52% Of Nation Now Desire To Ditch Republic, Establish Monarchy With Ultra MAGA King - The Babylon Bee

“Our MAGA King is so focused on making fun of people that he doesn’t have time left over to actually do anything, which is perfect because that’s when leaders mess things up,” said average citizen Joe Pleasant of Vermont. “He’s going to do great things for this kingdom by leaving us all alone.”

Michigan Judge Suspends Enforcement of Pre-Roe Abortion Ban - WSJ

In her ruling, Judge Gleicher stated that due-process protections in Michigan’s Constitution imply a right to bodily integrity that would be violated by the 1931 law.

Irony of irony.

In April, Judge Gleicher disclosed to lawyers involved in the litigation that she has made annual donations to Planned Parenthood of Michigan and once represented Planned Parenthood as a volunteer attorney in the 1990s. The judge said she was confident of her objectivity in the matter and didn’t think a recusal was warranted.

That’s odd, I didn’t see this noted in any of the other reporting. PP was a petitioner in the case.

Adding to the farce, the lawsuit was argued over a currently moot point, and the defendant was the MI AG who refused to defend.

So this was a case where PP brought a suit, which no one defended, over a legal nonissue, in front of a judge who currently supports PP financially and has done so annually for three decades.

Son’s new robot.

Congress to Hold Its First Hearing on UFOs in More Than 50 Years - WSJ

Rep. Adam Schiff (D., Calif.), chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said the public deserved to learn more about what the government knows about these unexplained flying objects that have long been the subject of conspiracy theories. 

This is a public, non-classified hearing. Translation: nothing new will be revealed and this is a waste of legislative time and resources.

Is it fraud, waste, and abuse week in Washington?

NASA to send naked pictures of humans in hope of ‘attracting aliens’ - New York Post

NASA scientists revealed the image in a study that’s part of a project called the “Beacon in the Galaxy” (BITG). The main aim of the BITG project is to send a message to any alien civilizations that could be out there.

Speaking of wasted tax dollars.

Renault Sells Russia Business to State-Backed Entity for One Ruble - WSJ

Renault didn’t disclose the financial terms of the deal, but people familiar with the deal said the company was selling both assets for the symbolic sum of one ruble each.

Russia overpaid.

A School Choice in Michigan - WSJ Opinion

the Detroit Free Press reported last month that school districts have used Covid money on everything from tennis courts to smoothies.

My town bought three police cars.

I don’t want to think about all of the other ways my tax dollars were wasted on frivolous local expenditures.

CBO Sounds a Warning of American Fiscal Ruin - WSJ Opinion

The CBO believes that stabilizing debt through tax increases would permanently shrink the economy by discouraging work and crowding out private investments that would improve productivity. Stabilizing debt through lower entitlement spending, by contrast, might lead people to work longer and would increase private saving, both of which would increase economic growth.